Claire le Nobel
Q What do you do?
“I’m a designer who specializes in branding and web design.”
I create insightful and meaningful visual experiences that connect brands with their audiences.
Just like a person, a company’s brand has a unique personality, and how people connect with a brand has a huge impact on whether or not they will want to do business with that brand. I design visual identities and websites that tell compelling brand stories, making them relatable and desirable to their key audiences!
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
I’m an artist at heart – I did the whole art school thing, and then I did a Master’s in Design at ArtCenter College of Design. When I graduated, I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to do, but I knew I wanted to continue doing work that was creative. I ended up taking a job at an agency in Los Angeles and really loving the work because of the reach I could have. I could make art that was accessible beyond the confines of the “white cube” (a.k.a. an art gallery).
Skip forward 5+ years, I’m a freelance designer who focuses primarily on branding and web design. Pinch me!!
Q How do you stand out in your field?
I like to go deep on strategy, figuring out what makes a brand unique and getting to know its audience before developing a visual identity. Many of us are familiar with the quote, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” which implies that aesthetics are subjective. It’s super important to develop an understanding of a brand’s community so that you can communicate with them in a way that is unique and resonates.
Q What are you working on right now?
I’m working on a brand identity and a website for a fashion rental company, as well as a website for a new wellness brand.
Q What’s your style?
I love fun, colorful, maximalist design and working with brands that aren’t afraid to be weird. I’d say this is reflected in my own branding and the projects I take on, as shown on my website www.clairelenobel.design
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
Lately I’ve been loving typography – I can happily spend hours or days just on selecting the perfect font pairing for a brand. Someday I would love to design my own typeface. I also loooove 3D rendering and am seriously considering the ilovecreatives 3D Blender course!
Q What is frustrating you right now?
Marketing myself and putting myself out there on social media. It comes so naturally when I do it for other brands, but sometimes it can feel really challenging to do for my own brand.
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
I would love to have a paid intern that creates comprehensive component libraries and design systems for me in Figma so that I could focus on the higher-level creative work and sales calls. I also recognize that interns can need a lot of guidance, so I would hope this working relationship feels very win-win for both of us!
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
If I could go back in time, I would encourage my past self to not be afraid to take a leap and start my own practice. At the same time, when things get tough, I constantly remind myself to trust and enjoy the process.
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
Work/life balance – how to scale my biz without drowning in the screen and burning myself out. Also, how to be a really good mentor. A huge goal for me is to have a big enough studio one day that I can hire and mentor junior designers and provide them with an awesome workspace that fosters the most bomb creativity.
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
Helloooooo branding! I would love to work with more creative brands, particularly those that are women-owned, to help them carve out their niche and tell their brand stories. I would love to work with more brands in fashion, art, industrial design, or interior design, to name a few industries!
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
I love working with clients who are open-minded, collaborative, and like to have fun. The process of developing a business’ brand identity or website should feel through-provoking and challenging, but ultimately enjoyable and filled with laughter. I want my clients to love the product *and* the process.
Q What is your rate?
My brand design services start at $3k and include brand strategy, logo design, color palettes, typography, and comprehensive brand guidelines for proper use of your new visual identity. Websites start at $2k depending on the platform.
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
Contact me at clairelenobel.design/contact and tell me a little bit about your business! I’ll be in touch ASAP 🙂
Q Who is a creative you admire?
Jessica Walsh (@jessicawalsh) is a really inspiring graphic designer with an unforgettable visual design style. Not only that, she’s successful and outspoken, and has created a supportive mentorship program for women in design called Ladies Wine & Design (@ladieswinedesign).
Q Oh! and… how do you stay creative?
Long walks and giving myself the time and space for contemplation.
This member profile was originally published in Janurary 2024.