the 43c
welcome to
The 43c is the visual design shop of Desmond Connolly — serving bands, labels, and small businesses. After a long hiatus, doors are open for business.
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Read more below about the history of the shop, a few folks I've worked with in the past, and finally, check out a gallery of previous work.
What I do
The 43c partners with people who share a similar grounding and aesthetic. Decades of being in or around the indie, punk, and hardcore scenes has firmly placed DIY in my bloodstream. If you're a band, record label, or small business, your project gets the same attention to detail as it would in a larger shop, firm, or agency. Let's talk about what you have in mind.
Services
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Print design and layout - LPs/CDs, cassettes, postcards, etc.
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Merch art and design - Clothing, stickers, pinbacks, etc.
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Website design - design only, I no longer build websites
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Business or organization consultancy - Talk shop about your ideas
- Ephemera - Anything that requires a visual or creative eye
Get in touch with your project details—or just to say hi.
An abridged history
Founded in Boston circa 2001, The 43c landed its first freelance 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 Desmond 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.
With B9 sharing space in the Initech office, Desmond naturally connected with Doghouse Records and The Kenmore Agency, leading to new design projects. 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 closed the business to concentrate on a growing career in user experience design. Now, after a 20-year hiatus, The 43c picked up where it left off in Boston, as operations moved to the Philly Metro area.
Latest project
Designed for
Desolate Sounds Records
Austin, TX
Project
Band:
Eastside Suicides
Release:
"Streets Got Your Baby" LP (DS-006)
Desolate Sounds' release of the 2003 CD-only self-titled record.
Gallery:
The Boston & Philly Years
A gallery of work from the early days of The 43c to present.
Pardon the quality of some images as they were pulled from long-defunct websites or from archival sources/hard drives.
Images are for visual reference only and are not interactive.
Copyright © 2025 Desmond Connolly