Meet Alena.

In a Nutshell.

I’m a German-grown, US-based creative director and designer, equal parts creative thinker and strategic doer. For 15+ years, I’ve led and contributed to brand-building, design, and content creation across industries, with a soft spot for storytelling and human-centric design.

I’m passion-fueled, process-minded, and happiest when I get to take a project from messy brainstorm to polished execution – guiding teams, aligning with strategy, and elevating the work along the way. I’ve built deep know-how across design disciplines and am fluent in the tools that bring it all to life.

I stay calm under pressure, believe the best creative starts with empathy and ends with real impact, and never quite stop being an optimist. I love working with purpose-driven brands, building meaningful campaigns, and collaborating with teams that care about the “why” as much as the “wow.” Always learning, always curious – with heart, focus, and maybe one too many tabs open.

My Toolkit

  • How I help brands define their voice and connect with purpose.

    • Brand positioning & messaging

    • Creative concepting

    • Campaign development

    • Strategic storytelling

    • Naming & tagline creation

    • Stakeholder alignment

  • Building the visual backbone of a brand, from first impression to full rollout.

    • Logo & identity design

    • Typography & color systems

    • Brand guidelines

    • Multilingual adaptations

    • Design system development

    • Art direction

  • Translating ideas into impactful visuals across platforms.

    • Presentation design (incl. TED talks, investor decks)

    • Packaging & print collateral

    • Social media & digital content

    • Environmental & event design (e.g. trade shows)

    • Marketing campaign assets

    • Photo & video direction

  • Leading creative teams and processes from kickoff to execution.

    • Team mentorship & creative reviews

    • Cross-functional collaboration

    • Brief development & stakeholder management

    • Timeline & resource planning

    • Agency/vendor oversight

    • Feedback & iteration loops

  • Designing with intention, especially in sustainability and lifestyle.

    • Sustainability-focused branding

    • Food & consumer product experience

    • Mission-based messaging

    • Human-centered design

    • Startups & in-house creative

    • Values-aligned storytelling

Nice Words from Nice People

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Nice Words from Nice People ☺︎

  • Alena, I just wanted to send you a note to express my appreciation for all the work you are doing on mocking up the new designs. I have been pulling slides out of the deck you are building to help position this with the Leadership Team, and the stuff you are creating is terrific! This can be a tough conversation to get your head wrapped around the concept, so having the graphics and slides to visualize the future is a huge help in gaining alignment. Again, really good work and high quality, thank you so much for all that you are doing!

    Peter Allen

    Vice President, Product Strategy & Management, Apeel Sciences

  • Alena, you did an amazing job with the design changes. Overall incredible and there are specific slides I want to gush about (15-19!!!). Cant thank you enough. I think you might be a wizard.

    Jason Carty

    Senior Sales Director, Apeel Sciences

  • Alena, you are seriously one of the most thoughtful and resourceful designers I've worked with. Thanks for sending such a thorough reply. I really appreciate you exploring some alternate options. That one hits all the marks for me.

    Steve Babcock

    Creative Director, Apeel Sciences

  • I know I speak on behalf of our client, when I say that what you created for them was very special. We wouldn't be successful without your hard work and dedication.

    Camille Hanna

    Senior Manager, Major Accounts EU, Apeel Sciences

  • AH! I’m in LOVE! I think it all looks great and I’m so excited to see it all come together.

    Natalie Shuman

    Owner & Operator, Sun Divers Roatan