Outside

14/12/2023

Our client Mauj has been selected as a finalist for the The Anthem Awards!

The Anthem Awards are social impact recognitions that celebrate purpose and mission-driven work on a global scale. We submitted for this year’s awards in the Health – Awareness & Media category for the work we did with Mauj, the s*xual and menstrual wellness platform by and for Arab women. Its founders aim to normalize conversations about s*x and consent and provide science-backed information about women’s bodies in regions where such education is often inaccessible.

We were proud to support that mission earlier this year, designing and developing a stand-alone content and e-commerce platform for the organization that centered accessibility, privacy options, and self-directed learning. And we’re honored now to have that work recognized among other organizations raising awareness for public health campaigns across the world.

Learn more about the Anthem Awards at https://www.anthemawards.com/about-us/.

29/11/2023

For more than 25 years, Death with Dignity has led the fight for legislation that will give people with terminal illnesses in the U.S. more control over how they die.

We teamed up with the design cooperative Ruca to develop a website for the nonprofit where advocates, political officials, researchers, and families and patients could learn more about end-of-life advocacy and policy reform.

Site visitors can see customized information about Death with Dignity reform in their state, including pending bills, relevant real-life stories of people affected by terminal illnesses, and a timeline of end-of-life policy action. To create that interactive module, our team integrated a “whip count feature" using the OpenStates API to access state-specific legislator and representative information, combined with Google API to provide necessary longitude and latitude data from user addresses.

Explore the site, which launched last year, and learn more about the cause, at https://deathwithdignity.org/.

30/10/2023

We launched a new website!

After almost five years of working with an array of impactful clients to create their brands and digital experiences, it was once again time to refresh our own. The newest version of the Outside site lays out all of our services, our approach to projects, examples of our work, details about us (including the astounding number of momos our Nepal-based team members eat weekly), and our mission, vision, and values.

We took the same approach to building our site as we do our clients’ projects–considering, as we went, how best to tell our story, showcase our visual identity, and capture the ethos of our global team. In the process, we relished the opportunity to reflect on the work we’ve done so far.

Please take a look around. If you see something you like–or have a suggestion–let us know. And stay tuned: In the coming weeks, we’ll be updating the site with more case studies from former client projects.

Strategy, design, and technology solutions for meaningful companies & organizations building a more equitable world. Born in Nepal, creating globally.

24/10/2023

Today is the tenth day of Dashain, बडादसैँ, a 15-day Hindu celebration and the longest, most-anticipated festival in Nepal.

The first nine days of the festival represent the battle between the nine manifestations of the goddess Durga and the demon Mahishasura. On the tenth day–called Vijayadashami or विजयदशमी–Durga claims victory and we celebrate the triumph of good over evil.

Outside team members and many of our clients in Nepal are celebrating with family, friends, and coworkers, playing games, shopping, flying kites (and cutting nearby kite strings in friendly competition), eating mutton and sweets, and visiting temples. We’ll also visit relatives to receive their blessings with gifts of jamara, a barley sprout, and tika–a mix of rice, yogurt, and vermillion–which is dabbed on the forehead. In a more traditional Dashain activity, some of us will take a turn on the Linge Ping, a giant swing made of bamboo and jute rope.

This is a festive time, and an opportunity to take stock of people who support us and whom we admire. To that end, we’re wishing you Happy Dashain / Bijaya Dashami ko Shubakamana!

19/09/2023

Kids are heading back to school in the U.S., where about 77 percent of them will receive free or reduced-price public school lunches.

School food is more than just a meal. Healthy school lunches fuel learning and can define children's sense of connection, belonging, and identity.

That’s what we learned while building a website for FoodCorps, a nonprofit that partners with schools and communities to provide hands-on food education and nourishing meals to kids in more than 250 schools across the country. We collaborated with Hiker Design, who took on the creative aspects of the site design.

A vital part of FoodCorps’ function is to impact policy. We’re particularly proud of the storytelling animation on “The Case for Food” page, which uses a narrative approach to illustrate the wide-reaching importance of providing kids with food and food education.

Our modular approach to web dev allowed FoodCorps the flexibility to create pages on their own, making it easier for the site to scale without breaking. FoodCorps’ mission is multi-pronged, and it regularly adds service members, updates impact reports, adds action initiatives, and shares news, stories, and research on its resource hub, The Skillet. The organization needs to be able to change and adapt their site regularly.

