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Logo design & branding œuvre
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logos • hot rebrands • con themes • vector graphics • brand identity • icons • cards, stickers, badges, lanyards, patches, coins, & ephemera • packaging • exhibits • internet things • anything fit to print |
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Melanie Warner, Founder & Graphic ArtistMelanie Warner is an award-winning American graphic artist known for her logo design and brand development for cybersecurity clients. Since launching Hotiron Creative in 2002, she has designed for Fortune 100 companies, ad agencies, big tech, and global publications. She helped build a multimillion-dollar luxury audio brand and now designs exclusively for the information security community. Since 2016, she has been the resident “con artist” at BSides Las Vegas. After living in NYC for most of her adulthood, she currently resides in Idaho. Who I Am
I’m an artist in cybersecurity. I’m inspired by the critical work of security engineers, policymakers, and activists in this field. Some of the most creative people I’ve ever met aren’t necessarily artists, but what we all have in common is imagination, optimism, and fortitude. Hackers are driven by an insatiable curiosity to prove that they can access something they were told they couldn’t. They believe there’s always a way in, and they use their powers to create a better world. That same obsession goes into my own design: I do a deep dive, analyze the data, locate the strong signal, and if I’m lucky, I’M IN. The ability to hit a target no one else can see is what sets us apart from machines. Because the quality of creative work will never exceed the taste level of the client, I enjoy designing for the most interesting, smart, funny, and dynamic minds. Their ideas are more radical, and they’re more open to radical ideas. Hackers appreciate the power of good design to affect change. Together, we can make a difference and have a great time doing it. Designing beautiful things for people I love gives me so much joy. I put my heart and soul into my work. I’ve designed for several non-profits that help underrepresented talent advance their careers in infosec. Please support conferences that lift as they climb. Let’s design a hotter brand. | ↓ BRASS TACKS ↓ What I DoI create iconic and beautiful logos with personality and technical precision. From concept to execution, I turn ideas into corporate branding and conference themes. Like DNA, a single, powerful logo design drives the unifying graphic type/color scheme and informs the creative direction for all downstream design. All my logos are vector art: infinitely scalable while digitally economical, and compatible with print and web. For logo design, we’ll start with a brand consultation, where we decode the essence of who you are and what you want your organization to represent, beginning with a list of stock questions. I’ll bounce some ideas off you until we land on something we like, then I’ll polish the vectors to mathematical perfection. You’ll receive all your graphic assets along with instructions intended to guide subsequent design. This toolkit streamlines your ongoing branding process, making design decisions simple for any designer to use while ensuring your communication pieces stay on brand. Production is where the rubber hits the road. Behind the creative work is decades of technical expertise to make your bespoke design function as intended in the physical world. I design with meticulous workmanship and job tracking so there are no surprises in the end. If it is to be printed on paper, screened onto products, made into electronic badges, sewn into a pattern, embossed onto challenge coins, die-cut, embroidered, letter-pressed, foil-stamped, wrapped on vehicles, or constructed into exhibits, I have the resources for controlling print quality, vendor costs, and reliability. There will be spreadsheets. It’s never too early to invite creative, resourceful thinking to the table. As someone with the experience to foresee pitfalls and advise on budgeting, I can sort out solutions that will help you achieve your goals. Let’s design a hotter brand. | ↓ THINGS TO KNOW ↓ Why Design?People go where they’re liked. We’re all drawn to brands that reflect a positive version of ourselves. If all things are equal, people go with the one that looks better—whether we’re buying, hiring, subscribing, following, wearing, or attending it. No one will think more highly of your brand than you do, so it pays to convey that you care about your own business so your customers can trust that you’ll take care of theirs. I’m not a fine artist; I’m a strategist. I design for my clients in order to identify their audience, so that their audience can identify with them. The goal isn’t for people to say, “Oh, hey, it’s Melanie’s work!” The point is for them to say, “Oh, look, it’s us!” Good design is art that conveys a message. The purpose of design is to facilitate communication and usability, not to decorate. Like security, the investment in good design is easily overlooked because it’s invisible when it’s working well. Someone unfamiliar with cybersecurity will require a lot more time getting up to speed with your industry. Or they won’t, and you’ll end up with something trite and ill-informed. As they say, “If you think hiring a professional is expensive, wait until you hire an amateur.” Don’t