ahoy is a branding, design & development agency for visionaries to future-proof our planet for everyone.
Women-founded in NYC in 2000 and run by Connie Koch and Denise Sommer, we’ve been championing mission-driven organizations for 25 years. Ahoy partners with visionaries across the globe—from UN agencies and international NGOs to cultural institutions and social justice organizations—to create visual communication that inspires action.
Our client roster spans from the Rockefeller Foundation and Conservation International to the Public Art Fund and New York Public Radio, united by a common thread: work that addresses the world’s most urgent challenges with clarity, authenticity, positivity and style.
In an age of AI-generated content and digital saturation, ahoy responds with deeply human, concept-driven design that cuts through the noise. We believe good design needs a good cause, just as any good cause needs good design.
Our approach combines empathy with strategic thinking, creating brands that are not just seen but remembered, loved, and acted upon. Whether developing brand guidelines, digital platforms or the look of events, ahoy elevates initiatives with that extra touch of playfulness, color, and originality that makes communication truly resonate.
At its core, ahoy sees communication as a superpower to shake up, inspire, and engage minds and hearts. Our work champions art, cultural exchange, climate action, social justice, equity, and sustainability—values we’ve sailed with for a quarter century and will continue to hold course on, no matter which way the wind blows.
With an international team mirroring NYC’s diversity and over 50 major awards, ahoy delivers design that stands the test of time, always centered on the benefit of people and planet earth.
Today’s ahoy NYC partners Denise (left) and Connie (right) in New York
mojo
The first impression counts, and design creates an impression in under a second. We founded ahoy understanding that.
And we soon learned that good design needs a good cause, just as any good cause needs good design. Art and design, cultural exchange, education, climate and environmental protection, social justice, peace and security, global health, women’s rights, equity and sustainability, and respect toward all races and religions are the issues we support with our work. We see communication as a super power to shake up, inspire and engage minds, hearts, and lives. Our aim is to create visual and verbal communication with a pleasant wake up call for everyone and everything seeking to make our world a more caring place, leaving no one behind.
A popular mission until recently, but no matter which way the wind blows: ahoy’s been sailing with our values for 25 years, and we will hold our course, with empathy and open hearts. Because no matter what, we know what’s at stake: our living, and livable world. Good design, and design for good, is synergy at its best – and that’s how we – together – elevate your cause: to be seen, memorized, loved, and acted upon. We strive to (re)position you with authenticity, originality and conceptual power, hitting the right note with just that extra amount of playfulness, color and irritation that makes the result more striking, memorable and engaging.
philosophy
We respond to technology with concept, beauty and style.
We brand your cause with empathy, concept, authenticity and positivity. Because a positive mindset creates positive change. And we bring your brand to live, in our physical and digital realities. Technology is continuously disrupting how we communicate. Marketing, messaging, and the design of physical and interactive experiences are evolving at unprecedented speed.
Now, AI is transforming how organizations communicate, but for impact-driven organizations, the real challenge isn’t technology—it’s remaining distinct, human, and trusted. As content becomes faster and cheaper to produce, many mission-driven brands risk blending into a sea of sameness. The organizations that stand out aren’t louder or more automated; they are clearer, more intentional, and emotionally compelling. Ahoy helps nonprofits lead with confidence through human-centered, mission-aligned branding—bringing clarity, taste, and style to work addressing the world’s most urgent challenges.
The moment we’re in
Nonprofits face growing pressure to communicate faster and more personally, adopt AI-driven tools without losing credibility, and remain visible in an increasingly crowded digital landscape. At the same time, authenticity, trust, and emotional connection have never mattered more. This tension isn’t a problem to solve—it’s a brand opportunity.
What we do differently
Ahoy starts with what’s human. We clarify purpose, values, and emotional core—elements no technology can replicate. AI may support the work, but the mission defines the voice. We lead with taste and style because, in an era of templated design and generic messaging, taste is a strategic advantage. Our refined, contemporary design sensibility helps brands feel distinct, relevant, and alive—creating excitement and positive emotion around the work.
From strategy to storytelling to visual identity, we build cohesive brand systems that scale with integrity. With focus, clarity, and restraint, we help organizations say less—and mean more—cutting through the noise to create brands people recognize, trust, and want to engage with. The result is branding that stands out without shouting, communication that feels human and credible, and design that builds trust while inspiring action. AI may shape the tools, but Ahoy shapes the experience.
Today, every brand needs an authentic story, a long-term vision, and consistency. We push further—seeking the note that truly resonates, through concept, humanity, surprise, good taste, and the power of outstanding design. Our work is always human-conceived and bespoke. We use best-in-class AI tools to explore, experiment, and streamline production, but the thinking, judgment, and creative authorship remain distinctly human—shaped by experience, curiosity, and taste. Because while the push of a button can be impressive, true creative process produces something deeper: understanding, identification, and alignment—internally and externally. That’s what builds brands people believe in.
