Creative Box Agency launched in 2019, the brainchild of CEO and strategic genius Mark Stern. I've had the joy of knowing Mark for years, and when he asked me to join the team as the Creative Directer, it was a no-brainer to say yes. I am deeply grateful to be a part of CBA’s growth and our clients’ success.
Since then, I have had a hand in redefining brands for established businesses like Relationship Development, influencers like Prince Ea, and startups like _____. Each project is unique, but over the past few years, we have gained truckloads of insight into how influencers and business owners can deliver even more value through structured courses, challenges, and bespoke custom boxes with everything their clients need for success.
By far, the most rewarding part of working with CBA has been developing a global team of talented designers. It provides unvarnished insight into how designers around the world think and communicate. We are discovering new ways to guide creative development online without the benefit of traditional in-person group reviews or the creative energy that comes from brainstorming and collaborating over physical project roughs.
We also discovering new ways to elevate our finished products above what other online design shops can offer. The old saying is still true, the heart of design is in the details. Creating design best practices, reusable templates based on real-world feedback from our clients and theirs, and ensuring consistency throughout multiple printed pieces within the same program all contribute to the success of each client.
Project Scope
Branding
Logo and brand strategy, brand standards guide, and positioning for new sub-brands.
Collateral Design
Printed elements such as personal notes in each box, business cards, inserts, and client workbooks for the best possible experience.
Package Design
Create best practices and QA templates for client custom box designs, swag, and design standards for CBA.
Copywriting
Story-based client-focused content throughout the site, headlines, body copy, and calls to action.
Design
New graphics, photo editing, icon creation, video direction, on site creative direction and coordination.
Custom Site, CSS, & Type
Custom design and fonts make the user experience richer and more engaging.
Full Color & Web
1 & 2 Color
Having been with the Custom Box Agency since the early days—Mark invited me to join the team shortly after launching—I’ve seen steady growth in both client support, pedagogical strategies, breakthrough gamification, integrated technologies, and a growing creative team. I have the privilege of supporting the designers with creative direction and oversee their creative development through tailored Loom videos. We currently have well over 100 videos available covering design, typography, using Adobe’s Creative Suite, and optimizing each piece for production.
Website
The CBA website uses a minimal design to speak directly to clients and lead them to applying for a new custom box project. A client success gallery is in the works for the future. For prospective clients, a pre-screening form guides them though key questions to evaluate their readiness for a box launch and delivers one of three next steps.
- You’re ready. Clients begin the onboarding process for the Custom Box Experience with one of CBA’s brilliant Client Success Managers (CSM).
- You’re almost there. Clients discover the next steps needed to be ready to launch. A CSM helps them identify the gaps and offers support to fill each one.
- Not yet. Clients receive ongoing support to develop the structure and content required for a successful box launch or are directed to a trusted vendor or solution that can deliver what they need until they are ready for a full Custom Box Experience.
Brand Guide
All Brand Guides can be delivered in printed and saddle-stitched, PDF, online (web accessible), and PowerPoint versions. This makes them easy to share to freelance designers, copywriters, and vendors. So you can focus on growing your business, not micromanaging the consistency of deliverables.
Global Design Teams
I’m the bald guy in the top center, Mark Stern, the CEO and strategic genius behind CBA is in a ball cap, just to the left of Addie, our CMO and team corgi. The illustration comes from our team illustrator, Bakh, who is based in the middle east.
Distributed design teams pose a unique challenge to growing businesses. Entrepreneurs have to navigate cultural uniqueness, language barriers, and giving creative direction via Zoom, Slack, FileStage, or other tools without the benefit of in-person dynamics. This often means multiple iterations of each piece and precise feedback for each request or change. “Make it pop” doesn’t mean the same thing to a designer in Latin America as it does to one in your home town.
The benefits, though, far outweigh the obstacles. Distributed teams bring new insight, cultural design aesthetics, and a vibrancy that can’t be found with mono-cultural teams. On top of that, working with young designers is a joy as they grow their skills and develop their own unique design vision, enriching the entire organization.