Upstatement

Digital assets are arguably some of the most important assets to businesses in our modern era. Upstatement is a digital product studio that blends storytelling, design, and engineering to create and foster digital experiences. The founding team came together in previous roles in the newsrooms of The New York Times and The Boston Globe. This incubation period led the company to bring diverse perspectives into its creative processes.

• 1. Good Ideas Come from Everywhere Invite Everyone In Diverse perspectives make the most innovative work. It’s science. And it’s more fun, too. That’s why we include everyone in the conversation: clients, vendors, juniors, seniors, designers, engineers, the whole team. After every win, you’ll hear “We did it!” instead of “I did it.” Open Up We might not have written the phrase “Good ideas come from everywhere,” but we embrace it. Far more important to recognize brilliance than to author it yourself. We always keep our eyes, ears, and minds open. When the right idea floats by, we’re ready to snag it with a butterfly net
• 2. Hold the Highest Standard Work with the Best To do ground-breaking work, we can never settle. We expect the best of every individual and care about every last detail. We don’t beat around the bush. Regardless of role, we deliver thoughts directly, whether in a design critique or a personal situation. Everyone strives to be candid, kind, and open to feedback Make the World Better Upstatement is an ethical company. We choose wisely when it comes to how, why, and where we apply our talents. We seek causes we believe in — like making America safe, greening the planet, and advancing truth & equality. If you don’t share our ethics, don’t worry: We won’t work together. Everyone here does the right thing, not the easy thing, regardless of consequence
• 3. Find the Opportunity Keep it Fresh Some of our finest work springs from projects that, at first glance, don’t look very glamorous. So if you’re feeling stuck inside a box, try looking at things another way. Turn it upside down or inside out or into origami Reframe the Narrative We all get to write our own story. Is the situation tragic or just a hurdle on the hero’s journey? You decide. It’s easy to see the difficulty in every opportunity. A good Upstatementer asks, “How might we find the opportunity in this difficulty?”
• 4. Interrogate the Premise Use the “Why” as Your Guide The problem you’re trying to solve is probably intertwined with many others. It’s our job to pull the thread and ask why — even if the whole sweater unravels. Dig deep until you get to the root cause. That’s the way to unearth new opportunities Just Make It Already Asking “why” helps us refine our thinking and uncover systemic issues. But asking why too much makes us annoying. They killed Socrates for that. At some point we know enough — it’s time to make something
• 5. Consider Every Part of the Experience It All Matters We share Captain Nemo’s motto: “mobilis in mobili,” which is Latin for “changing in the changes.” Our context constantly shifts shape: Technology never stops transforming, users are more sophisticated every second, clients always need something new. In stormy seas, we must stay sharp and chart the best course no matter the circumstance Practice Hospitality Ever go out to eat at a nice restaurant and realize that your water glass is always full, even though you never noticed someone filling it? Upstatement is like that. We aspire to always be warm and friendly. We host a good party. We remember your birthday. To create great work from end-to-end, you have to anticipate needs and magically (sometimes invisibly) fulfil them
• 6. Make Each Other Better Show Your Work Pssst. Here’s a secret. A little trick that makes good work great and unsticks you when you’re stuck: Just talk to someone. Shining light on our work only improves it (and everyone else’s). You’re lucky to be surrounded by the best and the brightest. Not to mention the kindest and most collaborative. They’ll help you get better. All you have to do is ask Share Responsibility The success of the team ensures the success of the individual — not the other way around. So erase the imaginary fault lines between different jobs. Everyone sinks, swims, and sails together regardless of role. There are no heroes here. We share what we know and acknowledge what we don’t, always happy to be a teacher in our craft and a student in another
• 7. Own It Lead If you’re not sure who’s in charge, it’s probably you. If you catch yourself saying “Someone should …” that someone should be you. Everyone at Upstatement is here to make it a better place. So steer the ship, captain. Soon you’ll see that others will follow and the entire organization has your back Reflect Things don’t always turn out the way you planned: That’s okay. You’re not perfect: That’s all right, too. Self-awareness and reflection are the only requirements here. Before blaming outside factors, we take a look in the mirror and ask what we could have done better. There’s strength in saying, “sorry” because every failure is just an opportunity to try again