GAL STUDIOS
Michelle Gal Studios develops bold brand identities for purpose-driven founders in restaurant, retail, and service-based businesses. The ones who took the risk, put in the years, done the grinding, and are still sounding like everyone else in their industry.
I’ve spent 20+ years inside these industries, plus years designing for high-end hospitality brands. That taught me something most people get wrong: your brand isn’t your logo or your color palette. It’s the feeling someone walks away with, built in the small stuff. How they’re greeted. What the space feels like. How you handle it when something goes sideways.
I build brands around that feeling instead of what looks good on a mood board. Unmistakably yours, not something that could belong to the business down the street.
CORE VALUES
The idea: curiosity uncovers the real story, connection is what makes you willing to share it, and collaboration is how it becomes the finished brand. Each one hands off to the next instead of standing alone.
CURIOSITY
I go beyond the obvious story to discover why the owner started their business in the first place and what keeps driving them forward. That same curiosity shapes how I research the customers and clientele a brand is actually trying to reach, not just the demographic on paper. It’s the starting point for a brand built on connection and authenticity rather than trend.
CONNECTION
That curiosity only works if you feel comfortable enough to tell me the real story, not just the polished version. Building that kind of connection takes intention, and it’s woven into every conversation along the way, not just the first one. It’s what turns what I’ve learned about you into something that actually feels like you.
COLLABORATION
From there, the strongest way to build a brand that truly represents you and your company’s story is together, as a team. I can’t do this without you. I guide the strategy and design, but your insights and perspective are what take everything we’ve uncovered and shape it into a brand that’s distinctly, unmistakably yours.
“Great design is making something memorable and meaningful.”
– Dieter Rams –
A lil’ about me
Helloooo. My name is Michelle Galyardt. I am a brand designer based in the Pacific Northwest. I specialize in all print, digital, and brand development. Coming from years designing for award winning, high-end hospitality brands taught me to consider all aspects of the human experience, the feeling people get when interacting with a brand. The experience at that company was integral in building Michelle Gal Studios, emphasizing consistency and clarity in all touch points to their ideal, high-value target clientele.
I thrive in a collaborative environment where I am able to work with a purpose behind it. “Serve God. Serve People.” is my mission. I have a heart for humanitarian efforts and am a firm believer that art and design are capable of making a global impact if executed correctly.
Some random facts about me…I am a native flatlander, hailing from the heartland (also known as Kansas) I traveled the yellow brick road to the Emerald City of Seattle almost 15 years ago. I love mountains and the snow more than warm sandy beaches. Dog-OBSESSED! Get me on the topic of music and bands and I can talk your ear off for hours if you let me, with maybe a bit too much enthusiasm. It is impossible for me to talk without my hands. I try to go against the grain in most of what I do (it’s the rebel in me, muhaha).
But my absolute favorite creative outlet is street and concert photography. Be sure to check out my passion projects:
Take a look around and
