independent creative strategist &
brand designer
Malvina Baker is an award winning Creative Director with over 20 years of experience in design and branding.
She was a Creative Director for 13 years at Sterling. Before that she was a creative lead at Elmwood as their first U.S. hire. Throughout her career she developed brands for international clients, solved business challenges, and innovated new products for companies including Rockefeller Foundation, Campbell’s, Restylane, Albertsons, Colgate Palmolive, Benjamin Moore, GE, Kimberly-Clark, Mars, P&G, Berkshire Hathaway, and Pepsi.
A passionate, curious storyteller Malvina believes design rooted in purpose can create lasting impact and enduring brands. Her work spans S&P500 companies, innovative start-ups, and place-based projects, like museums, pop-ups, and retail. With a crafted design sensibility and strategic insight, her design solutions drive measurable business outcomes.
In her spare time Malvina can be found learning to play the ukulele, dancing, making functional pottery for friends, and chasing surf waves in her travels.
Services
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Whether you’re launching a new venture, refreshing an existing identity, or navigating a pivot, my design strategy services provide the roadmap for consistent, impactful storytelling across every touchpoint to craft a brand that inspires and creates meaningful change.
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My process begins with understanding your story—your values, vision, and the emotions you want to evoke. From there, I craft a cohesive identity system that speaks to who you are and what you stand for. This includes an iconic, versatile mark that represent your brand’s personality, a visual identity system and brand guidelines.
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Through a blend of creative problem-solving, an innovation project includes working with a team to guide you from concept to execution with tools, insights, and vision to bring transformative ideas to life.
Trend Analysis & Future Mapping: Identifying emerging opportunities and aligning them with your brand’s goals.
Concept Development: Turning insights into actionable, market-ready ideas.
Design Thinking Workshops: Collaborative sessions to spark creativity and solve challenges.
Prototyping & Testing: Rapid iteration to refine and validate concepts.
Product/Service Innovation: Crafting unique experiences that drive growth and differentiation.
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Art direction can include conceptualizing bold designs or directing stunning photo shoots. Whether we’re shaping a product launch, building a brand story, or curating visuals for digital and print, my goal is to deliver work that looks exceptional and communicates powerfully.
Photo Shoot Art Direction: Bringing to life a vision from mood boards and prototypes to on-set direction for packaging, digital or campaign concepts.
Design Development: Guiding the creative process from initial concept to polished execution.
Visual Storytelling: Developing cohesive visual systems that resonate across platforms.
Creative Team Leadership: Collaborating with photographers, designers, and stylists to achieve a unified vision.
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My packaging design services focus on crafting designs that are as functional as they are beautiful, aligning beauty with brand strategy to elevate your product’s presence in order to be bold and breakthrough. From initial concept to production, I collaborate closely with you to ensure every detail reflects your brand’s personality and values.
Custom Packaging Design: Tailored solutions for products that align with your brand story and seamlessly integrate with your overall identity.
Structural Innovation: Unique shapes and formats that enhance usability and appeal.
Sustainable Solutions: Eco-friendly packaging solutions.
Production Coordination: Ensuring the transition from design to tangible packaging is smooth and precise.
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Whether you need lifestyle imagery, product photography, or campaign visuals, I provide creative direction and access to a network of talented photographers who specialize in bringing ideas to life. From initial concepts to final edits, I oversee the process to ensure every shot reflects your vision and delivers impact.
Creative Direction: Defining the concept and tone for cohesive and compelling visuals.
Photography Expertise: Collaborating with a team of skilled photographers tailored to your project’s needs.
On-Set Art Direction: Ensuring every detail aligns with your brand’s aesthetic.
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Comprehensive guides for maintaining your brand’s consistency and integrity.
Visual Identity Standards: Comprehensive guidelines for logo usage, typography, color palettes, and imagery tot ensure consistency across all platforms
Application Examples: Real-world scenarios with custom applications and digital assets, from social media to packaging, showing how your brand comes to life.
Digital & Print Consistency: Rules for creating cohesive materials, no matter the medium.
Team Empowerment: Easy-to-follow documents designed to align everyone, from designers to marketing teams.
clients
Client specific work provided through inquiry