Eric Hungerford

Behind The Lore Builder

Greetings, traveller! My name is Eric,
founder of Lore Design Studio.

I got my start in design through curiosity: “How can I use words and visuals to better connect with people?”

How can you communicate so that your prospects think, “This is for me,” or, “They get me?”

Contact → More About Eric →

When My Story
Took a turn

One fateful day, while designing at a creative agency, a client handed us a solitary scroll. I’ll call it a “brand map.”

It wasn’t just paper. It was clarity.

The brand map contained the organization’s mission, values, voice, audience, brand promise, and more. Suddenly, every design decision felt inevitable, like following a map already charted. 

But for me, this discovery wasn’t about one client; it was about every client from then on.

So, I reverse-engineered that brand map and made a questionnaire.

How We Learned what
“Branding” Really Was

The years that followed that moment doubled our creative agency’s revenue for six consecutive years and helped us deliver alignment and compelling design for the many organizations we served.

I knew then: the real quest was never about mere pretty graphics, but about crafting a compelling story that makes your customers want your product in their life.

That’s “branding:” using written and visual communication to influence what people think and feel about what you do.

Through the years, we refined our questionnaire and services, helping our many clients avoid drowning their marketing in a forgotten “sea of sameness.

What’s different
about Lore

I’ve trimmed the rigmarole of creative agency work to focus on what moves you toward your goals.

How? By working with one client at a time on “sprint-style” intensives.

Here’s what Lore Intensives do for you:

  • With no extra projects in the queue,
    You get work done fast.

  • With a streamlined system,
    we minimize meetings.

  • “One-at-a-time” dedication means
    quality every time.

When you and I work together, I give you the same gift I received when I discovered the brand map—you become empowered with focus as you embark on the next chapter of your story.

How it Works

1.

Fit Call

Not every founder needs branding right now.
15 minutes on the phone reveals whether your goals align with the Lore process.

2.

Lore BrandMap

If you want to move forward with a Lore BrandMap, we will schedule a 2-hour interview to uncover insights for your brand.

3.

Lore Intensive

Once your Lore BrandMap is complete and you have your document in hand, you can determine if a Lore Intensive is right for you.

Contact

Career Notes

Industries Served

  • B2B

  • B2C

  • Real Estate

  • Banking

  • Nonprofit

  • Food & Beverage

  • And More

Education

  • Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, B.F.A. in Illustration

  • Google: Foundations of User Experience Design 

  • Google: Start the UX Design Process: Empathize, Define, and Ideate

  • So many books

Job Positions Held

  • Senior Art Director

  • Branding Director

  • Creative Director

  • Senior Copywriter

Highlights

  • Supported startup agency growth through coaching & team development for a senior copywriter, art directors, and graphic designers. Led the core productized service that helped bring a 618% annual revenue increase over six years.

  • Leveraged UX “Design Thinking” leadership to deliver over 75 brand identity systems, including long-form brand guidelines documents for B2C, B2B, and nonprofit clients. 

Awards

  • First Place in Missouri’s First Congressional District for the Congressional Art Competition

  • First Place: St. Louis Artist Guild Scholarship Award of Excellence

  • Grand Prize Scholarship Winner: “Art of Sportsmanship” NCAA Contest Sponsored by Coca-Cola

  • Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design 2/3 Scholarship (merit)