Creative professionals are more valuable when focused on what they do brilliantly.

– Christine Walker, Founder

 
 

The Design Guild is comprised of people doing the work they do best, which tends to be the work they find most fulfilling. Win, win. We're focused on producing the highest quality work, at the fairest rates, in the timeframe required, as efficiently as possible. When you work with the Design Guild, we establish a dedicated team to collaborate with you to bring your ideas to life in the most compelling way possible.

For more than a decade, the Guild has worked to support creative talent by building systems that provide our teams with tremendous flexibility in how they work. This also makes it easier to align with the way our clients want to work. Our clients get the best of both worlds -- the organization and resources of an agency combined with the flexibility and ingenuity of freelancers. We like working together. And we think you'll like working with us.

 
 

People


 

We are an interesting collection of characters. Many of us wear multiple hats; others of us prefer to keep our focus tight and narrow. Some do 5% of their work with the Guild, others fill their plate 100% with Guild projects. All are highly qualified, well trained and smart. But most importantly, we like working together. We know each other well, and we have the shared goal of producing the highest quality work as efficiently as possible.

Christine walker

  • Christine Walker established The Design Guild in 2012. She saw that there was a better way than the traditional agency or freelance models to build creative teams and produce the highest quality communications. Christine has more than 25 years working with some of the biggest brands on the planet, Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, Pepsi, Kellogg’s, Belkin, Wal-Mart and Disney. In addition, she lead all marketing and design efforts for O'Reilly Media, an international technology publisher and conference producer. An analytical mind and background in design make her ideally suited to a holistic and strategic approach to communication design. Christine lives in Benicia, CA where she enjoys a small town life and long walks on the coast of the Carquinez Strait.

 

JoJo Stassel

  • JoJo Stassel has been apart of the Design Guild for almost 2 years, she loves being able to work with other creative professionals to make a big impact. JoJo’s education at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo focused on the unique process of designing for print, which gave her a strong technical background in the output of printed pieces from design on a desktop to running the printing press. After graduating with a degree in Graphic Communication in 2020, JoJo founded One Stone Design with her business partner, Morgan McKean who also works with the Guild. Together, they serve as the Design Guild’s studio managers, bookkeepers and graphic designers. Their shared love of print design, handmade goods and texture informs and inspires all of their design choices. JoJo lives in Downtown San Diego where she enjoys going to the beach, if she’s not painting or starting a new crochet project.

 

Kerry Rego

  • Kerry Rego is a social media trainer, technology consultant, author, and speaker working with individuals, businesses, government, and nonprofits since 2006. She educates people, implements tools, and trains staff on new media.

    Kerry is a lecturer at Sonoma State University and adjunct faculty at Santa Rosa Junior College. She’s a recipient of the North Bay Business Journal’s 2011 “Forty Under 40 Award” and the author of The Social Media Starter Kit and What You Don’t Know About Social Media CAN Hurt You: Take Control of Your Online Reputation.

 

Marcia Simmons

Fox Scarlett

  • Fox Scarlett is a web developer who works with platforms including JavaScript apps, Wordpress and Shopify. He is a dedicated proponent of accessibility and security in all web applications. Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, he realized he had an affinity for computer programming after inadvertently acing the one required software class in his hardware electronics degree. He has built and launched hundreds of websites and formerly did data analysis for an international digital electronics manufacturer. Fox joined The Design Guild in 2019 and enjoys the creative atmosphere and the uniqueness of each of our projects. When he’s not staring at a code editor he can be found creating electronic music for the UK-based digital record label he co-founded. He resides in Santa Rosa.

 

Courtney
Van De Burg

  • Courtney offers a mix of analytical skills and creativity with a passion for the design process. She believes that great design can only be so effective on its own, however, and sets out to create projects that are based on a clear purpose and message with a strong foundation in brand strategy. She brings a combination of collaboration and creativity to every project as she strives to develop compelling, functional designs that work in harmony with clients’ marketing goals.

    Courtney has worked with Christine since 2010 and is one of the original team members of The Design Guild. In her career, she has worked with a large array of clients from small businesses and innovative start-ups to government entities and national organizations. Her project work has included both print and digital assets and has also contributed project management, copywriting and web build-outs for The Design Guild. For Courtney, design is both a career and a hobby, outside of spending time with her family and their many activities.

 

Marc Harris

  • Marc Harris has  extensive experience in SEO, content creation, website development and internet marketing. He is a moderator at WebmasterWorld, one of the largest websites for news and discussions geared toward website professionals.

