I’m Julie Fanning: an independent, 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.
Why Work With Me?
My mission (more like a manifesto) is to empower entrepreneurs, small businesses and nonprofits by helping them build cohesive brands and messaging while also getting them the attention of their target audiences. I accomplish this by approaching each project with a common sense business and marketing mindset, creating designs and content that will attract and engage customers/clients. My goal is to fill the gap for organizations who need creative support but can’t hire a full time person.
What Makes Me Different…and Gets You Attention
I’ve been told I am somewhat of a unicorn: Not only am I an experienced graphic designer but I think like an entrepreneur because I am one. I combine the insight of a strategist, the precision of a designer and the practicality of someone who understands how small businesses actually operate. I also have the skills to research and write, so thoughtful content can be added to your website, your social media, your advertising and collateral materials. Every message, layout and detail is carefully considered to reflect your brand’s value and professionalism.
Relationship-Driven Mindset
I don’t see my clients as accounts; I see them as partners. By working one-on-one, I develop a deeper understanding of your goals, allowing me to anticipate needs and refine content, calls to action and messaging to strengthen the overall piece. This brings a level of consistency that’s hard to replicate in a layered team structure. The result is not just better work, but a stronger, more collaborative relationship over time.
If it matters to you, it matters to me. I treat your business like it’s mine, and I bring everything I’ve got to make it worth your investment.
JulieFanning
703.980.0664 / CONTACT
Don’t take my word for it….What others have to say:
FAQs
The types of projects can be BIG (magazine design/launch, branding + logo design, website creation or revamp) as well as SMALL (flyers for digital and social distribution, menu’s, custom event invitations, small business event identity systems—custom tablecloth, banners, signage, takeaway rack cards…). I’ve worked on a range of projects that include email marketing design, social media graphics, packaging, advertising, and creative support and graphic assets for ongoing campaigns and sites. If you’re not sure what you need yet, please reach out and I can help you figure out the right scope.
- Quick kickoff to align on goals and direction
- Research and design exploration + initial concepts
- Feedback and revisions
- Final refinements + delivery of polished, production-ready files
Communication is essential, and you’ll always know what stage we’re in and what’s coming next.
Not really. As I’ve mentioned before, if it’s important to you, then I can deliver that project and get the message to shine. Even small projects can have impact when it’s intentional (such as fresh happy hour table signs for spring….or an updated email marketing header image that also coordinates with your website home page and your social media platforms). That’s also where a strategic creative partner (such as me!) can help with small, ongoing items for cohesive and consistent brand messaging. Feel free to reach out and I’ll let you know if it’s a fit.
Every project is different, so pricing depends on scope, complexity, timeline and deliverables. Once I know what you’re looking for, I can send an estimate so you can make a confident decision, but actual time spent on a project is what will ultimately determine final costs (that’s fair to you as well as to me). The number of revisions, any pivot or growth from the initial scope of work and additional research for images or industry content can affect the final cost of a project. I will communicate when a project is approaching the estimate provided and check how you want to proceed. But I also work efficiently and being a sole proprietor my overhead is much lower—which is reflected in my fees when compared to agencies.
A revision round is your chance to give feedback on a presented direction, and I refine it based on your comments/input. Most projects include a few rounds (particularly when a client team needs to review and make their individual edits), so I ask a lot of questions during the initial project meeting and subsequent emails or phone calls to make the communication as clear as possible. That can eliminate guesswork and numerous edits.
You don’t need to have it all figured out. I’ll guide you through the process so we land on something that actually fits your business and shapes into a clear direction. Often I will send an email with an outline of questions and potential suggestions. Some initial questions could include,
- What’s your purpose for this project?
- Who is your audience?
- What is the final platform for the project piece (Digital only? Web as well as print? If print, quantity of printed pieces? Trim size?)?
- Will this be a continued and evolving project (ex: blog post or newsletter articles and graphic assets published on a continuous schedule; email graphic assets sent out regularly)?
Throughout the project I may even make suggestions if I think it helps your final outcome.
Yes, but I’ll usually recommend at least a small logo system (primary logo + alternate version + icon) and deliver it in a variety of file types so your brand actually works across real-world uses like social, web, print and apparel. Worth noting: Custom logos are personal and relevant to you and your business or mission or project. A design professional will know that a logo needs to serve in a variety of contexts, such as one color embroidered on apparel as well as a vector version that can be scaled to print very large on a banner or even a billboard. Often AI-generated or clip art/web files won’t work in many scenarios besides social media and a website.
More comprehensive identity systems will also include a brand style guide document.
Absolutely! Many clients keep me on for design support, which also ensures a consistent look, feel and voice to your brand’s messaging. Examples can include creating social media and marketing graphic assets, presentation & pitchdeck design, website content maintenance & updates, tradeshow/booth customization and additional brand materials. The benefit is that I’ve already established an understanding of your business, brand and voice—so every new piece builds on that foundation, creating consistency, efficiency and a more cohesive presence across everything you put into the world.
NOTE: In the near future I will be offering monthly Retainer packages, which is perfect for ongoing design/communications support.