stair-case is a small but nimble design studio. We work at very large scales and very small scales and we appreciate the challenges and the benefits of each. We work broadly; from brand creation to art direction to environmental event design, we’ve executed at all levels.

As a studio, we look for collaborators who appreciate depth and quality; who reject easy solutions and who, like us, hold their strengths and weaknesses with humility. With over 20 years of experience in the field, we have learned to be led by curiosity. And we have learned that building anything well requires sustained attention and consistent work.

We are, in some sense, a rural studio. That is, we are geographically separated from urban spaces by at least 90 miles in any direction. We celebrate rurality, the edges of things and the forgotten things. We have been formed by it. But we also have been formed by cities as well—we have worked in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Oslo, among others. We have worked with some of the largest companies in the world and some of the smallest. As long as the work is good and worthy, we are glad to do it.

Finally, we agree with the photographer Robert Adams that it “is the responsibility of artists to pay attention to the world, pleasant or otherwise, and to help us live respectfully in it. We would add that it’s a responsibility of designers too.

Here, you will find a small sliver of the work we’ve done in the world. If you resonate with it, we would love to work with you. All best.

Eric Hurtgen
Principal

Seth Russell
Junior Design

Selected Work

Selected Clients
Atlantic Records, ATO Records, AirBNB, B4 Records, Cina & Associates, Columbia Records, EMI, Farm League, Flatiron Health, Ghostly Records, Interscope Records, Lex Records, The McColl Center, NCMA Winston-Salem, Pratt Institute, RCA Records, Rapture, Red Hook Records, SOCO Gallery, Thesis, Stink Films, Vevo, Warner Music, Ways & Means