My name is Susan, and I’m a brand-focused designer and art director based in the Midwest.
I’m confident communicating and connecting with humans—mostly because I am one, but also because I’ve spent well over a decade collaborating with other creatives and brands on successful campaigns and brand stories.
More about what I do.
Ultimately I want to push brands, not pixels. My ideal client is a business that genuinely cares about branding better. Someone who wants to tell a compelling story and cultivate a more profound sense of collective identity with their followers.
While I am most passionate about small and grassroots brands in areas like the outdoors (hunting, fishing, conservation), local makers, farmers, and healers, I’m very comfortable and capable of navigating a wide variety of industries, target audiences, and voices.
I’ve supported all sizes of brands—from high-profile national brands like Kellogg’s, or regionally-specific brands like Meijer, to small and local businesses like Wolfe Custom Works in Kodiak, Alaska. Or healers like Dynamic Essence Chiropractic and Lemuria Yoga Studio, both in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
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As an Art Director, I recognize that ideas are only as good as the follow-through. So, I leverage my design skills and talented creative network, along with a solid understanding of pre- and post-production resources, to ensure unique success, regardless of project scale, client size, or budget.
Here are a few examples of Art Direction services that I offer:
• Conceptual campaign development
• On-set photo & video direction
• Pre- and post-production management
• Project and timeline creation & management
• Vendor and talent selection & management -
As a Designer, I'm passionate about research, process, and rationale-driven design. My expertise is defined by more than being able to push pixels. Instead, what makes me unique is my ability to think through a creative problem and create custom conceptual solutions. I've spent many years honing my process, learning to think bigger and different.
Here are a few examples of Design services that I offer:
• Custom, variable and responsive brand kits
• Brand audits and re-brands
• Custom brand guides & asset libraries
• Collateral asset creation (social, digital, print, etc)
• Production management -
What is “The Dog’s Breakfast”? From a high level, the lexicon means a damn mess—a hodgepodge of otherwise unrelated things. Much like everything under the kitchen sink.
But, it’s more (and deeper) than that for me, because one thing does not make us a designer. Rather it's a marriage of many things. A mish-mash of "stuff" that informs the development of my own unique style, process, and personal brand. To me, it should feel like an intentional juxtaposition of wild and tame — a cohesive story that's as original as DNA.
