Alissa Martin
Q What do you do?
“Sometimes I joke that I’m a professional vibe curator (but is it really a joke?).”
My actual title is Brand and Web Designer — I help overwhelmed entrepreneurs turn their cloudy vision into a clear, shiny brand! My work is very collaborative, and I offer everything from strategic direction to visual identity to custom Squarespace websites.
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
I started designing in elementary school — for real. My friends and I would build fansites for our favorite celebrities, and we took it VERY seriously. In middle school, I used code to customize my Tumblr themes, and I illegally downloaded Photoshop to make edits for my favorite books. I was also an early adopter of social media and — you guessed it — ran multiple fan pages in my day.
Despite all of this, I never considered design as a career because I didn’t think of myself as a creative. I went to the University of Michigan and studied theatre producing and marketing, and I got super comfortable staying (literally) behind the scenes, supporting the “real” creatives on stage.
I graduated in May 2020, when the entire theatre industry was shut down due to the pandemic. I had a major post-grad crisis, and while I was living at home and figuring out my next steps, I had the crazy idea to start a Harry Styles-inspired online vintage shop.
In the process of starting my own small business, I absolutely fell in love with brand building. I got back into design first by building portfolio websites for my theatre school friends, and then I decided to take a leap of faith and enroll in the ilovecreatives Squarespace Design Course!
It turns out brand and web design align so perfectly with the way my brain works — around the same time, I was diagnosed with ADHD and realized that the insane flow state I go into while designing is called hyperfixation.
I formally founded my design studio in 2022, and here we are!
Q How do you stand out in your field?
My motto is “Your brand should feel like you.” I’m all about infusing your personality into your brand! As a byproduct of this belief, I’m also pretty anti-minimalism. Hot take, but I think most minimalist brands are just playing it safe and come across as boring instead of "polished" or "sophisticated".
I also work super collaboratively! I don’t just deliver a pretty logo, I really take the time to get to know you and your brand and work with you to create something that reflects who you are and connects with your community.
Q What are you working on right now?
I actually just finished redesigning my own website, alissacm.com! I’ve been working on it for months, so it feels amazing to finally share it with the world.
Q What’s your style?
My style is playful, colorful, and a little cheeky — I never take myself too seriously. It’s also very, for lack of a better word, Gen Z (as a ‘97 baby, I’m technically on the cusp, but I believe to my core that I’m Gen Z). I love everything vintage and retro, especially from the 70s, and that definitely reflects in my work!
One of my favorite projects I’ve worked on is the brand identity for ThinkPlay, a self-care brand committed to the art and ritual of journaling. In my meetings with the founder, we kept coming back to the fact that ThinkPlay isn’t a productivity brand, but it’s not quite a wellness brand, either. It’s somewhere in between, similar in ways to yoga — some people do yoga purely for the physical benefits, while others use it as a tool to better their mental or spiritual health.
I felt so aligned with ThinkPlay’s ethos, which is definitely reflected in the visual identity! The branding represents my personal style pretty much perfectly. I would buy a ThinkPlay journal over a “minimalist aesthetic” (read: boring) journal any day.
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
I think starting my design business was the best decision I’ve ever made, and I have zero regrets in that regard, but sometimes I really miss working in theatre! The creative collaboration involved in putting on a production is truly magical. I hope to get back into producing one day!
Q What is frustrating you right now?
Total honesty alert: I’m feeling frustrated with how long it takes to build a business that results in a steady flow of aligned clients. I’ve gotten a lot better at riding the waves and sitting comfortably in uncertainty, but I wish I could fast-forward through all the hard stuff and just work on cool projects with cool people.
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
I would hire a personal chef and/or a housekeeper. I have ADHD, and sometimes the basic tasks required to function as an adult are hard.
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
I would go back and tell middle school me that there’s a reason you can’t bring yourself to do your math homework, but you spend hours making your presentations look pixel-perfect. You may not feel like a “creative”, but you are one, and it’s safe to explore that part of yourself.
I would also tell her you were totally right when you predicted that One Direction would be the next big thing.
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
Right now, I specialize in building Squarespace websites for small businesses, local spaces, and service providers, but I would love to work with e-commerce brands one day. I would ask an expert in that space to teach me everything about Shopify and their processes for working with large product-based brands! I’m specifically interested in sustainable fashion, beauty, and wellness brands.
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
I work with small businesses, local spaces, solopreneurs, and service providers in the early stages of building their brands or looking for a total refresh! If you have a strong vision for your brand but get lost in the fog of DIY overwhelm, let’s talk.
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
Okay, let’s get super specific. My ideal client is a female-founded wine bar in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. It’s the most adorable space you’ve ever seen, and it acts as a community hub. The founder is super warm and friendly, but she’s also a go-getter who knows what she wants (maybe she’s a Capricorn like me). She loves working with other women, especially local artists, and she cares deeply about sustainability and ethics in business.
Q What is your rate?
My strategy and branding services start at $1,000 for personal brands and solopreneurs or $2,800 for small businesses and product-based brands. Web design starts at $3,800, but you can get up to $1,000 off if you also work with me on your brand identity!
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
The best way to start a project with me is to fill out my inquiry form but if you just want to say hi, feel free to shoot me an email or DM me on Instagram!
Q Who is a creative you admire?
Adam Campau, an incredible product designer and my partner of many years. Not to get too sappy, but he’s the most creative person I know, and I’m a better designer (and person) simply because I spend so much time observing how his brain works.
Also, I have the absolute privilege of working with Scout Sobel and Mady Maio of Okay Sis Podcast, and I look up to them both immensely! The podcast is truly an incredible resource for creatives, entrepreneurs, and slashies, and it’s just so much fun. I was their biggest fan before I started working with them, and I’m still their biggest fan today.
Q Oh! and… how do you stay creative?
Keep your inner child happy and practice following your intuition.
This member profile was originally published in October 2023