Since we wrapped this project, the client let us know that the site–which has been in front of policymakers–is “making a difference here to help students get access to nutritious food.” 🍎

26/07/2023

Mauj (https://www.mauj.me), a s*xual and menstrual wellness platform by and for Arab women, already had an invested community of nearly 86,000 on Instagram.

Mauj's founders created the brand to de-stigmatize conversations around women’s bodies in the Arab world by offering a safe, shame-free place for women to better understand and explore their bodies, s*xualities, and the sources of their own pleasure. They needed a stand-alone content and e-commerce platform with the same transparency and relatability that made Mauj a trusted source on social.

It was our pleasure to work with Mauj in creating that website, from the ground up. We provided strategy, design, and development for the new site, which includes a membership option that offers premium content, the option to bookmark resources, and a curated learning experience.

Importantly, the entire site and its vast resources are also available in Arabic, and accessible to users across the globe.

Striking a balance between accessibility and privacy was paramount for this project, especially when it comes to the custom Shopify site we created for the brand’s line of intimate products. The easy-to-use shop is situated almost entirely separate from the site’s content, making it safe for women who may not have access to private spaces or those who just aren’t ready to explore pleasure devices.

Every part of the Mauj website is designed to put women in charge of their own journey.

Thanks to Mauj for letting us contribute to the wave of change. 🌊

11/07/2023

We're still looking for one mission-oriented business or organization in need of pro-bono packaging design services. More details & to apply ⬇

06/07/2023

**Update: This application is now closed. Thank you to everyone who applied, we look forward to reviewing the proposals!**

Outside is looking to grow our portfolio of packaging design projects, and we’re offering a full packaging design solution to one business completely free of charge.

If you run a mission-oriented small business or nonprofit and are in need of packaging such as boxes, labels, bags, containers, etc. fill out the application by 5 p.m. EST July 21.

Apply using this Google Form: bit.ly/PackagingbyOutsideFB


The details ⬇️

Who we are: Outside is a Kathmandu-based design and technology studio driving positive change for people and the planet. We serve a global clientele.

What we’re looking for: An organization whose values and mission inspires us and one that can really benefit from this pro-bono service. This could include organizations focused on social equity, sustainability, arts and culture, education, and more.

What we provide: Brand-aligned packaging designed by Outside’s experienced design team. We’ll be centering sustainability in the packaging materials and aiming to generate minimal waste.

The nitty-gritty: After the application window closes, we’ll take two weeks to look through the proposals and choose a pro-bono client. We’ll get back to every applicant about the decision. If your business is selected, you agree that the final design will be included in our portfolio.

To get a feel for Outside’s design standards, our values, and the projects we’ve worked on, check out our website at Outside.studio. If you’re interested in our packaging design services now or in the future, or have questions, send us an email at [email protected].

We’re looking forward to working together!

05/07/2023

We recently wrapped website design and development for Fork & Good, Inc., a pioneer in the cultivated meat industry.

Fork & Good is tackling the conflict between a global demand for meat and rising climate threats by reducing the footprint, carbon consumption, and water usage associated with raising livestock.

Their scientists are growing real pork in a lab, and they needed a website as bold as their vision.

For this project, we collaborated with Mother Design, building off of the brand identity it established to develop and design Fork & Good’s website. The result is a lively website full of fun animation, quirky typography, interactive design elements, and a narrative structure that helps visitors understand the science behind cultivated meat and navigate easily through the company’s distinct story and impact.

Click around to learn more about a possible future for food: https://forkandgood.com 🍴

14/04/2023

It's officially a new year for all of Outside's team!

Some of our team is firmly in 2023. Today, Nepal, which follows the Bikram Sambat Nepali calendar, is celebrating its new year, 2080.

In 2022/2079, we worked with businesses innovating to create sustainable food systems, providing healthy school meals for children, making it easier to keep online information private, promoting eco-tourism, and supporting sustainability in the shea industry, to name just a few of our clients’ impactful missions.

