MEMBER FOCUS: Gabby Blades
Gabby Blades, Founder of Blades Creative Design Studio
NIKE’S SWOOP. MCDONALD’S ARCHES. STARBUCKS’ MERMAID. These brand logos are so deeply embedded within our culture’s consciousness that it is hard to imagine that they once started out as just a concept in someone’s brain. It’s a prime example of Creatio ex nihilo: from a kernel of inspiration comes creativity and art. Gabby Blades—the founder of her eponymous design studio, Blades Creative—elucidates the transformative magic that exists within branding and graphic design. Taking a business’s core mission and turning it into a visual imprint may seem daunting. But Gabby finds the process exhilarating, and enjoys the alchemy of creativity.
Recently, her own studio underwent a rebrand in order to showcase what they do best: bringing magic to life for businesses of all sizes. She offers three different services—brand design, packaging design, and creative partnerships—that often work in tandem, depending upon a client’s individual needs. Gabby’s passion, efficiency, and intentionality is impressive; in just one month, her studio helped Herbiary (an herbal apothecary based in Asheville) design a suite of over 150 product labels. “I find it really rewarding to work with businesses that share my same values and passions,” Gabby states.
Before the pandemic hit, Gabby became involved in holistic health and wellness. “I got really into yoga, which sounds very millennial…” she laughs. “But it’s a huge part of my life now, and changed the way I think and live.” Finding time to get on her mat allowed for a greater work-life balance. Immersed in the yoga world, Gabby was given the opportunity to reflect, grow, and engage with the Chattanooga community—all of which filtered back into her business and design work.
“My rebrand incorporates a lot more elements of my personality. When I first started my studio, I was young and thought everything needed to be really buttoned up. Now, [my aesthetic] is lighter—way more casual and expressive.” Her new logo is a great example of this shift. Inspired by the Magician card in the Tarot deck, Gabby illustrates her mission to illuminate her clients’ magic. Above the “i” in "Creative" is a simple yet elegant star, which serves as a wink and nod to the charm that exists within individuals and their businesses. As a designer, Gabby helps to materialize and manifest that inherent star-power.
Gabby always gravitated toward the arts. As a child growing up in Louisiana, she drew and painted, played the computer game Kid Pix, and even created pop-up greeting card shops in her parent’s sunroom—which was one of the first indications of her entrepreneurial nature. When Gabby was in high school, her family moved to Chattanooga, and she fell in love with the area. After graduating from UTC’s prestigious graphic design program, Gabby found a job with the City of Chattanooga, while also picking up client contracts with companies like LAUNCH. After taking on more and more contracts, she realized that she wanted to start her own company. Although Gabby was only 24, she got her EIN number, received her sole proprietorship, and launched Blades Creative in 2015.
“At the time, I didn’t even have a desk. I was in an apartment with a roommate, working off my dresser,” she recounts. From her bareboned beginnings, her company took off. Now in her sixth year of business, Gabby has amassed a formidable client base, providing services to such businesses as The Bitter Bottle, Home Sweet Chattanooga, Local Venture Legal, Lodge Manufacturing, and many more.
As a very empathetic and perceptive person, she can almost immediately intuit what a client’s style and brand needs might be. Drawing upon an initial consultation, Gabby does thorough market research, creates processes and systems, invites in collaboration and feedback, and produces exceptional design that aligns with the company’s overarching mission or values. Perusing her portfolio online, it becomes clear that who Gabby is—and the work she does—can be encompassed in one simple word: Magic.