Your Dream Designer
I'm easy to work with and I make designs that are so successful they help your dreams come true.
Why I Love Small Businesses
I always knew I was born to be an entrepreneur. After graduating, I did the design agency thing (the commute was atrocious) and then the consulting thing for a few months. Lots of gigs. Lots of moving between projects. Then I landed at Oracle designing presentations—and they gave me a 3-month contract. That was enough to get out of fight or flight and realize I was ready to go for it.
And then they gave me the biggest gift - a one-time 3-month extension. That tiny runway was exactly what I needed to launch Elf Design.
I needed clients fast. And I discovered something: small businesses move fast. They're nimble, hungry for results, and they actually care about getting things done quickly. I loved the spirit of the entrepreneurs I was working with, the pace of everything, and most importantly—being close enough to the action to see real results from my work.
That's when I knew: I wanted to build a business designing for people like this.
What I Know Now
Small business owners are special. They're willing to do the deep work because they understand that their brand is their business. They're not checking boxes—they're building something real.
Over two decades, I've learned that they don't want a designer who disappears after delivering files. They want a partner who understands their vision, their market, their challenges. Someone who can see how everything should work together.
I'm here to make getting designs that work for you easy.
Design Builds Communication Bridges
I started on my creative path studying architectural engineering - I was going to build bridges. And, I do, in a way. If you communicate in a way that appeals to your ideal client, helps them understand that you can do for them, and makes them feel safe hiring you, it creates real world, bottom-line business results.
It can solve problems, make your customers feel at home, improve understanding, and so much more.
Experienced & Creative
My journey has taken a lot of twists and turns along the way - I've redesigned my own brand more times than I care to count. I've tried just about every online marketing tactic out there on to see what I felt in integrity with versus what felt icky. I've launched products, hosted webinars and telesummits, pivoted, scaled up, scaled back, burnt out, and come back again. So I've been there and done whatever you're about to do, and I've learned a lot along the way.
How I Work
I start with dreams, not deliverables.
Our conversations are about where you're headed and what makes you different—not color preferences.
I ask deep questions.
We need to discover: Who are your real competitors? What makes you genuinely different? Why should someone choose you? What are they really getting when they work with you? I'll ask these questions (and a whole bunch more) to reveal strategic positioning that surface-level discovery never touches.
I'm patient with the process.
Some clients arrive crystal-clear. Others arrive with "I don't know what I want, I just know this isn't working." Both are welcome.
I understand business, not just design.
Market positioning, competitive advantage, what actually converts—design always serves strategy.
I create systems that scale.
Many clients have used the same brand foundations for over a decade, launching new programs and pivoting without complete rebrands.
Life Outside Design
When I'm not creating Brand Gravity for clients, I'm:
Painting with acrylics and watercolor (usually something bright and shiny)
Working on nervous system healing through cold plunges, meditation and sound healing
Learning to grow vegetables (with varying degrees of success)
Taking my corgi on the best adventures - he loves the beach!
The nervous system work matters. You can't hold space for other people's transformations when you're disconnected from your own body. The healing is part of how I stay grounded enough to do this work well.
The Team
Brand and Web Designer:
Erin Ferree Stratton
Home Base: San Luis Obispo, California
Mission Focus: Making your entrepreneurial dreams inevitable
Specialization: Strategic visual identities built for bold evolutions and big visions
Always Wearing: Blue (brand consistency + tiny closet practicality)
Usually Found: Covered in paint, gardening with one eye on Paxton Pants, while drinking an herbal tea. In the house, there's something delicious on my stove, braising slowly for dinner.
Chief Morale Officer:
Paxton Pants
Mission Focus: Enforcing creative breaks
Security Detail: Suspicious of all delivery personnel and also CATS
Morale Boost: Knows exactly when treats are needed (always)
His Goal: To become a dog influencer and content creator, he's saving up to get a little sister! Follow him on TikTok @paxton.pants
“I never could have come up with something as creative and multi-faceted as you did, and really appreciated the way you asked a tremendous number of questions in order to understand who I am, what I do, who my target market is and how I want my business to be present in the world.”
EVELYN KALINOSKY
COACH
She was the perfect blend of creative ideas, knowledge and implementation. She did what she said and she said what she did. I continue to use the branding logo and materials that she designed for me and I will hire her again when it is time to re-brand.
LAURA BETH DEHORITY
GLAMOUR BY LBD
What I Won't Do
I won't take on projects where I know I'm not the right fit. If you need quick turnarounds with minimal strategic input, there are designers who specialize in that. If you want someone to execute your exact vision without questioning it or improving upon it, I'm not your person.
I won't promise unlimited revisions or 24/7 availability. I have professional boundaries because they create better outcomes for everyone.
I won't design brands that perpetuate harm, mislead customers, or make promises your business can't keep. Pretty without integrity isn't worth creating.
Ready to Work Together?
If you're a small business owner with big dreams and you're ready for strategic brand transformation, let's talk.
Brand design, logo design, web design and visual systems
Made with strategic love by Erin Ferree Stratton in San Luis Obispo, CA
Skyrocket your success with a bold and effective brand & website.
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