Sharon Newsom, graphic designer and founder of The Qurious Effect
 

Where thoughtful work becomes thoughtfully presented

 
 

Your work has evolved. Your visuals should reflect it.

 
 
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What’s missing isn’t creativity — it’s alignment.

 

Your business has grown.
Your standards have sharpened.
But your visual presence hasn’t fully caught up.

What once felt “good enough” now feels slightly off.
Not wrong — just no longer reflective of the depth and care behind your work.

Maybe you’ve noticed:

  • Your brand visuals feel dated or disconnected from who you are now

  • Different pieces of your business look like they were created in different seasons

  • You’ve invested in design before, but it still doesn’t quite feel like you

That’s the space I work in — quietly and collaboratively.

Often, the shift begins before any design happens at all.

 

Start with clarity

Before anything new gets built, we clarify.

THE VISUAL EDIT is a focused, two-week intensive for women whose expertise has outgrown their brand.

If your business has evolved but your visual presence feels slightly behind, this is the first step.

Drawing from the CLARIFY and CONSIDER stages of the Qurious Process, we define the foundation your brand can grow from:

  • Clear positioning

  • A cohesive aesthetic direction

  • Refined color and typography guidance

  • Strategic recommendations for up to three core website pages

  • A prioritized roadmap for what comes next

The outcome isn’t just better design.

It’s the confidence of knowing your brand reflects the authority you’ve built.

From there, we move into custom refinement as needed.

But we begin here.

 
Portrait of Sharon Newsom, graphic designer
 

 A different kind of
design support

 

Most designers start with templates or trends.

I start by listening — to what you’re trying to say, what matters to you, and what you want your work to hold.

I don’t just make things look good — I help ensure your brand evolves visually as thoughtfully as your work has. 

I listen deeply, ask thoughtful questions, and translate what you mean into a brand that finally matches the vision you’ve been carrying.

  • Interpretive, not prescriptive
    Your ideas aren’t vague — they’re layered. My role is to translate, not overwrite.

  • Collaborative, not transactional
    We work together to shape something that feels true, not just finished.

  • Designed to last, not just launch
    The goal isn’t a one-off project — it’s clarity you can keep building from.

That’s why the work feels steady — even over time.

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Design that feels like relief

 

 The Qurious Process

 
Sharon Newsom standing outdoors, black-and-white portrait

Curiosity isn’t a nice-to-have here.
It’s how the work moves forward.

 

At The Qurious Effect, curiosity is what turns evolving ideas into clear direction.
It slows the rush to solutions, creates space for better questions, and allows the real intent behind the work to surface.

This curiosity-led approach shapes every step of the process — a calm, done-for-you way to interpret, organize, and bring your vision to life with clarity and care.

A steady, guided approach that turns ideas into finished work — with care, clarity, and ease.

 

Connect
We begin with a 30-minute Curiosity Call — a relaxed conversation where you share what you’re working on and where things feel slightly out of sync.
No pressure. No prep. Just a place to start.

Clarify
Through a short questionnaire and focused conversation, we create clarity and alignment — without requiring you to have everything figured out.

This is where the noise quiets and direction emerges.

Create
I translate your ideas into cohesive, polished design — guiding feedback and refining until it feels right.

 

You’ll always know what’s happening.
You’ll never feel alone in the process.

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 If this feels like the kind of support you’ve been looking for…

 

The Curiosity Call is a calm, no-pressure place to talk through what you’re working on and get clear on next steps — together.

No pressure. No prep. Just a place to start.

 
 
 
 

 
 

 A selection of projects shaped with clarity, care, and intention — across nonprofits, personal brands, and creative businesses.

 
 
Editorial overview publication for Executive Leadership Seminars with restrained typography and structured layouts

Executive Leadership Seminars
Editorial design + institutional publication
The Aspen Institute

Brand identity and website design for Nina Lafuente featuring clean typography and editorial styling

Nina Lafuente — Love Your Body Oil
Branding, packaging + website design
Women-founded consumer brand

Graphic + website design for Yoga with K2 shown as logo with bright, joyful visual style

Yoga with K2
Brand identity, collateral + website design

Pages from The Tidy Up Playbook digital guide with calm layouts and instructional design

Tidy Up Playbook
Editorial design + digital product system
For a women-led education brand

Institutional report design for Aspen Institute leadership programs with data, photography, and editorial pacing

Aspen Institute Leadership Division ­— Highlights Report
Editorial design + institutional publication

 
 

The throughline across these projects is listening first — and designing from there.

 
 
 

I’m Sharon Newsom, a graphic designer and the founder of The Qurious Effect.

For years, my work grew through referrals — supporting nonprofits and mission-driven organizations with important messages to share. Along the way, I learned how much pressure women carry when they’re responsible for making meaningful work visible.

After becoming a mother and navigating a long season of self-doubt, something shifted. I realized my gift wasn’t just design — it was helping women feel grounded, supported, and deeply understood as their ideas came to life.

Today, I partner with women to bring clarity to their thinking and beauty to their work — so what we create reflects the quality and professionalism of what they’re building and finally reflects who they are.

Read Sharon’s story→

Portrait of Sharon Newsom, graphic designer
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 A note on investment

 

Most clients begin with The Visual Edit — a focused, two-week foundational intensive priced at $3,000.

During a Curiosity Call, we’ll determine whether beginning with clarity or moving directly into a custom project makes the most sense for your brand.
Custom design projects are scoped intentionally, with proposals created once the appropriate starting point is clear.

The goal is always the same: work that feels aligned, intentional, and built to last.

 
 

Ready for done-for-you design that feels like relief?

 

You bring the ideas — even if they’re messy or still taking shape.

I’ll interpret, organize, and design them into polished, finished work that reflects the quality of what you’re building.

For brand identities, digital products, and the ongoing design work that brings your ideas into the world.

Let’s start with a 30-minute Curiosity Call.

Curious what kinds of projects I support? You can explore that here.

 
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NOT READY FOR THE VISUAL EDIT YET?

 

Design becomes stronger when it reflects where you are now — not where you started.

Here’s a guide to get you thinking strategically.

Before You Open Canva helps you slow down, think clearly, and move forward with intention.

 

 

 A FEW OF MY CLIENTS

The Aspen Institute logo
The Safina Center logo
Bezos Family Foundation logo
Nina Lafuente logo
Clutter Free By Chloe logo
Leadership Division The Aspen Institute logo