I’m Julie Fanning: a degreed graphic design and communications professional with extensive experience as a creative director, designer and strategic partner. My career has been built at the intersection of design, content and business objectives, where clarity, consistency and follow-through matter.
I’ve led and executed creative work across marketing, publishing, branding and digital platforms, partnering with organizations to translate complex ideas into clear, compelling visual communication. My approach combines strategic thinking with hands-on design, ensuring that concepts don’t just look good, but function effectively in the real world.
My background includes publication and editorial design, websites, brand and identity systems, packaging, marketing and advertising, and collateral development. I’m equally comfortable establishing creative direction, managing projects and teams and producing high-quality design myself when needed.
In addition to visual design, I bring strong capabilities in writing, editing and illustration (both digital and traditional), allowing for cohesive storytelling across voice, visuals and medium. This integrated skill set is especially valuable in content-heavy, deadline-driven, budget-strapped or multi-stakeholder environments.
Clients and colleagues know me as someone who brings structure to complexity, asks smart questions early and keeps projects moving. I value collaboration, clear communication and accountability—and I take pride in delivering work that gets approved and launched.
How I Work
I approach each project with a balance of strategy, logic and practicality. That means listening first, defining objectives clearly, asking questions and creating design solutions that support long-term goals—not just short-term aesthetics.
I’m comfortable working independently or as part of a larger team, and I adapt easily to existing workflows, brand guidelines and organizational cultures. Whether supporting an in-house team, leading a creative initiative or collaborating with external partners, I bring professionalism, reliability and problem-solving to the table.
Smart Collaboration and Follow-through
Good design (and content!) is thoughtful, intentional and purposeful. It respects the audience, supports the message and serves the organization behind it. That philosophy guides everything I do.
If you’re looking for experienced creative leadership—someone who understands both the big picture and the details—I’d welcome the conversation.
JulieFanning
703.980.0664 / CONTACT
Don’t take my word for it….What others have to say:
“Working with Julie on the MDNext magazine has been a pleasure. Beyond a great eye for design, years of experience in the field and an unmatched ability to see the big picture before it is complete, Julie has a much more important attribute, she has earned my trust through results. It is rare to find a co-worker as committed to doing the actual WORK of a project to get things complete. Too often group work breaks down into meetings and incremental progress without generating a real outcome (death by scheduling). Julie is the opposite of that. She takes ownership of projects and you feel confident that outcome is guaranteed.” —M.S., Chief Investment Officer, AngelMD / Associate Editor & Head of Research, MD Next magazine
“I’ve worked with Julie for over 20 years; her experience from the early days of desktop publishing to the latest technology are clearly evident in her work. The flair she has for design makes for a complete package, and she is the first designer I recommend when looking for someone creative….” —B.H., Principal, Impressed Print Solutions
“Julie Fanning is one of those unusual finds of true creativity, honed design skills, and experience. National Nurses Association has counted on Julie to produce timely, flawless, original newsletters and marketing material for over 18 years. She has never let us down.” —L.C., Executive Director, National Nurses Association
“I have worked with Julie Fanning for the past ten years and have found her to be of the highest standards in graphic design. She takes time to educate her clients and to problem solve when needed. Julie delivers her products on time and within budget. She has always been aware of our non-profit status and our need for the best products for the price. I have always found Julie to be professional and willing to work with me to get the job done. She enjoys her work and it shows in her interaction with me and my staff.” —K.W., (Former) Executive Director, Association of Clinicians for the Underserved
“I’ve worked with Julie for four years, which was 36 issues at The New Physician. She’s been the best of both design camps. If I’ve got a strong idea for the look of a piece, she’ll make it workable from a design standpoint. And if I’m all out of ideas, she’s got a bunch. She’s well-organized and timely, even when the rest of us haven’t been, but she’s good in a crunch, too. She’s saved our day on that last day plenty of times. And then she’ll laugh about it.” —P.T., Editor, The New Physician magazine (published by the American Medical Student Association)
“We have really enjoyed working with Julie. We truly appreciate her attentiveness to detail and the speed of her responses for us. That has really helped us through this difficult conference prep time.” —G.C., Director of Membership & Marketing, Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired