ML+A driven By Design
ML+A is a Chicago-based design agency where design drives everything we do. From simple logos to national campaigns, we channel the twin powers of form and function to inspire love at first sight between consumers and companies.
our work
About ML+A
We’ve specialized in designing for B2B and B2C sectors for more than 35 years, working heavily with the financial sector. Our small, dedicated team represents a wide array of experience from across the creative spectrum. And since every one of us lives and breathes design, we know just how to use it to breathe new life into your brand.
Extensive industry knowledge: Our experience runs the gamut from consumer banking, insurance, investment firms and venture capital groups to corporate and consumer credit cards. Fortune 500 Clients: Our client roster includes Citibank, Fidelity, Diners Club and Discover. Our cross-media campaigns have yielded profitable results for all of them. Global Campaign Experience: We’ve created communications for markets in Asia, Europe and Latin America, so we’re adept at designing for multiple languages and cultural viewpoints.
Our Creative Capabilities
Brand Strategy & Identity
We have a passion for branding—it’s at the core of everything we do. Every design detail, every decision—all created to further our clients' brands. It's how a business presents itself to the public and distinguishes the business in their customers’ minds.
Website & Interactive
Your website gives consumers a clear idea of what your brand is about and what types of products or services you offer. We create websites and interactive platforms that deliver your brand and create a powerful first impression.
Graphic Design & Marketing
Graphic design optimizes your marketing across all media channels and is essential to building a great brand. Graphic designers play an important role in conveying the brand message of your product or service in unique ways. We deliver marketing campaigns that cut through the chatter and reach your customers.
Our Insights
Design
The 6 Graphic Design Trends That Will Influence 2021
Looking forward into 2021, there’s some light at the end of the tunnel. But what exactly does 2021 it hold for graphic designers? Here are the graphic design trends we’re predicting for the year ahead.
INSPIRED BY NATURE
We are seeing a shift in graphic design that takes nature as its focus.
February 3, 2021
Marketing
The 4 Marketing Tips Everyone Should Know to be Successful in 2021
Goodbye 2020—you will not be missed.
We break down 4 Marketing tips for 2021:
1. SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION – SEO
SEO is a type of digital marketing to optimize your website so that it can achieve higher rankings in search engines’ organic results. It is an effective means to drive qualified traffic to your site without directly paying for it.
January 19, 2021
General
Supporting Black-Owned Businesses
2020 was an especially hard year for retailers. With COVID and other social factors, Black businesses have been hit disproportionately hard. Black-owned businesses have been hit so hard by the pandemic they need help beyond the consumer to survive. If you are a Black business, this is no surprise to you. As a society, we’re waking up to how we do business and attempting to level the playing field. With a greater emphasis on local community support and buying local, consumers have shifted their spending dollars.
January 19, 2021
our people
Lana Lee
Chief Creative Officer
Mover. Shaker. Creative Motivator.
Raised on the mean streets of Hinsdale. Schooled on the fancy streets of Paris. Spent 15 years developing next-level design skills in the capital of global fashion. Now delivering a fresh perspective to the world of digital design. Execution-focused and solution-oriented—that’s business-ese for gets the job done and makes your job easier.
Michael Lee
President/Owner
He’s not bossy, he’s just the boss. Started this agency 36 years ago. Never looked back. Turned impressive fine art skills into a booming design business that thrives on the demands of Fortune 500 companies. Likes transforming complex products into simple, arresting design. Resident expert on typography, cartel biographies, and how to make great pesto.
Maria Pillier
Senior Copywriter
Grammar fan, Oxford comma agnostic. First gig was writing Internet quizzes. Moved to ad copy when it was time for a real job. Wrote for agencies small, medium and large, but not until ML+A did she find one just right. Idea conceptor, detailed editor, latte addict. Author of a children’s book called “Marvin the Fat Horse.” While she waits for it to become a bestseller, she’s publishing great works for our clients.
our clients