waste money trying to blend in, only to later hire someone to help you stand out. You need to differentiate. You cannot not design. Lest you stand out for looking bad—or fail to stand out at all—there is only bad design where good design would otherwise be. OMG, OK. | ↓ WHAT ELSE YOU NEED TO KNOW ↓ Why Am I Like This?This is who I’ve always wanted to be. They said I should be an engineer, but I wanted to be an artist. I’m naturally methodical and detail oriented in my usual approach to problem solving, and that gives me space for the chaos of creative thinking. I use an array of technical competencies in the course of my work, I spec and maintain my own systems, and I have mastery over my tools. As a citizen of the internet and a one-woman agency, I can’t afford to take certain risks, and I feel a responsibility to continue learning about what those pitfalls are and how to avoid them. By attending and organizing cybersecurity events, I’ve developed a great appreciation for information security. Technology, business, and cyberpunk culture have always fascinated me, and I enjoy being surrounded by people who are smarter than me. Some of the most imaginative, motivated, brilliant, hilarious, genuine, wonderful people I’ve known are part of the global hacker community. |
Select Branding Projects
Partial Client ListAbsolve Security, Altum Strategy Group, Amethyze, Autonomic Controls, Bia!, Bounce (P&G), BSides Delaware, BSides JXN, BSides RDU, bugcrowd, bunnie, Canon, Cedar Fair (FunTV), Cellular One, Chiquita Foods, Circle City Crossroads, Cincinnati Bell, ClearOne Communications, CocktailCon, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, DEF CON Group 201, DEF CON: SpeakerOps, Epson, F+W Media, Fir3d0g, Gabriel Bassett, HackWest, HOW Magazine, hyperquake, Kodak, Krause Publications, lintile, Mead Westvaco, Memory Makers Magazine, no starch foundation, no starch press, North Light Books, NuVo Technologies, Ogilvy & Mather, OGIO, Procter & Gamble, RealTegrity NYC, Red Sector Group, S1Digital, SAP, SeaPak, SemperSec, Shostack + Associates, Slack, Tarah Wheeler (Red Queen Dynamics), Writer’s Digest, Zenity Special Projects
FREE THINGS (for you)
You Oughta Know
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I am humbled by the kind things people have said about my work. Here are some of those words. |
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Melanie has a great eye for design and a heart for the information security community. She has the ability to tie several themes in her designs and logos to tell a story. She created the design for the BSidesJackson 2016 logo, incorporating music themes along with hacking themes that perfectly represented the conference. I highly recommend Melanie to anyone looking for creative and meaningful designs in the security industry. —Chris Sistrunk brilliant She’s brilliant and can do anything and do it beautifully. —Serene Han razor-sharp strategy Melanie has an incredible grasp of brand strategy within--and beyond--design. Part brand designer, part marketing sherpa, she offers clients razor-sharp strategic thinking, guiding them to new, effective levels of integrated branding. Her special passion for technology helps tech clients hit the ground running without that grinding climb of the learning curve. —Janice Hughes organized creative leader Melanie is an artful, organized, and detail-oriented creative leader. She is skillful in pursuing collaborative endeavors and always aims to achieve the best results for any challenge she faces while also listening to outside perspective as a means to arrive at the best solution. Her creative skill, experience, and expertise and sense provides a clear articulation of ideas which makes her a well-rounded, design-driven entrepreneur who is always hungry for the next big opportunity. —Jon Pacio build something meaningful
Melanie has great design approach and the drive to build something meaningful. —Tristan Bel perfectionist
If I have to describe Melanie in one word, she is a perfectionist. Her attention to detail is hard to go unnoticed even if you are with her on non work related things. Her thoughts about Technology and entrepreneurship always echoed mine. We went to meetup groups, always chat about the next wave of technology and generally talk about how to constantly update/retool ourselves to keep pace with technology. She never sees an issue or a task as a single encapsulated entity but how it fits in the overall picture and that I think is very important quality that hardly gets noticed. —Rakesh Mandalapa an invaluable partner Melanie is responsible for the identity of my company - she worked in her beautifully intuitive way to create just what I needed for my logo, web design, and all of the elements of design for the interior and exterior of my first book. She has been an invaluable partner. —Jenifer Madson meets challenges head-on
Melanie is smart, very talented, and possesses a deep knowledge of human centered design and user experience. She is very comfortable meeting technical challenges head-on, is a resourceful collaborator, and is deeply curious about how things work. She has a tireless work ethic and is always committed to getting things done and having a real impact. —Doug Muise knowledge of branding
