The 43c

The 43c is a visual design shop serving bands, labels, and small businesses. We recently reopened for business and look forward to working with you on your next project.

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Read more below about the history of the shop, a few folks we've worked with in the past, and finally, check out a gallery of previous work.

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What we do

Whether a band, label, or small business, The 43c designs for people who share a similar grounding and aesthetic. We apply the same care and attention to detail to our work as one would find in a larger firm or agency.

Services

Album design and layout
Merchandise art and design
Website design (*design only, we no longer build sites)
Business or organization consultancy
Ephemera

Let's talk about what you have in mind. Get in touch with your project details or just to say hi. Contact us

An abridged history

Founded in Boston circa 2001, The 43c landed its first design projects working with local punk and hardcore bands The Explosion, Reach The Sky, and The Suicide File.

In 2002, Bridge Nine Records reached out to The 43c to redesign their website. However, instead of a one-off project, an offer materialized to join the label. Soon after, Desmond became the label's first employee as New Media Designer, Webmaster, and eventually international distribution rep.

Because B9 shared space in the Initech office, it was through proximity and personal relationships that Desmond became involved in projects for Doghouse Records and The Kenmore Agency. Throughout those years, The 43c engaged with a variety of bands and labels in or near the hardcore, punk, and indie scene—designing websites, merch, record covers, and show flyers.

In late 2003, Desmond moved to Austin and shuttered the business to concentrate on a budding career in user experience design. Now, after a 20-year hiatus, The 43c picks up where it left off in Boston as operations move to the Philadelphia area—home to as energized a music scene as can be found anywhere on the east coast.