Innovation

What is important behind any success story is a shared thinking of founders. This is exactly the case we observe at Verstak. Since the very beginning founders of Verstak have integrated social mission in their business mission, although at the early stages the firm also worked with regular business partners. Design Bureau Verstak has changed the usual business model. Denis, the founder, said: "I had no motivation to work as an ordinary designer, so I tried my best to find an outbreak".

Within the last three years the firm has transferred into an absolutely socially-oriented studio that has integrated Pro Bono Volunteering in their business model. Denis admits it was not an easy transformation. It was difficult because it takes completely different approach to running business. For example, due to NPOs’ specifics it is hard to develop booklets on children mortality through some diseases. Also it is a mandatory requirement to learn how to react concerning the way of thinking and final decision-making by the clients. "Design can serve as a "propaganda tool" and it is more effective than compassion",- the team thinks this way.

Inspiration

Talking about the nonprofit sector, it was not taken seriously as a market niche by the design industry, especially in the times of high oil prices. When the oil money ended, the budgets and the market in general began to shrink and many designers and illustrators lost their jobs.

At the same time, the nonprofit market began to grow both in terms of its moral significance and in financial terms. It was not only the growing number of NPOs, but also their funding that contributed to emergence of a new market niche. Another factor is that people from business environment started joining NPOs and realized the need in marketing to promote their activities. In this way, it is of vital importance to allocate funds for high-quality design products and communications. This is how design for NPOs as a new market niche has been formed, while only few competitors paid attention to it. Verstak was among these few.

Verstak’s first large client was Transparency International - the global civil society organization leading the fight against corruption. At the beginning, Verstak provided design for just one study and the annual report. The next project with this nonprofit organization was "The ABC of Corruption". As a results of this project founders of Verstak realized that their company gained a good reputation and they are visible on their market. Based on working experience with Transparency International, the Bureau finally switched to working only with the nonprofit sector.

Overall impact

Verstak's main goal is to help those who make the world better. They invest one third of their earnings into the Pro Bono Volunteering Projects. One of the founders said: “I would never return to creating perfume brochures again, no matter how tough and exhausting the work for the third sector might be. I strongly feel this is what I am meant for”.

Business benefit

Co-founders of Verstak do not see any sense in increasing the size of their operations. "Firstly, we plan to strengthen the image and positioning in the market; secondly, our aims to work are about working with big projects at this market". However, the Design Bureau does not want to give away its role of an intermediary and delegate smaller projects to other studios. Rather, it wants to share its experience to encourage other companies in their transformation to work with the third sector.

"Being a speaker at a number of events, I was specifically engaged in propaganda for NGOs. I told that there are a lot of young designers, there are NGOs that do not have the opportunity to hire a designer, and they can not make a normal product themselves. Let's join, try to work together! Soon it became available."

Social and environmental benefit

The founders of Verstak told us about their attitude to business: "This is our way of being socially responsible. It is important for us to influence the world and make it better. It's a fact that our work creates benefits, keeps the team together and helps to get up every morning and keep on going".

As an example of a socially and environmentally oriented project Denis told us about a joint work with the "Centr Vverh" (Center Up) and "Rukiottuda" (the professional development unit of the "Centr Vverh" (Center Up)). Verstak has made it possible for people to create their own birdhouses and feeders. From their part, Verstak provided opportunities and materials, and in return received additional earnings for the "Centr Vverh" (Center Up). In addition, in this way, Verstak contributed to maintaining a sustainable way of running the Gorky Park in Moscow.

Interview

Denis Ponomarev, Co-Founder, Partner