Isabella Giancarlo
Q What do you do?
“Hiya! I’m isabella (she/they). I’m a creative director and designer who specializes in branding & identity.”
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
I’ve been in the branding & communications space for about ten years. I’ve been a co-founder (a queer beauty line!), as well as worked in branding & marketing in-house at e-commerce start-ups. At agencies, I’ve had the opportunity to develop strategy and brand identity for multi-million dollar companies.Though, what I found I love most—and where I feel like I really thrive—is helping folks better understand who they are and who their business is and bringing that to live in a vibrant and bespoke visual identity / web presence.
Q How do you stand out in your field?
My studio, TART partners with entrepreneurs to help them find their flavor. We join forces with imaginative world builders who are unafraid to get a little weird. We’re driven by curiosity & a firm belief that there is strength in the expressive, zesty & unconventional. Because flavorful = memorable.
Q What are you working on right now?
I just had the pleasure of working with baker & author Erin Jeanne McDowell on creating the logo and visual identity for the launch of her baking YouTube channel. While I have a bunch of clients in food & beverage, I’ve worked with clients in the arts, beauty, fashion, tech, and music. Outside of work, I am in a years-long love affair with the Italian language and host a monthly podcast of all Italian music called Tutto Okay.
Q What’s your style?
Work-wise, I feel like I try to avoid a distinct “style” and try to unearth a visual language that best suits who my clients are—and if I had to find a commonality, I’d say they’re fearlessly expressive & unconventional.
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
Get such a buzz from creating still-lifes and love working on product photo shoots.
Q What is frustrating you right now?
As always, I wish each day was longer!
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
My next hire will probably be a part-time bookkeeper. Despite my best efforts to befriend QuickBooks, it is one of my least favorite parts of the job.
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
James Victore says: “the things that make you weird as a kid make you great today.” I’ve found this to be so true(!) and I think it could have helped me through some teenage growing pains.
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
Pasta making!
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
Branding & identity from the ground up and a website to put the cherry on top.
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
Typically, I work with artists and entrepreneurs who are looking to level up. Maybe their brother drew their logo on the back of a napkin years ago, but now they’ve got a book deal (wow!!) and they’re looking to take their personal brand to the next stage. That’s where I come in! Especially partial to clients who are opinionated, passionate and creative. I am open to all sorts of sectors—though, I’ll say, I adore folks who are teaching something special—I work with a cocktail historian and a podcasting educational platform.
Q What is your rate?
Branding projects typically start at $5K and branding + Squarespace website design projects start around $10k.
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
Drop me a line at isabella@tartnyc.com with project goals, scope, budget, and astrological sign.
Q Who is a creative you admire?
→ Toiletpaper magazine
→ Ree Morton
→ Kevin Young (the book of delights!)
→ Laurel Schwulst
→ Mindy Seu
→ Korsha Wilson
→ Julia Child
Q Oh! and… how do you stay creative?
Getting enough sleep! Seeking out new tastes/sounds/looks!
This member profile was originally published in Janurary 2024