LAUREL GREGORY

Creative Director | Brand Strategist
Identity Designer | Creative Alchemist
Website Designer | Illustrator

Years of experience

Brand Strategy & Identity

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Creative Direction

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Graphic Design & Illustration

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Web Design & Development

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UI/UX Strategy

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Copywriting & Information Architecture

“Design is my language, and through it, I can tell stories that connect a brand with people on a deeper level, shaping experiences that inspire and resonate.”
– Laurel

BIO

Laurel Gregory is a seasoned creative director and graphic designer with over 20 years of experience. She has helmed numerous full-service design agencies, specializing in brand strategy, visual identity, website design, and information architecture.

Her holistic approach ensures both form and function are seamlessly integrated, combining critical analysis with intuitive creativity. As a brand strategist, she builds brands from the ground up, using authentic design to communicate core values and brand purpose. One of her proudest achievements was seeing her brand work showcased on a billboard in Times Square in 2024.

Laurel is the Owner and Creative Director of Heartbrew, a design agency focusing on branding, packaging, and website design & development. Laurel’s commitment to excellence and passion for design are evident in every project she undertakes. Constantly evolving and improving based on big-picture thinking, she embodies an ideal balance of strategic insight and creative innovation.

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University of California, Santa Cruz

Studies in Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology
Theater and Stage Performance
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University of California, Berkeley

Studies in Theology and Anthropology
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SRJC GRAPHIC DESIGN ADVISORY BOARD

Member of the Santa Rosa Junior College Graphic Design Advisory Board

Tech Experience

Adobe Illustrator Pro
WordPress Diva
Google Suite
Project Management Systems
Information Architecture Programs
Mindmapping

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

NORTH BAY BOHEMIAN / BEST OF THE NORTH BAY 2014 // 2019 - ZDCA DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT

Creative Director of Agency that won “Best Digital Creative Services” award for 7 consecutive years.

US CONGRESSIONAL RECOGNITION / GREEN BUSINESS AWARD 2016 - ZDCA DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT

State Congressional recognition for our green business practices.

Skills

Brand Strategy
Creative Direction
Identity Design
Graphic Design
UI/UX Strategy
Content Development
Brand Activations
Leadership & Team-building
Business Development
Project Management

DISCOVER • DEFINE • DISTILL • DESIGN • DEVELOP • DEPLOY • DELIGHT

“Authenticity is the cornerstone of a brand’s identity. It’s not just about what you say to your audience; it’s about how you actively embody those words each day. When a brand authentically reflects its values and connects with its audience on a real, emotional level, that’s when magic happens.” – Laurel

TESTIMONIALS FOR Laurel

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Laurel is a sensation at design – bright, imaginative and a very hard worker. A great sense of humour and a sharp mind means she’s a pleasure to work with.

Karen Krizanovich
Researcher, Film Concept
Freelance
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I have had the opportunity to work with Laurel on two projects and am impressed with what I describe as her creative intellect. She is able to engage issues and challenges and, resolve problems in the creation of a product or the management of a project; a true out of the box thinker, a leader, and a team player.
The attribute that enables Laurel to work with a great variety of clients and team members is her positive disposition; She is positive while also being realistic. I admire and respect Laurel’s work ethic and gratefully recommend her. She would be a valuable contributor to any team or project.

Dexter Roberson
Product Developer, Owner
DxRoberson LLC
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It is a great pleasure to make a recommendation for Laurel. She possesses innate creativity with a strong sense of detail and execution. Her work is consistent and in her hands we felt certain our clients would receive excellent service and results. I highly recommend Laurel for sophisticated web design and development projects.

Bryan Levenson
Owner
CYTK
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I’ve worked with Laurel on a few projects, most notably on the Tintin.com website redesign that aligned with the movie release. I can’t express strongly enough how valuable Laurel was throughout the project and the impact she had on our very successful launch. It was a complicated build with many moving parts and added challenges that come with extremely tight timelines. Her support and professionalism throughout the project directly contributed to it’s success and helped maintain my sanity during the project along with others we’ve worked on together. I highly recommend working with her and look forward to doing so again in the future.

Eric Betancourt
Marketing Production & Operations Leader
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Laurel is a consummate professional, business-like but also personable articulate and knowledgable. I have great respect for her ability to keep a difficult project moving forward, while juggling changes in direction and team members. I would entrust my website to her able hands again any day.

Kate Brioullet
Production Manager (Retired)
Ranch7
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Laurel really understands the web and more importantly, she understands that most people don’t and doesn’t talk down to the client. She was instrumental in getting us out of a very sticky situation when we were left high and dry by another developer.

Kernan Coleman
Owner
Ranch7
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Laurel supported us in many aspects at Democrasoft from a creative and brand perspective. She was our “brand manager” for several years as a new product was developed and launched. Laurel gave excellent input in helping create the brand image and then executed on the vision with her talents as a designer. Her designs were the foundation and still “live” as an integral part of the brand that developed into a large well-known product used by hundreds of thousands of people on 6 continents.

Mark Kithcart
CMO
ibüümerang
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Laurel has an extremely sharp and focused mind which allows her to be both incredibly detailed as well as meticulous in projects. I have been able to see her art grow over the years and it is a clear reflection of a person with patience, perseverance and a fine eye for details.

Juan Jose Uzcategui
Content Creator
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Laurel is a detail oriented multi-tasking creative who can juggle many projects and deadlines at once. Her IT and strategy skills run deep and can lend a creative hand to almost any web-building or graphic art need.

Ann Waters
Owner
Green Lady Herbals
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Laurel is both a joy to work with and very talented in design and implementation. She has been critical in steering our new website development process smoothly. She is also extremely personable.

Maben Rainwater
Audiology

POSTS FROM LAUREL

VESL Collective: A New Model for Creative Success

Introducing VESL COLLECTIVEVESL Collective was born out of a simple need: to redefine how creative professionals work together to better serve clients in a fast-evolving world. We’re a new-model agency, one that unites top talent across diverse fields against the...