Our Motto

“It’s nice to be great, but far greater to be nice.”

We are a studio of collaborators that love working with people who love what they do, too. And while awards, recognition, and your name in lights is fun, we are more focused on building relationships and figuring out how we can help bring people, companies and organizations’ passion to life visually, and communicate their ideas effectively.

And who are our clients? People who share this philosophy; this world is a big place, with a lot of room for good. We aim to combine our clients’ expertise in what they do with our experience in design and branding to make the most impact.

It All Starts with a Conversation

Businesses and organizations come in all shapes, sizes, stages, and specialties; we build our team and our recommendations based on each client’s needs. While we can work with an existing brand, our collective expertise really shines when we partner with you on a brand building experience to bring your brand to life or back to life!

Brand Identity

Starting from the ground up can be an intimidating place, but we aim to make the process as fun as the end result.

– Research & Strategy
– Logo Design
– Tone of Voice
– Brand Standards

Web Design


We are sure to match the design and visual needs of every site with a well-developed back end, allowing it to grow with you over time.

– Content Strategy
– Copywriting
– Web Design
– Responsive Development
– Partner with Ongoing Support

Print Design


Your brand lives on far past a logo and the digital realm. Let us help you bring life to paper.

– Stationery Design
– Book Layout & Design
– Catalog Design
– Posters
– Occasional Screenprinting

Meet the Core Team

Tiny Bold is a team of collected collectives; trusted collaborators that are brought together to build the best teams for our clients’ needs as they are needed.

Illustration of Alison, founder and creative director at Tiny Bold Creative

ALISON SUSTARICH

Founder & Creative Director

Having worked with large and small agencies, Alison founded Tiny Bold Creative in 2012 as a means to work directly with passionate small business owners and good-hearted organizations. Besides scootering around town (helmet hair be damned), one of her favorite things is seeing a client’s eyes light up upon seeing their vision come to life.

Illustration of Julie, team member at Tiny Bold Creative

JULIE SCHUMACHER

Writer & Strategist
Illustration of Maggie, team member at Tiny Bold Creative

MAGGIE KENT

Senior Designer
Illustration of Andrea, team member at Tiny Bold Creative

DREA DePAOLI

Designer
Illustration of Elena, team member at Tiny Bold Creative

ELENA POTTER

Designer & Illustrator
Illustration of Dave, team member at Tiny Bold Creative

DAVE SCHMIDT

Web Developer
Illustration of Stanley the dog, team member at Tiny Bold Creative

STANLEY THE DOG

Personal Trainer

Our Clients

We love working alongside everyone from passionate small businesses to large organizations that do good for the world. Below is a selection of the folks we’ve been lucky enough to partner with.

826CHI

American Dental Association

American Historical Association

Associated Colleges of the Midwest

Chicago Review of Books

Chicago Trolley & Double Decker

Ginkgo Planning & Design

Grounds & Hounds Coffee Co.

Ladder Up

Lululemon Chicago

Lurie Children’s Hospital

Mindfuel Wellness

North Shore Country Day School

Progressive Education Network

Polk Bros. Foundation

Stephanie Izard/Goat Goods