Strategic Consulting and Creative

Laura Ress is a creative director with twenty years of experience in strategy and design leadership. Her passion for design was ignited during her time at Kent State University in Ohio, after which she quickly made a name for herself in Chicago’s vibrant creative community.

Her diverse portfolio includes impactful corporate work for Allstate, Bluetooth, and Motorola, developed through her work with Petrick Design, VSA Partners and DesignKitchen. Her expertise in the higher education sector is evident through her advertising and branding work for the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and the University of Sydney while she was at Lipman Hearne.

In 2009, she launched Laura Ress Design, specializing in research-driven solutions that build meaningful connections. She creates compelling visual stories for clients like Northwestern University, Perkins & Will, University of Chicago, and the University of Illinois Chicago, strengthening brand narratives and helping them achieve their goals.

Over the years, she has established solid strategic relationships with her clients, effectively acting as an extension of their in-house team to support leadership and operations. This includes involvement in intake sessions, communications audits, marketing planning, staffing, and optimizing workflow efficiencies.

A woman standing on steps in front of a building, having her photo taken by two women with photography equipment, including a large umbrella and a reflector.
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A camera on a tripod capturing a night shot of modern, curved glass buildings with illuminated interiors and wooden accents, against a twilight sky.
A group of videographers and photographers with cameras and tripods preparing for a shoot inside a modern building with large glass windows and a high ceiling. Two people are on a mezzanine level, one filming and one observing.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

Strategic Consulting
• Intake and Discovery Phase Partner— Ensuring that research findings provide compelling insights to inform creative development
• Communications Audit Partner— Evaluating current materials for brand consistency, design standards, and message clarity; and developing strategies for future initiatives
• Marketing Plan Partner— Reviewing existing plan tactics and budgets, and offering suggestions on reallocation to improve effectiveness
• MarCom Operations Partner— Helping in-house teams optimize processes for smoother workflows and better service delivery

Creative and Content Development
• Creative strategy, design, and editorial development
• Branding and brand management
• Advertising and donor campaign development
• Publication design, production, and printer coordination
• Website strategy, design, and development
• Photography planning, scheduling, scouting, and art direction
• Illustration concepting and art direction
• Video direction and production

A woman wearing black clothes and a hijab is standing in front of a red photo backdrop, smiling at a photo shoot. There is professional photography equipment around her, including lights and reflectors, in a large room with chairs and closed double d
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Three men filming an elderly man sitting outdoors in a garden surrounded by trees and greenery, with filming equipment and a boom mic overhead.
A video interview taking place in a modern office conference room with large windows showing city skyscrapers. Five people are involved, including two women seated at the table, one woman with red hair using a laptop, and two men operating camera and

AWARDS INCLUDE

Logos of the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) and American Marketing Association.
Black and white logo for the Case Communication Arts program showing a square with the word 'CASE' and the phrase 'Communication Arts' below.
A comparison of text styles showing the words 'Graphics' in gray bold font and 'print' in black bold font inside white boxes with gray borders.
Black-and-white logo with the words "Latham Lucotto" at the top, a circular emblem with intertwined "L" and "Q" letters in the center, and the words "UQC" in a gray block at the bottom.
A photoshoot taking place on a rocky shoreline with three model or actors. One person stands holding a reflector, another is sitting on a rock editing or reviewing photos, and a third is kneeling in the water in a red jacket and shorts, smiling at th
Person taking a photo of a large vibrant digital artwork featuring colorful abstract swirling lines and patterns.
Sheet of colorful and black-and-white illustrations and sketches about happiness hacks, gratitude, and health, including various icons, text, and artwork related to wellness and gratitude practices.
Man sitting in front of a white backdrop during a studio photoshoot, with photography equipment surrounding him.

CLIENTS INCLUDE

LRD Client Logos 1.png
Logos of Elmhurst University and University of Illinois Chicago displayed side by side in grayscale.
Logos of Northwestern University and Midway Partnership on a black background.
Black background with white and gray text. The title reads 'Why Choose Perkins & Will' and includes the logo of The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC).

CONTACT

Text displaying 'LAURA RESS DESIGN' with 'LAURA RESS' in gray and 'DESIGN' in orange