We are an award winning, strategic brand identity and design studio proudly located in Newburyport, Massachusetts. Lead by Creative Director, Kelsy Stromski, we are boutique by choice — a small team doing big things — creating thoughtful, timeless brands for brave clients looking to stand apart from the pack.
We help brands figure out who they are, what makes them different and how to show it. We listen intently, we ask lots of questions and have an incredible team of professionals we partner with on a regular basis which allows us to scale up or down depending on your project's unique needs.
— OUR CORE SERVICES —
BRANDING
Brand Identity
Logo Design
Naming
Creative Direction
Strategy
DESIGN
Retail
Packaging
Signage
Labels
Menu Design
LETTERING
Mural Design
Hand Lettering
Custom Typography
Editorial Design
Wordmark Refinement
We strive to create original work that we, as well as our clients, can be proud to call our own. From a global corporation to a little local business, we put the same amount of genuine hard work into every single thing we create.
Kelsy Stromski is a habitual travelholic, dog mom, foodie, former USA biathlete, boss lady, brand aficionado, wife, farmer's daughter, owner, founder & Creative Director of Favor the Brave.
After graduating from the Massachusetts College of Art & Design Kelsy spent several years working for lead advertising and design agencies, as well as an internationally known travel company and taught Graphic Design at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Since founding Favor the Brave in 2014 she has lived on an island, quit commuting, received a tattoo from a monk, adopted three fur babies, had a son and has significantly grown the business — all the while pausing the studio for a month every winter to get outside her comfort zone, live somewhere new in the world and recharge creatively.
Favorite places
Rome, Italy
Santa Teresa, Costa Rica
Azores, Portugal
Boothbay Harbor, Maine
Zermatt, Switzerland
Beaune, France
Isla Mujeres, Mexico
Koh Lanta, Thailand
Reykjavik, Iceland
Newburyport, Massachusetts
CREATIVE Conferences
First Round | San Fransisco, CA
Brand New Conference | Chicago, IL
Brand New Conference | New York, NY
HOW Design Conference | Boston, MA
HOW Design Conference | Atlanta, GA
Designers Roundtable Retreat | Nashville, TN
HOW Design Conference | San Fransisco, CA
AIGA Brand Strategy Workshop | Boston, MA
Speaking & Judging Events
Boston Love Your Brand event | speaker
Society of Printers | speaker
AIGA BOSTON & Society of Grownups: Freelance Best Practices | speaker
ADOBE: Boston Creative Jam | judge
Branding, Marketing & Orange Juice | speaker
Salem Performing Art Center | speaker
You can not afford a $5 logo (coming soon)
Recent Press & Praise
Boston Voyager Magazine: Refinery 43 Feature
Package Design of the World: DGD + Bell & Goose
The Dieline: DGD + Bell & Goose
TOP 26 WOMEN DESIGNERS WORKING TODAY: Branding Design
LUMI BLOG: To Get New Clients, Refinery 43 Delivers On Package Design
DESIGN IDEAS: Laney & Lu Cafe Chalk Lettering
GRAPHIC EXCHANGE: Refinery 43
Awards & Publications
Scripted — Custom Lettering in Graphic Design
101 Business Card Designs Volume 1
Logo Talks IV
LogoLounge Volume 9, 10 and 11
MUSE CREATIVE AWARDS: Platinum (Menu Design), Gold (Corporate Identity) & Honorable Mention (Logo Design)
Baltimore Magazine
Tarnished Magazine
Sample Magazine
WellWed Magazine
Walter Magazine
Chaumont Global Poster Competition