nelson mondale

me

Nelson Mondale

I'm Nelson Mondale, a designer and developer. I'm currently based in Minneapolis , Minnesota, but I am from Saranac Lake, New York .

I love thinking about small things, and asking them how they interact with the bigger systems that inform understanding. I aim to bring a critical lens to design and development, and to make things that are useful, accessible, and delightful.

This past May, I received my Bachelor's degree in Media and Cultural Studies, with minors in Computer Science and Studio Art at Macalester College (!!!). This fall, I'm working as a freelance web designer and developer, as well as working as a publishing assistant for the Mississippi River Open School for Kinship and Social Exchange. With MROS, I'm supporting the development of an anthology publication of writings in and around the Mississippi.

web design

A digital archive aims to reintroduce a vital collection of Hmong folktales to the community both in the Twin Cities and globally in an accessible way.

WordPressPHPCSS

Senior Capstone Project for Media and Cultural Studies at Macalester. Using Lock and Dam 1 on the Upper Mississippi as a cultural lens, this site aims to provide the tools and perspectives needed to rethink how both water and knowledge flow in a post-digital world.

Next.jsReactTailwind CSS

Used User Experience Research data to inform a new user experience for OMI Live Shopping's desktop web platform, improving user engagement and conversion rates.

FigmaIllustratorAdobe XD

SUNHOSE

Dec. 2024

An artistic and interactive 3D web app that enables users to build a space profile to receive personalized plant reccomendations in a beautiful and engaging way.

Three.jsReactFirebase

A data visualization web project examining campus public safety data not as empirical descriptions of criminal activity, but instead as indicators of how public safety functions on campus.

TableauArcGISReact

graphic design

A branding and identity project for American Studies at Macalester College, focusing on retro, minimalist design principles with an emphasis on typography.

BrandingIdentityDesign for PrintIllustration

Tiny Orchard

March 2022

A branding and identity project for a small business, creating logos used in social media, online presence, and merchandise.

BrandingLogoBrand IdentitySocial Media

1550 Summit Avenue

August 2023

A branding project for a sustainable free-swap intiative, creating eye-catching graphics to enable community good.

BrandingDesign for Print and WebLogo

A branding and identity project for Media and Cultural Studies at Macalester College, focusing on a modern and minimalistic design.

BrandingTypographyIdentity

Designing a graphical identity for Mississippi River School, working with missions, values, and aesthetic standards to produce a cohesive and engaging brand.

Branding SystemIllustrationIdentity

Behance Design Portfolio

a more comprehensive portfolio of my design work can be found on my Behance page, with more detailed projects and process information.

View
on Behance

anthropocene consequences

Anthropocene Consequences Title 10/23

[10/31/2025] During the third week of October, I was in Chicago for the Anthropocene Consequences conference, where researchers, artists, and academics from around the world gathered to discuss what it means to move forward culturally in the Anthropocene.

What does a river look like as a political subject?
What would it look like to start paying whales for their ecological service to the planet?
Is environmental stewardship a civic duty?
What makes a visible river? What makes it invisible?

the creature

A HUMAN


Like everyone, I find it impossible to think about the current state of the climate. It's clear to me, in the worst way, that a reciprocal relationship reliant on trust and compassion with the humans and non-humans around us, the critical relationship to moving forward through the Anthropocene, is incongruent with current political systems. The cultural shift that must occur to accomodate this colonially-unprecedented relationship to nature is immense in magnitude, and almost requires a completely refreshed understanding of what it means to be a human, and what it means to be a political subject. I have found myself feeling more human towards trees and water.

the sun and moon, now

zine library

Aquamath and the Theory of Sociolinguistic Hydrodynamics

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Sep. 2025

A Spell 4 U

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Aug. 2025

Dear River

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Aug. 2024

The Absolute Science of Conclusions

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Dec. 2023

Me, Kitty

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May 2025

A Stay at the Marx Motel

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May 2023

Haunting the Wyoming

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Jan. 2024

How to Love the Piano

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Dec. 2022

Anxious World

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Sep. 2024

What is he Doing in There?

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Aug. 2024

Micro-Sociétés Expérimentales

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Dec. 2023

Knowing: A Novice Guide

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July 2024

Gay on a Train

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March 2024

you can order a physical copy of some of my zines! The proceeds from any purchases go towards the Sameer Project, a mutual aid organization that provides support to displaced families in Gaza.

Visit the shop :
nellycrystalmagic.quest

photobooth

Photo 1

click to see more photos

side projects

something taped to my wall

answer

magic 8