Services
Amplify your voice.
Connect with your audience.
Invite them into your story.
Brand Identity
Logo, color palette, typography, and more—a visual theme that carries through everything you do, to give you a cohesive, lasting presence.
A brand isn’t only what you say it is; it’s also what others understand it to be. Your brand should be a genuine and consistent visual conversation that expresses the essence of who you are.
Whether your business or initiative is in early stages, without outside perception, or is established and in need of a rework, I will guide you through a process to see your brand more clearly and craft it into a visual package that feels natural and commands attention.
Your brand has a place in its ecosystem; let’s discover it and position you strongly.
Web Design
A beautiful, functional, true-to-you web presence that serves its intended purpose well, built for clarity and longevity.
Your website should facilitate interaction between your work and your audience. It is an extension of your brand identity—in appearance, voice, and purpose. When visitors land on your Harkness-designed website, they’ll feel like they’ve stepped into your world.
I put clear communication at the forefront. Whether your intent is to sell products, advertise, fundraise, inform, or simply provide an online home for your business, clarity is Job Number One. I’ll design a site that allows visitors to find what they need and take action with ease.
Ultimately, you need results. If your site is built for ecommerce, we’ll create a seamless shopping experience. If it’s meant to advertise, we’ll focus on SEO and landing pages. Portfolio site? Let’s turn it into an inviting, immersive showcase. Whatever its purpose, your website will be built to do its job—and do it well.
Illustration
Immersive, bold, and curious original art that provokes imagination.
Coupling a powerful illustration with your brand assets or message conveys genuine intentionality,a strong sense of identity, and next level professionalism.
My approach to illustration is immersive, elemental, and playful. I place myself in the audience’s experience, break it down to essential parts, and reassemble the pieces in a way that’s bold, engaging, and interactive. The viewer’s encounter with the image is part of the art, inviting them to make leaps and find meaning in shape and composition.
While I’m probably not your guy for anatomically precise scientific illustrations,t I do know that gal! And as with all services in my wheelhouse, if my style isn’t quite right for your project, I’m happy to bring in the right specialist to make sure you get exactly what you need.
Art Direction
High-level creative guidance, ensuring cohesive and impactful visual storytelling across all materials.
Think of an art director as a general contractor for your creative project. From its inception, or anywhere in your process, I can step in to conceptualize, plot the course, find the specialists, schedule them in the proper order, and pull the parts together into a final, cohesive product.
Over 30 years working in design,, I have had the profound honor of getting to know countless other creative professionals. I can assemble a kick-ass team for nearly any creative project. I’m also quite happy to work with your selected creative team, or any combination of mine and yours.
Packaging Design
Thoughtful, tactile packaging that protects, presents, and enhances.
Packaging is pragmatic, of course, but it can do a lot more than hold stuff. Its possibilities are vast, and I take those possibilities seriously. Deep in my professional history I developed packaging the old-fashioned way, with cardboard, an X-Acto knife, and many nicked fingertips. Through this painstaking work, I came to believe in the power of texture, heft, and thoughtful planning for the unboxing experience.
From this very sensory place, I consider every detail: the feel of the paper, the structure of a fold, the satisfying snap of a magnetic closure. I’ll convey a sense of value and connection for your audience with their first experience of your product.
Publication Design
Books, magazines, and reports designed with depth, rhythm, and clarity for an immersive and textural experience.
A well-designed publication isn’t just read—it’s experienced. Texture, pacing, and composition all work together to create something multi-layered. Typography interacts with imagery, paper choice influences mood, and the way a reader moves through the pages becomes part of the storytelling. Inspired by the richly designed Roloff Beny books that first sparked my love of visual art, I aim to create publications that are valuable, cohesive, and compelling from cover to cover.
With years of experience in print production, I also handle the technical details—coordinating with production, refining pre-press files, and ensuring every detail is dialed in before it goes to press. Whether it’s a tactile, high-end art book or a structured corporate report, your Harkness-designed publication will leave a lasting impression.
Cover Design
Striking, story-driven album, CD, and book covers that inspire curiosity and create an entry point for the audience.
Your album or book cover is your chance to be iconic. The best covers don’t just complement the work—they become part of its identity. They’re the ones that end up framed, displayed, or instantly recognized across a room. That’s the kind of cover I aim to create.
A great cover beckons, offering a glimpse of the world within, sparking curiosity. My responsibility as a cover designer is to create a portal for listeners to access the music or words inside. And, your audience gives something back: By experiencing the cover art along with your work, their engagement becomes the final piece of the composition.
Posters & Merch
Posters, wearables, accessories, and more to draw people in, spark nostalgia, and become keepsakes.
A great poster or piece of merch isn’t just promotional—it’s a tangible piece of the experience. The best ones become artifacts, displayed on walls, worn for years, or rediscovered in a box decades later, bringing a flood of memories with them. But before they become keepsakes, they serve another purpose: building anticipation, spreading the word, and making an event or cause impossible to ignore.
I design posters and merchandise that feel like an extension of the moment, both before and after. Whether it’s a band tour, a festival, a university event, or any cause that matters, each piece captures something essential to create intrigue among the uninitiated and nostalgia for those in the know.
Harkness Design Promises
Hire me, and this is what you can count on:
Design that’s built to last
I gravitate towards a timeless approach to designing your project because I’m basing my work on the truth of your brand rather than design fads. That doesn’t mean I won’t work with trending elements — it means I don’t want you to have to pay for a new brand identity every two years!
Clear and straightforward process
I will always keep you apprised of next steps, be up front about what I need from you, and give clear timelines.
Creative partnership for the long haul
After you launch any Harkness Design creative project, I’ll be checking in to make sure everything went off as intended and you’re beginning to see the results you’re after. I’m available to offer my understanding of your brand for adjustments, add-ons, and new campaigns.
Balance of structure + flexibility in workflow
Some projects call for a well-defined roadmap, while others benefit from exploration along the way. I adapt to the needs of your project, offering guidance and structure while leaving room for discovery and creative evolution.
True-to-you design, consistent across all channels
That’s my Why: Finding the truth of something and expressing it visually. My professional passion is to do this deeply satisfying, clarity-seeking exercise for each and every client and project. So, you can expect thoughtful deliverables from Harkness Design that align with your Why.
Extra support when your project needs it
If your project calls for expertise beyond my own—either because of a service I don’t offer or due to being outside of my creative style—I won’t hesitate to bring in the right specialist.