Movers and Shapers

Kerry and Sonali Polite, Polite Design
2116 Locust Street, 215-985-4818, politedesign.com

This husband/wife graphic design team isn’t curating an exhibit, or putting on a show, or hosting a party at this year’s DesignPhiladelphia. Instead, they’re doing what they do: designing. Since the second festival in 2006, the couple has created the look for DesignPhiladelphia’s programs, flyers and websites, introducing not just the event but, for many people, the very fact of Philly’s design community. The 23-year-old firm has done the work pro bono because, Sonali says, the couple relishes the idea of celebrating design. They also relish the opportunity to show off what they can do for potential clients. “Any initiative that promotes design and makes people more aware of it is something we’ll be involved in,” she says.

Best known for: The Polites design brochures and websites for several departments at Penn, and for many local architects and artists.

What they’re looking forward to this year: Like the event itself, the Polites’ website is more interactive this year, and their promotional materials for the first time include actual photographs of previous festivals — which they hope will encourage more people to attend. “There’s somewhat of a following. We hear people talking about it,” says Sonali. “Every year people get more excited, so that it’s better the following year.”