i'd rather do big work for small BRANDS than small work for big BRANDS...

hi, i'm andy sharpe and it's personal

After years in the creative industry both as a designer/art director and educator, I was ready to use that unique blend of experiences to build something of my own. Armed with a true obsession for my craft (and maybe a dash of spite), I took the solo plunge and I have not looked back. With Sharpe Creative, I was quickly able to find the sweet spot that I thought didn't exist in my industry... a balance of prioritizing family life while doing big work for smaller brands and on my own terms. Most small to medium business owners open their "doors" because they are trying to obtain freedom and build a life, not necessarily create an empire. So, why do we exist? The same reason you do... It's personal.

code of conduct

Be Truthful 😇

No snake oil, magic bullets, or fluffy industry buzzwords. Honesty is the best policy. We only sell what we believe is in the best interest of the future of your business.

Be Your Own Flavor 🦄

Trying to be another brand is a waste of time. Don't be a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Find your inner Black Raspberry Oreo Chunk, ice cream, and own it.

True Stories > Shiny Objects ✨

Many businesses are just chasing shiny objects. Trying to hack the newest algorithm, befriend the AI-robots, beat the ever-changing systems, and jump on the social media flavor of the week... but they have no clue how to differentiate. If you own who you are, you can be successful regardless of the robot overlords.

Pro People 🤠

“Human capital” and “assets” are garbage ways to refer to people. Brands are the humans that form them. We work with people, not "assets."

If You Win, We Win 🤜💥🤛

We are a small business for small businesses. If we work together, we both have skin in the game. We want nothing more than our work to have an instrumental role in transforming your business.

Don't Work with Turds 💩

We love doing good work for good-hearted, passionate people. Mutual respect can produce great results! Life is too short to partner up with turds.

Balance, Always ⚖️

Strategy without creative has no pulse and will get ignored and forgotten. Creative without being strategic is like throwing spaghetti at the wall. Both need to play in the sandbox together.

Money Ain't Everything 🤑

We all have to pay the bills, but we've never really found money to be the core motivator (see previous beliefs). The right partnerships, craft, opportunities, experiences, making, building, creating impact... those are true motivators! Sharpe Creative works to live, not lives to work.

my motivation...

earning street cred

People and brands are a culmination of their ingredients. Sharpe Creative only exists because of a unique blend of past opportunities that I have been fortunate enough to experience.

The good, the bad, the ugly... I wouldn't trade any of it. It was all formative and set me up to fly solo well.

background + education

As early as I can remember I was filling sketchbooks with Lion King, The X-Men, and buried in Lego. Making things has always been an inseparable part of me.

In high school, I discovered a new way to communicate with art called, Graphic Design. This led to a scholarship, an associate's degree at Sinclair Community College, and transferring to finish my BA in Graphic Design at Cedarville University.

my work-life story

My career started in 2010 at a local print shop that was transitioning to offer marketing services where I got a variety of well-rounded experiences.

Then it was the typical graphic design trajectory... Designer ➡ Senior Designer ➡ Art Director at various agencies and studios. Again, gaining a wide range of experiences across many industries, both B2B and B2C...

I came to really NOT like much of what came along with being an agency-based creative. So, I pursued education. Initially I was moonlighting adjunct instructor and then taught full-time for a few years at The Modern College of Design while moonlighting freelance design work.

Enter 2020... A new parent with a second child on the horizon. Though I loved teaching and still regularly miss working with budding designers, teaching became hard to sustain at the time with the state of the world and my stage of life.

I always dreamed of building my own thing. As a very risk averse guy, I didn't see it as realistic. Moonlighting had saved up a decent padding. So, the current season of life had made me realize that it was now or never...

I have been running Sharpe Creative full-time since late 2020 and haven't looked back. Sharpe Creative has been critical in the family-focused and creatively fulfilling balance I was chasing. I have been able to directly serve many amazing businesses by transforming their brand presence.

awards & recognition

Awards are a little bit like being Prom King (which I clearly never was). But, shortly after the crowning, nobody cares... Sharpe Creative has won various local, regional, and national awards and has had work published in logo design books... I could continue to spend time and cash entering the latest dog and pony show OR I could hunker down and stay focused on serving those who appreciate what I do, distraction-free. I choose Option B.

Branding is one of the few true magic arts of the business world. And Andy is a wizard. He knows the alchemy between simple and distinct that can be translated into real commercial outcomes. Anyone who’s considering a new brand strategy should talk to Sharpe Creative.

Nick Richtsmeier

CULTURECRAFT

I couldn't imagine a better partner for my studio branding. Sharpe Creative gave me above and beyond what I expected, and the quality they achieved even at the early stages was extraordinary. Thanks for getting my company ready to ride, Andy!

joey judkins

we ride at dawn

Andy has really brought a tremendous amount of value to the brand. He has a great ability to understand who we are as a company, but also makes us look past where we currently are toward the future. He has become a real part of our team.

eric soller

Old Scratch Pizza

Sharpe Creative brings a level of thoughtfulness and attention to detail that goes above and beyond our expectations. Sharpe Creative sets clients up for success in a way we haven't experienced with other service providers.

Justin Shamash

BLACK LABEL FUND

Sharpe Creative designed our NavX Realty recruiting website. We were absolutely blown away. The creativity and final product far exceeded our expectations, and at a tremendous value!

MARK PEEBLES

Nav X Realty

In a few words, Sharpe Creative is talented, witty, fun, dynamic, compassionate, and positive. Sharpe Creative did an amazing job refreshing our company's branding. Andy took exactly what we know our brand is about and brought it to fruition.

MOLLY BAKER

Ripple Junction

Sharpe Creative has been an invaluable partner as Fifth Street Brewpub has worked to update our brand. Without Sharpe Creative's expertise we likely would not have moved forward, or would have done so with a lesser product.

KRIS KROPFF

Fifth Street Brewpub

Sharpe Creative designed and developed our website and exceeded my expectations in every way possible. The site itself looks fantastic, but even more importantly they were able to help write a lot of the content and figure out ways to present that technical content.

Andy loff

Axcess

We have found Andy to be patient, thoughtful and most importantly a great listener. He asks great questions to help draw out information that helps create a clear picture of the need. His work is impeccable because of his attention to detail.

MIKE MURPHY

Acadia LMS

High five on the Heritage Music Press rebrand. The logo and the concept behind how it was crafted is so cool. The brand guide itself is crafted and art directed so beautifully. Everything is clear and easy to read and understand. Great job!

heritage music press

Retail Partner

Sharpe Creative worked with us to develop a brand position and identity that allows us to attract, confidently meet with, and secure deals in the new markets we are targeting. Agency-level creative work at a cost that makes more sense for a smaller, more agile business like ours.

PATRICK LAKE

APPLIED SCIENCES

Andy is a true master of his craft. The outside the box thinking is exactly what we needed to stand out. He presents in a way that allows you to see the intricacies of the process. He delivers the product the customer is looking for. We will absolutely continue working with Andy in the future.

ALEX FLEMING

MULDER FLEET SERVICES

Andy’s talent as a graphic designer and creative director is second to none. Andy listens, creates from his heart, provides invaluable feedback and expertise, and delivers well above what I’ve experienced from other designers. Our brand is so much better than anything I could have imagined and that’s all because of Andy.

sarah dowlin

worklife studios

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