Business Details
35 Years
experience
Trusted Graphic Design & Branding Solutions in Evanston
Stephen B Starr Design has been delivering strategic design solutions since 1991, combining creative excellence with technical expertise to help organizations communicate effectively. Our founder, Stephen Starr, transitioned from Chicago-based design groups to establish this consultancy, recognizing early the transformative potential of digital media in 1995. We specialize in website and application design, branding systems, print communications, and editorial content creation using industry-standard tools like Adobe Creative Suite and WordPress. Our client-centric approach prioritizes understanding organizational missions while maintaining technical proficiency across platforms. With decades of experience serving healthcare, nonprofit, and corporate clients, we emphasize thoughtful design that drives measurable outcomes.Our work has earned recognition including the 2022 American Digital Design Award for the Shem Center website. We maintain active community involvement through organizations like the Evanston Chamber of Commerce and Chicago Creative Coalition. Our process integrates client collaboration with technical execution, ensuring solutions that balance aesthetics with functionality. Transparency in communication and commitment to project timelines remain core principles. Whether revitalizing existing brands or creating new identities, we focus on creating connections that prompt action through intelligent design.
Services
Website Design
Branding
Print Design
Editorial Branding
Social Media
Details
- Year established: 1991
Highlights and features
- 30+ years of experience in graphic design and digital communications
- Client-centric approach with personalized project guidance
- Award-winning website design recognized nationally
- Comprehensive services spanning branding to technical implementation
- Commitment to diversity and inclusive design principles
Associations and certifications
- American Digital Design Award
What people say
Excellent guidance
Amazing to work with
User-friendly website
Creative and enjoyable experience
Superb branding
Services
Website Design
Creating responsive, user-centric websites that combine visual appeal with technical functionality. Our process includes strategic planning, interface design, and development using modern frameworks. We ensure cross-device compatibility and intuitive navigation while aligning digital presence with brand identity. Clients receive training and documentation for ongoing management.
Branding
Developing comprehensive brand systems that articulate organizational missions through visual elements. Services include logo creation, color palette development, typography selection, and application across digital and print mediums. We ensure consistent brand representation that resonates with target audiences while maintaining flexibility for future growth.
Print Design
Designing print materials that translate brand identity into physical formats. Our expertise covers business collateral, annual reports, marketing brochures, and direct mail campaigns. We manage the production process from concept through vendor coordination, ensuring high-quality output that aligns with digital brand standards.
Editorial Branding
Crafting cohesive editorial systems that reinforce brand messaging across communications. This includes content architecture, voice development, and visual storytelling elements. We create style guides and templates that maintain consistency in newsletters, reports, and marketing materials while enhancing audience engagement.
Social Media
Building strategic social media frameworks that extend brand identity into online platforms. Our approach combines visual consistency with platform-specific optimization, content calendars, and analytics tracking. We develop guidelines for ongoing management while ensuring alignment with overall digital strategy and brand standards.
People
Stephen B. Starr
Founder & Lead Designer
Graphic design professional with 40+ years experience in traditional and digital media. Founder of Chicago Web Professionals Meetup Group and former Chicago Creative Coalition president. Specializes in strategic design solutions that bridge creative vision with technical execution for diverse organizational clients.
Questions
What services does Stephen B. Starr Design offer?
We provide comprehensive design services including website development, brand identity creation, print materials, editorial content, and digital strategy tailored to organizational needs.
How long has the company been in business?
Stephen B. Starr Design has delivered design solutions since January 1991, with the founder having 13 years prior agency experience in Chicago.
What industries do you work with?
Our portfolio spans healthcare, nonprofit organizations, professional associations, banking, and closely held businesses through our 30+ year consultancy.
How do you approach new projects?
We begin with client consultation to understand organizational missions, then develop strategic design solutions combining creative vision with technical execution across platforms.
What areas do you serve?
While based in Evanston, Illinois, we work with clients nationwide through digital collaboration tools and established vendor networks.
Videos
Reviews (3)
Donna Milanovich Srajer
Mar 05, 2016
Report
Stephen B Starr Design created our elegant website design and worked with us on a number of other important graphic design concepts. His design work is original, elegant and artistic. All deadlines were met and he ably guided us through the process. It was an excellent experience and we have an award winning website as the result. Highly recommend his design firm.
Joyce Finkelstein
Feb 11, 2016
Report
Websites are continually gaining in complexity and functionality. Stephen B Starr Design delivers a fine balance between these requirements and provides a positive client experience during the process. As our website design developed, Steve provided information on the technical aspects, helpful suggestions for enhancements and step-by-step training to keep content current. We highly recommend Stephen B. Starr Design for building a website that answers all your business and clients' needs.
David Kulawiak
May 07, 2015
Report
Steven was amazing to work with from the beginning of the project until the launch of the new website. I was in a bind and needed a new brand identity and website and all the good stuff that goes along with it. From our very first meeting, Steve was attentive to what I wanted the website and brand to encompass and he stayed in close touch throughout the project. As we were getting near to the launch of the website, I was becoming a bit more knit-picky, but Steve, being the calm professional he is known to be, rode it out and met all of my needs.
The training and support that I received was great and I love the clean look and organization of the mountain of material on the site. The talisman for the website is that Steve won the Graphic Design USA Branding and Design award for designing my website. I don't think you can get any better than that! If anyone who reads this is looking for a great, not aggravating, creative and enjoyable experience which involves branding or re-branding your business, I cannot recommend Stephen B. Starr Design highly enough. Thank you, Steve.
The training and support that I received was great and I love the clean look and organization of the mountain of material on the site. The talisman for the website is that Steve won the Graphic Design USA Branding and Design award for designing my website. I don't think you can get any better than that! If anyone who reads this is looking for a great, not aggravating, creative and enjoyable experience which involves branding or re-branding your business, I cannot recommend Stephen B. Starr Design highly enough. Thank you, Steve.
