Clients I've worked with directly, and brands I've worked on through agencies
Maybe your brand was pieced together in the early days. Maybe every team and vendor uses it a little differently. Or maybe you're starting something new and want it done right the first time. Whatever the case, your brand should look as established as the business behind it.
A great brand should look beautiful on day one and still look right years later.
That's where I come in. Whether we're starting from scratch or reworking what you have, I get to know your business first, then design a brand that looks the part and feels like you. Your team gets everything they need to keep it that way.
Three ways to work together.
Most clients start with an audit, because the right fix depends on finding the real problem first. Sometimes that means a new brand. Often it doesn't. Either way, I stay on to help your team carry the changes through.
Brand Audit
For you if your brand isn't pulling its weight, and you're not sure whether it needs a refresh, a rebuild or neither.
I go through everything your brand puts out, from your logo files to your social posts and sales materials, and talk to the people using it. Then I tell you what's actually holding it back, whether that's strategy, design or the way it's being used, and what's worth fixing versus leaving alone.
- A written diagnosis of where your brand is working and where it isn't
- A recommendation on what to change, what to keep and in what order
- Recommendations for the processes that keep it consistent
- A walkthrough call to go through it all together
If we go on to build your brand within 60 days, the full $1,950 comes off the price.
Brand Strategy & Identity
For you if you're starting something new, or we've confirmed your current brand no longer fits the business you've become.
I get to know your business, your customers and where you're headed, then build a brand around that. You're involved every step of the way, because it's your business. I'll explain my thinking as we go, so you understand the reasoning behind each decision and how it supports your brand.
- Competitor and market research
- Target audience research
- Positioning, messaging and voice frameworks
- Your logo suite and all brand assets
- Colours, fonts and the full visual identity
- A brand guide, including web and content guidelines
- Key collateral, like business cards, templates and signage
Fractional Creative Direction
For you if your brand is ready to roll out, and you want someone senior making sure it's done right.
I join your team as your creative director and help carry the changes through. We start with the rollout: I train your team, review the work and make the calls on what goes out. After that, I can stay on to guide the creative as your business grows.
- Hands-on support through the rollout
- Brand training for your team and outside partners
- Review and direction on the work going out
- AI workflows set up so your team works faster without going off-brand
- One-on-one time with me when you need a creative call made
All prices in CAD.
What working with me looks like.
Whichever way we work together, a few things stay the same.
The problem comes first
I look at what's actually going on before recommending anything. If something doesn't need fixing, I'll tell you.
Every decision has a reason
You'll know why each recommendation was made, clearly enough to explain it to your team or your board.
Built for the people who use it
Guides, templates and training are sized to your team, so the brand gets used properly after I hand it over.
Ready for the tools your team already uses
Your team gets guidance for using AI with your brand, so content made quickly still looks and sounds like you.
The work, up close.
Black Mamba Glass Co.
A self-taught stained glass artist turning her craft into a business. She needed a brand as bold as her work, and practical enough to use everywhere she sells.
Fairwind Flower Farm
A family flower farm and apiary with six different ways to buy, from wedding flowers to honey. It needed its first real brand: one that could hold everything together and still feel like the farm.
Literacy Lambton
A long-running non-profit offering free literacy programs across Lambton County. It needed a rebrand that felt bright and welcoming, and was easy to read for learners at every level.
BUILT Carpentry Inc.
A local carpentry company doing premium work, from kitchens to custom outbuildings. It needed its first brand: one that looked as solid and well made as everything it builds.
Experience from every side of the table.
“I've done the work, managed the people doing it and built the systems behind it. I understand where creative, marketing and business decisions break down, and how to fix the things causing them.”
Years spent turning briefs into finished work, managing endless revisions, catching the details others miss and mentoring the designers coming up behind me.
A higher standard of creative work, clearer briefs and a team that knows how to deliver against them. I understand what good looks like, what gets in the way and how to teach people to recognize the difference.
Planning and executing campaigns, managing competing priorities and making big marketing ambitions work with budgets that barely covered the basics.
Marketing decisions grounded in commercial reality. I know how to prioritize what matters, identify where investment will have the greatest impact and recognize when you're spending money without getting enough back.
