New Year, New Look, New Website
New Year, New Look, New Website It’s hard to believe it’s been four years since we launched our rebrand and new website. At the same time, it feels like it’s exactly who we’ve always been. Then, our focus was on creating our brand identity – determining what makes us who we are and starting to share that with the world. It was just the beginning. Now, with something really refreshing about the year 2020, we’ve
Tekna Awarded Wonderful Workplace
Tekna Awarded Wonderful Workplace 2019 By Sarah Hollingsworth Tekna was selected by 269 Magazine as one of Southwest Michigan’s Wonderful Workplaces. This award celebrates the outstanding efforts made by local businesses in the region who build culture and create a great place to work. The article, released in their 2019 Holiday issue, focused on our culture of authenticity. “The space—with ceilings high enough to allow for an airplane to be suspended above the design team—leaves
Being the First Supply Chain Intern
Being the First Supply Chain Intern By Brandon Peterson, Supply Chain Intern When it came time to look for a summer internship, I really wanted to find something that would help me explore the various aspects of supply chain management. With that in mind, I felt like interning for a larger scale company wouldn’t be ideal because I would likely be limited to a narrower role with fewer activities. Conversely, a smaller company like Tekna
When Life Gives you Lemons
When Life Gives You Lemons By Mike Stinchcomb, Design Engineer Intern About 2 years ago I tried to shoe ski down a huge, snowy, slick hill on my way to class (as any college kid would), which resulted in me falling pretty hard on some ice. After my fall, I experienced sharp and persistent pain in my hip. I saw a few doctors who were having trouble finding the root of the problem. I went
A Holistic Approach
A Holistic Approach By Eve Berndt, Industrial Design Intern Looking at the bigger picture has always been a tendency of mine. I’ve shaped who I am today, in part, because of my inclination to question ideals, motives, and systems around me. I think it’s a big part of what drew me to industrial design—I love the discussion around what makes a well-designed product. I love the questioning. But more so, I love following the process
Operation Birdhouse – Summer 2019
Operation Birdhouse – Summer 2019 By Summer 2019 Interns: Eve Berndt, Lauren Maksymiuk, and Mike Stinchcomb During the first few weeks of our internship, we heard talk of an intern project and a running joke about how the birdhouse is coming along. Around our last month at Tekna, we were given the project brief–operation birdhouse. The mission was to create a birdhouse for the back patio—but not just any old birdhouse. They wanted something exciting
Not Your Average Graphic Design Internship
Not Your Average Graphic Design Internship By Lauren Maksymiuk, Graphic Design Intern Before I had even heard of Tekna, the last month of my semester was spent researching and applying for internships at graphic design studios. Up until that point, my experience was limited to branding, marketing, and some web design. When I came across Tekna’s internship opportunity, I was intrigued. Coming in for the interview and taking a quick tour of the space left
Michigan Design Prize 2019
Michigan Design Prize 2019 By Lauren Maksymiuk, Graphic Design Intern For the 3rd year, we collaborated with students to create a concept at the 2019 Michigan Design Prize. Every year, K-12 and collegiate level students are tasked with designing a product based on larger societal issues and with a Michigan focus. This year, the challenge was to design a physical product solution that improves and beautifies the lives of Michigan’s citizens. A group of 12th grade students
We Can Do It!
We Can Do It! By Courtney Kohler and Kelly Oswald Tekna participated in the 6th Annual Corporate Engineering Challenge at the Air Zoo this past weekend, and it was a huge success! The event, sponsored by the Society of Women Engineers, aimed to expose girls ages 9-12 to engineering and science-related activities. Nearly 200 girls participated in the challenge and hundreds of members of the public joined in on the fun. Many of our employees across multiple
Design Team Meetings: A Year in Review
Design Team Meetings: A Year in Review By Abby Dean, Sr. Graphic Designer In a busy design studio with deadlines always looming, it can be challenging to find time to keep learning new skills and sharing ideas that are not project-related. At Tekna, we recognize how important it is to stay connected and inspired outside of our daily workflow, so we’ve built in an hour of design team meetings every week that celebrates creativity and