A woman sitting at a table with a closed laptop, smiling and looking to her left in a modern, decorated room with framed art on the wall and vases with flowers on the table.

Design that tells your story and makes people feel something

Hi, I'm Cathrin. A brand and website designer, based in Berkshire.

I've always believed design should make you feel something before you've read a word

Before I became a designer, I worked in book publishing, in marketing. And the thing that fascinated me most wasn't the writing. It was the covers.

A great book cover has to translate an entire story into something so visually compelling that a stranger reaches out and picks it up. The right colours, the right typography, the right image, all working together to make someone feel something before they've read a single line.

My marketing background gave me a deep understanding of how people make buying decisions, what positioning does, how messaging shapes perception, and why some businesses attract exactly the right clients while others with objectively better work struggle to be seen.

Story-led. Strategically built.

Every brand I create starts with a story. Not a mission statement or a list of values, but the real, specific, often unexpected detail that sits at the heart of your business.

It might be a childhood memory that shaped how you see your craft. An object that captures exactly the feeling you want your clients to have. Something unique to your land, your process, your way of doing things that nobody else could claim.

That detail becomes the foundation. Everything else, your logo, your colour palette, your typography, your website, is built around it with purpose.

But story alone isn't enough. Alongside that creative discovery sits rigorous strategic thinking. I consider your positioning in the market, your ideal client's buying behaviour, how your brand needs to work across every touchpoint, and what it needs to communicate to make enquiring with you feel like an easy, exciting decision.

The result is a brand that moves people and works for your business. Beautiful and strategic. Personal and intentional. Unmistakably yours.

COlout picture of Social Magpie Design Studio owner at desk writing in design book wearing a green and white striped sweatshirt.
COlout picture of Social Magpie Design Studio owner at desk writing in design book wearing a green and white striped sweatshirt.

Are we a good fit?

I work with creative entrepreneurs and service-based businesses who have built something genuinely good and are ready for a brand that shows it. Photographers, florists, interior designers, coaches, therapists, food businesses and other creatives who want to stop blending in and start attracting the clients who truly value what they do.

My clients tend to know their worth. They're ready to invest in design that reflects it, and they're open to a creative process that goes deeper than choosing colours they like from a mood board.

If that sounds like you, I'd love to hear about your project.

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A webpage design with a Boho aesthetic, featuring a header with free delivery info and a shopping cart icon, a phoenix logo, a photo of a Boho styled bedroom, a section titled "Our Bestsellers" displaying home decor products, a section "As Seen In" with magazine logos, and a "Shop By Activity" section with images of a bedroom, lounge area, and dining setting.

STUDIO VALUES

Story-Led

Every project begins with finding the detail that makes your business uniquely yours. The memory, the object, the belief that nobody else in your industry can claim. That's where your brand starts.

Strategically Considered

Design without strategy is just decoration. Every creative decision I make is rooted in an understanding of your market, your ideal client, and how people make decisions. Beautiful work that actually converts.

Genuinely Collaborative

You know your business better than anyone. I bring the design expertise, the strategic thinking, and the instinct for finding the story. You bring the insider knowledge. The best results come from both.

Ready to build a brand that makes people
feel something?