House Rules

01 — SHOW UP WITH YOUR OUTERMOST ENERGY

Bring yourself into the room.

We know energy fluctuates, and that's okay. If you're having a lower-energy day, communicate it. We would rather know where you're at than have you pretend to be somewhere you're not.

02 — EVERYONE DESERVES TO BE HERE

We value each other's presence.

Everyone who is part of an AUDA project deserves to be here. We respect the contribution, perspective and presence of every person in the room.

03 — ASK BEFORE YOU TOUCH

We ask before we touch someone. Every time.

It doesn't matter if we've worked together before or if we've touched before. Familiarity is never an assumption of consent.

04 — DON'T ASSUME. ASK.

We ask for people's pronouns or use neutral language. We don't make assumptions about how someone identifies.

05 — MAKE SPACE FOR INDIVIDUALITY

We value the abundance of people.

Different bodies, identities, backgrounds, perspectives, experiences and ways of expressing yourself make the work richer.

We don't use diversity as a marketing tool. We actively make space for different people to be present, represented and themselves.

06 — NO ROOM FOR DISCRIMINATION

There is no room here for racism, sexism, ageism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, or discrimination based on someone's body, background, identity, beliefs or circumstances.

We do not tolerate language, behaviour or actions that demean, exclude or diminish another person.

We expect everyone who enters an AUDA project to treat others with respect, curiosity and dignity.

Differences are not something we merely tolerate — they are part of what makes the people we work with who they are.

This also means taking responsibility when we get something wrong: listening, learning, apologising and doing better.

07 — MAKE SPACE FOR WHAT IS REAL

Stress, insecurity and uncertainty are part of being human.

We don't pretend they aren't there. We communicate honestly about where we're at and make space for others to do the same.

08 — TEAM FIRST

We believe taking care of the people doing the work comes first.

When the team is supported, respected and looked after, we can do our best work for our clients and collaborators. Taking care of the team ultimately takes care of the work.

09 — YOUR FLOW, OUR STRUCTURE

We work with your flow, not against it.

Every person works differently. Some people need structure, some need flexibility, some think out loud, some need time to process, and some work in ways that don't fit a conventional workflow — including many neurodivergent people.

We don't believe in forcing one way of working onto everyone.

We bring structure where it helps, but we create that structure with you, around the way you naturally work.

The goal is not to make you fit our process. The goal is to create a way of working together that makes the collaboration clear, easy and effective for everyone involved.

10 — KNOW YOUR SECRET SAUCE

We trust the skills, knowledge and experience people bring to the table.

Everyone has a secret sauce — a specific combination of instincts, knowledge, experience and skills that makes the way they work their own.

We make space for that. We put people where their particular strengths are relevant and give those strengths room to contribute to the work.

11 — TAKE CREATIVITY SERIOUSLY

Creativity is a skill.

It is not simply having ideas or being "the creative one". It takes knowledge, practice, intuition, experience and craft.

We respect creative thinking as a form of expertise and give it the space, time and value it deserves.

12 — MAKE SPACE FOR NEW TALENT

We know how difficult it can be to get your first opportunity.

Our industry often runs on references, connections and previous experience. If nobody gives someone the opportunity to gain that experience, we believe in creating it ourselves.

We share knowledge, open doors and make room for people who are just starting out.

13 — RESPECT WHAT YOU ARE TRUSTED WITH

We treat people's work, information, ideas and materials with care.

Client information, contacts, files, conversations and project context stay within the project unless permission has been given to share them.

Trust is not something we take lightly.

14 — DO IT BECAUSE YOU CARE

We do this because we care about the work.

Passion, curiosity and genuine investment matter to us. If we no longer feel connected to something, we question whether it is something we should continue doing.

We don't believe in doing meaningful work purely out of obligation.

15 — WE MAKE OUR OWN RULES

We don’t not give a flying fuck about what you're supposed to be doing.

We care about what feels right, what feels exciting and what hasn't been done yet.

We create our own rules, our own visions and our own ways of working — even when they don't fit neatly into industry standards or expectations.

If you want to do something weird, we'll do weird shit with you.

If your gut tells you to go somewhere unexpected, we listen to it.

When you're our client, your vision isn't something we try to squeeze into an existing formula. We work with you to figure out what is actually yours — and then we build the structure, strategy and experience around it.

16 — OUR WORK HAS VALUE

We are paid for our work.

Payment can take different forms — money, resources, opportunities, exchanges or other agreed forms of value — but that value should always be clear and mutually understood.

We communicate the monetary value of our work, even when the final exchange is something else. We aim to be transparent about rates and industry standards.

We don't work for free.

Our time, skills, creativity and energy have value. And we know that how we price and negotiate our work affects the wider creative community. We want to contribute to an industry where creatives understand their value and are able to charge accordingly.

A NOTE ON THE SECRET SAUCE

Your secret sauce is your most valuable skill.

It is niche. It is not simply being a good photographer, designer, producer, stylist or whatever your job title says you are.

It goes deeper.

It is the detailed, specific skill set you've developed within what you do, the thing you notice, understand, create or execute in a way that is distinctly yours.

Know it. Value it. Use it.