Together we can develop a strategy-based brand identity system with elements that include:
I also create crisp, graphic patterns for retailers and manufacturers. Surface designs are useful for:
Maybe one of these sounds like you:
Together, let’s create a design for your brand that makes you proud.
Client industries include education, tech, food and beverage, health and wellness, consumer goods, construction, architecture, nonprofit, and many other fields.
In addition to organizations seeking brand identities, I also work with manufacturers who need fresh patterns for textiles, wallpaper, and home goods. My designs have appeared on products carried by Nordstrom, Target, Land of Nod, Zappos, Modcloth, and other retailers.
Working across a range of industries for 20 years gives me both experience and a fresh perspective to offer. What might be a conventional approach in one industry can be an intriguing, new take when applied to another field.
I love companies who are excited about the future and prepared to invest in good design. If that sounds like you, let’s connect!
There’s a pile of independent graphic designers out there. How should you decide who to hire? One approach is to decide what kind of thinking your project requires. Let’s say you need a logo. Many independent graphic designers (and companies offering cheap logo designs) are glad to dive in and come up with logo concepts for you. But sometimes designers get caught up in executing a design and can’t see the forest for the trees.
They fail to ask questions like “How is your company positioned among others in the marketplace? Who are your ideal customers? What appeals to those people? What are your goals? Why are you doing this business anyway, and how is that purpose connected to your brand’s design?”
If questions like these are important to you (and they should be), not just any freelance graphic designer is a good fit for your project. You might need bigger-picture thinking.
Maybe a full-service agency is what you need. Agencies have more resources at their disposal than an independent designer does. For branding projects that are large, complex, and require many different skill sets, consider hiring an agency.
In-depth market research, competitive analysis, strategy, copywriting, photography, web development, animation, SEO… all sorts of specialties might live under one roof. Tasks will be better coordinated than if you were to hire separate specialists. A larger budget will be required to cover an agency’s greater overhead, and in general, turn-around time will be longer.
Be clear on the outcomes you’re looking for. Months of meetings about brand ethos can be useful for some companies, but they can bog down others who need deliverables quickly. (Not every logo update requires a 27-page rationale like the infamous 2008 Pepsi document that referenced the earth’s magnetic fields. I like big picture thinking, but outer space goes a little too far!)
In general, the more risk an organization faces if they get their branding wrong, the more likely they are to allocate a bigger budget and hire a large agency. But for some businesses, this might be overkill.
I serve small to medium-sized businesses and funded startups who need big-picture thinking to shape their graphic design. In other words, let’s look not only at your “tree,” but the forest where it’s growing. But I also believe in doing only what’s practical to get you to the next step. I value working quickly and efficiently. I want your investment in good design to start having immediate impact, and I believe I can help make your organization more recognizable and admired.
I’m not exaggerating when I say that consulting with you has been one of the best decisions our school district has ever made.
Your design is a key element to our success. Everyday someone comments on how beautiful our packages are.
Hiring you was the single best investment I have made for my business.
