Soft launching ReFrame
TLDR: Climate needs different work. I'm building a venture studio to make it. I need a Business Maverick
Unfiltered ideas on design, business, and climate action
I'm Marc O'Brien, a fractional strategic designer, creative director, and design educator
Sharing ideas with
Latest
Sep 21
Soft launching ReFrame
TLDR: Climate needs different work. I'm building a venture studio to make it. I need a Business Maverick
3 min read
May 14
3 things
"What can I do?"
I get this question a lot during my 1:1 advising calls.
I respond
1 min read
May 05
First Things First in 2026
In 2020, Ben Gaydos, Namita Dharia, and I came up with the idea of updating the First Things First Manifesto.
2 min read
Mar 31
March Recap
A quick recap of things that happened this month.
March has been a month of deep reflection. Not sure why.
1 min read
Mar 29
Why Successes & Struggles is an important event
I’ve been hosting these virtual events via Climate Designers called Successes & Struggles for about six months now.
Successes
1 min read
Mar 13
My CreativeMornings SF talk
During a recent talk at CreativeMornings SF, I asked the question,
"What are we doing? Like for real. WTF
1 min read
Mar 09
Is this it? Is this the best we can do?
We’re living in the imagination of the dominant system that is actively fucking the planet up.
Everything around us
1 min read
Mar 02
What would you like to see out of your window?
When I look out the window, do I want to sustain what I see? Hell no.
Turn on the news.
1 min read
Feb 11
Climate resiliency is solarpunk af
I love seeing the recent interest in solarpunk: the movement itself, ethos, vision, and imagery.
But, something keeps bugging me.
1 min read
Feb 05
What CCA gave me over the last 13 years
California College of the Arts has played a monumental role in my career and life.
I've had opportunities
2 min read
Jan 08
Is this the future we want?
More oil for fossil fuels. More rare-earth minerals for AI.
This is extraction and pollution. This is the opposite
1 min read
Dec 23
December Recap
A quick recap of things that happened this month.
Over the last nine months, I had these nagging thoughts in
1 min read