Why Not Associates is not a business that works in any traditional, hierarchical system. When a job comes in, it is usually fronted by one of the partners. He goes to meet the client, decides who is free or who is best suited to that particular project, and thenworks with the client and sorts out some ideas. One of the partners takes the lead, and the rest of the office collaborates on it. Some other jobs might be done by only one person. All the ideas get aired in the office, and everyone at Why Not gets a say in the project. "Is it any good? Does it make sense?" This process of sharing is a vital ingredient to the creative life of the office. "I couldn't work on my own," comments Altmann. "The client really wants just one point of contact, which makes it easier for them. Because we are so small, we know what is going on. I can just look over my Mac and see two other screens, I can see what is going on."

One example of this collaborative spirit guided by a singular vision is the graphics for the MTV Europe program, The Fridge. This show airs on Friday evenings and is meant to be watched while preparing for an evening on the town. Because the title of the show does not bear any particular relevance to the subject matter, when Why Not was selected to do the titling and opening sequence, there was not much direction in terms of the relationship between the word fridge and the idea of the show. Ellis came up with a diagrammatic style to treat the materials and worked within his office to see the project through to fruition.