A Sensory Brand Experience

with Chris and Julie Neubauer, yonder design

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On Creating a Sensory Design Experience from the World Around Us

With Chris and Julie Neubauer, Yonder Design

Meet Chris and Julie, the husband-wife team behind the incredible Yonder Design. Yonder is a luxury graphic design and event branding firm that specializes in creating unique, highly tactile pieces that often combine a variety of materials and production methods. And together on this episode of End of the Night we talk about parenthood, entrepreneurship, creative direction and so much more more.

“It’s all mixed together.” Chris said about running a business as a married couple. Julie (only half-joking) adds, “We had a really long hallway at our original office, so Chris would be at one end and I would be at the other end so there was enough distance to keep the peace.”

“We always quote [words from] Emerson that I feel like has kept us sane throughout the years… finishing each day and being done with it and moving on, you know, letting tomorrow be a new day,” said Julie.

I mean, isn’t that the hope? That – as creatives – we can all wipe the slate clean each day and come back to our work with a fresh perspective? I certainly think so.

Chris and Julie also shared one of their favorite designs of all time – and the unlikely inspiration behind it.

“Our inspiration comes from a lot of travel and going to art shows, art museums, even historical museums. Even small interior design shops. I take a photo and keep it in the back of my pocket and some day down the road I find the client and I’m like, ‘oh this is the perfect idea for this client” Julie mentions. “The designs really do tell some kind of story. There’s a reason we are putting different elements into the design, based on our own experiences. and travels and research into certain cultures.”

“Someone says ‘oh, we are inspired by San Francisco, let’s do something with the Golden Gate Bridge.’ We are not going to do that. But we could take inspiration from that and incorporate the rivets that are used in the bridge construction, we’ll get shadows created from the pylons or the suspension cables.” Chris explains, noting that they deliberately avoid the trite references often overdone in graphic design (a commitment, it goes without saying, that I not only appreciate but am impressed by in a really deep way.)

We also chat about their plans for expansion where they now live – in Tahoe – and how they are keeping the harmony as new parents and business owners. Oh, and if you’re looking for the perfect spring cocktail, check out Chris and Julie’s coveted Gin&Tonic recipe. I’ll be honest – our chat about gin was robust to say the least, and even though it didn’t make the final audio cut, this recipe is too good not to share. So, mix one up, wind down and listen in! It’s on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, too.