Ashley-Elizabeth Vella is an award-winning designer with 20+ years of experience in brand development, art direction, and creative strategy across digital and print media.
Proven track record of delivering high-impact marketing campaigns for leading agencies and national brands. Expertise in translating complex brand strategies into compelling visual narratives that drive measurable business results. Passionate about colour theory and environmental graphics, with a collaborative approach to creative problem-solving.
Core Competencies:
- Brand Identity & Strategy
- Digital Marketing Creative
- Campaign Development
- Sales Collateral & Decks
- Social Media Design
- Environmental Graphics
- Project Management
- Creative Direction
Experience
Freelance Creative Director/Designer, aevella Design
2018 – Present
Led creative strategy and execution for diverse clients across education, real estate, healthcare, and not-for-profit sectors. Manage end-to-end design projects from brief to final delivery, producing digital marketing assets, brand identities, and multi-channel campaign materials. Work recognized with a BILD Award for Best Logo for King George School Lofts + Town Homes.
Senior Art Director/Designer, McOuat Partnership
2014 – 2025
Directed creative vision for major real estate clients including Ashcroft Homes and Rose Corporation. Led award-winning campaigns spanning digital marketing, social media, signage, print advertising, and branded collateral. Collaborated with marketing strategists and developers to deliver cohesive brand experiences that drove significant market performance.
Art Director/Designer, Montana Steele Advertising
2013 – 2014
Conceptualized and executed integrated marketing campaigns for diverse real estate clientele. Managed multiple concurrent projects while maintaining high creative standards and meeting tight deadlines. Design work on the Minto Longbranch brand earned five industry awards for excellence in digital marketing and branded collateral.
Graphic Designer, Clear Space Design + Communications Inc.
2009 – 2013
Delivered design solutions across print and digital channels for clients in healthcare, finance, and cultural sectors. Contributed to award-winning campaigns including the Sunnybrook Foundation's Labour of Love initiative and Branksome Hall's Branksome Becomes campaign.
Graphic Designer, Montana Steele Advertising
2007 – 2009
Developed foundational expertise in advertising design, brand identity development, and client collaboration across web and print media.
Junior Art Director/Designer, Pi Media
2005 – 2007
Recognition
GOHBA 2018 - Best Builder Social Media | Monocle, Ashcroft Homes
GOHBA 2018 - Best Builder Signage | Monocle, Ashcroft Homes
GOHBA 2018 - Best Builder Print Ad | Monocle, Ashcroft Homes
GOHBA 2018 - Best Builder Brochure | Monocle, Ashcroft Homes
GOHBA 2018 - Best Builder Marketing Campaign | Monocle, Ashcroft Homes
BILD Award 2018 - Best Logo | King George School Lofts + Town Homes, Rose Corporation
NAHB 2015 - Best Digital Marketing Campaign | Minto Longbranch, Minto Communities
NAHB 2015 - Best Marketing of Green/Sustainable Program | Minto Longbranch, Minto Communities
BILD Award 2014 - Best Brochure | Minto Longbranch, Minto Communities
BILD Award 2014 - Best Website | Minto Longbranch, Minto Communities
BILD Award 2014 - Best Direct Mail | Minto Communities
Winner of the 2012 Social Good Design Awards (For-Profit) | Niagara Region Wind Corporation Branding
Winner of the 2012 Social Good Design Awards (Not For-Profit) | Branksome Becomes Campaign, Branksome Hall
RGD 2012 365 days + 100 logos planner | Labour of Love Logo, Sunnybrook Foundation
Featured in the OCADU Colour & Two-Dimentional 2011 Design Textbook | Unit 8: Composing with Colour
Wolda 2010 (Worldwide Logo Design Annual) | Labour of Love Logo, Sunnybrook Foundation
First Annual Applied Arts Student Award Winner | Volume 21, No. 5
Scholarship for Design Excellence | One of four designers awarded
Education
2003 – 2007
Ontario College of Art & Design University
Bachelor of Design, Graphic Design