nelson mondale
me

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.
Seeing Yourself in Your Structure
Jan. 2025Senior 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.
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.
SUNHOSE
Dec. 2024An 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.
Public Safety Data at Macalester
Dec. 2024A 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.
graphic design
American Studies
June 2023A branding and identity project for American Studies at Macalester College, focusing on retro, minimalist design principles with an emphasis on typography.
Tiny Orchard
March 2022A branding and identity project for a small business, creating logos used in social media, online presence, and merchandise.
1550 Summit Avenue
August 2023A branding project for a sustainable free-swap intiative, creating eye-catching graphics to enable community good.
Media and Cultural Studies
December 2022A branding and identity project for Media and Cultural Studies at Macalester College, focusing on a modern and minimalistic design.
Mississippi River School
April 2023Designing a graphical identity for Mississippi River School, working with missions, values, and aesthetic standards to produce a cohesive and engaging brand.
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.
on Behance
anthropocene consequences

[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?

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

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Sep. 2025

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Aug. 2025

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Aug. 2024

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Dec. 2023

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May 2025

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May 2023

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Jan. 2024

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Dec. 2022

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Sep. 2024

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Aug. 2024

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Dec. 2023

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July 2024

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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.
nellycrystalmagic.quest
photobooth

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side projects
The Best and Only Place to Find Nelson's Famous Lawn Sign Digital Archive
Created May 2025A Way to Put Your Thoughts into a Forever Walnut: The Procedural Walnut Generator
Created November 2024something taped to my wall