Our process is designed to create common sense, ownership, and joy – find out how!
capabilities
We offer collaborative discovery and brand strategy; content consultation and copywriting; digital strategy and development; video and animation; creative direction and design for digital and print.
For over 25 years, Ahoy has bridged conceptual design across media of every kind—from branding and advertising to print, interactive, spatial, and motion. We understand the power of consistency across platforms, while paying close attention to the details that make work feel considered and complete.
Brand strategy: clarity before scale
Strong brands don’t start with tools—they start with truth. Ahoy partners with nonprofits to define what makes their mission unmistakable, including purpose, positioning, voice, and values. We create the strategic foundation that ensures every message, whether human- or AI-supported, feels aligned, authentic, and intentional. This clarity enables confident positioning in crowded spaces, strong brand guardrails for emerging technologies, and consistency across teams and platforms.
Our brand strategy guides the design and communication of your cause like a north star to tell your authentic and unique story with consistency across all channels. We start with a thorough analysis of your current situation to uncover opportunities and challenges. We ask straight-forward questions: who are you? What is the problem? Why do you exist? What is your solution? What drives you? What’s your style? The answers to these questions will help define your brand promise, your cause, your vision, mission, your values and your personality. This foundation is then brought to life through a unique and inspiring creative interpretation, crafting a brand identity that is both authentic and powerful.
Identity & design: sparking emotion with beauty
In a world of sameness, design is how you get noticed—and remembered. Ahoy creates visual identities that feel human, modern, and emotionally resonant, balancing restraint and expression to help mission-driven brands stand out with confidence, credibility, and optimism. The result is distinctive, ownable visual systems that evoke trust, excitement, and care, and create a recognizable presence across digital and physical touchpoints.
Storytelling & messaging: turning complexity into authentic stories
AI can generate content, but it can’t create meaning. We help organizations articulate their story with clarity and warmth so audiences understand not just what they do, but why it matters. Our messaging frameworks ensure brand voices remain human, consistent, and compelling at scale—supporting donor and partner engagement, program storytelling grounded in lived experience, and communications that reinforce values and build trust.
Brand systems for a digital future
As tools and platforms change, brands shouldn’t fragment. Ahoy builds flexible brand systems that allow teams to move faster while staying aligned, providing the structure needed to use AI thoughtfully without sacrificing voice, quality, or integrity. These systems create consistency across teams and regions, confidence in new tools and workflows, and brands that hold steady as the world shifts.
From identity to experience
Our design services range from brand identity, refresh or expansion to UI and UX design for websites, online portals, microsites and apps; social media templates and content boards; publications including books, reports, magazines and microsites; campaigns online and in print; event branding and spatial design for events and exhibitions; illustration ranging from key visuals to infographics, data visualizations and iconography; and video and animation to bring it all to life.
Development for tomorrow
In today’s digital landscape, the web is at a turning point. AI tools are reshaping both the user experience and the mechanisms driving discovery algorithms. For any organization, cutting through this noise requires a return to core principles: understanding and serving the target audience. Success in this evolving environment depends on audience-driven strategies that cater to real needs and deliver value.
Today, there are no more shortcuts. Here at ahoy, we embrace those changes because we believe that human understanding is the key to innovation. Our digital development capabilities include state of the art modular and responsive websites, microsites, knowledge platforms, digital forums, multi-stakeholder portals, e-commerce sites and apps with an eye to the future.
Making meaning tangible with print
In today’s AI-driven world—fast, infinite, and increasingly virtual—print gains value by being rare, deliberate, and human. Its power lies not in speed or scale, but in meaning, trust, and presence. Print creates permanence. While digital content is endlessly updated, optimized, and forgotten, print endures. A printed object signals intention and longevity—it’s designed to last, to be returned to, to be kept. That sense of permanence builds credibility in a landscape flooded with synthetic and disposable content.
We realize print production with the highest level of both old-school and cutting-edge technologies. through texture, weight, scale, and smell we create a multisensory experience that digital media cannot offer. These physical cues deepen emotional resonance and memory—making print especially powerful for storytelling, branding, and moments that matter.
No matter what we do for you:
Expect curiosity, honesty, common sense, creative problem solving, ‘German’ project management, and most importantly, outstanding design to stand the test of time.
Ask us and we’ll tailor your approach.
clients
Since 25 years, we work with cutting-edge cultural icons, leading institutions, and hands-on NGOs.