 

Avalon Cassard

  • Avalon Cassard joined The Design Guild in the Spring of 2022, seeking to work with – and learn from – a group of talented, like-minded creative professionals. Avalon jumpstarted her career working with her local newspaper as a reporter and editorial assistant, before attending Cal Poly San Luis Obispo where she pursued a degree in journalism with an emphasis in public relations. Following her graduation in Spring of 2021, Avalon has aligned herself in the marketing sphere, specializing in copywriting, social media strategy, and marketing coordination. Avalon is a Southern California native, who currently lives in Alameda, CA where she can be found spending time with her family, knitting, playing video games, or doing crosswords in her free time.

 

Jessica Medina

  • Jessica Medina Charney has loved communications since she began making "commercials" for toys and household items as a child. With a background in psychology and a lifelong passion for storytelling, Jessica creates impactful communications solutions that resonate with audiences on a deeper level. Jessica specializes in writing, crisis communications, public information campaigns, product marketing, and project management.

    Most recently, Jessica has supported the City of Petaluma communications program through the COVID-19 pandemic and multiple natural disasters. Channeling her experience in the private sector to support critical public health and safety campaigns has brought Jessica’s love of communications to a new level. She has completed certificate programs in public engagement and public information from Pepperdine University and the California Office of Emergency Services.

    Through her career, Jessica has produced compelling copy and communications for private and public sector clients like the City of Petaluma, Santa Rosa Junior College, the City of Santa Rosa, Clover Sonoma, Lowepro, Gitzo, Manfrotto, Scandinavian Designs, and WorldCentric.

 
 
 

We are an interesting collection of characters. Many of us wear multiple hats; others of us prefer to keep our focus tight and narrow. Some do 5% of their work with the Guild, others fill their plate 100% with Guild projects. All are highly qualified, well trained and smart. But most importantly, we like working together. We know each other well, and we have the shared goal of producing the highest quality work as efficiently as possible.

 
 

Morgan Parrish

  • Morgan Parrish is a freelance graphic designer raised in the heart of Petaluma, California. He started his career in 2010 and, since then, has worked with everything from small start-up companies to large corporations—primarily in Sonoma County and the northern Bay Area.

    When he’s not at his computer designing, you can find him out in nature; hiking, camping, and surfing. These hobbies encourage him to travel to different areas of the world, immerse himself in different cultures, and experience the world in a different light. Travel has played an important role in developing Morgan into the designer he is today.

 

Morgan McKean

  • Morgan McKean joined The Design Guild in Fall of 2021 and is thrilled to be a part of a passionate team that produces thoughtful, unique work. She and her business partner, JoJo Stassel, graduated from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo in Spring of 2020 and decided to start their own graphic design studio right out of school. Together they founded One Stone Design and specialize in brand, web and print design for small businesses and entrepreneurs. She has worked with clients of all types and enjoys watching concepts turn into actualized creative solutions. Her background in the graphic communication industry makes her a strong designer for projects ranging from custom Squarespace websites to innovative product packaging. Morgan lives in San Diego, CA and can be found at any of the county’s weekly farmers markets, at Kate Sessions Park on a Sunday, or at the beach!

 

Isabella (Izzy) Peregrina

  • In January of 2021, Isabella (Izzy) Peregrina became the youngest member to join the Design Guild at 23 years old. Isabella has been working freelance doing everything from graphic design, website development, photography, videography, video editing, and social media management since January of 2016.

    After graduating Cum Laude from Sonoma State University and joining the Guild less than a month after graduation, Isabella felt it was time to officially start her own business. Thus, SociFluent was born! She chose this name because not only is she “Socially Fluent” in many aspects of content creation, but her goal is to help her clients become fluent, too.

    When she isn’t creating content, Isabella enjoys cooking, playing video games, and acting whenever she gets the chance. A fun fact about Isabella is that she was the voice of “Sister Sarah” in The Polar Express when she was 7 years old!

 

Martin Cruz Rivarola

  • Martín Rivarola joined The Design Guild in March 2020, just days before the COVID-19 pandemic made the world "shelter-in-place" and thus the need to communicate this message and many others across the Latinx community. Luckily Martín came around just in time to cover the Guild's Spanish-language communication needs. Martín specializes in community engagement having worked as both as a community organizer and leading teams of community health workers throughout Sonoma County. He leads a team of translators, interpreters and communication specialists that are ready to serve any client. A graduate of Cal Poly-SLO, Martín currently spends half the year in Santa Rosa CA and the other half in Córdoba, Argentina where he is working on competing his thesis project for his MPH. Martín enjoys the fast pace dynamics of DG and responding to the clients' needs immediately.

