Meet Our Creative Director

Meet Sarah Boyd, SipCozy's Creative Director

The biggest compliments I receive (almost weekly) about SipCozy is about the branding and all the amazing attention to detail. Our Creative Director, Sarah Boyd, was the first person I brought onto the project last year to give life to the SipCozy brand. I immediately knew I wanted to work with Sarah after our first meeting. Her aesthetic, advice, and honesty has guided the project every step of the way. Having the opportunity to create a brand with Sarah has been one of the most rewarding professional experiences of my life. I sat down with her and asked some questions about what it is like to be a designer and how she finds inspiration. Enjoy.

What has been your favorite part of building the SipCozy Brand? 

I think for any designer who’s involved in bringing a new brand to life, one of the most exciting parts of the process is developing the creative look and feel for the brand and seeing that come to fruition. Watching the response to not only the product but also the brand itself has been incredibly humbling, for all of us. The community of women behind SipCozy is a huge driving force in the inspiration and essence of the brand. Exploring new ways to communicate that sense of strong, female togetherness through the creative has been such a rewarding part of the process.

You have such an eye for design, where do you look for inspiration? 

I always try to make sure my inspiration stays true to myself and is organic. I grew up with a very creative mom, she always taught me to be inspired by the world around me – not so much other people’s work. Most of my inspiration comes from things in my everyday life – architecture, food, interior design, travel, nature, etc.

What is the hardest part about designing for different brands? 

It’s always a challenge finding new ways to further develop a brand and keep that engagement going, but it’s also what keeps you fresh as a designer. The last thing you want is the brand to become stale and monotone. This is a huge part of why I have truly loved working on this project. I haven’t had a single moment of “creative block” because this product is so unique and the team behind it is always ready to explore a new way to enhance the brand.

In a world that is almost all digital, how can brands incorporate traditional design principles into their branding/aesthetic? 

Any good brand is a well rounded one. Yes – we do live in this fast-moving, innovative digital era, however, marketing is about utilizing all platforms and the print and digital worlds must be thought of as strategic partners in order to do so. Print media still has (and in my opinion, always will have) an incredible amount of power in the marketing world. People remember things they touch and feel; a great business card, a beautiful mailer, a well-crafted piece of packaging – these are all things that will round out your brand and leave an impression on your consumers and customers.

Of course, pricing can always be a struggle, especially with a startup. But I always encourage those extra bits of the budget to go towards a strong print presence when they can. There are lots of ways to do that and remain cost-effective and I think it always pays off.

What is the best piece of career advice you have received?

Don’t undervalue yourself.

When you’ve been doing something for so long that it feels like second nature, it’s easy to take those skills for granted. I’ve been lucky enough to come across several people I have come to consider mentors in my experience and they’ve all left a similar theme of career advice: You weren’t born with these skills, you’ve invested years of your life to build up your skillset over time and it’s important to remember the value of that.

What CBD or hemp products do you currently use? 

I’ve always had trouble sleeping so CBD tinctures have become a staple for me. I also love trying new CBD/hemp products and honestly, most of those new tries have come from the SipCozy blogs! My favorite has been the CBD-infused honey that we reviewed in one of our earliest posts.

How do you get cozy?

I’m really happiest with the most simple moments – just being at home with my husband and our big (an understatement) Great Dane, Nash. We love to cook, be outside and listen to music – all with a glass of SipCozy in hand, of course!

Xo, Team SipCozy