Focused & Hungry

In the new food revolution the market for organic, functional, healthy brands is supercharged. Natural brands are going mainstream. Desires for better-for-you brands have never been higher. Truth never more relevant. Taste never more important. Brand and packaging never more paramount.

We’re a design-driven branding agency that aligns food brands with today’s generation. We help find the sweet spot between disruption and relevance… the strategic position and narrative that gives a brand the biggest opportunity for growth.

Natural brand intelligence, creative thinking and smart design are our catalyst. Simplify and amplify, our mantra. Our process is thoughtful and uncomplicated, just like our account management style. As brand and package design experts, we’ve partnered with leading retailers to reinvent private label brand systems, energized legacy brands with new relevance, and helped niche natural brands broaden their appeal.

Simply put, we modernize food brands to improve performance at the shelf and beyond.

Crafting better brands takes a specific focus and skillset. Our services align under four pillars designed specifically to help modern food brands thrive.

CPG Brand Strategy

Methodical analysis and creative intelligence lead us to the insights and strategies that help brands endure and prosper in the aisle. Services: Research, Competitive Analysis, Category Audit, Brand Audit, Brand Positioning, Consumer Persona Profiles, Design Pathways

Brand Narrative

The best brands speak with a clear and compelling voice. Our written word helps brands to be functional and memorable at the moment of truth. Services: Tone of Voice, Brand Story, Tagline, Creative Messaging, Naming, Elevator Pitch, Manifesto, Content Optimization

Brand Design

Design has significant power at the shelf. We use it to help food brands elevate taste perceptions, build equity, and drive trial. Services: Brandmark, Package Design, Brand Book, Imagery Style, Iconography, Color Systems, Art Direction

Brand Activation

With an obsessive attention to detail, we refine and develop key assets to ensure brands roll out with integrity and effectiveness. Services: Presentations, Tradeshow, Website Design, Production, Print, POP, Collateral, Brand Video

We’re a group of level-headed boundary pushers… easy going, yet dead serious about building and evolving brands who make a difference.

David Edmundson Partner, Executive Director

David Edmundson, Partner, Executive Director

David co-founded Freshmade in 2010 to help energize brands through disruptive design. As Partner and Executive Director at Freshmade, he leads brand development overseeing strategy, positioning, narrative and concept development. With more than 20 years’ experience, David has been engaged by some of the world’s biggest brands, with his work featured in over 30 design publications. He has been named among GDUSA’s “People To Watch.” Through a thoughtful and measured approach, David has helped clients like Publix, Walmart, Gillette, Dial, SC Johnson and Newell Rubbermaid realize new growth and opportunity. David holds a BFA in Communication Arts & Design from the University of Florida.

Russ Martin Partner, Creative Director

Russ Martin, Partner, Creative Director

As co-founding Partner and Creative Director, Russ leads the creation of ideas and work at Freshmade. As an award-winning creative director with more than 15 years’ experience, Russ helps brands find the balance between breakthrough design and effectiveness, using a hands-on and detail-specific approach. He’s served a diverse consumer packaged goods client base, including Publix GreenWise, Walmart, ConAgra, Gillette, Dial, Variety Pet Foods, Village Farms, Cavit Wines and Sunset Produce, among others. Before becoming a creative, Russ had a distinguished naval career navigating some of the world’s most powerful combat vessels. His unique balance of Southern charm and relentless focus gives him the ability to thoughtfully create transformational work for clients.

Vanessa Doll Partner, Director of Projects & Clients

Vanessa Doll, Partner, Director of Projects & Clients

As a strategic and creative leader, Vanessa helps spearhead growth for our clients. She comes to Freshmade by way of LPK in Cincinnati, where she spent 7 years as senior project manager on P&G brands, such as Always, Pampers, and Vicks. She also led client services for Coty Beauty, helping brands like Wella and Clairol and worked on Pringles, Kellogg’s, and Anheuser-Busch. Between her dual master’s degree in Writing Theory and Pedagogy from DePaul University and experiences as a sailboat racer and bar owner, Vanessa brings well-rounded intelligence and determination to everything she does.

Chia Schmitz Director of Strategy & Design

Chia Schmitz, Director of Strategy & Design

Chia applies her expertise as a designer and strategist to sharpen insights at Freshmade. Prior to joining Freshmade, Chia worked in innovation consulting in New York, helping brands like Google, AB InBev, PepsiCo, Jet.com, Walmart, Ann Taylor, Uniqlo, and GM with product development and design thinking. Chia graduated from Parsons The New School for Design in New York, with a BBA in Design and Management and completed her thesis work in a luxury master class at Columbia Business School. Her passion is bringing human-centered insights to brand development.

Carina Giacomelli Multimedia Designer

Carina Giacomelli, Multimedia Designer

Carina is part of our in-house food studio at Freshmade. She’s a multimedia ninja and food whiz helping coordinate recipe shoots, plus preparing, propping and styling dishes for digital experiences like photo and video. Prior to joining Freshmade, Carina was creative lead at Hatchery, an online marketplace for artisanal ingredients, spearheading the development and photography of more than 200 recipes. Carina graduated from Parsons The New School for Design in New York, majoring in Design and Technology. Fun fact: As an assistant designer in New York, she helped develop special effects costumes for Victoria Secret fashion shows.

Joe Baum Senior Designer

Joe Baum, Senior Designer

Joe brings his technical expertise and enthusiasm for problem-solving to the creative process at Freshmade. With 8 years of experience across multiple industries and design touchpoints, Joe’s passion is helping clients optimize their visual language. Prior to joining Freshmade, Joe was a visual designer on a nimble crew at Citrix, helping tech and executive teams with design. He found his start in design at Sandals Resorts International, branding and concepting restaurants for multiple flagship locations. When Joe isn’t flexing his typography skills, you’ll find him working on graphic tee illustrations.

Natalia Gallo Production Manager

Natalia Gallo, Production Manager

Natalia puts the final touches on all projects at Freshmade and brings immense integrity to our creative process. She plays a pivotal role in ensuring all our work looks its best and is as effective as it can be. With more than 18 years as a production specialist, Natalia’s instinct for detail and mastery of execution is unrivaled. Prior to joining Freshmade, Natalia worked at Havas Worldwide in Chicago and later moved to Florida, where she continued her production career across multiple industries. Natalia served in the U.S. Army as a missiles systems operator, honing her skills for accuracy, multitasking, and performing under pressure.

Hillary Zhu Project Manager

Hillary Zhu, Project Manager

As project manager, Hillary ensures all our projects run smoothly and that clients have a great experience working with Freshmade. She comes to us by way of Landor Associates in Cincinnati, where she worked on a range of food and beverage brands, including Ritz Crackers, Planters Peanuts, Sour Patch Kids, Gevalia Kaffe, Capri Sun, Crystal Light and MiO. Additionally, she managed the client relationship for P&G’s Global Air Care business, including Febreze and Ambi Pur. Hillary graduated from West Chester University in Pennsylvania, where she majored in business management. With a background in market research, Hillary brings strategic expertise to every Freshmade project.