Melanie has been a guest lecturer in my NYU course on "Positioning & Brand Development" several times, as well as an advisor on my brand consulting work. While her background is mainly in graphic design, she is unique for her comprehensive, yet practical knowledge of marketing and branding and her extraordinary creative talents. Compared to most designers who just focus on artful executions, Melanie starts with the brand concept and creates new themes and ideas that reflect the core brand personality and impression, so that ALL touchpoints and communication vehicles consistently reflect the brand message. The holistic impact is captivating and memorable. Melanie would be an ideal advisor to any company seeking a fresh creative approach to re-position a brand and/or market their product or services successfully. —Jay Grönlund you get me
YOU GET ME —some friends |
I like that you create. —Dan Kaminsky amazing designer
[Melanie] is an amazing designer who makes some amazing $#!t —Meadow Ellis dedication unlike anyone
Melanie is one of the very few people I've worked with that I would recommend to anyone. Her design sense, attention to detail and most importantly, her immense dedication is unlike anyone I've worked with. —Chris Heile top-quality work
Talented, knowledgeable, thoroughly professional. Melanie’s always delivered top-quality work for us, and I'd gladly hire her again. —Rob Simpson immaculate craft
Melanie's attention to detail and immaculate craft in production was really a lifesaver. She's definitely a pleasure to work with. —Christopher Ritter a dream to work with
Melanie has been a dream to work with on every project and position she has accepted from Creatives On Call. She provides our clients with great design options and provides the reps at Creatives On Call with peace of mind that the clients will be thoroughly satisfied. I would recommend her time and time again. —April Dimig Rainbolt expertise in branding
I cannot recommend Melanie highly enough for her creativity and expertise in the area of brand design. She listens closely and offers more than one concept after thoroughly interviewing the client to assess the client’s vision of their business and its future. Hotiron Creative is a highly professional, yet thoroughly personable company to work with! —Lori Pierce out-of-the-box thinker
Melanie is a very creative person. She's incredibly talented and very good at what she does. She's extremely passionate about design and everything design-related as well as a typography expert (a.k.a. typography geek). She's open minded and very intelligent. Has a great personality and is someone you want to know. I would recommend anyone who has the chance to meet her, to do so, as she has a whole lot to offer in terms of personality and creativity. She's truly an out-of-the-box thinker. —Natalia Pérez Wahlberg superb production skills
Melanie's production and prepress skills are superb. She has a strong attention to detail and the ability to meet even the most pressing deadlines. It is always a pleasure to work with her. —Ruth Preston professional, passionate
I have known Melanie Warner for two years as a business associate and fellow member of AIGA Cincinnati. Melanie is a highly professional, ethical and passionate designer. She offers clients truly creative solutions to a variety of visual communication needs. Her design savvy distinguishes her work offering sophisticated graphic concepts to her clients. She is an active member of AIGA Cincinnati participating and supporting events and programs that promote the field of design and give back to the community at large. —Mark Thomas logo I’m getting tattooed
It's f@¢%ing sexy. I'll have you know, that is the logo. THAT logo is the one I am getting tattooed on me. —Brendin Ross incredibly talented
Melanie is an incredibly talented designer. She can take an industry she isn't very familiar with and can create an identity that meets her client’s every need. —Jo Moore |
I mean, if you want the gold standard, [Melanie] is it! —Tracy Z. Maleeff the answer
The answer to logo designers is always [Melanie] —Ian Coldwater exactly what you need
Melanie is extremely talented. What I value most about designers are those who can take a creative brief and breathe new life into an otherwise run-of-the-mill project. Her designs are sophisticated and she pays attention to every single detail. Moreover, she's extremely pleasant to work with and in this fast-paced, high-stress business. Melanie is exactly what you need! —Catherine Clay part of the client’s team
Melanie works as part of the client’s team. When freelancing for Memory Makers Books, she was a creative problem-solver and an excellent communicator, working with us to figure out how we could get the jobs done together, either on tight budgets or tight deadlines or both. I feel confident entrusting her to projects because I know they will be done well and on time. Highly recommended. —Christine Doyle overwhelming feedback
Melanie is an expert in the graphic design field, so much so that we not only interviewed her for an article about design on Cincy Chic, we let her write the entire article from a subject matter expert standpoint because we value her expertise and credibility so much. The article got an overwhelming amount of positive feedback and is still one of most read/searched-for articles on our Web site. I recommend Melanie to anyone who wants to hire a leader and expert in the design industry. —Amy Storer-Scalia emphasis on client needs
