About

Hello, and thanks for stopping by!

I'm (she/her) a freelance graphic designer and illustrator living in Portland, OR and specializing in branding, print design, and all types of illustration. I have 10+ years of experience in both agency and freelance settings, across a multitude of sectors including Food/Beverage, Hospitality, Cannabis, Health/Wellness, Apparel, and Nonprofit (see below for a select client list). Between 2010 and 2016 I worked as the Senior Designer for 6D Global (formerly Topaz Design and Storycode).

My clientele mainly comprises small businesses, non-profits (particularly conservation), and passion-driven projects. I chose this career because it brings me immeasurable joy on a daily basis, and my best work happens on projects born of the same ethos.

Similarly, my art and design are inspired by the things that bring me happiness every day: color, the outdoors, Portland in all its weird and whacky glory, my children, my children’s books, playtime, the beauty of imperfection. As a recent breast cancer survivor, I find myself drawn more to these simple joys than ever before.

Get in touch using the Contact page, or email elena@elenacronin.com, to find out my current capacity. I’m looking forward to hearing from you!

Creative Partners

Here are some of the agencies that I regularly work and collaborate with. Many of them offer services beyond what I provide—such as web design/developing, copy writing, photography, and brand strategy—so if you’re interested in expanding your brand needs these partners would make a great addition to the design team.

Select Client List

Select Freelance Clients
Leatherman
Tillamook Creamery
Topaz Farm
Lightwell Hotel
SOLVE
Cooper Mountain Vineyards
Wine by Joe
Delille Cellars
Division Wine Co.
Björnson Vineyard
Oregon Tilth
Flostate Running
Waterfront Blues Festival
Tillamook Bay Community College
Travel Portland
Heritage Specialty Foods
Campfire Hotel & Hood River Hotel
Acorn Dentistry for Kids
Sagacity Media
Poa Café
Logsdon Farmhouse Ales
Portland Roasting Coffee
HOTLIPS Pizza and HOTLIPS Soda
NashCo Photography
Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership
Lost Plate Food Tours
Country Natural Beef
Fungi Perfecti
California Heritage Farms
In Tune Holistic Apothecary
Paxos Natural Skin Care
Bodē Wellness
Moonstone Hotel Properties
Munich International School
Clark County Environmental Services
Gateway Pharmacy
Metropolitan Youth Symphony
Josephine Community Library/
Josephine Community Library Foundation
Oregon Dental Association
Oregon Montessori Association
Teva

What Clients Say

“My company and I have been a client of Elena’s for over a year now, and her work never ceases to amaze me. She continually creates work that is engaging, well-designed, and always on-time (if not early!) and on budget. She has dealt with numerous differing brand campaigns each with their own challenges; and always delivers a fantastic final product that helps engage customers with our brand. She has been the best contract designer I have worked with in my 16 years in the industry.“

Amy Stoner, Travel Portland

“As a commercial media studio, we help nonprofits and businesses communicate their missions to the world. With Elena on our team, as both a lead designer and a contributing artist, we have been able to create & complete some amazing client projects. She has consistently been quick to deliver, flexible in style, and very collaborative in all projects. Elena remains one of our go-to designers, and we will continue to hire her for our commercial projects as long as she offers those services; her production value, skill, and positive attitude make her one of our favorite contractors, of any type!”

Trav Williams, Deer Island Studio

"Elena designed a logo and branding guide for my new small business. She asked great questions, thought creatively about concepts, and presented beautiful and artistic drafts that demonstrated that she really understood the feel and look I was going for. Elena was easy to communicate with through the process of refining the initial designs and color palettes and she made sure I was excited about the final results. Elena's skill and experience are clear and at the same time she was collaborative and flexible. It was a joy to work with her and I am so happy to be able to launch my new business with her design."

Liz Weber, tiny kind things

“Elena is one of the most talented graphic designers I’ve worked with, creating impactful and beautiful work -- from digital to print, photo editing and illustrations. As a marketing professional, I know how important it is to work with someone who is responsive, gets projects completed on time and always with a great attitude. Elena is all that and more! She helped to create a brand that has both in-store shelf and on-line appeal. Customers love it—and so do I.”

Maggie Davis, Paxos Natural Skin Care

"We’re so grateful to have found Elena—she took a simple color palette and logo and transformed it into a vibrant, creative, and uniquely SOLVE visual identity that resonates across generations. Her quick turnaround, thoughtful feedback responses, and spot-on designs have made her an invaluable creative partner—we couldn’t be happier."

Taylor Neitzke, SOLVE

“Working with Elena is a dream. She's easy to communicate with and she ‘gets it’ from the first brief. She knows our brand so well that we give her very little, if any, design direction. Even under a tight deadline, we always know Elena can get the work done on time. The most fun part of working with Elena is seeing how she brings our information to life. Her work is fresh, clever and fun and consistently amazes us every time.”

Holly Carman-Fujioka, Travel Portland

“Working with Elena one of the easiest, best things I do in my business. We did an initial consult 5 years ago, went through a couple of revisions, and we settled on a logo, color scheme, and business card design. Ever since then, when I need a new piece of collateral, I send her my idea and some copy, and she comes through with something awesome, usually in just a couple of days. We hardly ever need to do more than one revision. Honestly, though, the part I love best is that when other design professionals look at my logo or business card, they nearly always give me a compliment. I can't recommend Elena enough.”

Scott Robison, Integration Bodywork