To remain personally invested in every project we undertake, we have consciously sized and structured our tight-knit team.
While our hearts are in Houston, we collaborate with minds all over the map, convening different skill sets, specialists, and perspectives as needed to bring your project to fruition. We find this approach keeps the overload low, the quality high, the reach ever-wide, and the work more dynamic. Our Principle crew is bound by talent, not time zone, and can currently be found working across Houston, Austin, Atlanta, and Nashville.
Allyson Lack
Founder, Creative Director
Ina Riley
Business Director
Describe your role and your favorite thing about it.
As Creative Director, I am on a perpetual mission to align our collective ethos with like-minded clients and projects that inspire our team. I am often looking at things from the 10,000-foot point of view, pivoting between business development and art direction and advocating for how to best solve our clients’ challenges. But as a creative at heart, I revel in the minutiae of typographic nuances and the nitty-gritty production details.
What motivates you? Who or what are you inspired by?
When I began to understand the power of design and brand, it was like drinking from a firehose. I discovered this world at the age of 19 by accident while auditing an art class, and I have been fully devoted to this work ever since. What propels me forward is the desire to just keep doing it, surrounded by incredible talent, wonderful humans, and our shared intensity / seriousness for putting the absolute best work out there.
How do you define “success”?
On a macro level, success comes from two things: picking projects that feed our creative curiosity, and then crafting solutions that make our clients successful in turn. On the micro level, my goal as a creative director is to continue to build a team that works together well and to foster an environment in which each person is challenged, engaged, and heard. I know we’re on the right track when we’re growing together, earning the ability to take risks, and are able to say when something isn’t the right fit. Moving into our current space was a huge milestone—but then so was hiring my first full-time creative. And my second, and my tenth! I’m always delighted and humbled to have talented folks come aboard.
Describe your role and your favorite thing about it.
As one half of our business development team, I’m one of the first people to meet with potential clients and see if we’d be a good fit for them, and them for us. Even in that initial phase, we dig deep to understand who they are and learn their hopes, dreams, and goals. I’m passionate about seeing those initial aspirations through for our clients, from the start to the end of projects and beyond. Once we get into the work itself, I lead the charge on Naming at Principle, which is truly a puzzle. We’re looking for a memorable name that sounds and feels right for the brand while subtly signaling what the brand is or does. It’s a cross between a conceptual fit and a gut-level check and there is definitely a method to the madness.
What motivates you? Who or what are you inspired by?
Every part of the creative process—the big picture, the little fires, the desire to present the best thing possible.
What are your tricks of the trade?
Actively listening to our clients and proactively advocating for them. Thinking ahead on their behalf and working with our team to future-proof solutions. And coffee always helps.
Erin O’Connor
Writing Director
Carissa Hempton
Design Director
Describe your role and your favorite thing about it.
At one point my title was Writer and Brand Strategist, but anyone who knows me knows I’m funny about that last word. To me, strategy is having a plan and having a reason, and that applies to everything we do here—words or otherwise. Our designers are incredibly strategic. So I’d describe my primary role as architecting verbal identities, which is about 70% listening, 20% wrangling, and 10% writing. I’m very into diagrams. I work to understand our clients’ work and why they do it, what they’re really trying to convey, and how these things can intersect as beautifully as possible via words. The result might be a name or a tagline or a brand anthem or, better yet, a big chunky headline in delicious type. Because our work exposes us to so many different people and stories, I have the opportunity to learn all the time, supported by a team who is passionate and curious and hilarious. You always work toward and hope for that moment where you show the client the work and their reaction is, “Wow, you really heard me. This is it.”
What motivates you? Who or what are you inspired by?
I’m inspired by our clients, our team, fresh air, a good checklist, a cheesy musical, a cheesy snack, reading when I get to it, and green and growing things. I’m motivated by a love of order. I enjoy making sense of what’s complicated and finding an elegant way to organize information and express personality. Every client brings a unique challenge, a chance to try something new—to move a good thing forward.
