We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lisa Sirbaugh a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Lisa thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you share a customer success story with us?

When you’re passionate about your work, it shows through in all you do. For professional pianist Paul Warthen, that was the case in almost every way. There was just one thing missing. Paul needed an elevated brand developed that would express his passion and experience honed over 40 years. To start, he needed a brand identity that set him apart in a crowded competitive market. His goal: to boost brand awareness and adoption, increase gig bookings in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area, and build followers on popular streaming services and relevant social media platforms. This is when Paul turned to Lisa Sirbaugh Creative.

Paul’s point of difference is his signature playing style and the passionate flair and jazzy interpretations he brings to multiple decades of popular music. His richly layered sound, coupled with the intricate workings of the piano itself served as a powerful jumping-off point for concepting and design.

We began with brand discovery and research to develop a brand brief that served as the foundation for the creative work. We studied the competition to better understand how Paul could truly differentiate himself within the industry. And we took a deep dive into the instrument itself, studying the piano’s history, body styles and anatomy, as well as its intricate inner workings.

Working closely with Paul, we developed a series of brand attributes that best conveyed the Paul Warthen brand through the new visual identity, color palette, and each and every brand touchpoint. When it came to brand identity development we drew inspiration from the piano itself, creating a brandmark that echoes its serendipitous P-shape. The mark’s outer framework reflects the piano’s case and keyboard; its inner linework mimics that of the piano’s cast iron plate. For the logotype, we selected an elegant modern typeface that draws upon the thick-and-thin strokes of musical notes and customized it to align with the brandmark. Inspired by this talented artist we developed the slogan, “Living and Playing with Passion” which speaks to Paul’s philosophy as a musician and as a person. Along with the brand identity suite, project deliverables included collateral design, album cover art, streaming service and social media asset design, social media marketing design, website design, and apparel design. To cap everything off, photography and music video production combines emotive, classic, and refined imagery of this musician doing what he loves most.

Paul Warthen officially launched his brand in August of 2022. In just three short months Paul has reached 30,000 streams in 76 countries; averages approximately 300 streams daily; gained 6,000+ listeners across multiple streaming services; has his music placed on 175 separate Spotify playlists; and has seen a significant increase of followers on various social media platforms and in gig bookings.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

My love for art and design started at a very early age in my hometown of Toronto, Canada. During high school my interests turned to graphic design. I interned at a print shop, which luckily for me, turned into a real job while I went to college. After graduating with honors from George Brown College’s graphic design program I landed a junior design position at a publication design firm. After a few years of working hard and putting in the time, I moved my way up. Around that time I started freelancing as a side-gig to diversify the clientele and scope of work in my portfolio. In 2004 I moved to the U.S. and continued my creative career here.

My passion for strategic branding and conceptual design drove me to launch my own studio in 2015. I wanted to collaborate one-on-one with clients, and develop thoughtful, strategic solutions that are the best fit for their businesses and brands. It was important for me to have ownership over the creative in order to make the quality of work, and the process behind it, the priority.

Lisa Sirbaugh Creative is a multi-disciplinary branding and graphic design studio based out of historic downtown Frederick, Maryland. I provide a spectrum of creative services, from full-scope branding, rebranding, logo and visual identity suite design, to a wide variety of print, digital, and packaging design. As a strategic partner to my clients, the focus is on elevating and empowering their businesses by framing their brands for success and longevity.

Since launching, I’ve had the pleasure of working with incredible people across a multitude of industries, from regional and national, to international brands, including: food and beverage, health and beauty, home and garden, real estate, arts and entertainment, finance and investment, government, institutional, and non-profit organizations. I value the trust that they put in Lisa Sirbaugh Creative with their brands and I’m incredibly proud of the work that we’ve developed together.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
I think the thoughtful, strategic, and creative solutions that I develop for my clients has helped contribute to Lisa Sirbaugh Creative’s reputation. I also believe that the commitment I give to my clients and their respective businesses, and the collaborative nature of the work we do together is a strong factor.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
Working closely with my clients to develop their brands and seeing those businesses or organizations flourish.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lisasirbaughcreative.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisasirbaughcreative
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisasirbaughcreative
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisasirbaugh
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/lisasirbaugh