ABOUT US
Branding. It’s what we love.
Leave your mark.
Leave your mark.
Firestain is a bold design house, offering comprehensive creative solutions for print and electronic media. In conjunction with talented associates, we cover all creative branding services, from concept to design, and copywriting to photography and video.
The Creative Force
Firestain is owned and operated by Justin Sherwin, a creative director with 28 years of international experience. His clients have included the likes of BMW, Bosch, Nissan and TransLink amongst others.
Having worked in a variety of agencies and studios, and for a wide range of clients, Justin has developed a well-rounded design approach with an emphasis on tight brand storytelling. This diversity has allowed him to explore the dynamic and often delicate balance between form and function.
I love the challenge of designing something aesthetically appealing, appropriate for the brand personality and relevant to the target audience.
Justin’s commitment to quality design and his amiable personality bring clients back time and again, and have resulted in so many referrals, that sales calls and chasing down work have been made completely redundant.
IN PURSUIT OF THE VISUAL HOOK
The Firestain Design Philosophy
What is the visual hook? It’s that rare quality that makes people look twice, positioning you to snag loyal regulars (who spread the word about you), as well as the big ones that don’t get away.
The visual hook arouses curiosity and reels in the public, so they take a closer look at your product, service or message. It’s what gets people talking about you. A combination of impact, creativity and good business sense, the visual hook is much like that special something a songwriter looks for. It may be a lyric, a melody or a refrain. It’s the thing that makes people want to sing the song. It makes it memorable.
Just like a skilled lyricist, we strive to draw people in with our design – to get them to remember you, buy into your brand and (eventually) start participating in the life of your product or service. That’s the visual hook. It captivates. It communicates. It’s smart but not smart-alecky. The visual hook makes the viewer feel good, gives them something of value and then moves them to action.
You want to look your best and be the best. Guess what? That’s what we want for you too. We want to create (or improve) a brand you can wear with pride, that measurably increases your bottom line. Would that kind of confidence give you the edge over the competition? Of course it would. Your brand should work for you. Hard. As well as looking impressive, it should get you more business.
Don’t choose between economy and excellence. Firestain achieves downtown agency standards and results, without the downtown price-tag. We don’t do cookie-cutter creative. We think differently. We’re bold and adventurous. In a financial climate full of opportunities and threats, you need to be a risk-taker. But this is no leap of faith. We stand by our track record, results and happy clients.
PEOPLE WE WORK WITH
Our Fabulous Clients
What’s in a name?
What Firestain? “It’s a question I get asked a lot.” says Justin. “Well the story goes like this. I’ve been in a few bands over the years. The last South African band I was in released an album with a track on it that I wrote called Firestain. When I started my design business in 2008, I was lying in bed toying with names. I was thinking about things like ‘branding’, ‘leaving your mark’, and the title to that song came to mind. It just seemed to fit. And so that was that.”
To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.
Listen to Firestain
To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.