What do you wish you had known when you started out?
To be confident in your voice. Not complacent or unyielding, but comfortable with having an inherent style and finding the people who are open to the world through your lens—who will champion and challenge you without trying to change who you are.
Describe your role and your favorite thing about it.
I see myself as a design mentor and a lifelong student, so I take into account all the different pieces of a project—audience, brand perception, language, culture, visual elements—and help make sense of it while learning alongside everyone.
What motivates you? Who or what are you inspired by?
Contemporary art, film, music, fashion, color, people, places—all forms of creative expression play a part in who I am and what I make. For me, design isn’t just about creating something beautiful or functional; it’s an opportunity to improve quality of life. I try to think about someone’s entire experience, which should start with easily accessible and easily usable design for as many people as possible. Because when we’re all able to navigate and use the world around us in full, that’s when we know we’re doing something right.
What do you wish you had known when you started out?
You have to let go of your ego to grow. When I was starting out, I thought I had to know everything. I’d hesitate to ask my print rep if something was going to work or what their thoughts were on a design because I was timid about using the expertise around me. But it’s so much easier to get inspired—to learn something new, to approach a problem from a different angle, to find solutions—when you make room for the questions and ideas you might be holding in.
Elizabeth Kelley
Design Director
Jourdin Hendrix
Account Director
Describe your role and your favorite thing about it.
I oversee the digital side of things. So on any given day I might design, art direct, follow tech trends, get possibly too hung up in the details, mentor young designers, work with our dev team, chat with clients, pitch in on brand identities and, on occasion, go for a walk. Every part of it is the best part of it.
If you could choose an icon to replace the Spinning Wheel of Death, what would it be?
A little animated drop of water that reminds me to hydrate while I wait for my computer to function again.
What motivates you? Who or what are you inspired by?
Whether it’s a cookbook draft, a messy pantry, my schedule, or a mountain of website content, I love figuring out a way to simplify complex situations. I’m most at home swimming in the details then making order, so even the thought of the before / after motivates me to start.
Describe your role and your favorite thing about it.
As an account director, I get to kind of “quarterback” the team while being a cheerleader for both creatives and clients. I look at the short- and long-term to eliminate inefficiencies and make sure project paths and client relationships are in the best shape possible for everyone’s success. I love celebrating our team and our work—and pumping up clients as their story makes it way out into the world.
What are you into when you’re out of the studio?
I’m an aspiring calligrapher, a dog mom of two, a bit of a sports nut, and always on the hunt for a well-made old fashioned or a great glass of pinot noir. (Recommendations always welcome.)
What motivates you? Who or what are you inspired by?
I grew up loving and making art, but because I didn’t know how to translate that into a career, I ended up going to business school. Luckily, my thirst for creativity led me here—to a place where passion and profession intermingle. And it’s all the people I work with that motivate me to do my job better and inspire me to create something new, even if it’s just for myself.
Jackson Mahlke
Senior Designer
Drake Preston
Senior Designer
Describe your role and your favorite thing about it.
I post GIFs to Slack. And sometimes I make logos and brand identities. I live for that moment when design clicks and you know you’ve found the right solution.
What motivates you? Who or what are you inspired by?
Good design, better designers, and the possibility of making an impact.
What type of project most excites you?
I like the messes. And the more complicated they are, the better. Because those types of challenges force you to look for new ideas—to be a sponge and submerge yourself in design, to see what other people are doing and bring that inspiration into your own world—so that you’re taking everything apart before putting it back together in an impactful way.
Describe your role and your favorite thing about it.
As a designer—specifically at Principle—I’m privileged to wear many hats. My day-to-day involves everything from researching the historical precedents of typography, penning letters and logos, art direction, and communicating concepts to clients, to working directly with printers and fabricators to make sure that blue is “just right.” My favorite thing? I revel in any opportunity to make order out of chaos. Publications. Websites. Maps. Signage systems. Wayfinding. “Flow” for me is taking a massive, unorganized, hierarchical mess of a document (or spreadsheet) and turning it into something that is both functional and beautiful.