Creating content week after week, keeping multiple channels active and constantly translating business priorities into something worth publishing.
A brand that works beyond its identity. Your positioning carries through your content, campaigns, sales materials and everyday communications, giving your team a consistent message to work from.
Turning abstract ideas into a clear creative vision, bringing different perspectives together and getting teams and stakeholders aligned before production began.
A clear creative direction people can understand, believe in and execute. Fewer subjective debates, more confident decisions and a shared standard for evaluating the work.
Managing multiple creative teams across dozens of projects, balancing workloads, solving bottlenecks and making sure quality didn't slip when deadlines and demands increased.
Creative operations that can grow without becoming chaotic. Better workflows, clearer responsibilities, stronger quality control and systems that reduce reliance on constant oversight.
Building a business from the ground up, managing client relationships, making financial decisions and being accountable for every hour, dollar and outcome.
A partner who understands that a brand isn't just a creative exercise. Every recommendation has to make business sense, serve a purpose and justify the investment. I understand the decisions you're making because I've had to make them myself.
Strategy isn't a step. It's four kinds of thinking working together.
Most of the real work happens before I design a thing. This is what you're actually hiring.
Business thinking
Understand what the business actually needs first.
Before we make anything, I want to understand your business, your customers, and where you want to go. That means fewer costly detours, and a brand built around your business goals, not personal preferences.
Critical thinking
Challenge the brief before jumping to solutions.
The first problem you identify isn't always the real one. I ask why and question assumptions before recommending a fix. Sometimes the answer is a new identity. Sometimes it's a few changes to what you already have.
Design thinking
Design for the people you're trying to reach.
Good design isn't just about what looks good to you. It's about what your audience needs to understand, feel, and trust. Design with a purpose, not decoration for decoration's sake.
Systems thinking
Build a brand that works as a whole.
Your brand is more than a logo. I look at how your messaging, visuals, website, and customer experience work together, and build practical systems your team can actually use.
Answers that help you decide with confidence.
Something I haven't covered? Ask me directly.
Who actually does the work?
I lead every project from start to finish. I set the strategy and creative direction, and I'm the person you work with throughout. On brand builds, my team of researchers and brand designers works alongside me. I direct the research, shape the ideas as they develop, and make the calls on what moves forward, so I'm involved at every stage, not just signing off at the end.
What happens if you're unavailable?
The work doesn't depend on me being in every file. My team works from the strategy and direction we've agreed, and the decisions are written down, so nothing lives only in my head.
Why not just hire a full-time creative director?
You can, and for some businesses that's the right move. A good full-time creative director is a big salary plus benefits, and finding the right person can take months. Most of the businesses I work with don't have enough creative work to keep someone that senior busy full time, but they still need someone experienced making the calls. That's where I come in.
Do you replace our agency or designers?
No. I work with the people you already have. Your designers, agency and freelancers keep doing the work. My job is to give them clear direction, review what's going out and make the calls so they're not left guessing. If I see a gap in your team I'll tell you, but I'm not here to push anyone out.
Who is this not a good fit for?
If you're looking for a quick logo or a fast visual refresh, I'm probably not the right fit. I get to know your business before I design anything, so the work takes time and needs you involved. It's also not a good fit if you want someone to carry out decisions you've already made without any input. I'll always tell you what I think, even when it's not what you expected to hear.
Do I have to start with a Brand Audit?
Not always. Most clients start with one because it shows us the real problem before you spend money fixing the wrong thing. If you already know you need a new brand, for example because you're launching something new, we can go straight to Brand Strategy and Identity. And if you do the audit and go on to build your brand with me within 60 days, the full $1,950 comes off the price.
Will I know the cost before we start?
Yes. You'll have the scope, timeline and price in writing before any work begins, so there are no surprises halfway through.
How much of your time do I actually get?
It depends on how we work together. During a Brand Audit or a brand build, we have a check-in at each stage, and you can reach me in between with questions. With fractional creative direction, we agree on how much of my time you get each month before we start, so you know exactly what's included.
How involved do I need to be?
You're involved the whole way through. It's your business, so we make the big decisions together, and you'll see the work as it develops.
Tell me what's going on with your brand.
I read every message myself. You'll hear back from me within two business days with a few questions and a couple of times to talk.