A Widgets & Stone Story: 30 Years In The Same Direction

If you drive through downtown Chattanooga, you will see Paul Rustand. Maybe not in person, but in the details that give the city its character. His work lives on signs, doorways, and walls that feel familiar because they belong. His blend of modern structure and historic craft has helped shape a visual language that feels rooted, patient, and enduring.

I first learned about Widgets and Stone in 2011, when Whiteboard was brand new and finding its footing as a digital creative agency. The first time we collaborated with Paul was with a non-profit in India committed to protecting vulnerable women, children, and families from exploitation, helping them reclaim their dignity and purpose, and restoring freedom and opportunity in their lives. His team shaped their identity, and we created their digital home. 

The second time was when he invited us to create the digital experience for Chattanooga 2.0, an organization that improves economic opportunity and quality of life through system change in Chattanooga and Hamilton County, TN. Education is the first step. His team created the identity, and our team (once again) created their website. 

We loved the pattern so much that, in 2023, Widgets & Stone joined our team at Whiteboard. Paul’s superpower is bringing people together, building not only brands but a culture of collaboration that values relationships as much as outcomes. 

That spirit is at the heart of this documentary. The film features voices from across the city who have worked alongside Paul and felt the impact of his approach, including Rob Gentry of Hello Monty on Main, Krue Brock of Chattanooga Football Club, Tory Johnson of MoonPie, and Kelly Arnold of Clínica Médicos. Their stories reveal how design, when practiced with care and consistency, can strengthen organizations, shape culture, and create trust over time.

For more than thirty years, Paul has moved in the same direction. Design, at its core, is the movement from what things are to what they could be. This documentary is a reflection on that long commitment to craft, collaboration, and place, and on how faithful creative work slowly becomes part of a city's fabric.

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