Brand designer | Art director

Hi, I'm Esme. I draw marks that last.

Esme Adler at her desk with a sketchbook and a drawing tablet

I am a brand designer and art director based in Lisbon. I work with founders and small teams who need a brand that is clear before it is clever.

Before going independent I set type in a letterpress workshop, art directed food packaging and led a product design team. All three taught me the same thing: fewer, stronger decisions.

Most projects take eight to fourteen weeks. I work with a small group of developers, photographers and copywriters I have known for years, and you talk to me from the first call to the last file.

Connect on LinkedInDownload CV

How a project runs.

  1. Listen

    A week of calls, reading and questions. I write down what the brand has to carry and who it is for.

  2. One letter

    Before anything else I draw the mark. Three directions, each with a reason, and we choose one together.

  3. The system

    Type, colour, layout and the rules between them, tested on your real things: boxes, decks, screens.

  4. Hand over

    Short guidelines, clean files and a call with your team. I stay on call for three months after launch.

I'm a brand designer and art director with fourteen years of type, ink and screens.

  1. Identity and art direction for founders and small teams. Usually two to four projects a year, start to finish, with a small group of developers and photographers I trust.

  2. Led a team of six on brand and product design. Rebuilt the type system, ran the move to one shared component library and hired four designers.

  3. Campaigns and packaging for food and drink brands. Directed twelve shoots and learned to say no to a fifth colour.

  4. Set type by hand, printed wedding invitations and business cards, and found out why every gram of weight in a letter matters.

Tools on the desk

  • Figma
  • Glyphs
  • Illustrator
  • InDesign
  • After Effects
  • Pencil and tracing paper

Talks and recognition

  • 2026Speaker, Type Days Lisbon
  • 2025Shortlist, packaging design awards
  • 2024Guest tutor, identity studio, Porto
  • 2022Jury, Lisbon Design Week student awards

Skincare labs, software teams and small publishers. A few of the marks I have drawn.

Have a mark that needs more weight?

Tell me about the project, the deadline and what keeps you up at night. I answer every message within two working days.

Start a projecthello@esmeadler.com

Booking projects from January 2027