“A well-executed brand makes the intangible unforgettable. Brand design turns business goals into ideas, identities, and environments that delight and inspire.” – Sean McKenna, Creative Director 

Based in Austin, Texas, Sean McKenna is a multidisciplinary creative director, designer, and brand strategist who helps clients uncover the unique identity of a place and shape it into memorable, experience-driven brands. As leader of RVi’s Visioning + Brand Design practice, he guides the development of narratives, identities, and environments that connect people to place through thoughtful storytelling, strategic visioning, and purposeful design. 

What originally drew you to creative direction and brand design? 

I’ve always been drawn to graphic design. As a kid obsessed with motocross, I was fascinated not just by the bikes, but by the logos, colors, and identities behind them. (I mean, how cool is the CZ logo? Simple, powerful, and crafted. Like the bike itself.) Growing up in the golden age of television, rock music, and being raised Catholic, I became deeply aware of the power of culture, design, and the stories symbols can tell. 

That fascination became a career path when my sister Kate, then Art Director at the Austin American-Statesman, introduced me to the Macintosh while I was in college. Watching her design newspaper layouts on a computer was a revelation. The idea that you could build a meaningful career at the intersection of creativity and business changed everything for me. Since then, I’ve had the privilege of working at both large and small advertising and design studios alongside talented clients and creative directors—many of whom I still collaborate with today. 

How did your path ultimately lead you to RVi?  

Honestly, it was the love of tacos. 

In spring 2023, after more than a decade running my own design studio, I happened to run into Trent Rush and Joemy Buschur at an Austin taco shop. I knew Trent from a multifamily project in San Antonio years earlier—he was the landscape architect, and I was responsible for the project’s name, identity, signage, and overall brand experience. At the time of our reunion, Trent was leading the Austin office of Hitchcock Design Group (HDG) and mentioned the firm was looking to refresh aspects of its brand. 

What began as a small branding engagement quickly evolved into a much larger creative partnership. As I got to know the broader HDG team and the caliber of their work, I became increasingly invested in the company’s vision and culture. Eventually, it made sense to formalize the relationship, and I joined the team full-time. Along the way, I led a comprehensive rebrand of HDG—one that I’d like to think helped position the company as an attractive addition to Atwell and RVi.

What excites you most about leading the Visioning + Brand Design practice area at RVi? 

The opportunities! We have an incredibly talented group of planners and landscape architects “shaping the world” across the country. Visioning and brand design adds another layer, helping define why those places exist in the first place, how they’re experienced, and how they connect with people. 

It’s a chance to move upstream in the process, align teams early, and create a clear narrative that moves from concept to construction and beyond. What I’m really hoping we do, in large part, is to help clients fall in love with their own story. 

When you start working on a new project, what are the first things you look for to uncover the true identity of a place? 

Of course, the nature and conditions of the site itself. What does the land and location already tell us? Who are the people we’re creating this for (our true client)? What motivates them? Why should they care about what we’re doing? How will we affect and improve their lives? I’m looking for differentiation. And perhaps some kind of cognitive or creative dissonance. Those seams are where the truth lies. 

Why should clients include Visioning + Branding in their project? 

We treat visioning as both strategic and creative, in that order. It’s not just mood boards and inspiration. It’s about aligning stakeholders around a clear idea of what the place is, who it’s for, and how it should feel. From there, everything else becomes more focused and more efficient. Done well, it greatly simplifies decision-making. 

What separates a brand that simply looks good from one that truly resonates with people?  

Well, a brand isn’t simply the way something looks. A brand isn’t a logo. It’s the feeling people get when they interact with or experience the brand. It’s the way sales teams speak to clients and prospects. It’s the way the brand anticipates someone’s arrival and navigation of a place. In other words, it’s not what we say it is, it’s what they say it is.  

Is there a project in your career that changed the way you think about branding or placemaking?  

One project that truly changed the way I think about branding and placemaking was one I worked on while running Sean McKenna Design, in partnership with agency partner Wick Marketing, for a major Southern California developer. The work was groundbreaking, and I think that was largely because the client, agency, and consultants all aligned around a two-day visioning session held in a construction trailer onsite. Custom invitations were created, and participants were given a list of questions in advance to juice the conversation. We knew from the start that they wanted to keep the working name of the project, “Skyline,” given the expansive vistas provided by the site. That name, and what it conjures, provided a great visual metaphor for visioning (and ultimately the brand). Descriptive language, tone of voice, meeting graphics, posters, charts and more used that to great advantage. 

We even wrote a “brand anthem” together, led by Austin-based singer-songwriter Darden Smith. It was an ideal melding of business strategy and out-of-the-box creative thinking but requiring the team to quickly articulate what was truly important to them from a visioning standpoint. It was like trying to create an elevator pitch in 4/4 time. Very fun, very revealing.   

Ultimately, we created a brand centered around a new tagline, “Life wide open,” and developed a campaign that included the individual naming and branding of four launch neighborhoods, website design, print, radio, digital and television advertising (including full page ads in the LA Times), signage, wayfinding and more. The work garnered a Gold Award for Best Digital Marketing Campaign at The Nationals, held at the International Builders’ Show. 

I look forward to bringing that same spirit of collaboration, openness, and big-picture thinking to the work we’re building at RVi. 

Where do you find creative inspiration outside of work?  

I’m an avid guitarist, and I play in a band and absolutely love it. But good ideas are everywhere if you’re looking for them. Being in nature, traveling, and honestly just paying attention. Experiencing and participating in creative expressions outside of what you do for a living will keep the juices flowing, introduce new ways of thinking, and remove some of the constraints we put ourselves under.  

What advice would you give someone interested in getting into brand design or creative direction?  

Listen. Be a sponge. Read everything. Becoming a better writer will help you learn to articulate and defend an idea. Design is important but understanding people and translating ideas clearly are what will really set you apart. Don’t rely solely on AI tools – you have to develop an aesthetic and learn to think for yourself.