DESIGNERS
MEET THE
Like most design soulmates, we met online, and the attraction was mutual. In 2014, we were part of the same Facebook group for designers. After a few months of admiring each other's work from afar, we finally struck up a conversation when Jeff rather extensively fine-tuned one of Jen's custom website designs without being asked (like the sweet OCD hero he is). Soon, we'd discovered our mutual love of industrial design, great type treatments, and a well-balanced cocktail. We just had to meet. A few months later, we were invited to a design retreat on the West Coast and found ourselves at The Standard hotel's rooftop bar in LA, where despite the fact that we barely knew each other, we began to hatch an idea. Something we could do together... something that would allow us to serve more clients than just one a time, at a price more creatives and small businesses could afford.
A few short years (and many late nights) later, Tonic Site Shop now occupies an enormous role for us both personally and professionally, and we've become the best of friends—and far better designers—in the process. TONIC is by far the craziest thing we've ever jumped into on a rooftop with a near-total stranger, but thankfully, it's also one of the best decisions we've ever made. We believe our websites are better because we design them together, and we hope you'll soon be inclined to agree.
Appropriately enough, it all began over cocktails on an LA rooftop, scribbling on a napkin...
OUR STORY
each other, we began to hatch an idea. Something we could do together... something that would allow us to serve more clients than just one a time, at a price more creatives and small businesses could afford. A few short years (and many late nights) later, Tonic Site Shop now occupies an enormous role for us both personally and professionally, and we've become the best of friends—and far better designers—in the process. TONIC is by far the craziest thing we've ever jumped into on a rooftop with a near-total stranger, but thankfully, it's also one of the best decisions we've ever made. We believe our websites are better because we design them together, and we hope you'll soon be inclined to agree.
More about Jen
Our resident type nerd on great stories, pet peeves and her relationship with carbs.
Jen Olmstead
More about Jeff
Mr. Tonic West himself on weekend plans, the meaning of #shipleystyle and his surprising skillset...
Jeff Shipley
Introductions
Meet the Designers
Hello there, I'm Jeff, a Seattle-based designer who specializes in crafting identities and webspaces for creatives. I take a nap nearly every day, preferably on the sofa under my giant Restoration Hardware fur throw, have an unhealthy obsession with cheese & charcuterie boards, and quite the collection of various ship related decor around my house (because #shipleystyle). I'm a sucker for industrial design, shopping for homewares, eating and / or craft cocktail-sipping my way through Seattle and, of course, all things grey! On the weekends, you can find me putzing around The Pudget Sound with my fiancé Darren on our boat or renovating our 1930's creekside fixer-upper. I love deep, meaningful conversations about the hard stuff just as much as I love dancing, making silly puns and quoting obscure movies (which is a lot).
But mostly, I’m passionate about helping creative entrepreneurs be seen in the most authentic way possible and more importantly to FEEL seen for who they truly are. I’ve found that my work here at TONIC allows me to do just that.
Jeffrey Shipley
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@JEFFREYSHIPLEY
Hey there! I'm Jennifer Olmstead ("Jen," often; "Jenny" only if you don't want to be my friend). I'm a designer by accident, a writer by training, and a lifelong fan of a great story. In addition to TONIC, I also own and operate my own design studio, where I specialize in visual storytelling and creating unique brand and web experiences, mostly for creatives and small businesses. Essentially, I arrange other people's words and images on a page to tell their story in the most aesthetically-pleasing way possible and build online spaces people love to explore. In the immortal words of Shakespeare, it does not suck.
I'm married to a handsome guy named Aaron, and we both run busy, sleep-defying small businesses from our little mountain in Bluemont, Virginia (near Washington, D.C.), with the help of our adorable two year old, Serena, and a much-beloved espresso machine. I hate pens that don't write, public whistling, and birds that don't fly (ask me about life on a 242-acre ostrich farm). I love exploring new cities and practicing hospitality (mostly with a cocktail in hand). More? You'll rarely find me wearing a color, I eat gluten so you don't have to, and my love language is witty banter. So nice to meet you!
