I’m Atley.

I have been translating companies’ business objectives and aspirations into creative solutions for over fifteen years.

I have worked with firms both big and small, but I prefer to work with organizations and initiatives during formative — often early — stages helping to distill, articulate, and express their vision.

Prior to leading the Brand Studio at Collab Fund, I had a brief tenure at The Athletic, and served on the executive team at The Black Tux leading both the Brand and Design teams.

@ twitter ↗ / linkedin ↗ / atley at agk.xyz ↗

WHAT I DO

Pre-Launch: Fundraising Materials, Go-to-Market, Design & Product Strategy

Brand: Strategy, Naming, Identity, Tone and Voice, Creative and Art Direction, Packaging, Campaign and Creative Development, Experiential & Retail

Product: Editorial, Content Strategy, Web and App Design

Creative Ops: Briefing, Resource and Pipeline Management, Process and Team Building, Production

MY APPROACH

As a designer, I emphasize context: why are we making, who is it for, and how will we reach them?

As a leader, I focus on operational clarity, organizational health, and creating a culture of possibility.

And as a design leader, I believe that brand and product experiences are inextricably linked and if we purposefully take care of the customer, the customer will ultimately take care of the business.

I believe brands can and should help shape a better world.

Brand building is about more than just the quality, intention, and perspective of your firm’s identity, product, or creative.

Customers understand your brand not by the colors of your logo, but through the consistency and integrity of the decisions your organization makes every day.

NON SEQUITURS

• I am based in Los Angeles.

• I am a supremely novice home baker and potter.

• I play rec league soccer twice a week. And design the kits.

• I am currently helping design a video game.

• I appreciate the subtleties of the reverse bass found in an obscure genre of electronic music called Hardstyle.

• I made my first website in 1995.

• Let’s. Go. Dodge. Ers.

• Come On You Spurs!

COLOPHON & EMOTIONS

This website is built on Cargo ↗. It is typeset in both Nitti Grotesk and Nitti. A huge thanks to Jessica and Clark of The Collaborationist ↗ for photographing my work and Roo ↗ at Cargo for the patient and sanguine technical support.

Additionally, I wanted to thank Keith Scharwath ↗ for all the work we did together at Outpost → and The Black Tux → and Zach Frechette for our perpetual collaboration.