They include festivals, conferences, award shows, publishing houses, universities, theaters and galleries, cultural organizations as well as foundations, local and international government institutions and NGOs:
An unusual project for WolfGordon, our first client: a dress made of wallcovering in 2000
network
Our team mingles generations X, Y and Z, and we mirror NYC’s cultural diversity.
Working seamlessly between the USA and Europe, we’re from the United States, Germany, Switzerland, Turkey, Austria, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, Israel, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa. Our extended family, an international network of longterm collaborators, ranges from designers, writers, photographers and illustrators to animators, printers, web & app developers and data scientists, all together ensuring that we deliver what we envision, no matter the size and type of the project.
Our New York team on Broadway in front of our studio
awards
We’re excited to have won over 50 major awards in various categories.
In 2024, our exhibition design for the German Foreign Ministry won a silver GRAPHIS award; so did our exhibition catalogue for Nari Ward at the Vilcek Foundation. Our fundraiser branding and invitation for the Public Art Fund received a Gold GRAPHIS award, and our branding and website for Breathe Cities received a ‘honorable mention’. In 2023 we have won two Print Awards as well as two awards from the design competition Graphis for our annual report design for New York Public Radio and our fundraiser gala branding for the Public Art Fund. Our World Aids Day campaign for the World Health Organization Africa won an Art Director’s Club bronze cube in 2022. In 2021, our immigrant cook book ‘A Place at the Table: New American Recipes from the Nation’s Top foreign-born chefs’, published by Prestel and the Vilcek Foundation, won a Gold Award in Graphis’ Design – so did our campaign for a textile collectiondesigned by Venus Williams for WolfGordon. Our magazine design for LEX, a publication by Drexel University, won Graphis Silver, and our Corporate Identity for The Global Energy Alliance received honorable mentions. In 2020, our magazine LEX for the Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Drexel University won a Print Regional Design Award for the New York City region. And our gala branding and invitation suite for the Public Art Fund received a silver recognition in Graphis’ Design Annual. In 2019, we won a Silver Graphis Award and an Educational Advertising Award (EDUAD) for our publication design for LEX, published by Drexel University. In 2018, we won a Silver Award in Graphis Branding 7 as well as a Print Regional Design Award for our new brand identity for the United Nations Development Group. We further received an award in BRAND / Communication Design of the Art Director’s Clubs’ 97th Annual Awards (ADC Awards), a Print Regional Design Award, a Graphis Gold Award as well as a nomination for the German Design Award 2019 for our Gala Branding for the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, DC. In 2017, our fundraiser campaign for Public Art Fund got awarded in the Print 2017 Regional Design Annual. In 2016, our winning entry at Print Regional Design Annual was the art publication ‘Art for Rollins’ published in 2015 by the Rollins College of Art. In 2015, our branding and design work for the Vilcek Prizes for the Arts and Sciences was selected as a winner in the 2015 Print Regional Design Annual. In 2014, our hardcover book ‘AHOY’ was selected as one of the ‘Top Five Swiss Style Graphic Designs’ by HOW Magazine. In 2012, our catalogue for the Biennial at the Decordova Sculpture Park and Museum received a Design Award from Graphic Design USA; so did our benefit invitation for the Public Art Fund. A third of this kind we received in 2011 for our VIP invitation for PULSE Contemporary Art Fair. Our book cover for Loretta Napoleoni’s ‘Rogue Economics’ was nominated in the category of excellent cover design for the Book Design Review as featured in the New York Times in December 2008. Our print advertising campaigns for Swisspeaks and Wolf-Gordon wall coverings were honored ‘Best of US Print Ads’ in the US AD Review in 2005 and 2004. Our first self-published book “2/15 – the day the world said NO to war” was honored ‘Best of International Design’ in Grafik Magazine (UK) in 2004 and became part of ‘Design by Dissent’, a book and traveling exhibition by Milton Glaser in 2006. A shopping bag designed for the Swisspeaks Festival found its way into the ‘Best Packaging’ chapter in Graphis Design Annual 2003. Our broadcast design project for ‘24FrameNews’ – a news show on independent film by the Sundance Channel – won a ‘BDA Gold’ for Best News Open in 2001. And last, our website created for Face Design (in fact our first website ever) was awarded ‘Best Interactive Design’ in Print Magazine in 2000.
Reviews of ahoy’s work were published in Abitare, Adbusters, Brandweek and Creativity, Branding USA by Graphis, Elle, Frankfurter Allgemeine, Geo, Grafik Magazine, Graphis Design Annual 2005, Greenpeace Magazine, GQ, Hochparterre, How Design, Io Donna, Neue Züricher Zeitung, Novum magazine, The New York Times, Page Online, Printcritic and Print magazine, Print Regional Design Annual, Publisher’s Weekly, Type and Eye, Vogue and Wired.
