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charity: water Art in the Over App

Creativity has always been at the center of how we operate as an organization. Our team is made up of amazing designers, engineers, and producers who all share a passion for innovation. From a simple keynote presentation to the full out branding of a new product, we work hard to make each and every one of our designs meaningful and exciting.

That’s why we’re thrilled to announce a collaborative project we’ve been working on with our friends at Over. Over is an app that allows you to unleash your creative side by adding beautiful text and artwork to your photos just by using your phone.

Throughout the next few weeks, Over will be releasing a number of exclusive charity: water pieces created by an amazing group of designers. Some of our own, and some incredible guest artists who graciously offered up their time and talent to be a part of this project with us.

And before you go download the app for yourself, we’d love for you to meet them!


Meet Jillian

After splitting her time between studying graphic design at Syracuse University and booking, planning, and promoting concerts around campus for five years, Jillian Adel finally decided to pursue design full-time after she was inspired by people whose job it was to make beautiful lettering.

“I started spending a lot of time going to talks and workshops through the Type Directors Club and Cooper Type program. Between those opportunities, making type friends and becoming immersed in that community, and hours and hours and HOURS of practice, that part of my work began to grow.”

Jillian started her career in the agency world where she designed art for Broadway theater advertising. But after five years, she decided to relocate to Los Angeles to work independently and build out her art direction and illustration voice in her independent practice.

When we asked Jillian to be a part of the charity: water/Over project, she was thrilled to get involved.

“I’m always happy to make art for a great cause, and charity: water has a reputation of doing a lot of good! I was excited to imagine how users of the Over app might discover and use my art with their photos. I wanted to make something that related to what they might be feeling when they choose the word “Empathy” or “Gratitude” to use on their photo. I love using art to connect people, both me to them, them to me, and them to others.”

Her favorite design:
“I dig the ‘Water is Life’ bit because the nature of the script allowed me to play with water drops as a visual in the composition.”

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Meet Joseph

As a letterform enthusiast and a lover of language and its various visual expressions, Joseph Alessio is a self-taught designer who is best known for his dimensional and animated lettering projects.

“I love exploring ways to render ideas through type and lettering. I like to make messages meaningful, fusing words and images together; it’s a powerful form of communication.”

Collaborating with charity: water on the Over project not only gave Joseph the chance to utilize his passion for a good cause, but to also re-explore a type of artwork that he had not visited in quite some time.

“It’s always great to apply skills towards benefitting a good cause. I took this opportunity to draw all the lettering by hand, start to finish. That was fun. I hadn’t done a project where it’s entirely hand-done on paper, without any digital tools or tweaks, for a while, and it was great to work with my hands in this way.”

Additionally, working on this project gave him the opportunity to connect with a cause that hits close to home – literally.

“Water is necessary to life, but we take it for granted so often. This is highlighted in the current water crisis in Flint, in my home state of Michigan. So many of us can’t imagine a life without easy access to safe water, but we forget that much of the world lives in need of it. I’m happy to do what I can to assist in raising awareness and resources to provide this necessity to those who need it.”

His favorite design:
“I really like the fat letterforms in the “Do Good Work” piece. It’s a slightly casual, fun-loving script that I dressed up with a spur treatment, for a funky vintage flavor.”

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Meet Nate

Nate Utesch was first introduced to the charity: water story when he attended the Creative Works Conference in Memphis, Tennessee last year where he got to hear charity: water’s VP of Creative, Viktoria Harrison, speak.

“Viktoria’s speech took my appreciation for the charity: water mission to another level. There are of course so many needs on this planet. Seemingly insurmountable. And, in turn, so many incredible people who have dedicated their lives to not only fight for those needs, but just simply find ways to make the world aware of what maybe the western world can easily forget or admittedly not even be aware of. charity: water does a great job of making their mission clear and making participation simple. It’s hard not to want to be a part of something like that.”

Nate, who originally thought his career would be in music (before his band split up a year into college), studied visual communication and design at Indiana University Fort Wayne. His first job was as an art director at a firm that did advertising for GE’s Heating and Air Conditioning division. But after three years of work he wasn’t too excited about, Nate wanted to move on to something that provided him with more meaning.

