Windy City Wunderkind

With a passion for environmental graphics, Joe Lawton has built a thriving practice at the intersection of branding and the built environment.

- Lila Allen

As the founding principal of Media Objectives, a six-year-old branding and experiential graphics studio within the architecture firm Valerio Dewalt Train Associates (VDTA), Joe Lawton knows a thing or two about presentation. At 34, the designer has a knack for identity building that—along with his seemingly unrelenting grit—has already paid off, not only in terms of his studio’s commissions but also in how his work relates to the firm’s design projects at large.

This past year, Lawton was promoted to principal at VDTA, making him the youngest ever at the firm. Media Objectives (M-O) now has a full-time staff of 12, and has finished spaces for clients across sectors. In particular, Lawton has taken a shine to workplaces for tech: Projects for Adobe, SanDisk, Yelp, and Glassdoor are all in the studio’s portfolio.