Our Culture
Good work, good people, good intentions.
It sounds simple because it is. We are proud of where that got us.
Our Pillars
People First
How we treat each other and our clients is not an afterthought. Trust, respect, kindness, and a genuine commitment to diversity and inclusion are how we operate every day.
Keep Growing
The web changes constantly. So do we. Creativity, curiosity, efficiency, and resourcefulness keep us, and our clients, moving forward.
Do Good Work
We hold ourselves to a high standard. Integrity, accountability, quality, and authenticity are the difference between work we are proud of and work we are not.
Show Up, With Heart
Good work is hard to sustain without good people. Humor, friendship, gratitude, and balance are what make Smack Happy worth showing up for.
Our Purpose
Why We Do It
We build websites and digital experiences that are beautiful, accessible, and built to last. We have been doing this for 20+ years because we love the work and we genuinely care about the people behind it.
Our Mission
Why It Matters
To help businesses show up online in a way that reflects who they really are and earns the trust of the people they serve.
Our Values
How We Stay Close
Remote doesn't mean distant. Here are some of the ways we've built a team that actually feels like one.
Happy Mail
Happy Mail was designed around one idea: coming together in the pursuit of happiness, even if we can't all be in the same room. Past mailings included writing kits, "sunshine in a bag" packages, and other small surprises.
The Smackies
For a few years, we ran an internal awards program over the holidays called The Smackies. It was fun, it was silly, and it gave us a reason to celebrate each other at the end of a long year.
Smack-A-Thon
Teams were assigned and everyone got one full day to create something, anything, that helps define how we work, how we treat each other, and how we make decisions when no one's looking.
User Manuals
Every team member has a personal user manual, a short guide they share with the rest of the team about how they prefer to show up to work. It makes working together a lot smoother, especially across time zones.
SHD Recipe Book
We made a team recipe book because sometimes culture is just sharing your grandmother's lasagna recipe with a coworker you've never met in person. Feel free to steal it if you need some ideas!
SHD Games
During the early days of the pandemic, we built a virtual gaming website for the team. It gave us something to do together when the world shut down and nobody knew what was coming next.
Diversity + Inclusion
Our goal is to build a workforce that is representative of the people we serve, at every level. We respect and seek to empower each individual and support the diverse cultures, perspectives, skills, and experiences within our team.
People First
Trust & Respect
We know we can count on one another, we can be vulnerable and we can be open. We speak to each other kindly and with care. We talk it through when issues arise and never speak behind each other's backs.
Diversity & Inclusion
We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. The more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. We have more to say about it on our diversity and inclusion page.
Teamwork & Collaboration
Sharing and brainstorming are the foundation of our work together. We ask for help when we need it and we are compassionate to others who ask us.
Humor, Fun & Friendship
We always try to bring joy to our work and the time we spend together. We help one another through acts of kindness and by bringing optimism to difficult situations.
Do Good Work
Quality & Excellence
We lift each other up and through our work together, bring out the best in one another. We take pride in what we do and always aim to deliver our best.
Integrity & Authenticity
We stay true to who we are, we are ourselves and accept and embrace one another. We always speak the truth. What we promise is what we deliver. And we speak up when we need help.
Accountability & Responsibility
We’re committed to our work, our clients, and each other. We show up, we own our mistakes, we learn and we grow. We are truly responsible for our actions and outcomes and own everything that takes place in our work and our lives.
Making A Difference
Together we can do so much more to change the world for the better, one project at a time. Through our clients’ success we also succeed.
Keep Growing
Creativity & Curiosity
Discovering new and original ideas fills us up and keeps us on a path of knowledge and growth. We learn from each other and help bring out the most imaginative results together.
Efficiency & Resourcefulness
We’re always looking for ways to improve our processes, tools, and operations. We are flexible and able to change if what we’re doing is not working. We look for ways to do more with less and stay on a path of constant and never-ending improvement and innovation.
Adaptability & Resilience
We get knocked down, but we get up again!
Show Up, With Heart
Gratitude & Balance
We always say thank you and show appreciation for one another when helping each other out or doing a good job.
We encourage each other to take time for ourselves and recharge as necessary. Learn more about our four-day workweek and why we're closed to the public on Fridays.
Compassion & Empathy
We understand that our clients and our teammates are navigating real pressures, real deadlines, and real stakes. We meet people where they are, without judgment, and with genuine care for what they are going through.
Community & Impact
We believe good business and good citizenship are not separate things. How we show up in our communities, who we support, and what we stand for beyond client work matters to us. This is something we are actively building and you can learn more about it on our Community and Impact page.