What I do

I am a creative leader who works in two ways at once. In house, I lead and help lead creative teams, setting the direction, building the system and mentoring the people who ship the work. Through my own studio in Chicago and Toronto, I take on focused projects for clients and do the same job at a smaller scale.

Make it first, then make it real. Start with one small, real piece of work that people can react to. If it lands, build it out. If it does not, you have learned something cheaply, and you still have something to show for it.

How I work

• Brand and identity. The name, the look, the voice and the rules that hold them together when the work leaves the studio and other hands take it on.

• Campaigns and content. The idea, the art direction and the finished assets, built to land with a real audience and to sell the thing they were made to sell.

• Creative leadership and building people. Setting the bar for a team, reviewing work against a clear idea, and mentoring the designers who do it, so people grow and the quality holds up week after week.

For manufacturers, start with a short project, sample first, and a short audit of your brand and sales materials.