Melanie is a super sharp and creative marketer who puts more emphasis on client needs and objectives versus just good design. Once she knows her clients, she then creates outstanding designs that represent them perfectly. I gladly recommend her. —Jennifer Panepinto produces successfully
I have known Melanie for quite awhile and recently had the opportunity to produce a printing project for her. She did an outstanding job making sure we had everything we needed to produce the job successfully, such as properly prepared computer files, mockups, and clear instructions. She is very conscientious, is quite knowledgeable, and pays very close attention to all the details. Melanie is definitely the person you should work with if you want to make sure your project is a success. I look forward to continue working with her in the future. —Gregg MacMillan style, chemistry, flexibility
Melanie shows creativity, style, skill, chemistry, reliability, flexibility, and speed. She works hard at getting it right and attention to detail. Truly enjoyed working with her! —Sandra Vogel versatile + creative artist
Melanie is one of the most versatile and creative artists I know. Her work is both beautiful and modern and she has a real knack for expressing complex ideas in a clean design. —Marjorie Signer keen eye for type + color
I hired Melanie to perform an array of design tasks as part of a very fast-paced new magazine launch. She delivered what I needed--and then some--on time and always with an awareness of how the work was going to be incorporated into the whole. She has a keen eye for type and color, great attention to detail, and is dedicated to delivering superior work. —Jane Beard |
Melanie is a legend; best artist in our industry. —Steve Ragan you create beauty
You create beauty. —Tinker extremely pleased
Melanie for the past two years has designed our invitation and reply card and we have been extremely pleased with the results. She works was able to secure a paper donation and helped keep the cost down on each invitation. In the non-profit world that is huge. I would recommend Melanie to anyone wanting superior work. —Annemarie Barnett unparalleled work ethic
Melanie went above and beyond on a recent project we worked on. I asked her to do "X" and she completed "Y" and "Z" before I had even thought of them! She's extremely proficient at design and her work ethic is unparalleled. —Peg Stookey detail, integrity, dedication Melanie took on a deep project [Bounce, P+G] with fine detail and artistic integrity, and helped us put a strong product redesign on shelf with a great new look, and we couldn't have done it without her dedication. Her attention to detail through both the creative and production process was phenomenal. —Dan Barczak professional acumen
As President of AIGA Cincinnati, I have had the opportunity to interact with Melanie Warner on multiple occasions; most recently Melanie offered her insight and professional acumen having been chosen as a select participant in this year's Roundtable Discussion. AIGA Cincinnati has utilized the annual roundtable discussions as an effective way to gather and focus feedback from members at the local level on issues that are addressed while later meeting collectively at the local and national level. —Patrick Schreiber on time + on budget
Melanie is a highly creative individual who always comes up with excellent concepts and follows through with great attention to even the smallest details. She has always delivered on time and on budget. —Michelle Perry attention to detail
Melanie is an excellent designer and has a tremendous attention for details. She produces an excellent product and is a strong advocate for her customers. We enjoy working with Melanie. —Dave Sperry makes graphic sense of it all
Melanie is able to take a general idea, and make graphic sense of it all. She is detail oriented, EASY to work with, creatively sound, and brings structure to almost every situation into which she is placed. I would heartily recommend Melanie as a design resource at pretty much every level. —Kenny Snowball fabulous logo design
Melanie did a FABULOUS logo design and ad layout work. Very well done. —Jim Hyland amazing layouts that sell
Melanie designed some amazing magazine layouts on really short notice for me when I worked at Writer's Digest. She also designed several entire special-interest publications for me, again, on really short notice. The SIPs had a very fresh, modern look and, as such, sold quite well. —Kara Uhl |
Seriously, keep $ in the family. —rand0h love her description
I LOVE the BSides Las Vegas logo and am excited to meet artist [Melanie] today! Love her description: “The solarpunk themes and retro psychedelia/folk-art style represent aspects of the hacker mindset: self-taught curiosity, DIY resourcefulness, right-to-repair autonomy and moral conscientiousness.” —Jen Easterly knowledgeable, creative
Melanie is a fantastic graphic artist. Besides her amazing graphic art skills, she is an amazing Mac operator. Our company was having some challenges with a few of our Macs and she went above and beyond and was able to figure out the problem, which was no small task. She is a very personable, detailed and knowlegeable creative person. I would hire her again without hesitation. —Bill Landrum creative problem-solver
Melanie is an outstanding designer, with great creative problem-solving abilities. She is very knowledgeable about technology and production as well, so her designs are not only beautiful but effectively produced. It is also a pleasure working with her. I would highly recommend Melanie as a design professional. —Clare Finney innovative concepts
