The most unusual role of my career, and the one that made me who I am as a creative.
My role at TPG straddled two functions: in-house creative director for the firm's own brand and marketing, and embedded creative partner within the Branding and Experiential Graphics studio, where I delivered brand strategy and verbal identity work to clients commissioning TPG to design offices, retail stores, and restaurants. I came in as a marketing specialist, proposed a new content studio function, and built and led it from the ground up.
What made it genuinely unusual was the scope of what I had to do alone. As the only person working on content, I conceived, wrote, designed, filmed, edited, and produced everything myself, generating proof-of-concept work independently, and with no budget, to build the business case for a formal content marketing function. I directed photographers on interior shoots, set the visual standard for all firm photography, and produced 10 long-form films as a one-person crew.
Moving Forward
On the cusp of its 35th anniversary and a physical relocation, TPG Architecture found itself in an advantageous position to refresh its brand.
Tasked with creating not only cosmetic changes to the 35 year-old logo wordmark, the Branding & Experiential Graphics Studio embarked on an effort to wholly understand the firm and its culture to create a distinct brand message—something TPG itself had struggled to define since the firm’s infancy.
Inspired by Danny Meier of Union Square Café fame and his philosophy of putting employees first, TPG’s Founder Jim Phillips sought a people-centered ethos in developing a tangible representation of the culture he sought to cultivate.
Anchored by a detailed brand manifesto, the simple yet bold brand messaging spotlights the firm’s most important assets while celebrating the firm’s underlying design philosophy of creating future-ready spaces, inspiring confidence in its clients and equipping them with the tools to have their businesses thrive for many years to come.
The project culminated with an anniversary video I created that launched during firm's annual Town Hall Meeting to introduce the new brand.
Visual and Verbal
Brand Refresh
At TPG Architecture, I led a refresh of the firm’s marketing materials to address inconsistent tone, language, and visual presentation. I created verbal branding guidelines to standardize voice, naming conventions, and storytelling approach across all channels.
Text was rewritten to be more concise and conversational, highlighting project challenges, opportunities, and outcomes rather than generic design descriptions. I also redesigned templates to give breathing room for all copy and photography (see the before and after below), outlined new photography guidelines, and revamped presentations to prioritize imagery and succinct copy—allowing speakers, not slide text, to lead the story.
Expanding Brand Presence Through Content
After launching TPG’s new identity, I saw an opportunity to modernize how the firm marketed itself. Architectural firms typically relied on broker relationships to secure RFPs, limiting exposure and type of work. I proposed leveraging digital media to break that mold — introducing video and content storytelling as new ways to highlight our expertise and humanize the brand.
The output, while scrappy and primitive compared to today’s standards, featured Design Director Mavis Wiggins and marked the start of TPG’s in-house content studio, which I built and led. I created an editorial calendar aligned with key press outlets, produced and edited videos, and later expanded the effort to include white papers and thought leadership on workplace design trends. The initiative elevated the firm’s visibility and positioned TPG as a more dynamic, forward-looking brand.
Photography & Styling
As part of the new brand identity, I developed a cohesive visual aesthetic for our photography, streamlining our once-haphazard headshots as well as styling and managing the photography of all projects (and occasionally photographing some projects myself).
Internal Communications
In addition to revamping and overseeing external brand and content marketing output, I also led the creation of all internal corporate communication materials including various announcements, events, videos, as well as the annual Town Hall meeting.
