Today we’d like to introduce you to Courtney Lewis
Hi Courtney, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
In short, I never expected to be running my own independent graphic design studio, C Lew Design Co.
In length, here is my story, successes, and the people I met along the way who gave me the strength to make it all possible. The name ‘C Lew Design Co’ originates from close college friends calling me “C-Lew” instead of Courtney. My journey began in 2016 with hands-on experience in Minor League Baseball as the in-house graphic designer for teams like the Hudson Valley Renegades, Pittsfield Suns, and Charleston RiverDogs. This role allowed me to develop project management skills, explore my creative side, and quickly discover my ability to cruise through projects with same-day turnarounds and such. Some of my favorite projects while at the Charleston RiverDogs included the design of team logos and branding the year we rolled out “Make Fun”. My time there was mostly spent working on promotional materials, stadium signage, and event graphics. Seeing my logo on signs and scheduling materials around Charleston, t-shirts, or lapel pins around town—or better yet listed on eBay for $4.79—was thrilling. While MiLB was the most fun time of my life it’s not for the faint of heart as it was also the most demanding. The MiLB front office schedule often required 100-hour work weeks, or working for a few weeks without a break in the schedule. But for young designers, I always recommend starting with an internship or first job out of college in the MiLB just for the experience. And remember to find a team that pays by the hour… *wink wink*.
This led me to move on to working with several graphic design and marketing agencies, where I really learned the craft of corporate branding, logo design, and digital advertising. My work prior to starting my own studio had been featured on SportsCenter MiLB Promos of the week, New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays social media pages, CNN headlines, the New York Times, and the Washington Post. But my favorite is still the RiverDogs Make Fun logo which landed on traffic signs along Lockwood Dr in Charleston, SC for much longer than the branding lasted in our office. But that is always the goal– make a logo that stands the test of time. My design work in the Lowcountry has also landed on beer cans produced out of Rusty Bull Brewery, advertising in conjunction with Budweiser, and digital artwork found within Charleston’s local Costco if you shopped there in 2019-2020.
Which brings us to C Lew Design Co, where we currently specialize in logo design, branding, and event design, while building strong relationships with industry leaders and digital agency partners. C Lew Design Co started as a complete experiment during a prolonged job search but soon became my full-time venture. I owe much of my success and realizing what’s possible to my colleagues in the graphic design community who gave me the confidence to take the leap. Special thanks to Brad Stoneking from Piedmont Brand Co, Mike Jones for his incredible work on all things Creative South, and my hardworking colleagues from my agency days. Collectively all of their support helped me build the wonderful, fulfilling life I enjoy today keeping the lights on at C Lew Design Co.
Thanks!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
After owning and operating a two-year-old graphic design studio, I can say it has had its challenges. Kicking C Lew Design Co off was the easy part, maintaining the momentum has proven to be harder. To keep work coming in I’ve had to reposition my client strategy a few times. When I focus on align myself with the right industry partners and where I aim to be is usually when the bumps in the road start to smooth out. Going above and beyond for my clients, and referrals are crucial to my current marketing strategy, but can also be challenging because they rely on others’ perceptions of my work.
The element of “doing it all” is what I’d say is the biggest obstacle. “Graphic Design Studio” to most people sounds like you do one thing, graphic design. However balancing the creative work with business tasks like managing my own invoicing and books, marketing myself, and doing 100% of the client communication have proved to be difficult. The fluctuating workload requires careful planning to manage busy and does lead me to be grateful for quiet periods at times.
Despite these challenges, the journey has been rewarding. I’ve spent more time with my family out west and traveling in the last 2 years than I ever had in my 6 seasons of baseball combined.
Each obstacle has taught me personal resilience, strategic thinking, and the value of a supportive network and even more supportive friends.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Aside from my digital design work as I like to say, “on the screens” I also have fallen in love with watercolor and gouache painting the last few years. My best work stems from finding inspiration in Lowcountry sunsets. I think this inspiration also stems from working in baseball and looking forward to the “cotton candy skies” and being excited for the sunset each night. I’ve experimented with selling prints and originals online or in local boutiques but for the most part my love for painting has always been a personal venture that is more a stress relief than a monetary aspect of my life, and I am just fine with that. It also makes for great post cards, holiday cards, and gifts for my family and friends and is most special when I see someone light up after handing them something and I say “I painted this for you!”
Through COVID I also really dove into photography around Charleston and the Lowcountry as a personal venture too and that’s something I definitely would love to find time for again.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Growing up I was the youngest of three. My parents describe me as a quiet, low-maintenance kid who was always usually hanging out in the background, taking in the chaos of the rest of the family. Now I think everyone would agree I am usually the one providing the chaos now!
I grew up in upstate NY and I think it’s safe to say if I wasn’t outside, playing soccer or lacrosse, then I was usually knee-deep in a creative project of the sorts like making bracelets for my friends, crocheting, or making holiday and birthday cards on the CD-ROM version of photoshop. Technically my first graphic design project would’ve been our 2001 holiday card made in Microsoft Paint.
Personality wise it certainly took years, and a mix of life experiences to shape me into who I am today but growing up I always found myself in leadership positions in one way or another, so it’s no surprise I now operate as “my own boss”. Whether that was captain of my sports teams, leading student clubs, or just corraling my friends to do something fun (or occasionally stupid) on the weekends. Starting the Women’s Division 1 Lacrosse Club at UAlbany, State University was the most rewarding, and fun of my leadership roles, and feels good to know 10 years later they are still a successful organization.
Pricing:
- I price my clients specifically to their budget and how customized each project needs to be to fit their unique project needs! Branding typically fluctuates between $1500–$3500 for my clients. However the larger the project, usually the larger the budget, and therefore a larger time commitment and extensive amount of design you’ll get from me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://courtney-lewis-2024.desdeck.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clewdesignco/