This drive led him to a “scrappy-design-shop-turned-full-service-agency” called One Lucky Guitar where he got to dive more into his passions for eight years. Nate now makes up half of Secretly Group’s art department and was excited to partner with charity: water on this project.

“Not unlike every designer on the globe, I try to keep a steady flow of nonsensical – cool cause I like it – personal work in my portfolio. This was a great opportunity to do something quirky and appealing to me personally, but overlapping with a great cause like charity: water is a win-win.”

His favorite design:
“I’m a lifer proponent of the “he not busy being born” adage and I thought “the craziest thing” design was a nice spin too.”

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Meet Joey

After recently finishing internships at Matchstic and Cartoon Network, Kent based designer and illustrator Joey Wathen returned to school at Kent state University to finish off his senior year studying visual communication design.

“I love to work on creating fun images that will make people smile.”

Joey decided to become involved with the charity: water/Over project because of his desire to help us expand our mission.

“We live in one of the wealthiest nations and its important to remember we have a responsibility to take care of the planet and the people of this planet. I wanted to raise awareness of the basic resources people live without every day. It makes me happy to help charity: water, because they are always busy helping others.”

His favorite design:
“I enjoyed creating “Make Waves” because it was done with a fun poster marker and it took many attempts. Still not sure if it’s perfect, but I enjoyed making it.”

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Meet Keith

Keith Davis Young first became interested in design at an early age. He started drawing when he was only 7 or 8 years old and followed this passion through high school and undergrad where his interests grew in both building personal works and the commercial side of design.

This year marks Keith’s 10th anniversary as a freelance designer in Austin, Texas, where he had the opportunity to share studio space with many local creative and inspiring artists before moving into his current creative/collaborative space at Public School.

“Sharing space with other productive talented artists was a huge influence on myself and intentions behind my design career.”

When Keith first heard about the charity: water / Over project through his good friend, and our Senior Designer, Garrett DeRossett, his interest was immediately sparked and he was thrilled to lend a hand.

“I had always known and supported the charitable works of charity: water and I wanted to help out in any way I possibly could. When the opportunity arose, I jumped on it and submitted as much artwork as I could. And aside from the charitable motive, it was a lot of fun having looser parameters to an assignment like this. The project seemed to encourage artists to have fun and make something they felt would resonate to others in its message and aesthetics.”

As someone who values the importance of design in every aspect of his life, Keith felt that he resonated with charity: water’s approach to design and that the mutual understanding of intentional creativity made working alongside charity: water a great fit for him.

“I’ve always gotten the feeling charity: water takes their efforts and design very seriously, which is a practice I respect greatly. It’s an honor to be involved with a company that holds this standard of hard work and visual communication so high. I’ve always viewed charity: water as a progressive endeavor with incredible intentions to help others throughout the world. With that said – I’m all for backing anything that will help people and put good things out into the world. I’m excited and humbled to be a part of it.”

His favorite design:
“I’m probably the most excited about the bird trio lockup. It’s one of those pieces that acted as a simplified, abstract piece that hopefully others will favor and use. It’s nice to let the viewer make their own connection with the piece and not have to rely on an artist statement or reason for it.”

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Meet Colin & Alana

Colin Miller and Alana Louise are two designers from Austin, Texas who work together as Good Folks Co. While they both have separate day jobs, they come together at their studio to create work for clients, as well as personal projects and sellable goods like shirts, stickers, and patches.

When these two twenty-somethings aren’t spending their time enjoying some good Texas food or hanging out with Colin’s hedgehog, Hank, they both like to collaborate on artwork and help each other out when they get stuck.

“We work together because ultimately, we don’t believe in submitting work we aren’t happy with.”

When the opportunity to partner with charity: water on this collaboration with Over arose, both Colin and Alana didn’t have to think about it twice.

“It’s really easy to sit back and not realize what is going on in the world. charity: water took on the hard task of not only raising awareness, but taking action as well. The message they stand behind is so much bigger than either of us, so it was a no-brainer to get involved with this project.”

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We are so grateful for all of these incredible artists for choosing to partner with us on this project and for caring about the charity: water mission enough to take time out of their busy schedules to help us raise awareness about the water crisis in a new, fun, and creative way.

Now it’s your turn. Get out your phones. Download the app. And start creating! We can’t wait to see all the cool, new and inspiring artwork that you #madewithover.

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