ABOUT US
ABOUT US
How We Work
Stellar brand strategy and creative execution are about utilizing both emotional and logical reasoning in your customers’ decision-making process. We believe that a well-crafted message that clearly expresses the problem your customer faces, empathizes with their challenges, and demonstrates you as an authority for the solution enables you to sell on value rather than cost.
Our core values:
WIN TOGETHER
We believe in winning together. Our process is designed to be clear, direct, and transparent, so we’re always on the same page. Together we will develop a strategy that works within your budget while delivering on expectations. Simply put, we know that if we can help you be more successful, you will want to work with us.
Strategy & Consulting
We believe in looking beyond symptoms to address the root problem. This means diving deep into what makes your business unique, the problems your products or services solve, and what a successful result looks like for your business. With this understanding, we will build a strategy together with you that you feel confident in.
The Power of Emotion
Studies show that up to 90% of all decisions are based on emotion. By leveraging the power of emotion along with logical reasoning, we can effectively create the desire to buy your product or service. Best of all, this sort of strategy enables you to sell on value, rather than cost, resulting in higher margins.
Our Process
DiscoverY
STRATEGY
CREATE
Whether it’s website design, logo design, advertising, or print design, a brand-focused approach will allow our work to effectively engage your audience.
Launch
Our Secret Weapons
White Label Services
Hardy Design Co. was built around more than 25 years of experience gained from serving a variety of roles within a vast array of business models. During that time, we’ve aided our clients by expanding their resources beyond those of their core teams, freeing them up to focus on the work only they can perform. Through our collaboration together, it is our goal to provide our clients with the following:
- Consultive Services: With experience working with some of the world’s largest brands, we help provide real-world guidance as it pertains to brand strategy and creative execution.
- Budget Control & Risk Mitigation: By providing both retainer and ‘pay as you go’ models, we allow our clients to scale their capabilities up and down as needed.
- Empowerment: It is our goal to allow our clients to shine in their roles by easing the tension and anxiety of the projects they’re managing. Working with HDC means never having to worry about deadlines being met or budgets bleeding out.
BRAND STRATEGY
Powerful branding is the key to selling on value rather than relying solely on cost. When looking to connect with your audience, branding is the first place to start. Our BrandWell approach to brand strategy incorporates brand scripting as well as brand-scape development to weave emotion along with logical reasoning to create a connection with your audience. This process helps to build trust and encourages your audience to evaluate you on the basis of value instead of cost.
- Brand Scripts: Our Brand Script process will help to define your unique selling proposition (USP) while clearly articulating the problem your audience faces, as well as establish you as an authority on how to help them solve that problem.
- Brand-Scapes: Our Brand-Scape process will provide the perfect visual aesthetic that will invite your audience in to listen to your message while providing design consistency for your brand—greatly improving your brand recognition and equity.
OUR TEAM
Creative Team
Award-winning brand strategy and creative execution—recognized by more than 50 Addy awards, as well as awards from ADC, Reggie, and 2 Emmy nominations.
Mike Hardy – VP of Creative
An award-winning brand strategist with more than 25 years of experience in roles ranging from print production to high-end creative direction and brand strategy, Mike prides himself on understanding how to motivate an audience to take the desired action. Over the years, Mike has amassed numerous accolades, including more than 50 Addy Awards, while working with global brands such as Starbucks, Duracell, Harley-Davidson, Procter & Gamble, Coors, Kroger, Ace Hardware, and Polaris.
Marc Levitt – Creative Director
A third-generation designer, Marc’s 30-year career began at the legendary firm Chermayeff & Geismar, where he designed the Showtime logo. Over the years Marc’s work has been recognized by the AIGA, Communication Arts, Print Magazine, The Type Directors Club, and the Webbies. He has work published internationally in books and magazines. Graphic Design USA once featured Marc as one of their “People to Watch.” He is a Board Member Emeritus of Spark Design Professionals, a non-profit organization for design business owners.
Heidi Jones – Project Manager
Heidi brings extensive project management in multiple industries to the table, and is experienced in bringing teams together to achieve client goals. Organization is her game, and work flows are her bag. She’s a master at follow through, believes in a strong work ethic, and that no day is complete without a hearty laugh!
Rich Connolly – Production Director & Graphic Designer
As a lifelong creative, Rich boasts a diverse skillset that he loves to get his hands dirty with. From layout design, illustration, and writing—there’s nothing he won’t happily dive into as his true strengths lay in his adaptability and enthusiasm. He takes pride in being someone who can figure it out and rises to any creative challenge. Rich’s attention to detail enables him to complete projects quickly and his clever wit and humor are always welcome, especially when the deadline looms.
