Hattery Labs
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Hattery was a design-based innovation lab and venture capital firm that I helped build from the ground up. Based in San Francisco, we invested in good people with big ideas and helped them build powerful brands. We held on tight to our core beliefs—focusing on the value of craftsmanship, the power of innovation, acting with purpose, and staying passionate. Hattery was bought by Google in 2013.
Designing the Space
We grew Hattery from four to forty, acquiring a 3-story building in SOMA within our first year. From hand-crafted furniture to glass meeting rooms, every element of this shared workspace was curated to instigate collaboration, denote transparency, and inspire strong work.
Curating a Culture
Hattery was a collective of experts in tech, business, design, and finance, all whom were deeply passionate about what they did. We sought clients who were just as passionate about their world-changing ideas, and we invited them to sit at the table with us—literally. In our shared space, the majority of startups used Hattery as their office, allowing for seamless collaboration and speedy communication.
The Logo & Typeface
The logotype and custom typeface was designed by typeface extraordinaire, James Edmondson. The sturdy yet elegant construction, details, and form of the wordmark harken back to cherished processes of engraving and lithographs. The script is a nuanced adaptation of James’ earlier and notorious font, Wisdom Script (which blew up in popularity when he later posted it on Lost Type). For all of the details on the process, James has written a great recap on his website. Learn More »
The Crafted Table
The building had a series of rafters that were not weight-bearing and were obstructing the skylight. In true Hattery fashion, we carefully removed and repurposed them for our desk and conference room tables. Hand-crafted and built by craftsman, Will Holman, they we designed to connect as one long table to mimic a family-style setup, to eliminate hierarchy, and to encourage collaboration. These tables will always belong to Hattery—Intentionally built on-site, they don't fit out the door. Learn More »
The Nimble Hare
Prominent in folklore for being quick-witted and nimble, the hare uses its cunningness to stay ahead of the curve. At Hattery, the hare became a symbol that showed that, through restless reinvention and agile thinking, we can breed innovation. In the spirit of our love for craftsmanship, we commissioned the infamous Randy Glass, illustrator for the Wall Street Journal, to bring our mascot to life.
Fueling Innovation
Knowing the value of healthy food to fuel great work, Hattery also employed chefs that cooked beautiful, brain-powering meals we all shared together, family style, on the top floor balcony.
Role: Design Lead
Founders: Joshua To, Josh Mendelson, Luis Arbulu
Photography: James Buyayo
Year: 2011-2013