Leslie McDOUGALL

CREATIVE DIRECTOR + OWNER


I provide branding, packaging, and communication expertise to the education, architecture, food, and creative industries.

  • Brand Strategy — Brand and Logo Development + Brand Style Guidelines + Naming

  • Product Packaging + Product Brand Strategy

  • Digital and Print Publication Design — Books, Brochures, Reports, Newsletters

  • Marketing Campaigns and Materials — Digital + Print

  • Event Design

Leslie grew up in California within a very creative family.  My mother (former department store window display designer) has a special place in my early creative development—she taught me the skills, joy and satisfaction of making all things sewn, baked, grown, or constructed.  My father, an architect and urban designer in San Francisco. He was lead architect and planner of Foster City, CA and the La Costa Resort, then became a founding faculty member of  the City and Regional Planning Department at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.  My three siblings are highly creative too—architect, corporate culture planner; documentary film maker, executive director of a prominent art school; and another graphic designer.   

Our house, designed by my father, was (and still is) swirling with interesting people, projects, amazing aromas from the kitchen, and music from my fathers vast music collection, or of my son’s making.  We all thrive on creativity.

I received a bachelor of science in Graphic Design from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.  My design career bloomed in California, and continues in Minneapolis.

STIR CREATIVE

Stir Creative is a boutique design consultancy in Minneapolis with a unique focus on branding, packaging, marketing, communications, and product design. It began in 2008 at a kitchen table in Golden Valley, Minnesota. We are now located in Minneapolis along the beautiful Theodore Wirth Parkway.   

EMPOWERING CLIENTS
Our mission is to provide clients with the knowledge and tools to consistently express their brand, sell products and communicate ideas. Our process is clear, simple and collaborative. We pride ourselves on delivering work that everyone is proud of, and happy to have been involved in creating. It is our hope that clients enjoy the experience of working with us.

EDUCATIONALLY FOCUSED
We love seeing children explore, create, learn and follow their curiosity—it is important work. That is why we pour our hearts into developing educationally focused games, coloring books, puzzles, toys, craft and building kits. It’s satisfying to design a product, then name, brand, and package it, but rewarding to see it in the hands of a child.

FOOD OBSESSED
Combining our passion for food with designing beautiful packaging is our sweet spot. Leslie has a long history of designing beautiful, eye-catching, and award winning packaging. She has helped brand some of the largest food companies and their products, including pizzas, entrees, side dishes, wine, spices, coffee, food gift sets and home brewing kits, and a slew of private label products.

CREATING DIFFERENTIATION
I help businesses discover and leverage their mission, vision, and uniqueness through research, strategy, branding, packaging and marketing communications. Together, we discover how to delight customers, empower employees and engage with their community by:

•  Creating and sharing the story of their business journey
•  Understanding short and long term goals
•  Defining business mission, vision and value statements
•  Getting to the heart of their unique customers
•  Stirring audiences and giving back to your community
•  Embracing and uplifting a diverse workplace culture

I’ve worked with corporations, non-profits, entrepreneurs, product development teams and other organizations to help them stand out from crowded marketplaces by developing branding, packaging and communications that are aligned with their mission, vision and values. It's magic when all the elements of a brand are in sync!

OTHER

NORTH HENNEPIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Graphic Design Program. Adjunct Faculty
Courses: Graphic Design Tools 1 & II. Illustration, Typography, Advanced Graphic Design 1, Illustration

AIGA
Design Camp, Co-chair 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
AIGA Portfolio 1-0n-1 annual reviewer
Member since 2002

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
School of Design – Volunteer Creative Counselor, Creative Design Methods Course

ART BUDDIES
Volunteer Buddy
Advisory Board