Kelsey Reifler
Q What do you do?
“Hi I’m Kelsey Reifler, a creative director and brand designer based in Brooklyn. I have over 12 years of experience in advertising, editorial design and branding, and just recently shifted from agency work to freelancing full-time.”
Because of my varied background I can confidently hop in along any point of the branding process; from initial strategy, developing visual territories, designing visual identity, brand guidelines, art direction, production, to campaign and advertising creative. My true passion lies in working with female-founders and female-led companies.
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
I began my career at Vogue as a graphic designer and then art director, working as part of their 6-person in-house studio for branded content. After several years there I moved on to working in branding and advertising at both big and small agencies. I had the opportunity to work on brands like Adobe, Lego, Sephora, and Lululemon (to name a few). While I learned an immense amount working on some incredible brands, my point of contacts were often not the decision makers, so creative approvals took a very long time. I recently took the leap to freelance so that I could work with smaller brands, and make a bigger impact.
Q How do you stand out in your field?
Because I have experience in both small and large agencies as well as creative shops, I have experience touching every visual aspect of a project and working with brands across all verticals. I cut my teeth in a luxury space that demanded ‘perfection’ and have creatively led large teams and global productions, so my attention to detail is high while also having the ability to zoom out and see the big picture.
Q What are you working on right now?
I am currently working on designing a website in Figma for a beauty startup while also working on the launch creative for a shoe brand that I have been working with for a little over 2 years now. (Before I took the official leap to freelance I would moonlight as a brand designer, so it is so exciting to now be fully freelance bringing this new shoe brand to launch!)
Q What’s your style?
My style tends to be ‘pushing the status quo’; an example of this is the work I lead with the re-brand of Southern Comfort Whiskey. When picturing any whiskey brand there tends to be lots of dark wood, dimly lit with golden hues, and smokey undertones. Southern Comfort’s new look was anything but; it is bright, light, with lush beauty shots of bright cocktails on clean backdrops. The tag, “Comfortably Different’ was the new campaign's slogan, positioning it in the category as just that, different. To me it isn’t about making something different just be different, but rather making something stand out with thoughtful positioning, branding and art direction to make people take a second look.
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
My dream is to one day build and brand a boutique hotel. I love hosting, interior design, travel, and experiential design. I hope to work with more hospitality brands in the future.
Q What is frustrating you right now?
Self promotion is the hardest for me. I don’t like talking about myself or branding myself...I would rather do that for others. I don’t even have posts on my IG.
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
Haha see above. Take over my self promo, for sure!
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
I would tell my younger self to reach out for mentorship. We work in a craft where so much is learned through critique and apprenticeship. Reaching out to those you respect and asking for their advice or opinion is everything.
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
I would want to talk to an AI expert about how to use it to propel creative ideas, strategies, and how to build design systems that will adapt with the continuing evolution of the AI space.
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
Branding, art direction, or advertising for small companies and female-founded startups.
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
Any small business or startup that gets excited about creative!
Q What is your rate?
For branding pricing for basic brand packages starts at $2,500. For art direction and design pricing starts at $120/hr or $750/day. Scope/timeline can vary based on client-need and budget constraints.
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
Just email me at kelsey@reiflerstudio.com and we can set up an initial call! From there I can get a sense of your project, scope, timing and put together an estimate and proposal based on your needs and budget!
Q Who is a creative you admire?
I would recommend Thao for any event/wedding photography.
Q Oh! and… how do you stay creative?
Stay playful.
This member profile was originally published in April 2024