Sheri Kowalski – Art Director & Copywriter
A creative talent with 18 years in the business, Sheri specializes in creative strategy and execution. Her unique ability to clearly visualize the desired outcome, bolstered by her abilities to bring it life through design, photography, and writing make her an amazing all-around talent for creative executions. 11 years working with motion graphics for CBS Television Studios, where she was nominated for multiple Emmys for design and animation, rounds out Sheri’s broad and experienced skill set.
Courtney Kane – Social Media Content Director
Courtney loves bringing a client’s voice to life through their social media presence. She prides herself on analyzing audiences, competitors, and staying up to date on the latest social media trends to ensure success across multiple platforms. Court’s expertise in online engagement, whether through Facebook groups or Instagram challenges, helps to turn your audience into super fans.
Chuck Vroom – Sr. Graphic Designer
Chuck has spent his career honing his skills working on global brands including Ford, Jeep, UnitedHealth Group, OnStar & Rocket Mortgage. Over the years, Chuck has worked on everything from online advertising campaigns to full rebrands. Chuck loves working hands-on, so diving deep into design files is a comfort zone for him. In his own words, Chuck is ‘driven to make amazing stuff that people love.’
Nehemiah Harmsen – UX/Graphic Designer
Nehemiah is a user experience designer who creates great-looking, functional, and accessible websites. He has a strong fine art background and has experience in different areas of visual design including logo and print design. He also has experience in animation, audio production, and video editing. His goal has always been to try to have as many tools in his design toolbox so that he is able to provide exactly what is needed for a project.
Gizette Soriano – Graphic Designer
Gizette is an expert in designing packaging, multi-page documents, invitations, digital presentations, and print collateral. She is also experienced in creating social media graphics, animated graphics, e-commerce store banners, illustrations, and other digital marketing collateral. Gizette loves to transform ideas into compelling designs. She incorporates efficiency in every project and takes on new challenges as a way of expanding her knowledge.
TEAM AWARDS
Over the years, we have amassed numerous accolades, including more than 50 Addy Awards and 12 GC USA awards, while working with global brands such as Starbucks, Duracell, Harley-Davidson, Procter & Gamble, Coors, Kroger, Ace Hardware, and Polaris.
National Addy Awards – National Silver Award for Direct Mail Marketing
District 15 Addy Awards – Gold Award for Direct Mail Marketing
Central Coast Addy Awards – 33 Awards including Gold Awards for Direct Mail Marketing, Corporate Identity, and Industrial Self-Promotion
Central Coast Addy Awards – 23 awards including 2 Gold Addy Awards for poster design and Multi-Part Campaigns, and Best of Advertising Award for Multi-Part Campaign
PIA Awards of Southern California – 4 awards including the People’s Choice Award for Advertising Excellence
Hermes Creative Award Gold Winner – Wilbanks Energy Logistics Logo Design
Hermes Creative Award Gold Winner – Wilbanks Energy Logistics Website Design
ADCD Silver – Duracell Museum of the Obvious; for Duracell/Procter & Gamble
Reggie Award – Green Caps for Green Energy; for Silk/Whitewave Foods
NDAC Denver 50 – Green Caps for Green Energy; for Silk/Whitewave Foods
NDAC Denver 50 – Museum of the Obvious; website for Duracell/Procter & Gamble
AIGA Making the Case – Figment Brand Identity, Watershed Project
AIGA (Re)design Award – Sustainable Design Category, 2nd place
Communication Arts Award of Excellence – MHS Reunion
FWA Site of the Day – M Studio
GD USA – 12 awards for Avivi Beauty Packaging, Kristine Foley Photography, LMCCE Catalogs, MHS Reunion Invitation, NY Sailing Center, Redken 5th Avenue NYC, Sparkle Collagen Packaging, Thirsty / Thirty logo, VMFA Invitation, Wigwam Mills Branding, Wigwam Mills Packaging, Xerox Annual Report
Mohawk Annual Report Collection, Outstanding Achievement – American Museum of Natural History
Mohawk Show, Top Finalist – Caban/Lilien wedding invitation
Print Regional Design Award, Certificate of Excellence – Elseware
Type Directors Club, Certificate of Typographic Excellence – Alkemist Labs Brand Identity
Certificate of Typographic Excellence – MHS Reunion Invitation
Webby Awards, Official Honoree – Friend & Johnson Website
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