Meet Sara Nelson, Designer

Founder & Creative Director, Sara Nelson Design

Sara Nelson, Graphic Designer and Creative Director of Sara Nelson Design

Sara Nelson Design is a brand strategy and packaging design firm specializing in premium consumer products, wine, spirits, non-alcoholic beverages and agricultural brands.

Graphic Designer Sara Nelson has more than 35 years of experience in strategic communications, technical communications and brand development. She is a nationally recognized brand and packaging designer, writer, speaker and author. Her work has received numerous national design awards.

Sara has been featured in Wine Business Monthly, Graphic Design USA, Wines & Vines, The Grapevine Magazine and other industry publications.

IT BEGINS WITH UNDERSTANDING

When a potential new client contacts me, they usually think they need a brand, brochure or label design.

They may need those things, but usually the first thing they need is a clearer understanding of what makes their business worth choosing.

I ask. A lot.

Before doing any work, I will ask a crazy number of questions. I want to clarify what the client is trying to accomplish and how we will get there.

If I were building a brand for you, I’d ask about you. And your heritage, your family your interests.

I would ask about the things that make your business unique. Maybe you’d bring up your innovative irrigation practices or your ideal latitude and climate for growing a crop. Possibly you’d tell me about the stunning views or the evidence of historic floods.

I’ll ask about your products. Who they’re for, why they’re special and at what price they should sell.

I would certainly ask in-depth questions about the people who will be buying your product or service. I want to know way more than their gender and age.

It’s about getting to know you.

Understanding who you are and who your customer is, is critical to creating a brand that is meaningful to the customer you have yet to meet.

The answers to these and dozens of other questions inform every design decision we make in building out your brand. Typography, color palette, illustration style, paper choices and finishing techniques are all a direct reflection of who you are and who your ideal customer is. They communicate something important about your brand.

This philosophy became the foundation of The Facets of Your Brilliant Brand™, a brand development process I created to help clients uncover their unique value before investing their first dollar in logos, packaging or marketing.

A FOUNDATION IN COMMUNICATION

The process didn’t come from a textbook.

It came from a lifetime of learning how people process information. I grew up in a family of makers and creators. My parents owned a commercial printing company where paper, typography, presses and production were part of everyday life.

Long before I understood branding, I understood craftsmanship. I learned that quality is built through thousands of thoughtful decisions.

As a teenager, my father handed me the keys to state-of-the-art typesetting equipment and expected me to learn it. There were no classes to attend and no YouTube tutorials to watch. There was simply an expectation that I could figure it out.

Looking back, I realize he gave me something far more valuable than technical skills. He taught me to approach unfamiliar problems with curiosity instead of hesitation.

Into the bigger world.

My professional path took me into technical communications, where I developed scientific publications, training materials and visual communications for Exxon Nuclear (now Framatome), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Washington Public Power Supply System (now Energy Northwest). In that environment, communication carried real consequences. Information had to be accurate, organized, easy to read and immediately understandable.

That experience permanently shaped the way I think. Beautiful communication has no value if people don’t bother to read it. Clarity comes first, and design gives clarity a voice.

FROM DESIGNER TO BRAND ADVISOR

Over years, my career evolved from technical communication into branding and packaging. Along the way I realized that those same principles applied whether the audience was voting for a candidate, choosing a bottle of wine or scrolling social media. They had to be able to read and digest information quickly.

As time went on, I found myself spending less time discussing colors and logos and more time helping clients figure out who they are and why people would choose them or their products.

Brand is more than logo.

Sometimes that looks like helping them find a brand name they can use without infringing on the rights of another company or sifting through FDA and TTB regulations to ensure all the boxes have been checked. Other times, it’s helping them streamline their packaging for efficiency and cost savings.

Somewhere along the way, I realized people weren’t really hiring me to design labels or logos. They were hiring me to help them make better decisions before they made bigger investments.

Credit Where Credit Is Due

No one develops a philosophy alone. I sure didn’t.

Throughout my career, I’ve been fortunate to work alongside people who challenged me to think more deeply about communication.

The Client

Our client, Dr. Alan Busacca, didn’t comment on whether a design looked good. Instead, he’d ask, “Why?” Why this typeface? Why this color? Why this alignment? At the time, it felt relentless.

Looking back, I recognize it as one of the greatest gifts of my career. He taught me that every design decision I make was rooted in sound design theory or experience. I just wasn’t used to explaining it to someone else.

There is nothing arbitrary about what I do. That insight changed the way I work with clients. Rather than simply present a design, I explain the thinking behind it so they understand what each decision communicates.

