merry design

08/06/2026

It's been too long since I had the chance to chat with Bruce. As he touched on the topics of horsemanship, rideability and "how come no one hacks to the meets anymore...", I was touched by the commitment of all the clinicians, Juliet Graham, Lauren Nicholson Eventing, Lynn Symansky and Bruce Davidson Eventing to the foxhunting community. Very positive day.

"Every generation should be able to experience the joy of foxhunting in its purest form." ~ Bruce Davidson, Olympic Gold Medalist and World Champion

Last weekend, Little River Farm was the site of something special — a clinic where Olympic riders, seasoned foxhunters, and conservation leaders shared the same vision. It's a rare combination, and a powerful one. Head to the link to learn how the OCH Conservation Foundation is protecting the land this sport depends on, and how these world-class equestrians are putting their names behind it. Photo Credit: merry design

https://ochcf.org/news/

07/27/2026

When story telling is done right. I absolutely love the humanity of this reel. Zero AI.

07/14/2026

When people ask me what I do. Episode 4.

When Attwood Equestrian's founder first approached me about taking on his brand, he had a world-class product in his arena footing — and no way to get it into the world that needed it. He was a chemist, brilliant at engineering equestrian arena surfaces, but an outsider to the insular, relationship-driven culture of the equestrian world. He didn't just need a marketing agency. He needed a guide.

Over the next twelve years, I became that guide.

The job was never just designing Attwood's advertising — it was architecting the brand's entire market presence. I positioned the company's voice, defined its visual identity, and art-directed the kind of photography that made arena footing feel aspirational. Our "Performance Driven" campaign captured everything the brand stood for in a single image: precision, elegance, and a standard that belonged at the highest level of the sport.

But the creative work was only part of it.

I opened doors that no ad campaign ever could — facilitating introductions to the industry's key decision-makers. I navigated the social landscape of horse shows and VIP circles for him: the unwritten rules, the relationships that matter, the missteps that can quietly close doors. I coached Attwood's founder on how to move through these spaces with confidence and credibility.

The result: Attwood became the world's most recognized equestrian footing brand. Not because of a viral campaign or a clever digital strategy — but because someone cared enough to build the brand right, from the inside out, over the course of a decade.

Send a message to learn more

07/11/2026

This flyer was designed in AI. It's hard not to notice the telltale signs once you've seen a few spit out by Claude and Gemini. I appreciate the typo in the One-Day clinic information. Makes it almost human. I used to have to educate people on Fiverr; now this! Support original design. Hire the graphic designer.

07/05/2026

The Maine Diner is for sale, and I've been sitting with that news for a few weeks.
I started working with Miles and Dick Henry, the founders of the diner, back in 2006. I was tasked to put together a simple black and white newsletter, which was the backbone of their marketing at the time. That one small project turned into a relationship that spanned nearly two decades — I ended up designing everything for them: the newsletter, t-shirts, catalogs, even the labels on their blueberry jam. Eventually, their website too.
Somewhere along the way, they stopped being "a client" and became family. The Henry brothers built something that was so much bigger than a restaurant — it was a gathering place, a tradition, a piece of Maine that people carried with them long after they'd left the state. Oi, the stories!
For over ten summers, I made a point of taking my dad there for what I still believe is the best lobster roll anywhere. Those visits weren't really about the food, though the blueberry pie was incredible. They were about Dick's warmth, Miles' stories, and the feeling of walking into a place that felt like home, even if you'd never been there before.
Miles passed, and Dick eventually sold the diner to its current owner, who has carried the torch well. Now, with it on the market again, I find myself thinking about how rare it is to have a client relationship turn into something this real — one built on years of trust, creative collaboration, and yes, a whole lot of lobster rolls.
Wishing whoever takes on the Maine Diner next the same love for it that Miles and Dick poured in for so many years.
Some clients you work for. Some clients become family.

07/04/2026

Happy America's Birthday!

06/22/2026

Whatever you need, we've got you covered.

06/21/2026

This piece, published by NewStyle Digital, resonates deeply — I spend a great deal of my professional energy advocating for the photographers I work with, and stories like this matter. But it also prompted me to reflect on a situation closer to home.

In 2012, I designed a t-shirt featuring a well-known event rider. I asked his permission. He said yes. I offered him a cut of the proceeds. He declined — just asked for a box of shirts for the farm. I sold the design regionally for about two years, until interest faded naturally.

Fast forward to a few years ago: I pulled one of those shirts out of storage and showed it to him at the Maryland 5 Star. Thought nothing more of it. Then, during an early morning scroll to get the news of Kentucky, a.k.a Rolex, I came across his Instagram — and there was my design, slightly modified, selling out of the SmartPak booth.

His team never responded. A trademark attorney confirmed I had little legal recourse.

I am fortunate to collaborate with some of the most talented photographers in this industry, and I'm genuinely glad there are legal frameworks that help them protect their work. But this experience is a reminder that those protections don't extend equally to all creatives — and they should.

04/20/2026

The Challenge

Standing out in a crowded aisle
The premium pet treat market is saturated with brands that lean on the same visual vocabulary: pastoral greens, soft script fonts, paw-print icons, and warm, muted photography. I knew Snarky Bark needed to cut through all of that — not by shouting louder, but by having more character.

04/15/2026

Plot twist: before merry design existed, I was a creative trapped inside a "profit center." 🦕

Yes. Not an office. A PROFIT CENTER. You can already tell this wasn't going to last.

Somehow, they still trusted me with the Tourism Canada account — and honestly? That was the glow-up. I got to sit in pitch meetings with the big ad agency, storyboard wild ideas, and help dream up the campaign line that still lives rent-free in my head:

✨ "America Borders On the Magnificent" ✨

This was long before social media. Before hashtags. Possibly before Wi-Fi. Definitely before anyone called creativity a "deliverable."

But somewhere between the dinosaurs and the profit centers, I figured out what I actually wanted to do — and merry design was born. 🎉

Funny how the wrong fit leads you straight to the right one.