For as long as we can remember, we were told to follow the rules. Stay in line. Obey the precedent. Respect the boundaries.

Then we discovered design—and everything changed.

There are several foundational principles of good design, but contrast is far and away our favorite. Without it, there is nothing.

It was this desire to stand apart that inspired us to launch Contrast & Co., a boutique brand strategy, identity, and design consultancy driven to create the smartest, most strikingly different brand experiences on the planet.

Today, we’re doing just that. Our award-winning brands defy convention and empower our clients to stand out in the sea of similarity. We’ve worked with a broad array of organizations—from well-funded, highly visible industry startups to global consulting powerhouses to nonprofits sitting on the other side of the planet.

Contrast is an act of defiance.

It's a rejection of conformity. Stagnation. Mediocrity. Be the Contrast is our declaration. It is reflected in everything we do, from the work we create to the philosophies we embrace in order to create it.

For our clients, this means standing out powerfully and demanding attention in whatever category they choose to occupy. For our team, this means remaining relentlessly hungry and optimistically dissatisfied. It is the drive to be our own toughest critic and continue to seek new ways to push ourselves creatively. And for each of us individually, it means rejecting limiting labels the world places on us.

Be the Contrast is a mindset powered by learning, growth, optimism, and positivity, and there is no limit to how far it can take each of us.

Contrast is a strikingly different mindset.

We came from all over the creative world, and have been the leaders at the biggest shops in town. But look beyond fancy offices, big teams, and red carpets, and you will find a surprising amount of predictability, friction, and inertia. These are the enemies of creativity and the hidden factors that compromise outcomes for clients.

We’re not going to do that. What you will find here is a group of highly talented creative individuals solely focused on you, your brand, and your objectives. It’s our passion to create possibility, and we refuse to accept reality as a limitation. Because real opportunity usually lies buried beneath the insurmountable. And that’s exactly the space you’ll find us exploring.

Who’s behind Contrast & Co.?

Dharma

Dharma

Founder + President

Dharma is a brand strategist and career creative director. He’s also the founder of Contrast & Co., an agency determined to build the most strikingly different brand experiences in the world.

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Carin

Carin

Chief Operating Officer

After cultivating a robust career comprising senior finance roles for a number of regional businesses, Carin partnered with Dharma to launch Contrast & Co.

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Kate

Kate

Senior Art Director

Kate is a dedicated artist who has a passion for all things brand, and for representing an organization’s values through dynamic visuals.

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Wes

Wes

Director, Brand Activations & Integration

For well over a decade, Wes has been dedicated to comprehensive problem-solving within the creative and marketing industries.

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Taryn

Taryn

Director, Client Services

For over a decade, Taryn has been fostering exceptional relationships with clients, compelling them to see her as an extension of their business.

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Liz

Liz

Director, Strategy & Content

Liz is a passionate brand builder and creative leader dedicated to pushing boundaries with dimensional storytelling for a variety of platforms.

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Beth

Beth

Designer + Brand Strategist

Beth is driven by a passion for branding plus nearly 15 years of experience in the design and print industry.

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Cortney

Cortney

UX/UI Designer + Brand Strategist

Cortney is a designer and creative thinker with an appreciation for big ideas.

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Our Clients

More than anything, Contrast & Co. is built upon our aspiration to create transcendent work for clients. Here are a few of those we’ve partnered with.

See Our Capabilities

Awards & Recognition.

We're thrilled to have been named to Adweek’s 100 Fastest-Growing Agencies and #41 among Inc.’s 5,000 Fastest-Growing Private Companies in DC.

Let's create contrast
ADDYS
6 Gold
Mindset
Website, Consumer

INKY
Integrated Brand Identity

Snugz
Integrated Brand Identity
ID Agent
Integrated Brand
Identity

Sacunas
Integrated Brand
Identity

Regional Airline Association
Printed Annual
Report
ADDYS
10 Silver
FundRebel
Integrated Brand Identity

Health First
Integrated Brand Identity

Mindset
Integrated Brand Identity
The Ascend Fund
Integrated Brand Identity

Hogan Lovells
Integrated Brand Identity

Bixal
Integrated Brand Identity

Buckley Sandler
Integrated Brand Identity
Cool
Integrated Brand
Identity

Snugz
Packaging Design
+ Consumer Website

Spirent
Branded Content
& Entertainment For
Online Film, Video & Sound

AIGA 50
Top Fifty
Sacunas
Brand Identity

Snugz
Brand Identity

Darkweb ID
Brand Identity
Web Excellence
Awards
6 Awards
Health First
Video & Podcast

rissman.com
Website

mindsetdc.com
Website

icimod.org
Website

mymee.com
Website

wiley.law
Website

AVA Digital Awards
3 Platinum
Darkweb ID
Website Redesign

Approved
Microsite

Greenscreen
Creativity Web Design

DotComm Awards
Gold
Wiley
Excellence in
Web Creativity

Why are we hired?

Hint: It's about much more than our beautiful creative.

See Our Clutch Reviews

“Their work is impressive, honest, straightforward, and by far the best.”

Director of Marketing, Health First

“I was very impressed with their creativity and ability to understand our business as well as we do.”

CEO, Consero Group

“It was a true pleasure working with Contrast & Co., and we look forward to hopefully becoming lifelong partners.”

Cofounder & CEO, Vegetable + Butcher

“The final recommendations floored everyone! The direction felt authentic and really captured the look and feel we were looking for.”

Executive Director, Maryland Hall

“We've always admired Contrast & Co.'s work in the technology space. We chose them because we thought they could add a unique touch to what we were trying to achieve.”

Creative Brand Manager, Deep Instinct

“Contrast & Co. spent a lot of time getting a strategic understanding from both internal stakeholders and our clients which lead to good copywriting and overall representation of our vision.”

VP of Marketing, Evalueserve
Dharma Pachner
October 20, 2023

The unique challenges and opportunities of legal branding.

Why focus our efforts on law firm branding? That’s easy. Because it’s hard. The challenges—and opportunities—in legal sector branding are unlike any other.

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Looking for strikingly different? That’s what we’re here for.

Get in touch.