The Colleague

Ken Carter, a former art director at the Leo Burnett Agency in Chicago, taught me that every successful design needed to be a “quick read.” Consumers don’t stand in front of a shelf trying to decipher typography or composition. They decide in a split second whether something deserves their attention. Clarity gives creativity the opportunity to succeed.

The Husband

My husband and business partner, Kevin Cole, continues to challenge my thinking in different ways. As a former journalist, current editor and writer, he has an uncanny ability to strip away assumptions and uncover the real question beneath the one being asked. He reminds me that words deserve the same intentionality as visuals. Together they shape how people understand a brand, and together they create stories people remember.

The Author

Pauline Brown, author of Aesthetic Intelligence, reinforced something I had observed throughout my career: The strongest brands appeal to more than our eyes. They engage our senses, create memorable experiences and give people something worth talking about.

Each of these people influenced a different part of my thinking. Together, they helped shape the way I approach every project today.

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RESEARCH BEFORE DESIGN

Much of my work has focused on wine, spirits and premium consumer products. I’ve also developed brands for food packers and producers, agricultural businesses, healthcare organizations, manufacturers and entrepreneurs throughout the United States and around the world.

In recent years, I’ve become particularly fascinated by the rapidly growing market for non-alcoholic and low-alcohol beverages. We’ve worked to help producers create brands that honor tradition while responding to changing consumer preferences.

Our projects always begin with research.

Sometimes that means studying consumer behavior. Sometimes it’s learning manufacturing constraints or exploring trademark availability or investigating premium printing techniques. At times it has meant digging into geology, local history, scientific facts or forgotten family stories to uncover something authentic that becomes the heart of a brand.

I learned that remarkable brands are rarely invented from thin air. More often, they’re uncovered through careful research, thoughtful questions and a willingness to keep digging until the real story reveals itself.

A Curious Life

Beyond client work, I write and speak about branding, packaging, strategic communication, consumer perception and the decisions that shape successful businesses. I encourage organizations to look beyond aesthetics and consider the broader business implications of every branding decision.

Curiosity and creativity are the threads that run through my work, my hobbies and my life. It is a joy to see those same threads woven through every member of my family. I continue to study color theory, color psychology and color forecasting because every discipline offers another way to understand how people respond.

Communication

Over the years, I’ve become convinced that clear communication is one of the greatest competitive advantages a business can have. Whether written, spoken or visual, every interaction either builds understanding or creates confusion. Every message either earns trust or erodes it. Every decision either brings people closer to your brand or pushes them away.

Helping businesses communicate with greater clarity has been the common thread throughout my career—from technical publications and scientific communications to premium packaging, brand strategy and the conversations that shape them. The tools have changed. The industries have changed. The objective hasn’t.

When people clearly understand who you are, what you offer and why it matters, they’re far more likely to choose you. That’s why I continue to ask so many questions. Because the strongest brands—and the strongest businesses—are built on clear thinking, authentic stories and clear communication.

Specialties

One of the things I enjoy most about my profession is that no two projects are alike.

One day I may help a winery determine how to justify a $75 price point. The next, I might develop messaging for a healthcare practice so that patients find it and physicians feel confident referring to it.

Another project may involve creating premium fresh produce packaging, researching new printing technologies, organizing an agricultural product line into a logical brand architecture or helping a manufacturer identify an untapped market opportunity.

They may look very different on the surface, but they all begin the same way: by asking good questions, gathering the right information and creating clear communication that helps people make better decisions.

I do love color…

I have spent much of my career studying the role color plays in human perception. My interest extends beyond traditional color theory and into color psychology and forecasting—understanding not only how colors work together, but why they evoke particular emotions, communicate quality, influence purchasing decisions and shift with cultural trends. Color is never an afterthought. It’s one of many ways a brand communicates before a single word is read.

I’m especially drawn to projects that require equal parts creativity and analysis. I enjoy collaborating with specialists in other fields, exploring emerging technologies and solving problems that don’t have obvious answers. Whether we are developing a luxury wine brand, improving a technical publication or creating a new packaging system, I always look for ways to combine thoughtful strategy with exceptional execution.

