A good eye
Creative strategy and design for wonderful brands.
I love helping businesses assemble or refresh their image, be it through branding, copywriting, photography, graphic or web design. I've been at it for 15+ years, from working at agencies to co-running my own, from freelance designer to all-around consultant.
I'm currently available for projects, locally (Orange County, CA) or remotely, and would also consider joining a team if it feels like the right fit. Take a look at some of my favorite past work and don't hesitate to get in touch.
Questions,
answered.
What is your ideal project/client?
I'm most useful to a small-to-medium sized business that would prefer to work with an individual over an agency. This allows a tighter collaboration within an efficient budget. I excel in leading a business through its branding or re-branding, strategically applying that new identity to marketing materials like a website and business cards. Since I have experience in so many areas, I'm able to offer a one-stop holistic solution that's cohesive.
I also work well with agencies as supplementary talent, especially web marketing (SEO, social media) companies lacking in the creative department.
As for the type of project, I'm an eclectic person who loves variety, so I see each type of business I work with as a way to learn about a new scene. I've worked with brands in retail, music, agriculture, tech, medicine, education, finance, and more.
What is your branding process like?
A whole lot of listening and research goes into a discovery phase that provides us with a Brand Alignment document—this lays out the key values of the brand and how to communicate them visually. With these intentions as a guide, I show several Logo Concept solutions we discuss and choose from. A few rounds of iteration and refinement will lead us to the final logo and brand assets, which will be documented in a Brand Guide, like a recipe book for the business's image.
Take a look at an example of this process through the work I did with Nice Touch for Violett:
Brand Alignment (PDF)
Logo Concepts (PDF)
Brand Guide (PDF)
For an even more thorough example of a Brand Guide that includes messaging elements like 'brand voice' and 'personas', see the one I put together for Breakout (PDF).
What else are you into?
I also like to take photos, write poems, and play with sound.
