More than a studio
about Shew Design
We’re a small, tight-knit team in Bellingham, WA that thrives on curiosity, creativity, and collaboration. With 25 years of graphic design experience, including branding and web design, we can help your organization tell your story in a way that’s both strategic and visually compelling, helping you reach the people who matter the most in a noisy world. Scroll down for more information about Shew Design and about our branding, website, logo, video, and social media services.
What we do
brand
We develop integrated brand systems that help your audience find, understand, and value your organization. A strong brand addresses color, typography, language, photography, illustrations, and more—creating consistency across every touchpoint.
- logo and tagline design
- print collateral
- brand strategy
- social media assets
web
We build WordPress websites from the ground up to accomplish your specific goals. Through strategic writing, design, and database integration, we create sites that are easy to update and maintain. Multiple support options are available for the sites we create.
- front and back end development (PHP, Javascript, CSS)
- documentation to assist in managing and keeping site content fresh
video
We make short videos for social media and websites. These videos use animation, interviews, and infographics. We script, storyboard, and edit each video carefully and collaboratively. We work with our clients to tell stories in a simple, cost-effective way.
- infographics-based videos
- event promotions
- public alerts and announcements
We work with trusted vendors to bring your brand into the physical world—overseeing print, signage, and apparel production to ensure consistency with your brand standards. When we’re not overseeing production directly, everything we deliver is print-ready for your vendors.
- vendor research and recommendations
- print, signage, and apparel oversight
- print-ready file delivery
social
We develop social media plans that give your organization a clear, actionable path forward—creating the messaging, imagery, and strategy your team needs to execute with confidence.
- social media strategy and platform recommendations
- content creation, including messaging and imagery
- boosted post and audience recommendations
- content calendars
our thinking
Wild beasts and brand colors
“Do those two colors go together?” Occasionally I hear some version of the above in an initial branding presentation, usually…
Why simple logos usually win
When people think about logo design, there’s often an assumption that more detail means more meaning. But in practice, the…
telling your color story
“How do you create your color palettes?” I’ve been asked that quite a few times over the years. Sometimes to…
Signs your organization has outgrown its brand
Organizations naturally evolve. They grow, expand their services, and often reach audiences they didn’t originally anticipate. But brands don’t always…
preparing for a website project: what to sort out before design starts
Most website projects don’t stall in design. They stall waiting on people, content, and decisions. Our website design process covers…
logo update strategies that work: thinking beyond duct tape
Replace or repair? First, do no harm. In many cases, it makes sense to modify rather than replace a logo design. A logo modification can…
What makes a logo work?
Some organizations use the same logo for years without needing to change them. Others seem to restlessly change them every few years….
chameleon no more! strategies for branding your website
“all websites look the same” It was a long time coming, but the tools for creating responsive websites work, and work very…
a faster, smarter web design process
When are you finished with your website? You never are, a challenge that makes it difficult to measure progress or evaluate results when…
what makes a good web design partner: five qualities that matter
Still deciding between a freelancer, a studio, and an agency? Start with agency vs studio vs freelancer. This post is…
websites on a budget: negotiation and collaboration strategies that work
time, quality, money A time-honored project management principle is that you can pick only two of the above for any project. Whether…
when to rebrand, and when not to
First do no harm! A rebranding process is an opportunity to rethink and realign your organization’s core marketing and communications. It brings assumptions…
Brand building: five critical things people often overlook
Brand building success. As traditional media is eclipsed by new media, the concept of brand building continues to change in…
website redesign? six tips for a successful redesign.
six things to look for in a website redesign Every website redesign is different, yet the best sites always have…
change the conversation: ways to listen to your clients
paying attention to your audience We recently offered to make a referral to a partner company that was declined because…