Blog Posts by Sara

Areas of Focus

Brand Development & Brand Strategy
Naming & Brand Architecture
Brand Identity Systems
Wine, Spirits & Craft Beverage Branding
Packaging Design
Packaging for Fresh Produce
Agricultural Product Packaging
Healthcare Marketing
Physician Recruitment
Economic Development
Technical & Scientific Communication
Books, Catalogs & Corporate Publications
Tradeshow & Environmental Graphics
Art Direction
Color Theory, Color Psychology & Color Forecasting
Emerging Printing & Packaging Technologies

RECOGNITION, AWARDS & PUBLICATIONS

Personal Recognition

2022 • People to Watch
Graphic Design USA
Sara Nelson was one of Graphic Design USA’s 2022 People to Watch, recognizing creative professionals making significant contributions to the design industry.

2008 • Volunteer of the Year
Pasco Chamber of Commerce

Design Recognition

2026 • San Francisco Chronicle Wine Label Awards

Long Cork — Best in Class
Dr. Dirt — Best in Class
Capital Call — Silver

2025 • PACK Awards
Presented by Wine Business Monthly

Grab & Go — Alternative Packaging
MANIQ — Luxury Packaging

2025 • American Package Design Awards
Presented by Graphic Design USA

Wine Away Limited Edition 25th Anniversary Package
Cascadian Outfitters Tetra Pak
Grab & Go Wine Box
Ellie’s Private Reserve
Love the Girls Wine
Lacewing Cellars: Voracious
1883 Sanctuary Cellars
Rainfire Distilling
The Bee Society Honey

2025 • Lone Star International Wine (Label) Competition

Long Cork by Capital Call Vintners Packaging — Gold + Grand Star, Best of the Best
MANIQ by Dalset — Gold
Auroral by Tucannon Cellars — Silver
Badger Mountain Vineyards — Silver
Mana Vintners— Silver
Lost Cities by Lost Oak Winery — Silver
Ceccoli Cellars — Bronze

2023 • American Package Design Awards

Presented by Graphic Design USA

Laterus Winery, The Big Red
Capital Call Wine Group, Windhorse Reserve Pinot Noir
Southern Cross Winery, Cosmo Bitches Red Wine
Elk Haven Winery, Confluence
Lacewing Cellars, Scruffy Head White
Live Happy Lane, Be Bold Montepulciano
Monson Ranch Distillers, VIDO Vodka Seattle Kraken

Scruffy Head and Windhorse were featured in the April 2023 issue of Graphic Design USA.

2022 • American Graphic Design Awards

Presented by Graphic Design USA

Warr-King Wines, Lilly Frances Petit Verdot Rosé
Elk Haven, Confluence
Live Happy Lane, SWAG White Wine
Explohr Wine Company, Rosé of Pinot Noir six-label series
Black Heron Winery, Syrah
Lost Oak Winery, Branding
2022 • Lone Star International Wine (Label) Competition
Elk Haven Winery, Confluence White Wine — Double Gold
Live Happy Lane, Be Bold Montepulciano — Gold + Best in Category
Live Happy Lane, Mesmer-eyes Red Field Blend — Gold
Live Happy Lane, Southern Therapy — Silver
Goose Ridge, Revelation by GR — Silver
Capital Call, Cabernet Sauvignon — Silver
Explohr Wine Company, Rosé of Pinot Noir — Silver
Lacewing Cellars, Malbec — Silver
Live Happy Lane, Encore Dessert Wine — Silver
Live Happy Lane, La Bouquet Sparkling Rosé — Silver
Live Happy Lane, Stud Red Blend — Silver
Live Happy Lane, Barbera — Silver
Live Happy Lane, Reserve Tannat — Bronze
Chandler Reach, Carménère — Bronze
Live Happy Lane, SWAG — Bronze

Media Features, Interviews & Presentations

2023 • Hues on the Menu (Colour Research Society of Canada)

A presentation exploring the role color plays in food, appetite and visual perception.

2023 • Manifest Launches Innovative Chill-O-Meter for Wine Enthusiasts (Wine Business Monthly)

Coverage of the Chill-O-Meter, an interactive packaging innovation developed for Manifest Labels.

2022 • The Art of Wine – Labels)
(Delectable)

A feature exploring the role label design plays in the wine experience.

2016 • One-on-One Time with Wine Packaging Designers (Wines & Vines)

An interview focused on wine packaging design and the decisions behind successful labels.

2016 • Small Businesses Must Communicate a Clear, Concise Message (Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business)

A feature on the importance of clear written, spoken and visual communication in business.

2014 • From Branding to Bottling (Wines & Vines)

A feature examining wine brand development from identity through packaging and production.

Text Book

Sentence Diagramming: A Step-by-Step Approach to Learning Grammar Through Diagramming

Co-author of a college-level text book with Marye Hefty and Sallie Ortiz.
published by Pearson Longman.

The Sara Nelson Design staff page.

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