Making Ideas Stick: How Pushpin Turned Art into a Global Force for Clarity

There is a quiet power in making things understood.

For Elbert Or, that power did not begin in a boardroom or a startup incubator. It began with a child sitting in a corner, sketching stories while the world moved around him.

Elbert Or in action, turning complex messaging into clarity through live visual storytelling.

Drawing was never just a pastime. It was how he processed reality, how he made sense of things that felt too large, too abstract, or too distant to grasp.

Years later, that instinct would evolve into Pushpin Visual Solutions, a studio that has quietly worked behind the scenes of global institutions, turning complexity into clarity.

But the path there was not driven by ambition alone. It was shaped by a deeper question that would eventually define both his career and his company.

Who am I trying to help?

Building Bridges: Pushpin connects ideas to build a kinder, more inclusive world.

Before Pushpin, Or spent more than a decade as a freelance illustrator and designer, creating comics and children’s books. It was stable work, but not necessarily directional.

Like many creatives, he was guided by passion, not yet by purpose.

The turning point came when he realized that art, when left purely as self-expression, remained limited. It was only when it began to serve others that it gained real weight.

As Or explains, “If you’re doing art only for yourself, then it’s still just a hobby. It’s not yet your purpose.” [translated]

That distinction became the foundation of Pushpin.

Founded in 2012 with little more than markers, a whiteboard, and about Php50,000 in pooled savings, the company started as an experiment.

Or and his co-founders had no formal business training, no investors, and no guarantee that anyone would pay for what they were offering. What they had was a simple belief that if ideas could be drawn, they could be understood.

Live Illustrations: From conversation to comprehension, Pushpin captures ideas in real time through visuals.

Their early work focused on graphic recording, a practice of illustrating ideas in real time during conferences and strategy sessions. It was a niche skill, but one that quickly revealed a broader opportunity.

Organizations were not struggling with a lack of ideas. They were struggling to communicate them.

Pushpin stepped into that gap.

By translating dense subjects such as climate policy, economic systems, and public health into visual narratives, the company positioned itself as a bridge between experts and audiences.

It was not about making things look appealing. It was about making them make sense. In Or’s own words, “We use drawings and stories to make information easy to understand.”

The model proved itself early. Within its first month, Pushpin secured a project with the Philippines’ Civil Service Commission. It was a strong start, but not a smooth trajectory.

There were stretches when no work came in, including a three-month period that tested both the team’s resolve and their assumptions about the business.

Instead of retreating, they treated the lull as preparation, refining their approach and sharpening their understanding of who they were meant to serve.

Over time, that clarity translated into growth.

Pushpin began working with mission-driven organizations, eventually collaborating with institutions such as the World Health Organization and various United Nations agencies.

During the pandemic, the studio played a critical role in converting rapidly evolving health data into visual formats that could be understood by policymakers and communities across Southeast Asia.

Yet for Or, one project stands apart.

His work with World Vision, particularly on the Brigada Pagbasa initiative, remains closest to his core. The project focused on helping children who had fallen behind in reading catch up through accessible learning materials.

For Or, it was more than a creative assignment. It was a direct expression of the company’s purpose.

The work did not just inform. It enabled. It helped children see, understand, and move forward.

That alignment between craft and cause is what continues to define Pushpin’s trajectory.

It also shapes how the company makes decisions. Or is deliberate about the projects they accept, often turning down opportunities that do not align with their values.

In a market where creatives are often pressured to say yes to everything, that discipline has become a differentiator.

As he puts it, “It is just as important to know what you should decline, not just what you should accept.” [translated]

COVID Comics: Turning uncertainty into understanding, one comic at a time during the pandemic

Internally, this philosophy extends to how the team is built. Pushpin does not prioritize technical artistry above all else. Instead, it looks for people who can listen, process, and understand complex ideas. Drawing can be taught. Thinking cannot.

As technology continues to reshape the creative landscape, Or remains pragmatic.

He acknowledges the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) but draws a clear distinction between speed and depth.

In his view, automated outputs may serve convenience, but human storytelling carries nuance, context, and intention. There is still value in something carefully made.

Looking ahead, Pushpin is evolving beyond client work, investing in original content, workshops, and tools that teach organizations how to communicate more effectively.

It is a shift toward scale, but one that remains anchored in the same principle that started it all.

Make ideas stick.

For young creatives, Or’s advice is both simple and difficult. Do not confuse passion with purpose. Passion is what you enjoy. Purpose is who you serve. The moment that distinction becomes clear, the path forward begins to take shape.

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