Zago: Connecting Strategy to Design
DFA Collaborative | Inside the Studio
Written by Mia Manavalan
On a hot summer day in June, I made my way to Zago’s headquarters in New York. Upon entering the open office space in SoHo, I was greeted by a friendly intern and Zago’s CEO, Manuel Toscano. While the rest of the small Zago team worked quietly in the open office space, Manuel and I made our way into a meeting room.
So what is Zago? Zago, in short, is a small design firm with a mission based around social impact. “We work with two types of clients,” Manuel explained.
- Legacy organizations. Zago is involved with the rebranding process for these clients. The first example that came to Manuel’s mind was the Human Rights Watch, in which Zago was tasked with redesigning the Human Rights Watch (HRW) communication strategies (http://zagollc.com/projects/human-rights-watch). “We’ve worked with HRW for a long a time. Now, the organization has a broader membership, a much broader reach, and is considered a global organization.” Manuel said this so humbly, I almost didn’t notice the impact of this statement. That’s pretty incredible — a small firm, composed of under 10 people, was able to take an organization and make it known worldwide.
- Startups, young grassroots organizations, internal innovations and initiatives. Zago is involved in the launching process. As Manuel explained, “We support these individuals on their journey. We make their idea a reality.” To me, this proved not only Zago’s development abilities, but also their ability to have an emotional connection with their clients. To create a startup is stressful and Zago tries to make it as seamless as possible.
Whether it’s large organizations or new initiatives, clients love Zago. Manuel provided some insight as to what makes them so unique. First, they have been praised on their ability to understand needs and the emotional politics when being a part of a transformation in an organization. It takes time, persistence, and patience, and Zago has exceeded expectations again and again. Secondly, it’s their knowledge of these subject matters that is extraordinary. When Manuel talked through several of their projects with me, it was evident that he had a deep understanding of the intricacies of the respective client’s field. Needless to say, Zago has been applauded on their ability to be so close to being subject matter experts without actually having all those years of experience in that specific industry. Thus, clients feel like they can have real, meaningful conversations about their work.
Zago has come a long way since its beginning in 1993. It didn’t always used to be like this.
At the time Manuel joined in the mid-90s, Zago partnered mostly with pharmaceutical companies. However, the Zago team soon realized their clients were engaged in a system that was regulated by the FDA. Manuel described how he and his colleagues saw these issues first hand: how, in order to minimize risks, clients would sell products that weren’t necessarily the best treatment options for their customers. These customers weren’t getting the treatment they really needed.
That’s the moment that Manuel described as his “come to Jesus moment.”
This is an issue that I’ve grappled with, as I’m sure most DFA members and others wanting to make a positive social impact have. How can you truly help people in strict industries where there are restrictions on creativity? What next steps do you take after a revelation such as Manuel’s?
Zago took a well-needed break from the pharmaceutical world. During this hiatus, Manuel and his colleagues worked with non-profits organizations while also increasing the capacity of their studio. Coming back strong with more people and a more experienced firm, Manuel and his colleagues decided to give the healthcare world another try, but with a different perspective in mind. To combat the previous issues, they’ve learned to work around medical devices and the healthcare system to engage in work that is more fulfilling for them.
Up until this point, this was quite the uplifting conversation I was having with Manuel. However, things seemed to shift when I asked him how, as a soon-to-be graduate entering the job market, to find meaningful work.
Manuel responded with an honest answer: “In order for the world to save itself from these endemic problems accumulated since WWII, we need more and more students and young professionals who are trained, passionate, and capable of working in ways that are multidisciplinary.”
Yes, definitely, totally agree.
“…but I’m not sure if the world is ready to absorb them in the way they are being produced.”
Uh…what???
“The world is not ready for you, but it certainly needs you.”
It’s a dilemma we face as millennials and I appreciate Manuel’s honesty in his answer. It’s something everyone needs to hear. Although the world may not be ready, Manuel gave me some sense of ease, knowing that passionate and informed CEOs like Manuel, are out there. Zago is an organization I would recommend to anyone trying to find meaning in work, whether externally as a client or as a part of their dynamic family. Manuel’s strong personality reflects what Zago is looking for in their people: multidimensional learners with a high level of empathy and curiosity — those that are interested in exploring and making an impact.
To learn more about Zago, visit http://zagollc.com/.
Illustration by Allison Chen
