Today we’d like to introduce you to Brian Steely.
Hi Brian, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I didn’t set out to be a designer. I was an English major who thought he’d make a living with words. I was born and raised in Atlanta, and the city’s mix of grit, music, and community still shapes my eye. In college, I drew a gig poster for Widespread Panic, just for fun, and it flipped a switch. I got hooked on the craft of simplifying an idea until it clicks.
The next year I started an internship at Jackson Spalding, joined full-time, and I’ve been there ever since, growing alongside the agency. I was the 10th employee; today we’re a team of 150+ across disciplines and time zones. That kind of long-haul collaboration has shaped how I work: relationship first, ideas second, aesthetics third.
I taught myself design the way I learned guitar riffs as a kid: practice, repeat, refine. I fell for monoline illustration, single-weight line work that strips out everything but the idea, because I’ve always believed the necessary should speak loudest. Over time, that language of clean lines, symmetry, and restraint became my signature.
Music opened the first doors, and new ones kept swinging: surfboards, breweries, outdoor brands, tech, sports, each with its own story to distill. I launched Steely Works about ten years ago to keep things hands-on, from pencil sketch to vector to final files, so the work stays minimal, iconic, and human.
If there’s a through-line in my path, it’s this: remove the unnecessary, honor the symmetry in things, and take risks with intention. I still start with questions: What makes this subject compelling? What’s the one detail that tells the truth fastest? What can we subtract and still say everything? And I still chase that moment when a single line lands like a punchline.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Not smooth, but valuable. I graduated with zero formal design training, so I had to teach myself almost everything. When I started, the internet wasn’t the robust monster it is now, so learning tools, type, and production took a lot of trial, error, and late nights. That slower path forced me to think differently and solve problems my own way, and I think that led me to my own unique style and a point of view I would not have found otherwise.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My focus is building visual identities that feel minimal, strong, and usable. Most of my clients are small and mid-sized, and collaborating with them is my favorite part. Alongside identity work, I create packaging, illustration, and concert posters, which keep my style evolving.
I am known for a monoline style and a subtractive approach. I remove what is not needed so the necessary can speak. What sets me apart is the mix of illustrator’s instinct and systems thinking, plus years inside an agency environment where collaboration, deadlines, and real-world constraints are part of the brief. I stay hands-on throughout the process, from sketch to vector to final files.
I am most proud of projects that push me into new territory. The thrill is making something from nothing, solving the puzzle until a simple line or shape says exactly what it needs to say.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
The playing field has changed a lot, but some things have not. Work hard. Pay close attention. Treat people with respect and be polite. Your reputation travels faster than your portfolio. Make a lot of work and finish what you start. Learn the fundamentals and learn how to prepare files for the real world. Ask for feedback early, listen, and revise. Be curious, try new things, and enjoy the process. Mom was right about almost everything.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://steelyworks.com
- Email: steely@steelyworks.com
- Instagram: @briansteely
- LinkedIn: Brian Steely
Image Credits
230416_JCA_BrianSteely_034 – Julian Alexander