In keeping with Outside’s mission, we donated a portion of our profits to Kathmandu, creating a space for the local DevOps community to host events, sponsoring a futsal tournament for International Youth Day, and contributing to a video series promoting Nepali women in leadership, and sponsoring WordCamp.

Thank you for believing in what we do. We hope you can feel proud of the impact our community is making and look forward to continuing our work in 2023, or 2080!

14/03/2023

We’re hoping more ethical, environmentally conscious design and tech strategy catches on.

We’re also learning how to do it better all the time.

In the interest of sharing what we’ve learned (and bragging a little bit, too) we just went live with a few case studies on the Outside website.

We break down our approach to branding strategy for sustainable apparel brands; the dev process for a fintech, climate change app; and how we crafted the design language and other visuals for Nepal’s leading conscious travel resource, among other projects.

Thanks to everyone who has supported our mission so far! Check out the site updates if you want to see what goes on behind the scenes:

We support purpose-driven companies and organizations with strategy, design, and technology, and re-invest our profits into local communities.

28/02/2023

“Hackathons empower us in ways that we may not realize immediately,” said Outside co-founder Atulya Pandey. “The most important thing is they give us confidence.”

Facilitating more confidence- and career-building opportunities for women in the tech space aligns with our values, as does the idea that technology can be used as a positive force.

So, participating in Shequal Foundation's recent all-female hackathon in Nepal, called “Hacking for Humanity 2023,” was a given.

The two-day event earlier this month brought together developers, designers, students, entrepreneurs, educators, and mentors in the interest of using technology to solve social and economic problems across industries. Outside’s Spriha Bhattarai and Sandhya Gauro acted as mentors, guiding participants through the ideation and early development process.

Congratulations to the winning team, Code Crafter, who devised an app to help more people learn sign language and communicate with people who are deaf!

In addition to joining the hackathon, women team members at Outside also organized a pre-event workshop in January, sharing their knowledge about project management with 13 students in Nepal.

31/01/2023

It takes a concentrated team effort to handle and install renowned works by artists like Jeff Koons and Anish Kapoor. We’ve been learning what goes on behind the scenes in the art world while creating the new global website for art logistics and services company Crozier Fine Arts.

Outside developed, designed, and wrote the copy for Crozier’s new website as well as refreshed the company’s brand and supported efforts to tell its story in new ways, focusing on its role in the greater artistic community, its history of innovation, and its efforts to reduce the environmental impact of art logistics.

We designed the site to feel as artsy as it is logistical, highlighting a wide range of services available for artists, galleries, collectors, and museums.

The first launch of the site went live in October. We’re preparing for a second launch with more pages and content soon.

23/12/2022

Outside held its first in-person all-hands meeting this month, bringing the whole team together in Nepal to recognize the work we've done in 2022 and make plans for the year ahead.

Some staff members who flew in from the Netherlands, the UK, and the US got to meet their Nepal-based coworkers in person for the first time and, as an incredible bonus, the whole team was able to celebrate co-founder Atulya's wedding.

The gathering was a fantastic way to end 2022. We're looking forward to a new year full of collaboration, new projects, and bold ideas. Happy holidays to all who celebrate and thanks for following along with us—here's to 2023!

28/10/2022

We’re looking for software engineering interns in Kathmandu!

You will work directly with Outside’s engineers building a website or providing other tech solutions for our clients.

Apply here: https://bit.ly/3sGvkHV

Company Profile:

Outside is a Kathmandu-based design and technology studio.

Our mission is to drive positive change for people and the planet. We support purpose-driven companies and organizations with strategy, design, and technology solutions, and re-invest our profits into local community initiatives.

Explore our key projects and learn more about our work here: https://outside.studio/

About the Internship:

We are looking for innovative engineering / computer science students who want experience building high-quality client websites and web applications. Interns will work alongside an experienced team of engineers and web developers on projects.

Through the internship, participants learn to use technical tools including Javascript, PHP, and WordPress; develop efficient problem-solving strategies; gain experience in a professional setting; and learn to work effectively in a team. This is a hands-on internship–you will contribute directly to Outside’s work and be able to include the output in your portfolio.

Duration: 3 months

Who We’re Looking For:

Interest in software engineering and a strong desire to learn more
Prior computer science experience / software engineering is a plus

To Apply:

Fill out the registration form here: https://bit.ly/3sGvkHV

26/09/2022

The Outside team in Kathmandu enjoyed a long-awaited retreat this summer at the Kwality Beach Resort in Sindhuli.

