Graphic Design Calgary

The natural extension of Rick Gold’s painting was creating art on the computer. Starting with MacPaint on a 128k Macintosh, then ClarisWorks on an Apple Colour Classic, and moving all the way to Adobe Creative Cloud on a 27″ iMac, The Stem Creative has done everything from small business flyers to large-scale outdoor public advertising and signs. After more than 30 years, the tools have changed, but the approach hasn’t: good graphic design Calgary businesses can rely on starts with an artist, not a template.

Anyone can learn the software. It takes creativity to make something that truly communicates, and that’s what we bring to every logo, brochure and box we design.

Logo design and brand identity

In graphic design Calgary businesses invest in, the logo does the heaviest lifting. Our original logo designs are the stepping stone to your entire corporate brand identity. We start with who you are and who you’re trying to reach, then build a mark that works everywhere it needs to, from a business card to the side of a truck to a favicon on a phone screen.

A logo is only the beginning. We extend it into a complete brand: colours, typography and usage guidelines, so everything you put out looks like it came from the same company. For Alternative Plumbing Heating & Gas, a Calgary plumbing and HVAC company, that meant a bold, simple acronym with water splashing out of bounds. It’s clear at any size and still has some fun to it. See the project.

Print design: brochures, business cards and signs

Graphic design Calgary businesses need doesn’t stop at the screen. We design:

• Business cards and stationery, including presentation folders and letterhead
• Brochures and flyers, from a single-page handout to a multi-page catalogue
• Signage and outdoor advertising, from storefront signs to large-format public displays
• Trade show displays and booths that stop people walking past
• Magazine advertisements sized and prepped for print
• Specialty items like calendars, gift cards, menus, labels and stickers

Every file is delivered print-ready, so your printer doesn’t send it back with questions.

Packaging design

Packaging is where graphic design Calgary products depend on has to work hardest. It has seconds on a shelf to explain what the product is and why someone should pick it up. We design product boxes and labels that do exactly that, and in 2021 DesignRush listed The Stem Creative among the top 3 packaging design companies in Canada.

For Command Electrical’s battery converter, which lets a AAA battery fit a device built for D cells, we redesigned the box with custom icons, cleaner typography and colour that stood out against the product’s black and red trim. Charts and symbols explain the battery combinations at a glance, so the packaging sells the product without a wall of text. Read about the redesign.

Social media and digital graphics

Graphic design Calgary audiences see online has to look just as sharp as your print. We create custom social media covers, profile graphics and ad creative for Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube, all matched to your logo and colours. If you need a website to go with it, our web design team is the same team, so your brand carries through without a handoff.

Why choose The Stem Creative for graphic design Calgary

• 30+ years of design, from painting to pixels
• Original work only. No clip art, no stock logos, no templates
• A cohesive brand. Logo, print, packaging, web and video from one studio
• Recognized packaging design, listed in Canada’s top 3 by DesignRush
• Local. Designed in our Bowness studio, never outsourced

Our graphic design portfolio

Browse examples of our logos, branding, print and packaging work below.

Common questions

What files do I get with a logo? Vector files for print and signage, plus PNG and JPG versions for web and social, in full colour, black and white. You own them outright.

Can you refresh my existing logo instead of starting over? Yes. Sometimes a brand only needs modernizing, not replacing, and we’ll tell you which one yours needs.

Do you handle printing? We design print-ready files and can coordinate with your printer, or recommend one we trust.

How long does a logo take? It depends on how many concepts and revisions you need. We’ll give you a timeline with your quote.

Get started

Ready for graphic design Calgary customers will actually remember? Visit us at 6415 Bowness Rd NW, call 403-619-9121, or start your project online. Read what past clients say on our reviews page.