Strategy + design for the real world.
The old playbook doesn't work when your people are already at capacity.
We design for the reality of the modern landscape—where clarity combats fatigue and purpose drives engagement.
How We Work
The best initiatives feel inevitable in hindsight.
People look back and think "of course that worked" because every piece supported every other piece. The strategy matched the reality on the ground. The structure made it easy for people to engage. The story gave them a reason to care.
That alignment doesn't happen by accident. It happens when you design Strategy, Structure, and Storytelling to work together to build organizational vitality.
Strategy
clarity in complexity
We start by understanding the full picture. Who's in the room? What matters to them? What broader forces are shaping what's possible? We dig into what's actually happening—not just what people think is happening. Then we synthesize those insights into a path forward that works for your unique reality.
Services:
Strategic Planning, Research & Discovery, Organizational Assessment
Structure
Human-centered systems
Systems only work when people want to use them. We design with the end user in mind—whether it's the program manager who has to make it work daily, or the community member who needs to see real value. We build feedback loops to ensure the design truly serves the people who will live with it.
Services:
Program Design, Organizational Design, Stakeholder Engagement, Retreat & Event Design, Facilitation
Storytelling
signal through noise
In a world where AI generates endless content, breaking through requires authentic stories worth people's time. We help you craft narratives that establish authority, build trust, and create the kind of content people sincerely want to engage with; that cut through the noise in an already crowded landscape.
Services:
Brand & Creative Strategy, Communications Strategy, Campaign Development
Meet Your Team
Durable Projects is a strategic design practice built for modern complexity.
Our approach is intentionally lean: we tailor every team to the challenge—whether that’s a single lead, our full trio, or a custom configuration including trusted specialists from our network.
Valerie Armstrong
Systems & Narrative
Valerie founded Durable Projects out of a specific frustration: too much energy and capital is poured into strategic development that is built in a vacuum, disconnected from the internal dynamics and external forces that ultimately determine its success.
She believes that complex organizational challenges don't have a fixed answer, but instead need solutions designed to evolve as new realities emerge.
With a foundation in visual design and communications, she has a native ability to see patterns where others see noise; identifying glitches between plans and reality. She translates between technical and creative, internal and external, vision and implementation. For over 15 years, she has balanced creative strategy with a pragmatic, human-centered design discipline to help organizations meet the needs of the moment.
Lee Wilmoth, MA Ed.
learning design & org dynamics
Lee specializes in the mechanics of organizational change. They partner with executives as a leadership coach and learning designer, building frameworks that align business objectives with the actual needs of the people doing the work. With a Master’s in Adult Learning and Development, Lee ensures that development programs are designed for long-term behavioral shifts rather than surface-level understanding.
This academic foundation is informed by decades of body-based training and performance, providing Lee with an expert lens for group dynamics and executive presence. By identifying the hidden friction points and interpersonal patterns that stall strategic initiatives, Lee helps teams build the internal capacity and integrity required to bring their organization’s mission to life.
Chris Machuca
Operations & Service Design
Chris brings operational expertise and service design thinking shaped by a decade managing teams and building systems for organizations like Nike, Facebook, and Idealist.org. He hasn't just advised on strategy from the outside; he's lived the complexity of scaling it from within.
That in-house experience defines how he approaches challenges: he knows what it takes to translate vision into operations, how platforms create tangible value beyond their immediate function, and where business development and community engagement either reinforce or undermine each other. Chris ensures what we design can actually be built and sustained—not just conceptually sound, but operationally viable. He bridges creative vision and functional reality.