Melanie did a great job of coming up with an innovative concept, working within my budget, and meeting the production schedule. Her work is getting compliments from my consulting peers. —Heather Haley among the best designers
Melanie is among the best graphic designers to work with. She not only does an excellent job with graphic design, I also relied on Melanie to be a project manager. I felt comfortable with Melanie being in charge of our largest client base, finding the right look/feel for the project, getting it done on time and in a professional manner. Great results, personable, expert in her field, excellent value, on time, high integrity and creative. Her attention to detail is remarkable and I highly recommend her. —Kristi Loeffelholz Edwards ads that get results
I recommend Melanie to ALL my clients that need ads designed both for print and online properties. She is prompt, her ads create results and all my clients have expressed gratitude for recommending her. —Cristy Adamski meets deadlines + budget
Melanie has completed multiple magazine projects for Writer's Digest. She's project-oriented, creative and consistently meets deadline and budgetary guidelines. —Maria Schneider production, photography
Melanie is a hardworking professional who can efficienlty and effectively manage projects. She's very knowledgable about her craft and her attention to detail make her an asset for any design project. Her talents are many, from design, layout, digital production to photography, she approaches them all with the same artistic eye. —Jamie Markle professional + creative
I have had the opportunity of working with Melanie as a co-worker at Hyperquake and as a contractor for Hotiron Creative. Her level of professionalism and creativity made working with her a pleasure. I look forward to future collaborations and would highly recommend her to others. —KC Dunstan listens + understands
Melanie is a wonderful creative with the capacity to listen and understand what her clients want. Her work is on target and on message. —Monika Roberts |
Important Information
What You Get with Logo Design
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Creative Work I Can DoLogos, rebranding, visual identity systems, brand guidelines, naming, headlines, taglines, vector illustration, redraw + vectorize existing artwork, social media assets, podcast branding, cover art, business cards, any kind of printed materials, slide deck templates and presentations, book covers and interiors, long-form documents, badges, coins, crests, stickers, ephemera, media kits, corporate stationery, sales materials, forms, magazine layouts, packaging, product graphics, icons, diagrams, large exhibits, art direction, photography/creative direction, publications, GIF/frame animation, web and mobile interfaces, email marketing, advertising, content structure, and concept-driven, integrated marketing campaigns. I’m Less Qualified or Interested in DoingWeb/UI development, website maintenance, coding, tech support, decorative art, tattoos, copywriting, audio, video, animation, engaging with any LLM, learning your tools, teaching your staff, using alternative design tools or platforms, joining your collaboration utility, appearing on camera, extraneous meetings, pass-through expenses, consulting, legal services (such as trademark search and filing), and travel. |
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How to Hire Hotiron Creativetl;dr Plan to differentiate. If you don’t pick a direction for us to zag, I’ll pick one for you, and we’ll be in for a long one. New clients should complete the project questionnaire. After I receive your responses, we’ll get together on the phone, then I’ll give you a cost estimate. Your answers to the questionnaire help me get to the heart of what you need. You have all the answers, and it’s my job to ask the right questions. After all, “knowing is half the battle.” Please review the full questionnaire ahead of time, then get in touch. What to ExpectDesign is not Art. It may look like art, but your design has something important to say. My job is to satisfy the creative brief. (I swear, it isn’t as dispassionate as it sounds.) Design is a collaborative process between designer and client. There is no personal agenda, ego of mine, magic mind reading, or creating something-from-nothing. First, I need your input to seed the idea and steer it in the right direction. Second, we endure the messy creative phase, where you review visual concepts and eventually pick one. Last, finishing the deliverables employs my technical skills and resources, which tends to go quickly. Once we agree on a budget, timeline, and scope, I’ll establish a creative brief outlining the facts. I’ll begin research, sketch, and reach out with follow-up questions and ideas. I’ll work according to the creative brief, then we’ll compare results to make sure you end up with what you need. Huzzah. |
How to Pay
NO cryptocurrency, trades, discounts, installments, or IOUs. Thank You for Supporting Real Artists |
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Design a hotter brand |
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©2002–2026 Hotiron Creative | All trademarks are property of their respective owners and are used with permission. | +1 646 414 4114 | Signal | Email | → PROJECT QUESTIONNAIRE |
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