Then, there’s Fliers on the Wall {FOTW}, a mentorship programme unlike any other. Instead of the traditional internship model, FOTW gives creatives of all levels the chance to observe real BIEN projects in action, such as Slack chats, Zoom calls, mood boards, and all. In 2024 alone, it connected over 100 creatives with rare behind-the-scenes access to the creative process from start to end, making invisible industry knowledge visible.
BIEN has also partnered with School of Motion to offer annual scholarships and mentorship to underrepresented students. In its recent short documentary Quad Lifeco-produced with Only Todaythe studio tells the story of David Jeffers, a quadriplegic sound designer redefining what creativity looks like after trauma. And, most recently, BIEN has turned its attention inward – redesigning its own website to be one of the most accessible in the industry. Built from the ground up with accessibility at the forefront, the new site works seamlessly with screen readers, keyboard navigation, and low-vision browsing.
“We want to be one of the top ten studios in the world,” says Ricardo. “And we’re going to get there by doing things differently – by practicing our mantra, design with, not for.” That means creating top-tier work with a diverse team behind the scenes. It means adding transparency to the process, and embedding accessibility, not just adding it in later. And it means telling stories that reflect the full spectrum of human experience, not just the narrow view that’s long dominated the industry.
At a time when inclusion is often treated as a trend, GOOD is making the case – visually, structurally, and culturally – that it’s the future. And that future, if Ricardo and Hung have anything to say about it, is inclusive by design.
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