What motivates you? Who or what are you inspired by?
People. Caring, heartfelt, thoughtful, ambitious, hardworking people.
Describe the project that’s made you proudest.
Hands down, the map of the Houston Zoo. My fellow P-Team member (and Sam Houston State alum) Jackson Mahlke and I worked on it tirelessly together. We were equal collaborators and competitors; we pushed each other to find smarter solutions the whole way through—which was needed, considering the massive amount of information we had to figure out how to organize. It took us hundreds of hours to design and build everything out, but that file is beautiful; every single layer is categorized alphabetically and by color. And now it’s this tangible thing that thousands of people hold and use every day. It feels really good to have had a hand in that.
Ceci Castellanos
Designer
Taylor Tokarz
Writer
Describe your role and your favorite thing about it.
I love being able to meld my personal style with the needs of a client to help bring brands to life. As a graphic designer, I appreciate the challenge of experimenting with different aesthetics to fit our clients’ needs and solve problems through design.
Pencil or pen?
Muji pen, all day.
What motivates you? Who or what are you inspired by?
Outside of work, you can find me painting away on windbreaker jackets. I find inspiration in catalogs and editorials. Everything from layouts to art direction reignites my creative spark and allows me to bring the fire to everything I create.
Describe your role and your favorite thing about it.
I ask questions, listen closely, and find the best way to tailor 26 letters to each client and concept. Words work well in a Google Doc, but I’m happiest when I get to see them in design—particularly when they’re on packaging. Hold me closer, tiny hangtag.
What motivates you?
Tacos, deadlines, and the people around me.
What are you curious about right now?
The viscous (no, not vicious) nature of fire ants. Oil patterns on bowling lanes. The sociopolitics of HBO’s Watchmen. Also, cronuts. Are the lines still long?
Katherine Aclin
Designer
Melanie Rankin
Junior Designer
Describe your role and your favorite thing about it.
What I do is why I love it: I make things that solve problems and help people, and I consider myself lucky that I get to do that every day.
What motivates you? Who or what are you inspired by?
Coffee and learning. Looking at how others make things—everything from film and photography to design and prints—and drawing inspiration not just from the end product, but from the creative process itself.
When was the last time you changed your mind?
Outside of those little, everyday changes, the last time I made a Big Change was in college. I was just about to go into nursing school when I paused to think about what I’d done already, and what I wanted to keep doing. I’d imagine myself in scrubs, running from room to room treating people, and I realized how unhappy I was—and how unhappy I’d be in that field. I thought, “If I stop now, I’m going to have to start over.” So I did.
Describe your role and your favorite thing about it.
As a designer, I get to touch a bunch of projects, so I really get to see how different visual styles fit and flex for each brand’s personality. If I feel like I’m stuck, it usually helps to dive into another project because that gets me in a new headspace and I can start to look at things fresh again.
Cats or dogs?
Oh, dogs. For sure. [Picks up French bulldog, Bean.] He’s like a little cow and he snores like crazy. So for sure dogs.
What motivates you? Who or what are you inspired by?
By nature, I’m pretty competitive. I grew up playing soccer and I played in college, so I have this mindset that you put in the hours knowing that in the end, it’ll have been worth all the hard work. As far as inspiration goes, I love looking at runway shows. Each season, there’s a moment or designer that surprises me with something I haven’t seen and makes me rethink what’s possible.
Much of what draws our team together is an enduring affection for textured, tactile experiences—we love to make things.
Although our roots are in finely produced packaging and printed matter, we’ve found over the years that—whether it’s stitched together by hand or by code—what we love about the creative process is the opportunity to realize a brand in new and interesting ways (with new and interesting people!). No two projects are quite alike.
