Building a hands-on art shop

Sarah Sears was able to combine two of the things she loved when she started her own business eight years ago -- creativity and problem solving.

"I've always been creative and I enjoy the problem-solving process," Sears said. "I enjoy helping people get through that process and helping them communicate."

So on the advice of her father, Sears and Steve McReynolds started a graphic design firm named S Design in 1994 while both still held full-time teaching jobs in the field.

"He (McReynolds) had about 20 years of experience. And then his wife got a job in North Carolina six months after we started the business. He sold me his half of the business for $5," she said. "He left me with a ton of work and no support. So he figured he left me with my hands full."

A few months later, Sears decided to quit teaching and run the graphic design company on a full-time basis.

The company, which began as a one-person operation catering to the arts and education, has since expanded its client base while tripling its revenues.

"We've diversified quite a bit," said Sears, who now employs two other full-time designers and a total staff of five.

"Our client base was mostly nonprofits and we did a lot of event promotions and corporate identity work such as developing a logo, newsletter, and all the marketing materials.

"And then, just through contacts and referrals, we started to get in the private sector."

S Design has done work locally and nationally for clients including the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, St. Anthony, Integris and Seagate Technology.

The graphic design firm offers creative print and Web site design, medical illustration, corporate identity and branding services to help its clients reach their audience with successful marketing materials. In addition, S Design recently entered the Web site development and hosting business. Its own Web site can be found at www.sdesigninc.com.

"We go into a company and help them develop their logo and identity and then develop a strategy for that so that they're building brand equity and developing their relationship with their marketplace that is consistent," she said.

At the 2002 Addy awards competition held earlier this year, S Design received four Addy Awards and one Bronze Merit Award. The awards included three for medical promotional design and an Addy for educational print promotion. One piece has also received a regional Addy at the American Advertising Federal 10th District Regional Awards show.

In addition, S Design received a citation by the Arts Directors Club of Tulsa in the recent Graphex 33 Design competition -- an annual regional awards competition and show.

Self-employment has been gratifying for Sears, whose parents are both self-employed and her husband is local chef Chip Sears.

"It's definitely a challenge, but very rewarding," said Sears, who is expecting her second child in two months.

"I think it gives me opportunities to do things that I might not have been able to do if I worked for someone else," she said.

"When I first started, I really wanted to bring design to organizations that didn't really have the opportunity to build a relationship with a designer and show them how incorporating design into their organization can affect their identity within the community," Sears said.

"I really think as myself as part of their team to help them communicate and bring that design into the mix to help them tell their story to the community."

Sears, who is founding president and current board member of the Oklahoma chapter of the American Institute of Graphic Arts, operated her business out of a duplex for a while after spending time in two other locations.

At that time, working in the duplex was "perfect" for the new mother who could just set up the baby monitor on the other side of the house. But the company later outgrew its space.

"When the electrician is telling you, `you can't plug in one more computer,' or you can't add another phone line, it's time to move," she said.

The company now operates out of a 1,500-square-foot office in Nantucket Landing, 3120 W. Britton Road.

Sears is not looking to grow into a large firm because she said the more personal environment is one reason clients like S Design.

"We're always looking for a different and bigger projects, but we are never going to be on that scale because it would conflict with the balance of our quality of life and working environment that we enjoy," she said.

"We are definitely a more hands-on shop. We don't ever want to lose that."

Copyright 2002
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