Founded in 2001 Paradigm CMI has explored the many facets of design and marketing from brand development to high-end digital products.

"We started out as a small group of designers wanting to try something new," said Kevin Flatowicz-Farmer, President. That 'something new' was combining the lessons of traditional marketing with the possibilities of emerging technologies.

"The internet bubble had just burst and the promise of pots of gold at the end of the URL string had faded." Flatowicz-Farmer continued, "We thought there were some really practical applications for new technology, but in conjunction with traditional concepts of design."

"For us, developing a new design vocabulary has been a process of deciding what to keep from existing design and what to adopt from emerging technology," said Jeffrey Hahn, Design Director. Hahn worked as a systems administrator for a medical billing service while attending art school. "The challenge is to avoid reinventing the wheel."

The company's first large project was developing a seasonal retail presence for the Omaha public art phenomenon, the J. Doe Project. In 2002, the company relocated to their current offices in the Hot Shops Art Center. They have developed a client list that is rich with diversity. "Our main bases of clients are niche retail, artists and mid-sized manufacturers," said Flatowicz-Farmer.

With clients nationwide, Paradigm is looking to expand their offerings to manufacturers in the contract industry. "With our new PARA-SPEC software development program, we want to help manufacturers of custom contract products, like carpet, modular flooring, wall covering or furniture, connect directly to specifying designers," commented Hahn. "This fits with our philosophy of creating effective products, and it's in-line with the latest ideas about green design."