Design Hedge
2024
Directing agency-level art and brand developments
Building brands and websites for clients across healthcare, technology and more.
Overview
After joining
Many of the agency's clients, especially small and mid-sized businesses in healthcare and tech, were competing in crowded markets with brands that looked like everyone else's. Their identities were inconsistent or hadn't been developed at all, so they struggled to stand out or build trust. The agency needed strong, strategy-led brand work to help these clients differentiate themselves, and it needed someone to lead that work as the client roster grew.
Challenges faced
Every client came with a different industry, audience and set of goals, so the work couldn't follow a template. Healthcare clients needed brands that felt credible and approachable, while tech clients needed to look modern and distinctive. All of it had to be delivered across brand, web, digital and print on tight timelines and budgets. At the same time, my role was changing. I joined as a production designer, and within six months I was leading creative direction for the studio, which meant managing other designers and client relationships on top of my own design work.
Work achieved
I led visual identity development for 9+ clients across healthcare, technology and other industries, starting each project with research into the audience and competitive landscape so that every brand decision was driven by strategy rather than taste. That approach contributed to a 40% increase in client retention. I directed production of 50+ digital and print assets, from complete visual identities to websites, making sure each brand stayed cohesive across every channel. Alongside the agency founder, I managed two designers, setting creative direction, reviewing work, and collaborating with clients and internal stakeholders to deliver projects on time and within budget.
What changed
My work here led to stronger brands for 9+ clients, a 40% increase in client retention and a design team that delivered consistently on time and within budget. Moving from production designer to creative director in six months taught me that leading design means more than making strong work.
It means setting a clear direction others can build on, giving useful feedback and keeping clients confident in the process. I also learned that strategy is what makes brand work last, and clients stay when the design solves their actual business problem.
