About
What is 3thought?
We're a visual communications company, but the name is an aspiration.
In the midst of the 2009 financial crisis, Shea Baker and Matt Ulvila saw an opportunity to build something of their own. But before the first logo was sketched or website coded, they faced bigger questions:
What kind of agency do we want to be? What makes us different? And why would organizations choose to work with us when our industry is so saturated?
The answers kept leading back to a single idea:
Great design and marketing don’t happen as an afterthought.
They take forethought. And before that?
3thought...
Yes, it’s a play on words — but it’s also a reminder of what we stand for:
- Be proactive, not reactive.
- Plan with purpose, and design with intention.
- Always strive to think a few steps ahead.
"Thought is in our brand DNA - it's what makes us different."
Matt Ulvila, Co-founder of 3thought
What You Can Expect.
Everything we do is designed to support you. Your goals. Your growth. Your next chapter.
More Listening Than Talking.
If you’ve been in business for a while, you already know what’s worked — and what hasn’t. You’ve got insights. History. Frustrations. Ideas. And, we take the extra time to understand all of it.
Before we suggest a single solution, we’ll ask the right questions to uncover what matters most to you. How this project fits into your larger goals. What success looks like on your terms. What challenges you’re facing now — and what’s coming next.
You’ll do most of the talking. And, we’ll do the listening, the thinking, and the planning — so the solutions fit.
A Team That Has Your Back
You’re hiring experts, not yes-people. If we see a misstep coming, we’ll let you know. And we’ll expect the same honesty from you. That’s how the best creative partnerships work — built on mutual respect and shared goals.
We’ll help you sort through the noise, test ideas, and move quickly toward what works. We use data when it’s available, experience when it’s not, and gut checks when needed.
If something isn’t working, we don’t disappear — we dig in and fix it.
Real Experts, Not A Revolving Door.
With 3thought, you’ll never be handed off to an intern, outsourced to a mystery team, or wonder who you're speaking to.
You’ll work directly with our designers, developers, and marketers — people who know what they’re doing and care about doing it right.
You’ll always know who you’re working with and why.
No middle layers. No confusion. Just smart, collaborative problem-solving from people who get it.
Who You'll Work With
One of us or all of us — whatever your project needs.
Shea Baker
Senior Designer, Creative Director, Front-End Dev, and Strategy
Matti Ulvila
Senior Designer, Print, Web, Identity, and Optimization
Kerry Donovan
Senior Marketing Strategist and Business Development
Chris Vaudrain
Web Development and Optimization
Sophie Speliopoulos
Graphic Design and Production
Antonio Mathers
Web Design and UX