About Us
We are Driven to Do It Right… the First Time
Over thirty years ago, Driven By Design’s CEO Caryn Suko Smith got her first job in Washington, D.C, at the American Society of Association Executives as Assistant Art Director for Association Executive magazine. At that time, she just needed a job after college to please her mother. What she didn’t realize is this began her ongoing love and dedication to association publication design. It is truly her thing.
Branching out from there, Smith spent ten years in a series of jobs at marketing agencies, design firms, and an extended stint at a consumer newsstand-driven entertainment publisher to broaden her scope of experience before launching her business in 1998 in Washington, D.C. The business branched into the Fort Myers, Florida marketplace in 2012.
As an award-winning communicator of brand messaging and publishing, all this experience and knowledge is the foundation on which Driven By Design is built. Adding in the talents of her team, you won’t be disappointed collaborating with Driven By Design.
Driven By Design is multi-service studio offering cutting-edge Print & Online Publishing, Marketing, and Brand Development. Services include creative direction, brand development and management, editorial direction, graphic design, advertising sales, marketing and management, publication design & publishing services, web design, and social media.
Driven By Design also produces marketing materials, signage and booth design for their client’s trade show experiences. The strength of the company is to develop untapped potential and produce high-end creative for the advancement of an organization, especially Association membership-driven publications. Through the years, Smith has worked with over 20 magazine titles.
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This Is What We Do
Strategy
With over 30 years of experience in crafting multi-media communication messages, her firm, Driven By Design LLC, has learned a few things that allow us to get your project done right, the first time.
We start with right team supporting your project. We plan the right strategy to meet your objectives. We add in creativity and brainstorming. We load the idea with the awesome messaging that will connect you to the right audience in order to develop a lasting mutual relationship for your brand, product, or service.
Messaging
We are any organization’s answer to their marketing dilemma, as their complete back office communications solution team. Driven By Design’s clientele ranges from Associations, Fortune 500 companies to start up brands and aggressive small businesses. We love to create and extend brands, to draw attention to products and services.
Our ultimate goal is to bring every project to its fullest potential and we offer ideas on how to accomplish that without breaking the budget. Oftentimes, our ideas pay for themselves! All our vast and interesting experience allows us to see the bigger picture and to work effectively with all the team players to bring together a great project time after time, on time.
Our Leaders are Driven
Caryn Smith
CEO/Chief Creative Mind
You have read about the company. Here is a little about me.
As well as a love of business and entrepreneurship, I have a passion for developing people into their full potential, as well as connecting people together for mutual benefit. As the CEO & Chief Creative Mind of Driven By Design, I launched this company in 1998 as a way to explore my own potential… and along the way I have been blessed to help others find their way, too – both clients and team members. Together, we have accomplished much.
Change is a given here at Driven By Design, mainly because I don’t like status quo. I like it when every day is different.
And, I love seeing the world from someone else’s view and exploring see the potential of their vision. I’d love to hear about yours, find me on social media or give us a call!
~ Caryn
Jennifer “Jay” Mason
Publications Manager
Jennifer “Jay” Mason started at Driven By Design over seven years ago, coming from a background in retail, consumer goods, and management. While she had not worked at a creative agency or a publication prior, her strengths in developing and maintaining client relationships, as well as publication management and advertising sales, were quickly realized.
Jay is responsible for managing all publications and projects through the production process, and is the point of contact for our clients. She keeps the team accountable to the production schedule; supports the creative team in the layout process; assists clients with specific requests; manages the advertising sales efforts; and organizes all advertising placements for each publication.
While Jay is not a trained designer, she sure knows her way around InDesign and Photoshop and has a great eye for design. We are lucky to have her.
Our Clientele & Accolades
Driven By Design’s clientele is varied, such as these organizations:
American Foreign Service Association
Association of the United States Army
Army National Guard
Automotive Recyclers Association
Bell Atlantic Creative Services
Brandon Phillips Enterprises
Computer Sciences Corporation
CommTek Communications
DynCorp
Employee Assistance Professional Association
Enterprise Business Solutions
Global HR Research
Jansen Communications
National Wooden Pallet and Container Association
Specialized Veterinary Services
The firm serves non-profit clients in brand development, marketing, fundraising, event management, and strategic planning.
Significant non-profit efforts include various services to the Calusa Nature Center, Dress for Success, KKIDS Inc., Safe Kids of Southwest Florida, Uncommon Friends Foundation, Valerie’s House Inc., and Wildlife Education Project, Inc.
We’ve Won a Few Awards
Association Trends 2019 – The Foreign Service Journal
Best Association Magazine 2017 – Nichee Awards Automotive Recycling
Best Association Magazine 2016 – Nichee Awards Automotive Recycling
Best Single Issue Association Magazine 2017 – Gold AM&P Excel Award The Foreign Service Journal
Best Single Feature 2017 – Silver AM&P Excel Award The Foreign Service Journal
Award of Excellence – APEX for Foreign Service Journal
Award of Excellence – APEX for Automotive Recycling
Graphic Design USA / Satellite Direct
Graphic Design USA / Satellite Orbit
Graphic Design USA / Automotive Recycling for Excellence in Design and Communication
Call Us Today for a Complimentary No-Obligation Consultation at (239) 225-6137
Offering New Clients Free Brand Strategy Evaluation!
(239) 225-6137
Connect@DrivenByDesign.net
