We spoke to Julie Vander Herberg the Creative Director/Founder of creative agency Vanderbrand. Julie is well-versed in building solid foundations and aligning her agency with progressive ideas and products. In our chat with Julie, she introduces the team and gives some exceptional advice on qualities and skills she looks for in graduates.
Give us the elevator pitch on what you do.
Vanderbrand is a creative agency that aligns itself with great ideas. We are not sector specific, we are idea specific. We create brand cultures to enrich human experiences. We align ourselves with like-minded visionaries to challenge conventional thinking, reinvent industry standards, and go beyond the expected.
What qualities and skills to you look for in a graduate?
We look for applicants who value ideas, execution, and application in tandem. We value professionalism, business acumen, and follow-ups.
Who’s on the team, what are their roles and why do you love them?
Anna Vander Herberg is my Partner and Creative Director. She oversees the operations of our business. She was instrumental in the success of our Instagram account and has been creative lead on many of our brands including Junction House, Clickchange, and The Roncy. Anna is an expert at capturing the essence of a brand and creatively aligning our strategy to best make it stand out.
Melanie Hong is our lead art director and master executor. She has an exceptional ability to creatively execute a project from start to finish with no detail unnoticed. Some of her projects include: Akb Architects, The Penthouses One Bloor, The Hazelton Hotel, and Sorelle and Co.
Olivia Rohner is our talented designer and her self-starter attitude has also garnered her the title of 'In-house publicist'. She is technically savvy, but more importantly, she is a creative and tenacious force within our team. Her projects include: Akb Archtects, The Winslow, and Junction House.
What advice would you give students graduating in 2019?
Design your own website that highlights your work, don’t over-design your own personal brand, and instead focus on your ideas, your work and your applications.
Design your own website that highlights your work, don't over-design your own personal brand, and instead focus on your ideas, your work, and your applications.
What’s your take on internships? (do you take interns now?)
We love taking on interns, but we interview intern applicants in the same fashion as any other position. If they are talented and a good fit, we take them on. Also, we always pay our interns.
How did you name your practice and what does the name represent to you?
I initially named our firm Vander Design, but quickly changed it to Vander Brand in 2008 (three syllables just seemed to roll off the tongue a bit better than four). And more recently, we adjusted our name to Vanderbrand. Vander stems from my last name Vander Herberg (an anglicized version of the Dutch name van der Herberg). I like names that are tied to a story or family. It feels more authentic. My sister and I are partners, so that worked well for both of us. Lastly, the word brand was selected to highlight our service offering of brand strategy and design.