 

Erin Euser

  • Erin Euser is a project manager and communications strategist who has been working with The Design Guild since 2017. Erin started her career back in her hometown in the Napa Valley working for the Yountville Chamber of Commerce, revamping their marketing efforts, and quickly learning the importance of place branding in meaningful storytelling. The world of food and wine drew her to San Francisco to work as a marketing consultant at Andrew Freeman & Co., one of the leading boutique hospitality agencies in the Bay Area. For the past eight years Erin has been a freelance consultant and strategist, continuing to support her long standing restaurant clients while leading branding projects and large scale campaigns for The Design Guild – including projects for the City of Petaluma, Santa Rosa Junior College, the City of Fairfield, and more. Erin brings her tenacity, effective communication, attention to detail, humor, and integrity to each project. Currently Erin lives in the Presidio of San Francisco, a five minute walk from Baker Beach where she regularly visits with her partner, Brendan, and their sweet pup, Douglas.

 

Karen Pavone

  • Karen brings over a decade of experience as a professional photographer and copywriter crafting engaging and effective marketing content for individual and corporate business entities. Her ability to tell a client's unique story with personalized and artful photographs are hallmarks of her business. Her broad expertise behind the lens includes work in editorial/advertising, tourism, food, product development, events, real estate, portraits and weddings. Karen brings creativity, a fun-loving spirit, and a fresh perspective to everything she does. She has been a proud Guild team member since 2018.

 

Monica Kamsvaag

  • With a wide range of in-depth experience primarily in print design and production, Monica Kamsvaag joined The Design Guild in 2016. Having worked with Christine Walker while at O'Reilly Media, she eagerly joined the Guild team when the opportunity arose. Born and raised in the SF Bay Area, Monica moved to Portland, Oregon in 2021, and has been enjoying each of the four distinct seasons, as she gets to know her new home.

 

Six Hawkins

  • Six Hawkins joined the Design Guild in the Fall of 2022 to become more connected with other creatives along her entrepreneurial journey. Six is a Jill of many trades, who is an innovative and expressive storyteller with a strategic eye for design. She specializes in Business + Brand Development, Creative Direction, and Social Media Marketing. Six is a digital nomad but currently calls Houston, TX home. In her free time, she enjoys indulging in elevated experiences, traveling, coffee shop hunting, creating fashion content and park dates with her pup.

 

Emma Cunningham

  • Emma is a writer, editor, + creative based in sunny Los Angeles. With a background in sustainability, nutrition, and wellness, she specializes in copy + content creation for purpose-driven brands dedicated to making an impact and progressing toward a healthy, equitable, + prosperous future for all.

 Our Clients

 

26 North Aviation

ADR Architectural Design

Basin Street Properties

Bay Laurel Culinary

CalFresh Produce

Castello di Amorosa

Chicken Pharm

Cowgirl Creamery

F.E.E.D. Sonoma

Fern Bar

Foundry Warf

Green Music Center

Harper Collins

Harvest

Hess Family Wine Estates

Keller Street CoWork

Lightstream Animation

Live Oak Farm

MacPhail Family Wines

Marietta Cellars

Milkbarn

 

Mission Measurement

NowArchive

O'Neill Vintners and Distillers

Oakmont Financial Group, LLC

Petaluma Valley Athletic Club

Redwood Health Club of Ukiah

Rolling Hills Club

Soiland

Sonoma Portworks

St. Florian Brewing

Stable Yoga

The Petaluman

Weill Hall at Sonoma State University

World Centric

Young Travelers Club

One Lake - Solano County

City of Petaluma

City of Rohnert Park

City of Santa Rosa

Creative Sonoma

Petaluma Downtown Association

 

Petaluma Visitors Center

Sonoma County Economic Development Board

Town of Windsor

Committee On The Shelterless (COTS)

Friends of the Petaluma River

Grizzly Academy

Irish Diaspora Decolonization Alliance

Petaluma Blacks for Community Development

Petaluma Chamber of Commerce

Petaluma Community Foundation

Petaluma Health Center

Santa Rosa Junior College

Santa Rosa Junior College Foundation

Sonoma State University

St. Vincent de Paul Church

St. Vincent de Paul High School

Watershed Media