We were lucky to catch up with Zoe Cope recently and have shared our conversation below.
Zoe, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?
I’m really glad to be here! Learning the craft of brand design has been a multifaceted journey for me that came together only after working and learning from multiple industries. My educational background is in jewelry design, where I earned my BFA, but my career has been anything but linear. Starting my first jewelry business at the age of 21 and running it for seven years was definitely the catalyst when I look back. I was a jewelry designer but I also created our branding and packaging and did the art direction + production for our photoshoots. During that time, I also embraced roles such as a social media manager, apprenticed under other jewelry designers, contributed to event planning and floral design businesses, and later transitioned into positions like studio manager for a fashion designer, before stepping into production assisting and coordinating roles for commercial projects with brands like Nike, Adidas, Apple, and Fendi. This eclectic mix of experiences taught me invaluable lessons in visual storytelling, brand creation, and art direction—skills that are pivotal in brand design.
Reflecting on my journey, I believe that the diversity of my experiences has been both a strength and a challenge. It’s given me with a unique perspective on brand design, emphasizing the importance of storytelling, aesthetics, and the emotional connection that a brand establishes with its audience. However, navigating through such varied roles also presented obstacles, especially when trying to break into the traditional agency side of design and branding. Some people/companies/agencies want you to fit a clear mold but I didn’t since I could do both production and creative. Finding opportunities to demonstrate my skills in a more structured environment required me to build my own agency, a step that eventually led to recognition and opportunities within established design and branding agencies.
The most essential skills that have underpinned my success as a Brand Designer and Creative Director include visual storytelling, an understanding of brand psychology, and the technical skills related to design and art direction. Additionally, project management and the ability to work across diverse teams have been crucial, given the collaborative nature of brand design projects.
Each field I worked in—whether jewelry design, event planning, advertising, or fashion—tends to operate within its own bubble, making it challenging to transfer skills and insights across domains. Overcoming this required a conscious effort to draw parallels and apply learnings from one area to another, a skill that has become a cornerstone of my approach to brand design.
My journey through multiple industries has been instrumental in shaping my approach to brand design. The varied experiences have not only enriched my design perspective but have also taught me the importance of adaptability, continuous learning, and the power of storytelling in creating compelling brands. Looking back, embracing even more opportunities for learning and networking earlier in my career could have accelerated my growth, but the unique path I’ve taken has been invaluable in defining what success looks like within my life and career.
Zoe, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Sure thing! I am a Creative Director and Strategic Brand Designer deeply passionate about transforming stories into visual experiences that are not only innovative but also deeply resonant. Drawing inspiration from a range of sources including mythology, art history, form, and emotion, I approach every project with an editorial aesthetic that is both unique and unforgettable.
My journey in the world of brand design, art direction, and strategy began through my own creative businesses, where I honed my skills across all stages and areas of creative production. This experience has given me a deep understanding of what it takes to create impactful and effective branding that resonates with audiences on a deep, meaningful level.
I thrive on collaboration with badass business owners, aiming to amplify their visuals and client experiences in ways that authentically reflect their brand ethos. My goal is to create or reinvent brands so they’re not only aligned with the business’s current trajectory but are also poised for future growth. Whether it’s breathing life into a new brand or rejuvenating an existing one, my mission is to turn visionary ideas into tangible realities for my clients (and having a great time together while we do it!).
My sweet spot lies in partnering with small business owners, especially those in the critical growth phase of three to five years. It’s at this juncture that businesses often undergo a pivotal transformation—whether it’s a shift in target audience, a refinement of offerings, or a newfound clarity in their mission. My expertise particularly resonates with those seeking a distinctive edginess in their brand design.
My work is driven by a genuine passion for storytelling, a commitment to excellence, and an unwavering desire to see my clients’ brands thrive.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
Navigating a creative career can sometimes puzzle those on the outside looking in, especially when it comes to understanding the value of pursuing varied interests and the importance of lifelong learning. My own path has been anything but straightforward—I’ve explored multiple roles across diverse industries, often balancing several jobs at once. This unconventional path has been instrumental in shaping my comprehensive understanding of business and creative production, enriching my approach to brand design in ways I couldn’t have anticipated. But it didn’t feel great all the time while I was in the middle of it!
To put it in a way that resonates with me, I think of the learning journey as akin to being a geode. On the outside, one might appear just like any other rock. But inside, a remarkable transformation is underway. Every new experience, be it a job, a project, or a hurdle, acts like the rain and mineral water that seep into a geode, gradually forming crystals. It might require the right mentor, program, or book/podcast to crack you open, but when it happens, you discover that all these seemingly disconnected experiences have cultivated a rich, vibrant array of knowledge and skills within you.
