Rule29

10/15/2026

We started At The Table because we missed being together.

Sharing a meal, hearing someone’s story, and giving a conversation enough time to go somewhere meaningful.

At Reservation 16, we talked about changing priorities, finding joy in the life we’re living, and the people who believed in us before we believed in ourselves. We heard how a few words of encouragement or a second chance can make a difference someone remembers decades later.

At Rule29, we talk about Making Creative Matter®. That begins with paying attention to people. Asking better questions. Understanding their experiences and recognizing what we can help make possible.

At The Table gives that same curiosity and care room to grow. Each gathering is an opportunity to understand someone better and consider how we show up for the people around us.
Thank you to everyone who joined us and to Tim Bayer for co-hosting.

Who could use your time, attention, or encouragement this week?

https://www.atthetable.is/

10/15/2026

Hey Chicago friends! Two creative ideas, one shared belief that kindness can make a difference.

We're excited to see Being HumanKind and You Are Beautiful come together for a special evening celebrating creativity, connection, and the good we can put into the world.

On October 27, Rule29's own Justin Ahrens will be joining his good friend Matthew Hoffman, the artist and creator behind [You Are Beautiful](https://You-Are-Beautiful.com), at his Chicago studio for the first *Being HumanKind* book signing!

They'll be sharing stories, talking about the book, and celebrating the power of small acts of kindness. Justin will be signing copies, and there will be some one-of-a-kind You Are Beautiful × Being HumanKind artwork and limited-edition pieces available exclusively at the event.

At Rule29, we believe in Making Creative Matter®, and we love seeing creativity bring people together around ideas that matter.

Chicago friends, come celebrate with us! Bring a friend, grab a book, enjoy some great conversations, and help us spread a little more kindness.

October 27 | 6–7:30 PM | You Are Beautiful, Chicago

RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/being-humankind-book-launch-and-signing-tickets-2003173013407

Meet Justin Ahrens & Matthew Hoffman, get Being HumanKind signed, and shop one-of-a-kind You Are Beautiful collaboration pieces!

10/13/2026

Before you put your logo on another holiday gift, ask:
Would someone want this without it? A thoughtful gift says something about your brand.

So does the message, the packaging, and the care behind its delivery. And you don’t have to build it around Christmas. Thanksgiving, the new year, or a shared milestone might be the right moment to show your appreciation.

Our latest post explores seven ways to create a brand experience people will want to open, keep, and share. If you’re planning client gifts or employee appreciation, share this with your team.

Read “Your Holiday Gift Is a Brand Experience”: https://www.rule29.com/stories/your-holiday-gift-is-a-brand-experience

10/08/2026

What dish tastes like home to you?

Maybe it’s something your family made every holiday. Maybe it’s a food everyone in your state knows. Maybe it’s something you have to explain to anyone who didn’t grow up there.

Food carries stories. That idea became American Potluck. We created an illustrated collection of 50 dishes from all 50 states, celebrating the foods, traditions, and little cultural quirks that make each place feel like home.

But we wanted the project to do more than celebrate food. Nearly 48 million people in the United States experience food insecurity, including more than 14 million children.

So Rule29 and O'Neil Printing are giving a 100% of the proceeds from every American Potluck poster support No Kid Hungry, helping schools and communities connect kids with the meals they need.

That is the kind of creative work we believe in at Rule29. Work that can make you smile, start a conversation, remind you of home, and hopefully make a little difference while it’s at it.

50 states. 50 dishes. One shared table.

Pull up a chair, find your state, and tell me: What dish would you have chosen?

https://www.americanpotluck.art/

10/07/2026

175 years of history have shaped Illinois Wesleyan. Now, that legacy is fueling what comes next.

We partnered with Illinois Wesleyan University to create an anthem video that captures the energy, ambition, and possibility of the Titan experience, honoring the foundation that has shaped generations while looking ahead to everything still to come.

Proud to help bring this next chapter of the IWU story to life.

Watch the anthem and discover what it means to do well, do good, and become more.

Ready to turn your organization’s story into something people feel, remember, and act on? Let’s bring your next chapter to life: https://www.rule29.com

10/06/2026

Sometimes the best way to talk about what is next is to borrow something from the past.

For Chipp Con, we created an AI promotion inspired by the old AOL CD experience. If you remember those discs showing up everywhere, you know why. They were hard to ignore.

