An image that makes you sit up and take notice. A message that is so striking, you are compelled to look again.

At DoubleTake Design, we specialize in creating these defining moments. To achieve this, we pinpoint your precise goals. We strategize on how best to capture the attention of your target audience. Then we deliver your message in the most memorable and effective way possible.

We are known for creating corporate identities, providing fresh, exciting new ideas and solving problems in innovative ways. Our strength lies in mixing creativity with communication and resources with results.

Which means for any project you have, large or small, we’ll exceed your expectations. After all, we want you to do a double take, too.

Get Noticed. Get Results.

Look around. We’re living in a visual world. And that means the way your company looks has a big impact on the way it’s perceived in the marketplace. With so much information competing for the attention of your audience, good looks aren’t enough. You also need visual solutions with the smarts to jump out from the pack and impart information quickly and simply. Solutions that work together as an integrated system, positioning you clearly, originally and consistently.

The bottom line? Your company image is one of your most precious assets and a big competitive advantage. So you need someone you trust to handle that image with care and expertise.

That’s DoubleTake Design.

From logos to websites, ads to annual reports, brochures to signage, DoubleTake Design creates fresh, compelling communications that help generate an evolution of your message, not a revolution. And we achieve consistency in that message, from your logo and typography to your color palette and your printed and written communications.

By uncovering the essence of your vision and turning it into a powerful, multi-faceted visual identity, we instill your brand personality with an image that cuts through the clutter right to the people you need to talk to. And by putting you in a position to communicate better, DoubleTake Design puts you and your message in a position to compete better, too. After all, our goal isn’t just to get you noticed. It’s to get you results.

Our Process

A Disciplined Approach to Design

For new clients, the creative development process can be a bit mysterious. At DoubleTake Design, our goal is to eliminate the mystery. Our process follows six simple steps that add clarity, transparency and predictability to our working relationships. They are:

Our Leadership

Kevin Hayes

Business Director, Partner

Connect with Kevin

Kevin has worked in the printing business since 1989. Since co-founding DoubleTake Design in 1998, he has headed up the business side of our firm, handling contracts, accounting, business development and overseeing all print production, media buying, fulfillment, shipping and promotions development. If we need something produced, Kevin finds the best, most cost-effective method to bring our designs to life. Kevin is a graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10K Small Businesses program. In his spare time, he teaches spinning and fitness classes at Chicago clubs such as East Bank.

Cathie Van Wert

Creative Director, Partner

Connect with Cathie

Cathie has been a professional graphic designer since 1989, working in and with design firms, PR firms, ad agencies, and marketing firms. Since co-founding DoubleTake Design in 1998, she has headed up the creative department and manages our designers, writers, strategists, social media experts, photographers and developers. She is passionate about sustainability. In her spare time, Cathie gardens organically, raises chickens, travels, goes to art museums, cooks, enjoys live music and plays fiddle with Chicago-area bands.

Our Philosophy

Ideas that make an impact

Our clients’ successes define our success.

Strong, consistent visual communication is essential for a client to gain and keep a competitive advantage.

All communications strategies must be tailored to meet each client’s individual needs, using every resource we have available to develop unique, intelligent solutions that make an impact.

Working smart.

For us, making that impact all starts with listening. From day one, we sign on as diligent students of your business: How you work, where your strengths lie, what your opportunities look like, how your market is changing.

Once we have those answers (and plenty more besides), we ask ourselves a few questions. Like, what’s the main promise your brand makes? And, what’s the most effective way to deliver that promise? You see, at DoubleTake Design, we pride ourselves on working smart, not just working hard. And we never lose sight of the fact that the best solutions are the ones that are best for you.

The right team.

The best solutions, of course, start with the best team. So from the beginning, DoubleTake Design pairs you with the creative team that can best meet your goals and needs. Unlike the way it is at some firms, you work directly with our creatives, not with a middleman. The way we see it, that kind of face-to-face working relationship makes you a more active participant in the creative process, and it gives our team a more intimate, more accurate perspective on your objectives.

Collaborative approach.

Another DoubleTake Design difference is that we stress collaboration, not competition. And we think the results speak for themselves: Our most successful ideas are ones generated from a spirited give-and-take involving multiple points of view and the varied talents and experiences of all our creatives. What does that mean? For one, it means that we’re inherently more flexible and resourceful, not to mention more receptive to new and innovative ways of communicating. It also means that our well of breakthrough ideas is as deep as our collective imagination.

Our Capabilities

Everything You Need to Succeed

At DoubleTake Design, you’ll discover a comprehensive menu of capabilities. Not only are our in-house resources vast, we maintain strategic alliances with specialty consultants. Those alliances allow us to field the best, most talented team for your project, making us a full-service partner you can count on for the most complex and demanding marketing challenges.

Design

Advertising — Print & Web
Annual Reports
Brand Creation
Brand Extension
Brand Revitalization
Brochures
Direct Mail
E-book Design
Email Marketing
Event Materials
Flyers
Forms
Icon Development
Illustration
Infographic Development
Keynote Presentation Design
Logo Design
Logo Guidelines
Marketing Materials
Packaging Design
Photography & Art Direction
Presentation Design
Press Kits
PowerPoint Presentations
Product Concept Development
Signage
Social Media Graphics
Stationery
Tradeshows & Events
Videos
Website Graphics
Website Design & Development
White Papers

Marketing & Strategy

Brand Strategy Research & Development
Copywriting
Communications Style Guidelines
Content Marketing
Content Marketing Strategy
Editing
Email Marketing
Email Newsletters
Digital Ad Campaigns
Lead Generation / Lead Nurturing
M&A Brand Strategy Research & Development
M&A Day One Communications
Mailing & Fulfillment
Marketing Plan Development
Naming & Ideation
Printing & Production
Programs
Public Relations
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Social Media Marketing
Speaking Engagements
Strategic Planning

Our Clients

The Company We Keep

DoubleTake Design has had the great fortune to support clients across many different industries over the past 19 years, so we are constantly expanding our expertise and knowledge base.

Why Design?

aiga brochure image

What Every Business Needs

For more information about making design an integral part of your business success, we refer you to “What Every Business Needs,” an invaluable design primer produced by AIGA, the oldest and largest membership association for professionals engaged in the discipline, practice and culture of designing. A PDF of the booklet is available for download. For more information about the value of design, visit the AIGA Web site.

Download the booklet