This perspective highlights the significance of embracing diverse experiences and seeing them as integral to your growth. While to an outsider, my career trajectory could seem scattered or unfocused, each step has contributed valuable facets to my professional skill set, enhancing my creativity and problem-solving capabilities.
It’s essential to acknowledge that this accumulation of experiences doesn’t always unfold neatly. I had a lot of nights, and days, where I felt lost and like I wasn’t amounting to anything significant when it came to my career. It’s a process full of exploration, sometimes without clear direction, yet every encounter is enriching. All of it is layering more depth to one’s creative essence. Such an approach has now enabled me to offer a distinctive viewpoint in my projects since I can draw on a wide spectrum of influences and insights.
For those navigating their own creative paths, I’d encourage an open-minded embrace of varied experiences. Keep nurturing your curiosity and allow yourself to absorb the lessons each new opportunity brings. Like the geode, you’re filled with untapped potential; sometimes, it just takes the right moment or catalyst to reveal the extraordinary blend of knowledge and skills you possess, ready to shine in your work.
Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?
Reflecting on my journey into brand design, I’ve realized how invaluable certain resources and personal growth experiences have been, though I didn’t always see their value right from the start. For instance, joining Facebook groups for graphic and brand designers, and others for small business owners—especially those run by women—opened up a world of shared knowledge and support that I never expected to find on that dinosaur of a social media platform. It was like stumbling into a treasure trove of insights, where everyone’s question sparked a cascade of useful tips and tools, helping me piece together my own bespoke guide to navigating the creative industry.
Then there’s the magic of mockups. They’ve been a total game-changer for me, transforming how I present new brand identities to clients. It’s one thing to tell someone about their brand’s potential, but showing them their brand in action, on everything from stationery to T-shirts, really lights up their imagination. My favorites—Bendito Mockup (https://benditomockup.com/), Art Directed (https://artdirected.design/), Mockup Maison (https://mockup.maison/), and a few others—have become indispensable in my toolkit for making brands come alive.
Building my own network, or “Creative Cohorts” as I like to call them, and diving into mentorship have been pivotal too. It wasn’t just about expanding my professional network; it was about forming genuine connections and learning from each other’s journeys. This sense of community and shared growth has been a cornerstone of my own development.
On a more personal note, diving into manifesting work, meditation,
Reflecting on my journey into brand design, I’ve realized how invaluable certain resources and personal growth experiences have been, though I didn’t always see their value right from the start. For instance, joining Facebook groups for graphic and brand designers, and others for small business owners—especially those run by women—opened up a world of shared knowledge and support that I never expected to find on that dinosaur of a social media platform. It was like stumbling into a treasure trove of insights, where everyone’s question sparked a cascade of useful tips and tools, helping me piece together my own bespoke guide to navigating the creative industry.
Then there’s the magic of mockups. It’s one thing to tell someone about their brand’s potential, but showing them their brand in action, on everything from stationery to T-shirts, really lights up their imagination. My favorites—Bendito Mockup (https://benditomockup.com/), Art Directed (https://artdirected.design/), Mockup Maison (https://mockup.maison/), and a few others—have become indispensable in my toolkit for making brands come alive.
Building my own network, or “Creative Cohorts” as I like to call them, and diving into mentorship have been pivotal too. It wasn’t just about expanding my professional network; it was about forming genuine connections and learning from each other’s journeys. This sense of community and shared growth has been a cornerstone of my own development.
On a more personal note, diving into manifesting work, meditation, and mindfulness has had a profound impact on both my personal well-being and professional ability. Participating in courses like Benshen(https://www.benshen.
This blend of professional development and personal growth has truly shaped my approach to brand design. It’s taught me that success isn’t just about the technical skills you acquire but also about the person you grow into along the way. For anyone navigating the creative landscape, remember that it’s as much about building your toolkit as it is about nurturing your inner self. Embrace the journey, seek out communities that uplift you, and don’t shy away from investing in your personal growth. It’s all part of becoming not just a better creative professional, but a more fulfilled person. A mantra I tell myself is “You are the architect of your own life, you get to decide how it’s built and designed.”
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.zoecopecreative.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoe_cope_creative/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoe-cope/
Image Credits
Portrait – Aubrey Janelle (https://www.aubreyjanelle.com/) Precious Ghost Illustrations – Holly May (https://studioprior.com/) Rose Room Illustrations – Maria Noel (https://www.instagram.com/ria.noel) Charlie Henderson portrait in street sign mockup – Aubrey Janelle (https://www.aubreyjanelle.com/) Precious Ghost portrait in postcard mockup – Aubrey Janelle (https://www.aubreyjanelle.com/) Bramble Floral portrait in laptop mockup – The Asher Photo (http://www.theashersphoto.com/)