Wall-to-Wall Studios Inc.

Wall-to-Wall Studios Inc. W|W infuses design and strategy with empathy and insight to elevate brands through visual identities IRS explains concept of "taxes." W|W hires first intern.

OUR STORY SO FAR...

1992
James Nesbitt drives from Boston to Bernard Uy's Pittsburgh apartment in roofless, cow-painted Volvo. The W|W partnership is formed and search for office space begins.

1993
W|W builds portfolio base consisting of friends, family and pro-bono clients. W|W hires accountant, purchases second computer and first external hard drive. Search continues for office space. W|W m

isses all design competition call-for-entry deadlines.

1994
An entire can of Pepsi empties on hard drive destroying all client and financial data. Incident later to be known internally as "The Pepsi Syndrome." Wins 4 AIGA Awards.

1995
W|W moves into new office in reclaimed Strip District warehouse building. Doubles staff by hiring 2 full-time designers. Wins 9 AIGA Awards, work appears in Print Regional Design Annual. Partners help to launch non-profit organization PUMP (Pittsburgh Urban Magnet Project).

1996
W|W launches first version of website. Opens art gallery showcasing a broad range of work including: "Art You Can Eat," "Stool Samples" and a very long, three-hour production of "Waiting for Godot." Wins 9 AIGA Awards and first 3 Addy Awards.

1997
W|W Gallery closes and expands as office space. W|W writes, directs, edits and stars in first 30-second client television spot. Wins 15 AIGA Awards and 7 Addy Awards.

1998
A W|W pro-bono project sparks heated discussion on local radio talk show. Wins 7 AIGA Awards, 2 Addy Awards, 2 Achievement in Radio Awards, 10 Graphic Design:USA Awards, 1 National Brand Design Association Gold Award.

1999
W|W installs first office disco ball. Staff doubles to 8 people. Wins 10 AIGA Awards, 3 How Magazine International Design Awards, 1 Addy Award.

2000
After years of intensive, hands-on research, lands first beer client. Search for bigger office space begins. Bernard Uy and James Nesbitt named to Pittsburgh Magazine's "40 under 40" list of influential Pittsburghers. Wins 12 AIGA Awards. Work is recognized in Print Magazine.

2001
Design our first bobble-head doll as a promotion for high-tech client (which soon trades on eBay for over $250). Wins 21 AIGA Awards and wins awards in Print Magazine.

2002
Becomes fully Y2K compliant. After a citywide, 2-year search, office moves to second floor of same Strip District warehouse building. Installs second disco ball. Celebrates first ten years of not going out of business. Brian Kaiser is promoted to Partner at the firm.

2003
Wins 27 of 100 AIGA PITTSBURGH SHOW Awards. In honor of their 11th Anniversary, W|W remodels the studio space and introduces the W|W Bar. Happy hours are back en vogue, Guinness on tap, Fridays. Call (412) 232-0880 for reservations.

2004
Wins 3 ADDY Awards and 27 of 100 AIGA PITTSBURGH SHOW Awards. Larkin Werner is promoted to Partner at the firm. Launches version 4.2 of our website.

2005
W|W launches its new Honolulu office (and the 2nd W|W Bar) in the Culture and Arts District near Chinatown. The second Disco Ball is installed. Pau Hana on First Fridays. Call (808) 566-0880 for the secret password. Or just visit www.wwffhh.com

2006
The Honolulu team surprises the Pittsburgh staff by party-crashing the Holiday festivities, dressed in full Santa-with-beard costumes. And there was much rejoicing. And bowling.

2007
W|W celebrates its 15th anniversary. Two gigantic hand-made W's mysteriously appear mounted 10 feet above the Honolulu office workstations. Coincidence? We think so.

2008
Both offices send teams to earn frequent flyer miles by meeting halfway to collaborate for a new client in Las Vegas. W|W Pittsburgh moves to new office on the North Side, mostly because of the free ice cream. Plus that swanky roof deck with a killer view.

2009
Pittsburgh's team picks up 4 GOLD ADDYs at the American Advertising Federation awards. Honolulu's team picks up 2 PELE AWARDS at the Hawaii Advertising Federation awards where Bernard Uy is also named "Advertising Man of the Year." Our new website finally launches.

05/05/2026
Continuing the 15+ year collaboration with Film Pittsburgh, W|W designed the 2026 JFilm Festival branding, which leverag...
04/30/2026

Continuing the 15+ year collaboration with Film Pittsburgh, W|W designed the 2026 JFilm Festival branding, which leverages the cyanotype process.

The craft approach delivered a design with texture, contrast, and imperfection to convey a festival identity that is alive, expressive, and deeply human.

We are honored to be recognized for work that reflects the importance of design & creativity to make an impact.W|W is pr...
04/20/2026

We are honored to be recognized for work that reflects the importance of design & creativity to make an impact.

