And Also Too will be taking a break from working on projects in the spring of 2025.
During this time, we will be going into a “Chrysalis” period — a transformational pause that will allow us to reshape our practice. We intend to emerge with a new form that better supports us in doing our most effective work. We borrow the Chrysalis framing from the Allied Media Conference’s 2019 pause which, incidentally, we designed the branding for.
Key info
- Last day to submit invoices: Friday, March 21, 2025
- Last day in the studio: Friday, March 28, 2025
- First day back: Wednesday, July 2, 2025
Support our Chrysalis
As we enter our cocoon, we are reaching out to our community to help fund this period of change. Your support will enable us to fully commit to this pause while we reshape ourselves to deliver more offerings like the Design Justice Principles, the Consentful Tech Project, the Analog Data Kit, and storytelling about design justice practice.
Contribute to the Chrysalis fund
Contribute to the Consentful Tech Project
The Basics
What brings you to this decision?
Since 2012, And Also Too has been designing with communities on the front lines of struggles for justice and liberation.
It might not be entirely obvious, but there are two parts to our practice. One part is our design justice practice — co-creating visuals, tools, and resources for social movements. This work accounts for nearly all our income.
The other part is what we’ve come to call gift work — sharing our practice and learnings with our beloved community. This has taken the form of:
- Ideas we’ve synthesized like the Design Justice Principles and the Consentful Tech Framework;
- Tools we’ve crafted like the Analog Data Kit and the Vision Archive;
- Reflections on our design practice through our stories and journal;
- Pro bono design work for grassroots mobilizations;
- Calls with researchers wanting to learn about design justice practice; and
- Portfolio review and career advice sessions with emerging design justice practitioners.
This gift practice is largely unfunded, but is equally important to our mission of redistributing power in design. It has also broadened the impact of design justice beyond the communities we can reach with direct contract work.
We have avoided choosing one of these halves thus far, maybe due to persistent attachment issues, or maybe because of the elegant ways that these parts nourish each other. Whatever the reason, it’s been a challenging way to operate.
Those challenges are now too pressing to ignore, and too difficult to tackle while we juggle the day to day work in increasingly chaotic and violent times. We have decided to pause our projects for three months so we can explore the three questions at the heart of this struggle: Where can our design justice and gifting practices have the most impact in these times of global polycrisis? How might we continue to transform the ways that design happens in our world? And, how can we do the work our communities are calling us to do in ways that are sustainable in terms of income and our well-being?
What is a Chrysalis?
A chrysalis is the pupal stage of a butterfly — when the caterpillar retreats into a cocoon to prepare for transformation.
Chrysalis was the metaphor used by the Allied Media Conference in 2019, when they paused for a year to consider how to grow intentionally and accessibly. That pause was critical in shoring the team up for the first ever virtual AMC in 2020. And Also Too creative director Una Lee was humbled to be part of that team as design director.
Our Chrysalis will be a time of protected transformation. We will be staying connected, but much of the work that we’ll be doing will be done in seclusion.
When does it start and end?
Our last day in the studio will be Friday, March 28, 2025. We will be working to wind everything down in the 2 weeks prior.
Our first day back in the studio will be Wednesday, July 2, 2025. Please be patient with us as we spin everything back up; it may take a week or so for us to respond to any inquiries.
Will you be checking email?
We will be keeping an eye on email, but will be minimally responsive. Our email auto-responders will contain more information about when you can expect a response.
Will the project we were talking about still happen?
If we have signed an agreement, absolutely! For other projects, most likely, though it’s possible that the scope and timelines will be different than discussed.
Can we talk about a new project?
We would love to. Please send an email to collaborate@andalsotoo.net. If we receive it before the Chrysalis begins, we can find a time to talk. Otherwise, our email auto-responder will contain more information about when you can expect a response.
Financial Stuff
How are you funding this?
We are in the process of figuring that out. We’re happy to discuss funding ideas on a 1:1 call.
Will I be able to pay you during your Chrysalis?
Yes, thank you!
Will my invoice be paid during the Chrysalis?
Yes, but to ensure you are paid in a timely manner, please submit any invoices by March 21, 2025. There will be a delay in processing any invoices received later than March 21.
Big Picture Stuff
What will you be up to?
During this time, we’ll be catching up on rest, connecting and reconnecting with co-conspirators like yourself, and conceiving new possibilities for our future form. Outside of work, we will continue to support local and translocal organizing efforts.
We hope to emerge from our Chrysalis with renewed energy and the beginnings of our new shape.
Will you be sharing your Chrysalis experiences?
Yes, we will take some time to digest, and eventually share our insights.
Will the studio be different when you return?
Yes! Though it’s impossible to say how right now.