10/27/2023

happy 2 year FREI-YAY anniversary

At echd, every 3rd Friday of the month means: FREI-YAY!

A good corporate culture is the most important factor for long-term, consistent success and satisfaction. Our employees are the essence of all ideas, designs and data that leave our creative forge and therefore a positive environment, personal development potential and sufficient space for regeneration are a must for us as an employer.

As Managing Director and Partner, I therefore not only have to think about the next design concept, but also about how our team can continue to deliver exceptional ideas. Work-life balance and the four-day week have long been a topic on social media and during our restructuring process from khdesign to echd two years ago, this topic kept coming back to me.

Introducing a complete 4-day week from one day to the next? At first glance, that's quite a psychological and financial blow for a company. So why not start a little smaller and give it a chance? For example, with a day off every 3rd Friday of the month. So 12 free days for all of us. Hooray!

Our concerns:

  • What will customers say if we are suddenly no longer available on Fridays?
  • How much order volume will we lose by taking this step?
  • Will we manage to complete all our projects in less time?

Our goals:

  • To give our employees the opportunity to relax better and FINALLY get things done that would otherwise be left undone during the week.
  • Make our employees happy and be happy about it too.
  • To create an even more attractive workplace for our employees.
  • Not higher, faster, further, but mindful, better, nicer!
  • Being a pioneer and actively shaping the movement towards better working.

Our conclusion after 2 years of FREI-YAY:

An employment relationship is like a good relationship based on the fact that both parties trust each other and are happy to give. The joy of Free Friday is and remains great and it is very nice to see how well it is used and celebrated by all echdies. Free Friday is an investment in the health, performance and happiness of our employees and part of the gratitude we can show them as an employer.

One thing is clear - Fridays off are here to stay and we as an employer are not standing still. =)

Also of interest

All news
news / 9/2/2025

New positioning, clear vision

Brands that are forgotten may have never truly existed.

Because what remains is not the logo or the packaging – it’s the feeling a brand leaves in people’s minds. Today, it’s no longer enough to simply look good. To stand out, brands need more than design: brands need to come alive.

Since 1977, we at echd have been shaping brands that go beyond aesthetics. Brands with character, clarity, and consistency – experienced at every touchpoint, whether on packaging, in a social post, or a product shot.
It’s not about loud colors or big words, but about a clear profile, consistent communication, and a deep understanding of how brands truly resonate.

In markets where products are becoming more and more alike, it’s not features or visuals that decide – it’s the feeling that remains. Only those who touch people emotionally will stay in their minds. That is our ambition: to make brands so alive that they transform into true experiences.

Where brands come alive.
We believe that brands are more than logos or packaging. They are perceptions, emotions, and stories in people’s minds – and we make sure they get there.

Want to know how clear, consistent, and truly alive your brand feels right now?
Book one of our free 30-minute checks – for Brand, Packaging, Product Shots, or Social Media.
No pitch, no fluff – just honest feedback and fresh impulses.

Learn more
news / 6/10/2025

Recap: epda 2024 (Bordeaux)

Bordeaux, April 18, 2024

Bonjour! Last week, our CCO & Managing Partner Max and our Creative Director Paul traveled to the sunny southwest of France for the epda congress. They brought with them a presentation on “Fighting food waste - How purpose creates value”, as they took over the stage as speakers together with Knärzje founder Dan Anthes.

Under the motto “Thrive. Don't just survive!”, the program included exciting expert presentations, plenty of networking and, of course, wine tasting with design colleagues from all over Europe. And all of this in a beautiful, inspiring location.

With these 3 learnings, we boarded the plane back to Frankfurt:

1. A.I. is both a curse and a blessing

We have to take our customers by the hand and show them how we can use A.I. to add value to the resulting work. It becomes dangerous when clients use A.I. tools to develop their own designs without taking marketing strategy and buyer behavior into account.

2. pitches damage the agencies and the brand

Poorly paid pitches mean that agencies cannot afford to put their A-teams on projects. European agencies need to come together to find a sustainable solution for agencies AND clients.

3. wine from Bordeaux is simply ... a pleasure!

You can find more impressions of our epda trip on Instagram. Check out this Reel!

What is the epda?

The European Brand & Packaging Design Association (epda) offers its members a platform for networking and exchanging knowledge on trends and packaging design at European level.

www.epda-design.com


Foto Credit: Autan Blanc

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