FinalFinal?

Today, on International Women's Day, we want to highlight our exceptional operations partner Ruth Facer, whose strategic thinking has transformed dozens of tech startups from technically-brilliant-but-misunderstood to market leaders with clear, compelling narratives. Ruth's article below pinpoints the "Translation Gap" problem that plagues technical founders — where your technical excellence becomes a communication barrier rather than a selling point. As she notes: "I've seen this repeatedly across my entire career in tech: leaders who can brilliantly articulate how their solution works but struggle to convey why anyone should care." https://lnkd.in/gE8jfTAD #InternationalWomensDay

After over a year of tracking down the previous owner (thanks for the assist Amber!), we finally acquired the FinalFinal.com domain. We've been .org since we founded the company. The previous owner, a UX designer in Australia, registered it in 2003 for a blog that went dormant over a decade ago. It took some doing, but rarely do those sleeping domains come back from their slumber, so we're excited. But it wasn’t cheap (though, not as much as Duo.com cost us way back when). Was it worth it? Does shifting from .org to .com matter in 2025? A few things that generally drive our thinking on domain names (and company names more broadly): 1. Clearly legible and simple to pronounce 2. Instantly recognizable and easy to remember 3. Credible and relevant Our name "FinalFinal" has served the first two principles well - it's a natural phrase that clients use in conversation. When someone says "We worked with FinalFinal on that project," it flows, it's simple, it works. It’s also a recognizable wink to the design industry trope of the final version of a thing never quite being done (how many files do you have on your computer right now with an appended _final_final_v3.pdf in the name?). Whether .org or .com, those core strengths were there. And even better, the domain was complete name of the company, rather than something like “HelloFinalFinal.com”. But the .com top-level domain still carries weight in professional contexts. Alternative TLDs like .io and .app have plenty of traction, but they also have their own meaning now (.io implies something tech-focused, and .app is an obvious choice for software applications). But .com continues to set the tone for establishment and commercial legitimacy. We've seen this play out in client conversations — .org occasionally prompted questions about our business model that .com will eliminate. But more important than those subjective signals; a memorable, natural language domain name on an alternative TLD beats an awkward or forced .com every time. Companies like Linear (linear.app) and Frame (frame.io) have done fine without the .com. They chose clarity over conformity and built strong B2B brands. For FinalFinal, securing .com mostly removes a small point of friction in new client relationships. It's not transformative - our work (hopefully) already establishes our credibility. But small advantages compound. Also, we just dig it. Maybe it matters more for us old school web geeks, but it feels better. Is it just me? Did your company prioritize the perfect .com, adopt a portmanteau, or opt for clarity on a different TLD? Does anyone notice? Did we waste the money??

Looking back on 2024, our first full year building FinalFinal, it's striking how much the design landscape has changed. We started the year expecting to take on mostly discrete projects — one-and-done branding revamps and product MVPs — but we quickly found ourselves becoming part of our clients' teams in long-term, and more strategic, ways we hadn't anticipated. The work took us from early-stage startups to established enterprises, from AI and security to climate tech. Each project taught us something new about how design teams can work in 2025 and beyond. Tech companies are rethinking how they resource design work, and we're adapting alongside them. It's been a busy year. We've been working with Anthropic since 2023 throughout their insane growth, handling sales enablement materials, ad campaigns, content marketing, and presentations for major events like AWS re:Invent. With NetWorks Group, what started as a rebrand grew into a comprehensive partnership, handling their product marketing, sales materials, and naming architecture and operating as their entire design team. We provided design leadership for SonicWall, working with their CMO and other agencies to deliver a new brand system, website, and campaign launch. For Greenplaces, we developed a brand identity and visual system built to support their mission of making sustainability accessible and profitable. We helped Crash Override develop a robust product framework for their software compliance and deployment visibility tools, while working with Blumira to refine their go-to-market message as the ideal security solution for mid-sized businesses. For TestMachine, we designed their AI-powered blockchain security platform interface and created strategic materials for investors and market entry. Our work with Student Athlete Score, Inc. through Ann Arbor SPARK let us shape product strategy in the athletic performance and sponsorship space from day one, including connecting them with their first design hire. We brought Maiven's AI video testing platform to life with core product workflows and design patterns, developed Zero Networks' flexible messaging platform, and produced targeted ebooks and campaigns for Watershed's enterprise sustainability platform. Each project has reinforced what makes good design work: solid collaboration and a real understanding of what our clients are trying to achieve and who they serve. Thanks to our team and collaborators who made this possible — shout out to Jim, Santos, Sarah, Jessica, Matese, Joe, Sunny, Shawn, and especially Ruth Facer — and to every client who trusted us with their company and products. We're ready to help more companies transform their potential into credibility through meaningful design in 2025 - whether you're scaling rapidly, launching something new, or refreshing your brand for the next phase. Hit us up: [email protected]. ?? #Design #Startups #AgencyLife #YearInReview

Speaking at the University of Michigan’s design school Professional Practices class today about design leadership, starting FinalFinal, and varietal creative careers. Man, these students are so much smarter and driven than I was in their spot. (Thanks for having me Gunalan Nadarajan!)

Working with Alex Lassiter and his team at Greenplaces to create an approachable brand that helps organizations make sustainability easy and impactful was a great experience. It's very rewarding to work with organizations that are making a big difference in the world. ?? Check it out! https://lnkd.in/gwm_TCya

Testmachine has been a great client, and one of FinalFinal's first. They put a lot of confidence in us early on, and we've learned a lot in working with them. Big thanks to Andrew Kilbride and Matthew Lewis for bringing us on. #productdesign #gotomarket #strategy #design

In its inaugural year, FinalFinal has evolved from a little studio with ambitious goals to a little agency having major impact. We've been lucky and honored to work with numerous innovative companies already, from Anthropic, Greenplaces, NetWorks Group, Testmachine, and more. With a fresh website launch showcasing our work with some major innovators, our growing team is set for even more strategic and client-focused transformations in the coming year. Check out more about our first year here… https://lnkd.in/gWzsvk6q