A strong identity attracts more customers, who will pay more, and engage more often, year after year.
We’ll find out what makes you unique. Then design a system of brand elements that can include:
Together, let’s create a look and feel that makes your brand distinctive and memorable.
Working with companies in a range of industries for 20 years gives me both experience and a fresh perspective to offer. A conventional approach in one market can be an intriguing fresh take when it’s applied to another field.
Besides companies who need brand identities, I also work with manufacturers who need fresh patterns for apparel, wallpaper, and home goods. My designs have appeared on products at Nordstrom, Target, Zappos, Modcloth, and other retailers.
I love companies who are planning for the future and know that intentional design can get them there. If that’s you, let’s connect!
There are thousands 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: big picture or simple execution. Let’s say you need a logo. Many freelance designers (and companies offering cheap logo designs) are happy to take direction from you and create options. 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 “What are your goals? How is your company positioned among others in the marketplace? Who are your ideal customers? What appeals to those people? Why are you doing this business anyway, and how is that connected to your brand’s design? What about the other parts of your branding?”
If questions like these are important to you (and they should be), not every freelance graphic designer is a good fit for your project. You’ll need strategic thinking if you want your project to have a real impact on your business.
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, copywriting, photography, web development, SEO, animation… all sorts of specialties might live under one roof. Tasks may be better coordinated than if you were to hire separate specialists yourself. A larger budget will be required to cover an agency’s greater overhead, and in general, turn-around time will be longer. You’ll likely interact more with project managers and have less access to the people doing the work.
Be clear on the outcomes you’re looking for. Months of meetings about brand ethos can be really helpful for some companies, but they can bog down others who need deliverables quickly.
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 an agency. But for some businesses, this might be overkill.
I serve small businesses and funded startups who need big-picture thinking to shape their graphic design and messaging. In other words, let’s look not only at your “tree,” but the forest where it’s growing. I 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 smart branding to start having immediate impact, and I believe I can help make your organization more profitable, 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.
