Inkling Creative

11/03/2026

Making something clear isn't “dumbing it down.”

It means caring enough about the person receiving it to do the hard work of organizing the message.

✦ Let's make it clear

10/27/2026

What makes a logo memorable?

It's not how many things you can fit into it.

It's usually the opposite.

The strongest logos I've designed tend to have one central idea — something about the company, place, people or story that gives the design a reason to look the way it does.

Sometimes that's a lighthouse replacing a letter.

Sometimes it's a lion that feels strong, regal and brave.

Sometimes it's a very happy chick.

And sometimes it's realizing that the road leading to a bridge already looks like a 5.

The ex*****on matters. Of course it does.

But before any of that, you need an idea worth remembering.

✦ Start with strategy.

10/20/2026

Businesses accumulate communication.

Another paragraph gets added to the website.
Another bullet goes into the brochure.
Another message gets squeezed onto the sign.

Each addition makes sense on its own.

Eventually, though, the important thing becomes harder to find.

Sometimes good communication isn't about figuring out what else to say.

It's figuring out what matters enough to remain.

And learning to serve our customers better.

✦ Let’s simplify the message.

10/13/2026

The finished logo is the part you see.

What you don’t see is everything that came before it.

I almost didn't enter. Then I did a Google search.

Then I saw it.

In an image of the Hart Bridge, the road sweeping toward the bridge looked like a 5. The arch of the bridge could complete the 0.

The 50 was already there.

That was the idea — but an idea is only the beginning. And the idea that ultimately became the winning logo came from paying attention to what was already there.

Sometimes the most important part of design happens before anything is designed.

✦ Start with understanding.

10/09/2026

CRINGE. There's a first time for everything, and Wednesday was my first time being interviewed on live television. Per the usual, I think I thought I did worse than I did...until the end. *cringe* But if you want a behind-the-scenes report on the designing of the 50th anniversary Gate River Run logo, take a peek! (...please skip the ending...)

The Gate River Run is getting ready to celebrate 50 years, and its anniversary logo has a distinctly Jacksonville look. The design incorporates the Hart Bridge into the number 50 and was selected from more than 100 entries. But for the woman who designed it, there's also a special family connection....

10/06/2026

Some of my favorite logos have something to discover.

Maybe it's a letter hidden in a shape. A reference to a place. A detail that means something to the people who know the story.

You might not notice it immediately.

But once you see it, you can't really unsee it.

That's one of the things I love about designing logos. A mark doesn't have to say everything about a business, school, or organization.

It just needs to give people something worth remembering.

Here are a few of my favorites from over the years. See what you notice before you swipe. →

✦ Let's make it memorable.

09/23/2026

GRATEFUL. It's official! In a super humbling turn of events, my design was selected as the winning logo for the 50th Gate River Run 15K! The concept started with Jacksonville's Hart Bridge. The road approaching it looked like a 5. The bridge arch looked like a 0. Once seen, it couldn’t be UNseen.

But the story became much bigger than the design. My father-in-law, John Waller, ran the first River Run in 1978 and is one of only 17 remaining "streakers." He's also the person who sent me the contest to begin with.

In 2027, he hopes to complete his 50th River Run wearing the anniversary mark his daughter-in-law designed. I wrote the full story — including the unexpected connections to my own 2011 brain injury, memory, faith, and design process — at the link in the comment below.

09/22/2026

This was an exciting weekend :+)

09/22/2026

Consistency is one of the most powerful things a brand can have.

When your logo, colors, and fonts show up the same way every time — on your truck, your business cards, your invoices, your website — people start to recognize you. And recognition builds trust. Trust wins jobs.

People do business with people they know, like, and trust.

But here's where many of business owners get tripped up: they think consistency means everything has to look exactly the same. Same layout. Same photo. Same format. Every single time.

It doesn't.

Consistency is the foundation — the colors, the fonts, the logo, the overall feel that makes your brand unmistakably you. What you build on that foundation can be as varied, creative, seasonal, and personal as you want. It all still holds together because the underlying identity is solid.

Think of it like a uniform. Every player on the team wears the same colors. But they each play their own game.

Consistency isn't a straitjacket. It's what gives everything else room to breathe.

What does your brand look like across your different touchpoints? Is it telling a consistent story?

09/08/2026

After working with contractors for years, I've noticed a pattern.

The ones who grow — who land bigger jobs, charge higher prices, and build teams — aren't always the most skilled. They're not always the most experienced. They're not even always the cheapest.

What they have is this: they look the part.

Their truck is wrapped and branded. Their business cards don't feel like an afterthought. Their estimate arrives in a professional folder, not a handwritten note on a torn piece of paper. Every touchpoint says "I take my business seriously" — before they've done a single minute of work on your home.

The contractors who stay stuck are often just as good at the actual work. Sometimes better. But they're losing jobs in the first five seconds — before anyone has seen what they can do — because their brand isn't making the case for them.

Your brand is working for you or against you before you ever shake someone's hand.
The good news? That's entirely fixable.

Does your brand make the case for you before you shake someone's hand? If not — you can change it.