Building Worlds
through brand strategy and
functional graphic design.
You have an amazing small business or start-up but are unsure how to build your company visuals in order to communicate that amazingness to make sales and grow your business.
You’re probably also already so over the generic mass-produced artificial intelligent look that everyone is using to DIY their branding, and are looking for real creative direction that will help you stand out effectively and connect with your buyers authentically.
Functional graphic design is design that’s built to work, not just to look pretty.
Fancy brand strategy is a pointless waste of time and money if it doesn’t work at the end of the process and if you don’t understand how to implement it effectively in a way that works for you.
Know that you haven’t landed here by chance. This is where I shine.
Navigation
A successful journey always starts with a plan.
We start our travels together with a clear understanding of your goals. If you’re just embarking on a new business adventure, then we’ll start with building your logo and visual messaging. If you already have a logo, we’ll start with a brand audit to see if it aligns with your goals and audience expectations.
The foundational creative direction that I build for your company becomes the tool box for building the rest of your visual world, assuring that everything else designed for you after that (ie. company stationery, catalogue, socials, signage, etc) will align with your message to connect effectively with your audience.
Every design piece created after your logo, is built with a defined goal in mind, whether that goal is to create awareness of your business, send buyers to your shop, promote a specific product or service, or build your mailing list.
No fluff, no nonsense, no distractions. Just pure, clean, functional design built for effective action.
Meet your designer
Howzit. It’s me, Jo Petzer, a Durban-based South African designer ready to use my 30+ years functional design experience to help you clarify your brand vision and build your small business into an immersive world that will keep your buyers coming back for more.
Instead of just copying your competitors and blending in, we’ll work together to find out what makes you unique and sets you apart from opposition companies, so you can stand out and be noticed in your industry.
Then we’ll make sure that whatever I’m designing works to do what you need it to do. Having a great service or product is just the start of your journey to success. Communicating that greatness visually and getting buyers to take action is what most small businesses find challenging.
My process is easy and interactive and we’ll work together to achieve and expand your branding goals as your business grows and evolves.
Destination
Orbit
Express Logo Delivery
One small step for you,
one giant leap for your business.
luna
Logo Launch
Somewhere, something incredible
is waiting to be seen.
Asteroid
Brand Assets
The building blocks of
worlds yet to be imagined.
Recent projects completed
This is where I share latest projects that I’ve loved working on, outlining the scope of work and process for each one. Categories include Logo Design, Brand Identity, Packaging, Signage, and Book design. If you’re looking for portfolio work, to help you decide whether or not we’ll be a good fit, this is the place to start.
Articles of interest
A collection of articles that I’ve written on topics of interest for small businesses, based on questions asked by clients over the years, covering everything from social media tips, practical advice for DIYing your designs, marketing ideas, self-publishing guidance, and other bits of info you might find useful.
How To Use AI For Your Branding? (If You’re Hellbent On It) This is the burning question that’s getting both small business owners and graphic designers fired up, but for completely different reasons. Solopreneurs feel like they can sidestep creative costs by DIYing...
How to Unf*ck Your Inconsistent Brand Visuals Are you finding it super challenging building consistent brand visuals? If your answer is 'YES', then this is for you! We’ve all had that ONE friend, partner, or colleague who was a ‘crazy person’. They were volatile, flew...
How to Deal with Stupid Clients "People are fucking stupid." That’s exactly how I started off the reel I posted this week on this exact topic. It is 100% true that I say this a lot. Along with ‘people are idiots’, and ‘why are people so fucking dumb?’ Mostly it’s...
Have you ever loved another brand’s aesthetic so much that you wanted to copy their look and feel for your own business? I see this way too often with South African small business owners. Clients come to me asking to make their logo or visuals look exactly like Apple,...
WTF is a ‘Unique Selling Point’ and do you need one? If you’ve been promoting your product or service everywhere and to everyone but still not getting the sales you’re after, this is for you. If you're wondering, 'WTF is a Unique Selling Point' Let’s talk about it....
Are Your Company Values Bullshit? Before you read the rest of this, go over to your website or your company profile and see what you have listed under ‘Company Values.’ Read them out loud. Then come back here and let’s talk. If you have any of these listed, I hate to...
How Not to F*ck Up: Your Guide to Proofing for Digital and Print Design Do you really know how to proofread for digital and print design? You’ve gotten something back from the printer and there’s a typo: a wrong phone number or date. Money down the poo-chute....
Solving Your Print Colour Problems: "Why do my prints look dull?" You’ve been there. You’ve just created a business card or pamphlet in Word or Canva. It looks great on screen; the colours are nice, bright, and vibrant. Then you send it to your printer. And it comes...
What are Pantone Colours and Do You Actually Need Them? You might have heard the term ‘Pantone’ thrown about by designers and printers and wondered WTAF they’re talking about. It’s a bit technical if you don’t live in a design studio, but let's see if I can enlighten...
Inflation is wild right now, and for many South African small businesses, professional printing feels like a luxury. But sometimes, digital just won't do. We need physical items in hand. As a savvy, spend-conscious South African myself, I’m always looking for ways to...
Cosmic Launch Pad
Every great mission needs the right equipment to succeed.
The Cosmic Launch Pad is your go-to resource for professional branding tools designed to help your business fly. Choose from practical easy-to-use stationery templates, promotional templates for brochure, flyer, and catalogue layouts, or professional templates for book layout, all assets are built with the same strategic process I use in my custom projects.
Take your skills up a notch with a selection of helpful DIY manuals and workbooks if you’re keen to pilot your own ship. Explore the Learn section for expert guides on managing your visual identity, and grab the “building blocks” you need to show up confidently. Your brand is ready for its next big leap—it’s time to give it the platform it deserves.
It's Not Rocket Science!
Building your brand shouldn’t feel like hitting your head against a padded wall.
‘It’s not Rocket Science’ is my weekly emailer, the primary purpose of which is to show you how functional graphic design can grow your business and increase your revenue.
I’ll also share bits of info on projects and other fun stuff I get up to.
Anything I find that could help you make more money, understand the psychology behind visual communication, and navigate the South African small biz landscape will be shared.
Your info won’t be shared with anyone and you can easily unsubscribe.