About

Brand is powerful. Emotional. A catalyst for change. And an extension of your business strategy.

Research

Strategy

Creative

Great design breaks
down barriers.

It allows us to communicate in a language that is universal and deeply emotional. Great design can incite, empower, and unite us. Our philosophy blends insight, ethos, and a collaborative approach to arrive at strategic solutions that spark emotional connections.

Insight

Depth of insight allows us to understand what really motivates your audiences. To gain the kind of clarity that leads to resonant, memorable, timeless creative. And to develop solutions that are best for your brand—and your bottom line.

Ethos

At the heart of every brand is its ethos—the singular idea that drives the story. It makes a brand magnetic and memorable. It sits at the nexus of what makes a brand relevant to your audiences, authentic to who you are, and unique in an ever-crowded landscape.

Collaboration

We believe that great ideas come from inviting clients into the creative process. We collaborate with clients throughout the strategy, creative development, and implementation phases because it yields extraordinary strategic and creative results.

Services

We work with you to develop a plan that solves for the unique situations and challenges you face.

  • Research
    • Listen & Learn
    • Audience research
    • Focus groups
    • Stakeholder workshops
    • Community engagement
    • Surveys
    • Competitive audits
    • Findings and insights reports

  • brand strategy + identity development
    • Building the foundation
    • Brand essence
    • Positioning
    • Naming
    • Brand architecture
    • Brand stories
    • Brand messaging
    • Brand personality & attributes
    • Brand voice and tone
    • Content strategy
    • Visual and verbal identities
    • Identity guidelines

  • Creative
    • Expressions & Experiences
    • Website design and development
    • Environmental and experiential design
    • Integrated campaigns
    • Packaging
    • Marketing collateral
    • Publications
    • Content and copy

Core Team

We believe that how our clients feel about working with us is just as important as the work we deliver. We are our clients’ collaborators and confidantes, allies, and advocates.

Jennifer Martin
Brand Strategist
Jenae Williams
Project Manager
Andrew Schroeer
Art Director
Rebecca Arbeene
VP of Client Services
Molly Hillstrom
UX Strategist
Julia Hands

Account Manager
Cody Rasmussen
Creative Director
Kylie Wagner
Senior Visual Designer
Annett Kohlmann
Director of Client Engagement
Holly Keenan
CEO/Owner

Our Founders

Leslie Phinney founded Phinney Design in 1982, 
a time when there were very few women-owned 
design agencies. Shortly after, she met Karl Bischoff and together they built Phinney Bischoff Design House (now Phinney Bischoff). Leslie and Karl successfully ran the agency for 40 years, leading with innovation, creative, strategy, research and their guiding philosophy of 
people first.

Leslie Phinney
Founder
Karl Bischoff
Founder
See our client list