Nikki G | Creative Director
I lead teams and help dig the trenches for design projects from concept to completion.
13 years in the industry
Big picture oriented, but detail focused
Leads by example
Enjoys getting hands dirty
Volunteers & mentors
Proud mom (of a rescue dog)
This is not a website for a coffee shop.
I love coffee. When I invite you over for a cup, I’ll grind the beans on the spot with a hand held grinder, and froth your milk manually too. I’ll boil water in the sweetest little tea pot with a skinny long spout – never in an an electric kettle.
Coffee for me isn’t about the caffeine or the pick me up. It’s about the experience of making it. It’s about the process, the ritual, and the conversations we have while we drink it.
When we sit down for a cup of coffee, we can working on solving problems and make plans for our endeavors.
It’s not a website about sketchbooks either.
My first sketchbooks from when I was a wide eyed kid are filled with stick figures, purple dogs, giant trees and fish.
Sketchbooks are a space where we can test out how we feel about something. We can try out variations of anything you can imagine, scratch it out, and try it again without judgement or punishment.
Sketchbooks allow us to document our ideas, let them evolve, and see them grow. Use your sketchbook to dream, and then let me help you turn your ideas into something real, and tangible.
My background is in design. My passion is making it mean something.
I coined Coffee and Sketchbooks because those two concepts to me, are the start of great things. Let’s begin with some meaningful communication, and continue with trying some things out to see what suits you – and we’ll see where things go from there.
“Design is more than shapes and colors.”
~ Nikki Gagliardo
For a long time my colleagues have referred to me as the person in charge of “All Things Shapes and Colors”, and I always politely respond that “Design is more than shapes and colors.” I obsess over the why behind the design. I choose colors because of the emotions they evoke, and place components in a specific space on the screen because that’s the most intuitive place for a user to find it. I organize content based on the result of user testing and design logos to have meaning.
Design can affect your business efficiency – it can improve your user experience for both your customers and your internal teams. A successful website, mobile app, digital or physical experience isn’t just beautiful because of its shapes and colors; it’s beautiful because the user was able to accomplish a task or engage with your content.
I create engaging experiences for users through research based design.
When you’re ready to put design first, let’s have coffee – bring your sketchbook.
Nikki Gagliardo | Creative Director