The graphic design work of Commercial Artisan has been featured in Print, Eye, ReadyMade and the New York Times. Not too shabby for a two-man operation based in the Indianapolis basement of Jim Sholly, 43, who runs it with his brother, Jon, 37.

Not just any pair of brothers can co-exist creatively. One need look no further than rock ‘n’ roll (i.e. The Kinks and Oasis) for examples of male siblings constantly at each others’ throats in ugly power struggles.

Yet Jim has never threatened Jon with a jagged copy of the Adobe Creative Suite. And Jon has never heckled Jim about his diction during a client presentation. Like the dazzling print work they produce, the Shollys work together in harmony, defying the stereotype that tension boils beneath the surface of any fraternal business relationship.

Jim started Commercial Artisan (originally Antenna) with his wife, Laura, in 1990. When Laura passed away 9 years later, Jim soldiered on, turning Commercial Artisan into a one-man business. It wasn’t until four years later that he hired Jon as a designer, in spite of his long-standing opposition to the idea of managing employees.

“I wasn’t necessarily nervous, but I was concerned,” Jim said of the decision. “You can’t help but have your whole lifetime of interaction and relationship issues with your brother — you’re just moving it to a different environment.”

One of the first things Jim did was lay down some rules with Jon, discussing everything from vacation time to workplace behavior. The whole thing felt sort of silly. “Have you seen ‘Flight Of The Conchords’ when they have band meetings?” Jim said. “It felt kind of like that.”

Still, every workplace needs a boss, and there’s no question who’s in charge at Commercial Artisan. It is Jim’s basement, after all. “I would say I’m a subordinate,” Jon said. “And I don’t say that in a bad way. Commercial Artisan is Jim’s vision, and I see it as my role to do everything I can to uphold that.”

Commercial Artisan isn’t a conflict-free dreamland. Jim and Jon have disagreements, but they never scream or shout. The same principle that guides their design work also rules their workplace: Harmony.

“I had the advantage of coming into work with someone who is incredibly talented,” Jon said. “If Jim suggests a solution that I hadn’t thought of, I won’t necessarily automatically defer to it. But I’ll pay attention, because he’s probably right.”