About Us
Our Studio
Celery is a design firm. We started eleven years ago with the idea of merging aesthetics, ethics, and a dogged obsession with effectiveness. Since then we’ve managed to build a studio that teams with both the largest companies in the world and a host of start-ups that aspire to change the world.
Celery is a studio focused on creating communications that have a positive impact in the world. We do cutting-edge green design and brand strategy work across many media. We have over 10 years of experience working with industry leaders (and those who aspire to be leaders) in corporate responsibility, clean tech, organic foods, renewable energy and community development. Our clients tend to come back to Celery again and again because we take the time to understand their unique challenges and add value to their messages beyond layout and surface visuals.
One of Celery’s roles over the years has been as an advocate for a new model of graphic design that deals proactively with social and environmental challenges. Through frequent lectures, magazine articles and public outreach projects such as the Ecological Guide to Paper, Celery has worked to influence other graphic designers to embrace sustainability as a crucial design objective. Celery’s work in this area was recognized with an Environmental Leadership Award from the American Institute of Graphic Arts. The firm’s work has been featured in numerous publications including ID Magazine’s ID 40 list of influential design firms.
Rod DeWeese
Rod co-founded Celery with the goal of producing high-impact, meaningful and intelligent design solutions. He has built long-term design relationships with major and emerging clients worldwide. These relationships are largely based on Rod’s ability to understand each client’s communication needs and to guide the innovation of Celery’s design team.
Rod currently oversees new business development in the US and Europe and manages client projects and budgets. He helps define client objectives and track their implementation into finished designs. He also actively participates in conceptual development and oversees production of print graphics, packaging and websites. Rod holds a BA in music performance and art history from the University of Redlands.
Brian Dougherty
Brian is principal creative director at Celery. He guides clients through the creative process—digging deeply into the unique character of each company to find inspiration for fresh design solutions. He facilitates collaborative creative workshops and leads the early phases of design development. Brian also oversees Celery’s talented crew of designers in Berkeley as they develop and produce projects for print, web, packaging and spaces.
Brian is the author of Green Graphic Design from Allworth Press and a frequent lecturer on the ecological innovation in communications design. He sits on the Advisory Board of the AIGA Center for Sustainable Design. Brian graduated summa cum laude from Loyola University with a BA in graphic design and specialization in sculpture.