Lisa Sanford

Artist, Brainstormer, Business adviser, Concerned citizen, Connector, Consultant, Designer, Entrepreneur, Idea generator, Job-seeker, Marketer, Parent, Producer, Project manager

I have been a professional Communications Designer since graduating with that degree from Pratt Institute many years ago. I consider myself a bit of a renaissance-woman, having continuously reconfigured my skillsets to the ever-changing landscape of persuasive communication. Starting in catalog design, I them moved to creating branding identities for hospitality and consumer goods companies. One of my most unique, and longest lasting incarnations was as a Litigation Graphics Consultant where, as a key member of a litigation team, I helped strategize how best to present cases to triers-of-fact in a dynamic and highly regulated environment where every possible outcome had to be anticipated and accounted for. I worked on almost 200 different high stakes matters, and loved every minute. The next career pivot came after 2008 when many of my clients lost their own jobs. I realized my expertise at persuasion, which I used to get clients as well as convince juries, could be beneficial to companies who suddenly found themselves needing to do Business Development. My first in-house position was with a Big 4 firm - a great place to start but I missed the legal world of high level analytics and articulations. So, I moved to Big Law - helping practice groups, attorneys and firms identify their differentiators, hone their brand and develop effective client-facing messaging.

Keeping friendships and connections and expanding my horizons.

Creative expression comes in a myriad of forms, none better than another. We all benefit when each of us experiences the freedom of imagination.

Branding, Business Design, Business Development, Communication Design, Copywriting, Creative Persuasion, Direct marketing, Service Design

I have been on the frontlines of the complete evolution of communication design. When I started out we used ruling pens and rubylith film, everything was done by hand. I watched entire professions go under: film strippers, mechanical artists, airbrush artists, and typesetters to name a few. But, those were the tools of the trade, not the trade itself. It has been a journey to learn new tools and adapt to new forms of deliverables, but the bottom line has remained the same-telling a persuasive story.

Loom and peyote stitch beadwork.