Brand identities forged the way the outdoors forges people — under pressure, without excuses, built to hold up. Design isn’t chosen here to decorate a business; it’s chosen to prove one can be trusted.
The Alder Files is a brand and design studio built on that idea — from strategy to visual identity to the systems that carry it, every piece of work is built to hold up under real conditions, not just look good in a mockup.
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CHECK OUT SOME OF MY WORK
Every identity built here starts with the same question: What does this brand need to survive contact with the real world? That’s not a metaphor — it’s a discipline learned outside, then applied at the desk.
Twenty feet up a ridge with the weather turning, you learn fast what actually matters and what’s just noise. The same instinct shapes every project here: Cut what’s decorative, keep what’s load-bearing.
Read the water before you cast. Every project starts with what the client can’t see yet.
Know your conditions, or you don’t leave the dock. Strategy before style, every time.
Bring only what earns its weight. Good design works the same way.
Pace yourself, or you don’t finish. Same rule applies to a brand rollout.
Patience beats noise. Most brands talk too much before they’ve earned the attention.
Read the water before you cast. Every project starts with what the client can’t see yet.
Know your conditions, or you don’t leave the dock. Strategy before style, every time.
Bring only what earns its weight. Good design works the same way.
Pace yourself, or you don’t finish. Same rule applies to a brand rollout.
Patience beats noise. Most brands talk too much before they’ve earned the attention.
MOTION DESIGN
PRINT DESIGN
BRAND IDENTITY
WEB DESIGN
CUSTOM PROJECTS
Not every brand needs this. The ones that do, know it.
Plenty of studios can make something look good. Fewer are built to make something last — through a rebrand, a rough quarter, a market that shifted overnight. The Alder Files exists for the brands that need to survive contact with reality, not just launch well.
ACCESS, NOT HOURS.
Every tier includes direct work with The Alder Files — no account managers, no hand-offs, no diluted attention.
The difference is how much of it, and how it’s structured.
SOLO PROJECT
One clear objective, one clean finish line. Whether it’s a full brand identity, a landing page, or a motion piece — this is for the project that needs to be done right, once, without an ongoing commitment.
Starting at
$2.8K
- Fixed scope, fixed price
- One point of contact, start to finish
- Two rounds of revisions
- Final files and usage rights included
BASECAMP
Standing access to a specialist, no long-term contract required. This is the base of operations for brands that need consistent, ongoing work but want the flexibility to scale up or step back as things change.
Month-to-Month
$3.8K/mo
- Up to 35 hours/month
- Direct Slack access
- Unlimited requests within scope
- Weekly progress updates
- Pause or cancel with 30 days’ notice
EXPEDITION
The better rate, earned by the longer commitment. Same access as Basecamp, more hours included, priced for clients who already know this relationship is working and are ready to lock it in.
Quarterly Commitment
$3.3K/mo
- Up to 40 hours/month
- Everything in Basecamp
- Priority scheduling
- Quarterly brand check-in
- Rate locked for the quarter
SUMMIT
For brands that need more than a tier can hold — multi-stream work, deep retainer relationships, or scope that doesn’t fit a template. Not every project needs this level. If yours does, we should talk.
Let’s
TALK
- Custom-scoped engagement
- Multi-stream capacity
- Same-day response
- First right of refusal on future work
- By conversation, not signup
Ready to build
something that lasts?
The Alder Files takes on a limited number of projects and retainers at a time — reach out to talk through what’s needed.
Pacific Northwest, USA
Currently: 9:11 am
Email: michael@thealderfiles.com
Phone: +1 425.582.3936