W|W is proud to receive a Mosaic Award along with 2 Gold and 8 Silver ADDYs at the 2025 American Advertising Awards— a reflection of the creativity and collaboration behind every project we pursue.

Thanks to our clients, partners, and team, who make this work possible! 💓

A new identity for Honolulu’s iconic Pagoda Hotel. opened its doors in 1964, featuring a pagoda, Japanese garden, and ko...
04/17/2026

A new identity for Honolulu’s iconic Pagoda Hotel.

opened its doors in 1964, featuring a pagoda, Japanese garden, and koi pond fed by a natural spring.

W|W was tasked with a brand audit and identity refresh to launch the hotel’s new era with a major renovation and change in ownership.

The new custom wordmark is inspired by jogakbo – a style of traditional Korean patchwork where small pieces of fabric are patched together to create a larger textile. It is a nod to both the historic Korean influence of the Ke‘eaumoku neighborhood and the diversity of Honolulu.

The custom, modular letterforms feature blocky, diagonal shapes. We stacked the primary logo to subtly mimic the architectural tiers of a pagoda itself.

A secondary logo featuring a set of slotted letterforms was designed to extend the identity from the logo to the supporting brand elements. Reminiscent of traditional Japanese and Korean screens, these slotted letterforms act as a basis for brand patterns or to create holding shapes for photography.

Full case study to come.

Meet the W|W Team 👶🤝👶
03/21/2026

Meet the W|W Team 👶🤝👶

Fresh print for a fresh start.After a change in ownership and a return to its original name under Hilton’s Tapestry Coll...
02/05/2026

Fresh print for a fresh start.

After a change in ownership and a return to its original name under Hilton’s Tapestry Collection, W|W was tasked with reimagining the identity and personality for The Ambassador Hotel of Waikiki.

We brought the new visual system to life across the hotel’s collateral suite, from key cards to stationery.

Small details that make for a memorable stay. Full case study to come.

No brewing required 🤙 🦁 ☕️W|W is excited to share our latest packaging design for ’s on-the-go Cold Brew cans.As the RTD...
01/22/2026

No brewing required 🤙 🦁 ☕️

W|W is excited to share our latest packaging design for ’s on-the-go Cold Brew cans.

As the RTD (Ready-to-Drink) category continues to expand, we focused on translating the recognizable brand look we established years ago for their coffee bags while establishing a bold, shelf-standing look for these new cold brew cans.

Which flavor are you grabbing?

We were sad to see the alternative newsweekly  officially say goodbye at the end of the year. For over three decades, it...
01/13/2026

We were sad to see the alternative newsweekly officially say goodbye at the end of the year. For over three decades, it was a valuable source of local reporting, storytelling, and entertainment. From culture to politics, hard-hitting to light-hearted. But always a must-read.

In 1998, then editor Andy Newman (and assistant editor Chris Potter) asked WW to design a cover for their “Best of” issue. We said sure, but for real impact and value, we’d really love to do more. He said yes, and it turned into a three-year gig, designing all the covers for that period.

The creative freedom and trust they gave the studio were extraordinary, and very non-traditional from a newspaper design perspective. From creating the CP “egg” masthead, embedding that and cover headlines into the design, to high-concept, illustrative covers. And work with some amazingly talented artists and photographers. For this industry, it was truly a bold and innovative approach. Every Wednesday, the drop became an event to see what the next cover would be.

Pick-up rate surpassed national standards. Circulation and ad revenue increased; other alt weeklies took notice. Of course, the editorial team was incredible — the writing, the reporters, the photojournalists, production team. The perfect storm of talent. We’d like to think we played a very small part in that success. Thank you to everyone who was part of it.

Send a smile, 8-bit style.We packed the 14th edition of our Occasional Cards with pixel-perfect greetings for all of lif...
12/19/2025

Send a smile, 8-bit style.

We packed the 14th edition of our Occasional Cards with pixel-perfect greetings for all of life’s quests. Whether you’re celebrating epic wins, boosting friendships or cheering up “Game Over” moments, each card delivers IRL joy to anyone who likes their greetings old-school. We even included a *make your own pixel card* option if you’re feeling creative.

Get a closer look via the link in our bio.

A virtual holiday gift from W|W to the World Wide Web: The Messageverse. Send someone a pixel-perfect message delivered ...
12/18/2025

A virtual holiday gift from W|W to the World Wide Web: The Messageverse.
Send someone a pixel-perfect message delivered by a customized messenger. Make ‘em your twin, your alter ego, or a little space goblin. Build your messenger, choose your vibe, write your message—then drop it into the Messageverse (or send it back to anyone on Earth).

Head to the link in our bio to visit the Messageverse 👾

Address

Pittsburgh, PA

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

(412) 232-0880

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