Built in good company.

Public Works is a shared portfolio for a small group of builders making playful and useful things together.

Members of the Collective
Rob
Brian
Jeremy
Max
9 Projects
Sprint 1
Rob

Buy Less Trash

Paste any product URL and find a sustainable alternative. Eco-friendly swaps for everyday items, with sustainability scores and sourcing details.

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Rob

Local Axe

A volunteer network connecting families facing heating insecurity with free firewood. Decentralized distribution.

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Brian

Walk it Off

Snap a photo of your meal and see it translated into steps, miles, and minutes of movement. Food and activity, speaking the same language.

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RobJeremy

ttyl

Record a voice message and set a delivery date. An audio time capsule for your future self or a friend, available on iOS and web.

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Max

Maine Outsider

A free newsletter curating outdoor events across Maine. 400+ sources tracked, delivered to nearly 1,000 subscribers every week.

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Brian

On Hand Food

Enter the ingredients you have on hand and discover what you can make. Less food waste, more dinner.

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Rob

booooooook

Snap a photo of your bookshelf and get personalized reading recommendations based on what you already own.

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Jeremy

The Fire Jar

A monthly newsletter with hand-drawn art, reflective writing, and movement videos. Made to spark creativity, energy, and wellness.

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Rob

Panic Arcade

Mini arcade games as political satire. Play through the chaos of the news cycle, then take action and contact your representatives.

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How We Work

Several times a year, we run a sprint together. Here's the spirit of our process:

1

Pick a Prompt

Someone proposes an open-ended prompt — broad enough to explore freely, specific enough to act on.

2

Explore Independently

Everyone takes the prompt and runs with it. Wild prototypes, quick sketches, unexpected directions.

3

Demo and Ship

We get together to demo what we built. The goal: get at least one project out into the public.

$ public_works --run-sprint
> Initializing prompt...
> Prompt: "Hyperlocal municipal tools"
> Prototype created: @max
> Prototype created: @rob
> Prototype created: @jeremy
> Prototype created: @brian
> Group review complete
> Building selected concept...
> Sprint day 30/30
Project launched
> Ready for next prompt

Release Notes

Get email updates on new projects and behind-the-scenes learnings from our collective sprints. 1-2 times per month, max.

Work With Us

Build with Us

Interested in joining us for the next sprint? Drop a note and we'll get back to you.

Drop a Note →

Partner with Us

Need a team? We take on select client work as a group. Or find us individually in the footer.

Get in Touch →