So we took that familiar experience and rebuilt it for a very different moment. A faux CD. A clear jewel case. Bold copy. Plenty of nostalgia. And a simple introduction to what Chipp can help people build with AI.

Then our partners at O’Neil Printing helped us turn the idea into something real.

This is the kind of work we love. Strategy, story, design, technology, and production all working together to create an experience people want to pick up and explore.

Sometimes Making Creative Matter means making something tangible.

Have an idea that could use a less expected approach? Let’s make something worth paying attention to: https://www.rule29.com/contact

PS: Don't miss the next Chipp Con: https://chipp.ai/chippconsc

09/25/2026

Phoenix Design Week is bringing the creative community together again, and we’re excited to be part of it.

O'Neil Printing is proud to support AIGA Arizona PHXDW 2026: ORBIT as a print sponsor, helping turn the event’s ideas and identity into a physical experience.

And Rule29 Chief Creative Officer Justin Ahrens will open the conference with a keynote built around Being HumanKind.

His talk will explore something we care deeply about at Rule29: as technology changes how we work and create, being human matters more, not less.

Creativity has always been about more than making things. It’s about curiosity. Empathy. Courage. Connection. And choosing to use what we make to have a positive impact on the people around us.

That feels like a pretty good way to kick off a gathering of designers and creative thinkers.

We’ll see you in Phoenix, October 23–24 🚀 sign up here https://phxdw.com/

09/22/2026

The best ideas do more than communicate something. They give people a way to participate.

That belief is central to our work at Rule29. We help turn meaningful ideas into brands, stories, tools, and experiences that invite people in and move them to act.

Being HumanKind, created by our President and Chief Creative Officer, Justin Ahrens, is one example of that philosophy in action.

What began as a book has grown into a platform of stories, prompts, conversations, and shared experiences, all built around a simple belief: each of us has opportunities to show up for others in meaningful ways.

Most of the time, that does not require a huge gesture. It is checking in. Listening. Encouraging someone. Showing grace. Making time. Being present.

So we want to ask: Who has been Being HumanKind for you lately?

Tell us about someone who showed up for you, encouraged you, helped you, or simply made your day better. We’ll choose several participants to receive a signed copy of Being HumanKind from Justin.

Because Making Creative Matter® is not only about what we create. It is about what that creativity makes possible. https://www.behumankind.today/

09/17/2026

Great work gets even better when the collaboration is strong.

We’ve loved partnering with the team at AANA to help shape the look and feel of their annual meeting and bring the experience to life across the event.

For us, event design is about more than making things look good. It is about creating a clear, consistent experience that helps people know where they are, what matters, and how they can engage.

That takes a strong brand, thoughtful details, and a client team willing to collaborate closely from idea through ex*****on.

We’re grateful for the trust AANA continues to place in Rule29 and for the chance to help make an important gathering feel as strong as the work happening inside it.

Planning an annual meeting, conference, or event that needs a stronger creative point of view?

Let’s connect: https://www.rule29.com/contact

09/16/2026

🚀 Meet one of your Mission Specialists and PHXDW Spotlight Speakers: Justin Ahrens of Rule29. As Founder, President, and Chief Creative Officer of Rule29, and Chief Creative Officer of O’Neil Printing, Justin has spent more than 30 years across design, brand strategy, business, education, social impact, and creative leadership.

A longtime member and former national board member of AIGA, Justin has helped advance Design for Good and has spent much of his career exploring how design thinking can build stronger organizations and address meaningful human challenges.

At PHXDW, Justin will explore the ideas behind his newest book, Being HumanKind, through the lens of a creative life. He’ll look at ways of being — including kindness, gratitude, curiosity, courage, vulnerability, creativity, presence, and connection — and ask a simple but meaningful question: Who are we becoming while we are busy doing everything else?

Designers spend their careers practicing curiosity, empathy, experimentation, and imagination. Justin asks what might happen if we applied that same intention to ourselves and to one another. What kind of orbit are we creating around us? How do people feel after spending time in it? And what if some of our most important creative work is not simply what we make, but who we help one another become?

We’re excited to welcome Justin not only as a Spotlight Speaker but also as a sponsor supporting the creative community that brings PHXDW to life.

Welcome to our orbit, Justin. ✨

🎟️ Get your boarding passes now > https://dsh.re/5d6da

Conference: October 23–24
Online Portal: PHXDW.com