Article in NOVUM Magazine November 2020
cheers
handing the mic to our clients…
“I’ve worked with the designers at ahoy since before the company even launched. We’ve done everything from broadcast design to corporate identity, from ad campaigns to viral marketing together. The common thread is their way of creating work that’s fresh-feeling, clean and contemporary, warm and human – something that’s increasingly meaningful in our cool digital world. The process is without fail a pleasure – they understand better than many that there’s an intent to every assignment, an idea that needs to come through in the design. The work is always thoughtful and on-point as a result.”
Adam Pincus, former Managing Partner, Director, Mediacom Content Group
“I’ve been a client of ahoy, and worked with Connie and Aline since 1997. Design produced by ahoy possesses great conceptual strength that is further distinguished by a very particular upbeat, lively note that they have hit for every single project they have created for Wolf-Gordon. This has resulted in smart, color- and pattern-savvy projects in 2-D print, 3-D objects and catalogs, web-based animations, window displays, and advertising campaigns. I would like to underscore ahoy’s extreme professionalism at every stage of the design process. I cannot recommend them highly enough.”
Marybeth Shaw, Chief Creative Officer, WolfGordon
“ahoy developed the first ever branding guide for the United Nations Development Group, which comprises of 32 agencies, funds and programmes working for sustainable development in the UN System. ahoy is just a brilliant team. They are great designers and efficient project managers. They create a vision that excites us and carry it out while helping the client find solutions in an efficient and professional way. They have become our go-to company to develop almost any kind of material, from brochures, videos, publications, to websites. We can’t remember a time without them and they have became (in just one year) an extended part of our team!”
Maria Blanco, Communications Specialist, United Nations Development Group
“I can’t tell you what a joy it has been to work with the centennial logo and the exuberant, colorful creative platform you have developed for us. It makes all our messaging look so fresh and current. And as one of my colleagues said today, it is such a refreshing contrast to all the tasteful beige art directions in other ads out there (!). Sending much appreciation for the beautiful work that is the foundation of all our efforts.”
Theodora Kuslan, New York Public Radio
“Working with ahoy is an enjoyable process from start to finish. Their design team is constantly creative and eternally inspired. They always consider carefully the message we want to convey, and through a substantive creative dialogue, articulate it in ways we had not previously imagined. Their hard work and dynamite graphics have made a significant contribution to the success of The Vilcek Foundation’s prizes, exhibitions and events.”
Rick Kinsel, Executive Director, The Vilcek Foundation
“The German Mission to the United Nations New York has worked with ahoy since 2008, during which time all employees of ahoy have provided us with excellent support for our corporate design. Their work has been a major factor in our campaign for Germany’s candidature for the United Nations Security Council 2011/2012, and again in 2016/17. We are looking forward to a close cooperation with Ahoy studios also in the future. We can confidently recommend ahoy studios as a solid and reliable supplier and experts in their field.”
Claudia Rohde, Permanent Mission of the Federal Republic of Germany to the United Nations
“We selected ahoy as our agency to design MIGA’s 2019 annual report and related microsite along with a package of social media infographics and we were excited by the results. The team at ahoy came up with great design concepts and executed them brilliantly. All of this was done in a seamless collaboration and feedback process. We were also impressed by their creative concepts and professionalism. ahoy is a great agency to work with – highly skilled, creative, and responsive. They understand our subject matter – bringing private investment to fragile and impoverished countries for development impact – and express it in ways that is both clear and creative, both online and in print. We highly recommend them!”
Punjanit Leagnavar, Officer, World Bank Group
“ahoy has provided design services to RepRisk AG, a global ESG data science company, over the course of more than three years. These include the concept and design of a new suite of advertising based on RepRisk’s branding, full concept and design revamp of the RepRisk Website, as well as a design revamp of RepRisk’s suite of marketing and sales collateral. During our collaboration, the team at ahoy was extremely reliable and able to deliver under tight deadlines while simultaneously ensuring an excellent level of quality. The team has a broad range of competencies of which their technical expertise, ability to familiarize with the client’s specific business context and needs, and willingness to provide guidance and advise beyond design work are particularly worth mentioning. ahoy has RepRisk’s highest recommendation.”
Gina Walser, Head of Marketing and Communications, RepRisk
“ahoy has been brilliantly creating the print graphics for the AICP Show for the past 15 years. ahoy designers have always understood our brand and every year inspire us with fresh, beautiful and relevant design. They are meticulous in every way, their vendors are top-notch and we don’t worry about the quality of the finished pieces. In addition, the team is a pleasure to work with – professional, enthusiastic, smart, fast, and very nice.”
Ileana Montalvo, Director of Communications, AICP Show and Next Awards
There are many ways to celebrate design – sailing around Manhattan is ahoy’s way – join the boat!
