Welcome to our Studio

Est. 2004, San Diego CA

OUR STUDIO

Small but mighty

We are a small studio by choice… As a small team we can do big things and have the ability to be highly adaptable. We’re flexible and quick on our feet. Our studio can cover the full gamut for a brand, from strategy and design to execution, by quickly scaling up or down depending on your project’s unique needs. With our core network of trusted partners, remote working protocols, and technology we are able to bring big agency-level quality at a lower cost.

Our Approach

We cultivate brands rooted in clarity

We live and breathe design and believe in the value and impact of thoughtful branding on a company’s success. We love to partner up with our clients, help them succeed, and create work that embodies their purpose. We add true value not only through design but also by:

Digging deep: We like to go deep and completely understand your business’s background, intricate ways of doing daily tasks, and your unique story.
Unlocking purpose: We discover the overarching intent, aspirational dreams & vision, your big WHY, and learn how your business ticks.
Thinking holistically: We like to look at the business as a whole with all its pain points and challenges, and only then, we can define the brand, establish a branding system from the inside out, and align all the parts.
Establishing metrics: We like to set tangible and measurable goals, outline how to get there, and place a guiding star defined by brand clarity. With a crystal clear understanding, we focus on what’s needed and guide your branding efforts onward.

Petra Ives

Brand Strategist, Creative Director, Founder

ABOUT PETRA

German ingenuity meets Californian vibe

After finishing design school in Munich in 2000, love transplanted Petra from her orderly and rainy home turf of Germany to laid-back, easy-living San Diego. She embraced her new home wholeheartedly and picked up hiking, the taste for sushi, and the American dream by starting her design studio in 2004. Ever since then, Petra has delivered creative thinking, a fierce determination to do-better-than-good, and a go-getter attitude wrapped with a sense of straightforward simplicity and (German) wit to her clients.

Petra is actively involved in the design community leading events, standing on stage talking about design and brand strategy, and extending her network and creative family. Petra splits her time between providing brand clarity and communication design to her clients, teaching design at San Diego City Community College, traveling, and spending time with her husband and two kids.

After working together, you’ll feel clearer and more certain about your brand. Lift the fogginess, know exactly who you are, connect with the people that matter, and make them advocates of your brand. Petra Ives

Speaking

Design + business strategy truths delivered with clarity

Petra has taken the stage to speak about the power of branding and value in Brand Clarity, and shared her creative business know-how for AIGA San Diego, BNI, Kensington Talmadge Business Association, SDSU, City College…

Want Petra to speak at your event? Just drop us a line.

OUR COLLABORATORS

The “&Co” in our name

We can’t do it alone—we believe in the power of the collective genius. The “&Co” in our name refers to the talented people that we have met over the years that are part of our extended team. Not only are they experts in their respective fields—they are exceptional people and like-minded creators. We invite them in to broaden the range of skills and perspectives, and add more value to each client project.