Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Hines.
Hi Sarah, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, how can you bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’m Sarah Hines, founder of Idealist Branding + Design Studio. I chose the name of this business, Idealist, to reclaim the word as a strength and an asset. To me, an idealist has the hope and audacity to strive for something better, to believe we can solve problems together, learn, grow, and be better humans to each other. It’s a refusal to silence our voices to make others more comfortable or downplay our ideas to protect the status quo.
I committed myself to empowering youth and women and making our community a better place to live. My radical idealism led me to an early career in the nonprofit industry, where I earned my master’s degree and led teams in marketing, fundraising, and program development. During that time, I built my skills in branding and design and helped organizations create their voice and identity. Pivoting to branding + graphic design full-time is a pivot back to myself, to the work that moves me most deeply.
Idealist Designs is my platform to empower fellow idealists to change the world by bringing the core of their missions to life with a strong brand and visual identity. My designs and brand strategy have helped organizations:
– Increase their online following
– Create a unique brand identity and strategy
– And stand out among their peers
Tell me about your bold visions, and I will help you bring them to life.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Every entrepreneur faces challenges they may not have predicted when they started. Learning to work with clients was new and forced me to think through my boundaries, expectations, and values. I’m learning to recognize earlier on when someone may not be a good fit for what I do and for my values. I’m also taking charge of the process rather than allowing clients to do that for me. It has required me to take ownership of my expertise and communicate my knowledge more confidently. And ultimately, the clients appreciate that because they’re hiring someone to think through the process for them, not give them another project to manage.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
An idealist focuses on brand design, which is ultimately the look and theme of your entire business and what that communicates to your audience. I design logos and brand patterns/visual elements, create color palettes, and design any materials your business needs to have in alignment with its brand (i.e., web design, packaging, social media templates, etc.). I love working with visionary people. This is often small business owners with bold visions for their businesses, someone with a dream that I can help bring to life through visual brand design. I have the greatest impact on these clients.
There are so many talented designers out there, but I’ve found people often need someone who will genuinely listen to them and collaborate with them on their visions. I spend a lot of time in the early stages, asking deep questions about the brand identity, values, and audience to set the direction and tone of the design. I encourage thoughtful feedback at every step of the process so the client is co-creating with me without needing to manage the tasks themselves. I also value non-conformity, so while I follow best practices, I’m not tied down to dated design rules. I love when someone wants to try something different.
What are your plans for the future?
Right now, I’m just working on building my business and clientele in my niche. I’m not aiming to create a large agency. I want to give each client and design the time and thoughtfulness that it deserves and create designs that I’m proud of. I want to connect with more small business owners ready to elevate their brands and bring life to their visions!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://idealistdesigns.com
- Instagram: @idealistdesigns
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/idealistdesigns/
