Banner Image

Skills

  • Brand Identity
  • Brand Style Guide
  • Logo Design
  • Branding
  • Brand Book
  • Brand Content
  • Brand Development
  • Brand Guidelines
  • Brand Strategy
  • Business Card Design
  • Graphic Design
  • Icon Design
  • Identity Packages
  • Label Design
  • Package Design

Sign up or Log in to see more.

Services

  • Strategy-Based Brand Identity | Startups

    $205/hr Starting at $5K Ongoing

    Dedicated Resource

    Most brand identities are built backwards. A founder needs a logo, hires someone to make it look good, and moves on. Six months later the brand feels inconsistent and can't scale without reinvention...

    Brand BookBrand ContentBrand DevelopmentBrand GuidelinesBrand Identity

About

Brand Naming Expert | Brand Identity Strategy & Design

🔸 Expert-Vetted | Top 1% on Upwork
🔸 Published in Vogue, Elle, WWD, Teen Vogue
🔸 Adobe Featured | Hand-picked among the best in their field
🔸 Upwork Skill Certified in Brand Identity

Your product deserves a brand that matches its ambition.

Most founders come to me at one of two moments: right before launch, when everything is riding on first impressions, or after realizing the brand they built in year one is holding them back in year three. Either way, the problem is the same. A logo isn't a brand. A name isn't a strategy. And a business without a cohesive brand identity doesn't just look unfinished, it leaves money, credibility, and opportunity on the table.

I'm Axel, a brand identity designer and naming expert with 20+ years of experience building brands that transform a founder's vision into lasting market value. I specialize in strategy-based brand identity for ambitious startups and scaling companies with their sights set on the top tier of their market, across lifestyle, hospitality, fashion, beauty, finance, food & beverage, health & wellness, and tech.

◼️ What working with me looks like:
Before we make any creative decisions, we align on strategy. Who you are, who you're for, and what makes you impossible to ignore. Then we build: naming, verbal identity, visual identity, brand guidelines, everything your team needs to show up consistently, whether that's on packaging, a pitch deck, or a homepage.

Founders who work with me walk away with a brand system built to grow with the business, one that commands the attention, credibility, and investment their work deserves.

◼️ Built for founders who are serious:
My background includes brand identity work for Airbnb, PepsiCo, Ralph Lauren, Martha Stewart, Elizabeth Arden, and Sur La Table, in addition to the startups and early-stage brands I'm most energized by on Guru.

If you're launching, fundraising, rebranding, or scaling, your brand is either building your business or costing it. Let's make sure it's doing the former.

Send me a message to start the conversation.

◼️ WHAT I BUILD
▪️ Brand Naming & Naming Strategy
▪️ Brand Strategy & Positioning
▪️ Visual Identity & Logo Design
▪️ Verbal Identity & Brand Voice
▪️ Brand Guidelines & Design Systems
▪️ Rebranding & Brand Refresh
▪️ Creative Direction

Work Terms

◼️ HOW WE WORK TOGETHER
▪️ Every project starts with strategy. If you want someone to execute a brief, I may not be the right fit. If you want someone to help you think through what your brand should stand for and then bring it to life, we should talk.
▪️ I work on fixed-rate contracts for most brand projects. My hourly rate applies to consulting and advisory engagements.
▪️ A free 15-minute discovery call is recommended. This ensures we're the right fit before either of us commits.
▪️ I don't offer unlimited revisions. I follow a proven methodology designed to get it right.
▪️ The best outcomes come from founders who trust the process and bring their vision openly. The brand becomes you

Attachments (Click to Preview)