Residence creative network’s period of growth prompted two leadership appointments. Ben Langsfeld takes the role of Chief Creative Officer, and Orion Tait is named Creative Chair.
Residence, a network of creative companies, has reached a period of growth prompting two leadership appointments. Ben Langsfeld has been appointed Chief Creative Officer, and Orion Tait has been named Creative Chair. The moves put its founding voices in roles designed to accelerate what makes Residence distinctive as a pool of independent companies – ambitious, excellent in their craft and ready to collaborate.
Residence is made up of standalone companies located around the world – each with its own identity, leadership and creative culture. Operating as a network gives them the ability to assemble cross-company teams around the projects that demand their services. Ben Langsfeld's appointment is the face of that model. He attends client meetings to represent all of Residence, identifying where the network creates advantage, and making sure the right combination of companies is in the room.
Founding Members, New Roles
Ben is a founding member of BUCK, one of the eight companies in the network, and has been part of Residence since its founding in 2022. At BUCK, he served as Chief Design Officer, overseeing the architecture supporting the company's work with brands including Apple, Expedia, Google, IBM, JPMorgan, Meta, Microsoft, Notion, Oscar, Pepsi and others. In this way he has helped BUCK to grow into a creative company spanning North America, Europe and Australia.
Orion Tait is a co-founder of both Residence and BUCK and has served as Residence's Chief Creative Officer since the network's founding. As Creative Chair, he steps into a role focused on long-term creative vision, stewarding the values, culture and principles that define the network's work and community. Ben leads the day-to-day creative energy and client relationships, while Orion serves as the voice and soul that holds creative integrity across the network as it grows. He will continue to shepherd BUCK's IP initiatives, including BUCK Games and original animation development.
Ben Langsfeld, Chief Creative Officer, Residence
A filmmaker, fine artist and graphic designer by training, Orion has spent his career extending the potential of visual storytelling across animation, visual effects and live action, with award-winning work in advertising, broadcast, film and entertainment.
Ben spoke on stage at SXSW with anime company Crunchyroll about designing for fandom and brand belonging, and spoke with Telly Awards on AI, psychology and the future of branding.
Translation Layer
For Ben, the company’s work concerns creating a sense of belonging between the customer and brand. Like any brand, major technology companies (Google, Apple, Microsoft, Anthropic, JP Morgan) need to connect with their customer base in a consistent way, but still resonate with as wide a group as possible. Such clients want to give their technical expertise – precision, speed, data services and so on – a human story, personalising the moments in people’s lives when they interact with data and devices.
That human story is Residence’s job. Ben calls their work the translation layer. He also notes With AI it becomes even more technical because the opportunity to talk the talk with people becomes very nuanced. You can reach specific groups of customers in pointed ways, which is good but means the brand has to understand what they are communicating in every asset they create. Res can help them tune the messaging to those audiences more accurately.
Residence opened 2026 with the purchase of two companies - OK COOL, which focusses on the trend for brands to invest in social media-first advertising, and VTProDesign, specialists in immersive branded experiences that have now relaunched as ACRONYM.
Building the Network
"I've known Ben since 1999 while still in college. He's only ever worked with us since," said Ryan Honey, CEO, Residence. "Ben and Orion have shaped what Residence is. These new roles are a clear expression of what they've always been to this network."
"The best work comes from people who care deeply about craft and push each other to go further. That shared ambition is what built this network, and it's what I'll keep investing in," said Orion Tait, Co-Founder and Creative Chair, Residence. "Big ideas that are original and move business are what happens when the right people are truly building together."
"What makes each company here special is a specific way of seeing and making," said Ben. "My job is to know which combination a problem actually needs, bring those voices together, and make sure the name Residence means something when it walks into a room. When that works, we make things that couldn't exist any other way."
Since its founding in 2022, Residence has continued to realize its ambition to build a network of collaborative companies whose capabilities reinforce one another. As Residence continues to empower innovative, creative talent to grow and thrive across art, business, and culture, Orion and Ben will together shape the creative direction and long-term vision of the network and its companies around the world. www.residence.co