Over two days, the group played team building games, listened to music by talented coworkers, swam, and relaxed–no coding or Zooming required.

This was our first outing since the pandemic began and a well-deserved opportunity to reset!

हामी काठमाडौंमा अवस्थित Outside को टोली धेरै लामो पर्खाइपछि यस वर्षको गर्मीको retreat को लागि सिन्धुलीमा रहेको क्वालिटी बीच रिजोर्टमा गयौं र त्यहाँ सबै जनाले निकै नै रमाइलो गरे ।

रिजोर्टमा दुई दिनको बसाईमा, कोहीले समुह बनाई टिम निर्माण हुने खेलहरु खेलें भने कोही आफ्ना सहकर्मीहरुले बजाएको संगीत वा गाना सुन्दै रमाए । कोही भने पौडी खेल्दै थिए र कोही माहोलको मज्जा लिदैं आराम गर्दै थिए । जे होस code र Zoom विनाको यो दुई दिनको बसाई जुन Outside टोलीको लागि कोभिड महामारी पछिको पहिलो घुमघाम थियो, यो सबै teammates पुनः जागरित गराउने निकै नै राम्रो अवसरको रुपमा समेत सावित भयो ।

03/08/2022

A group of Outside team members had been getting together to play futsal – a game like indoor soccer with five players on each team – about once a week after work since 2017.

At first, the group was made up of only men.

Part of Outside’s mission is to help bridge the gender gap in Nepal’s tech and entrepreneurial scenes. We can only begin to do that by working from within, investing in the women who make up our team and making sure that exclusion isn’t normalized.

It wasn’t that the women didn’t want to join in the futsal games – girls in Nepal traditionally aren’t encouraged to play sports and some said they were hesitant to take up the offer as adults.

So Outside joined forces with The WE United Project, an organization that uses dynamic sports to help women and girls develop leadership and team-building skills.

Eight women from Outside participated in a four-week futsal training program this spring, which included the basics of futsal like dribbling, defending, and passing, along with confidence-boosting and team-building activities.

“It was an amazing experience to be part of something that was outside of our comfort zone,” said Outside talent acquisition executive Pragya Shrestha. “Bonding between the women has been strong and I feel more confident than before.”

Thanks to WE United for coaching us for the second time!

20/07/2022

The spiral in our design for apparel brand Nui Organics is based on the koru, a shape we’ve learned is integral to Māori art and inspired by nature, growth, and movement.

In this case, the spiral also reflects Nui founder Amanda Searancke’s New Zealand origins and aligns with sustainability – that new life can evolve from reuse. The high-quality, low-impact apparel brand makes clothing that can be re-worn for generations. An ethical supply chain connects consumers to producers, creating a circular cycle of growth from one point of origin.

We were proud to take on the full slate of work for Nui’s relaunch, including brand strategy, packaging design, and website creation, from development to final copy.

The user experience of the finished site is intentional and grounded, featuring Nui’s ethos as prominently as its products. The typography exemplifies the soothing simplicity of materials like wool and silk. The earthy color palette reflects New Zealand’s landscape.

We’ll post a full case study at Outside.studio soon.

06/07/2022

Small, independent businesses are essential to Kathmandu.

Unfortunately, they have faced outsized logistical challenges during the pandemic. Compared to corporate chains, small businesses tend to operate within smaller margins, with fewer cash reserves, and with less diversified supply chains and sources of income.

Outside held an internal workshop to discuss the impact of independent businesses on the character and economic fabric of the city. They create mutually supportive ecosystems, cycle money through communities, and use fewer environmental resources.

We also analyzed the impact of our personal spending habits–who profits from our purchases and how can we spend more conscientiously during tough times?

After the discussion, team members received 10,000 rupees each to spend how they saw fit.

This is a breakdown of our spending:

15/01/2022

As we enter 2022, we want to share some exciting milestones that we’ve achieved with Outside since launching our studio back in April, 2019. The below wouldn’t have been possible without the incredible support we’ve received from our close community of family, friends, and partners, so a big thank you to all of you. We wish everyone a wonderful start to the new year!