our backstory

it says d.c. without screaming it

We used to be freelancers, working independently in New York and DC. We worked hard and volunteered a lot. Then we both got really busy with lots of good clients and projects. (That’s a good thing!) But we got busier than we could handle. (That wasn’t so good.) And we HATED paying estimated quarterly taxes. (Definitely bad.)

So, when a super cool mutual friend introduced us, we decided to try working together. Our first purchase—together! commitment!—was a giant HP5000 laser printer that we would share weekly by moving it from one apartment to the other.

That got old pretty fast.

So did sharing one dial-up modem line that we would plug and unplug when either one of us needed it.

Then Mike bought a house with a studio space in it and it was official: 202design had a home. Lucy brought her great collection of office furniture from her days at Knoll and we plugged in our MacSEs. We picked a name that said “DC” without screaming it. Which, by the way, puts us at the top of every alphabetical list we’re ever listed in. (Like The Yellow Pages we were actually listed in back then.) We filled out a bunch of paperwork, opened a bank account, and printed our first Rolodex cards. Our combined portfolio of corporate, non-profit and association work was a good combination and opened a bunch of doors for us. And we were off and running.

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a little more about each of us…

Mike Heffner
Principal, Creative Director, Designer

After earning a BA in English from Georgetown University, Mike was the director of marketing for a video production company in Durham, NC where he created marketing, promotional and product packaging materials. Returning to Washington, he taught design and desktop publishing for four years as a Herff Jones consultant in Fairfax, Arlington and Loudoun counties. At the same time, he developed a strong freelance clientele of non-profit organizations and associations in Washington, DC—a valuable experience that has sharpened his eye for creating dynamic pieces on modest budgets.

Lucy Pope
Principal, Creative Director, Designer

Lucy was born and raised in Washington, DC and earned a BA in History from Georgetown University. Drawn to New York, she worked for a small design studio and attended classes at Parsons School for Design, eventually joining Knoll International, a global office furniture company. She was the Director of Communications at Knoll for 5 years. During that time, she was responsible for the design, management and production of all printed sales and marketing collateral, including photo art direction and desktop publishing projects.

 

how we work