Who We Are

Pavement is an internationally-recognized branding and design studio. We are passionate about crafting strategic packaging and brand identities for the wine, spirits, food, cannabis and wellness industries.

We are intentionally boutique in size and steadfastly allergic to design industry bloat. Yet you get industry-leading talent executing every step of the creative process. We prefer to partner directly with our clients to reach a level of rapport only possible on a small scale.

At our core we are artisans, but we look at each project through a strategic lens. We avoid a house style – instead we offer a range of solutions that will challenge any brief. We think big picture, yet obsess over every detail.

Our goal remains constant: to create lasting creative solutions that turn heads and drive results for our clients.

CAPABILITIES

Packaging Design
Branding                                                                                                                                                               
Logo/Identity Design
Art Direction
Brand Strategy & Positioning
Naming
Copywriting
Marketing Collateral
Point-of-Sale Materials
Structure Design
Website Design & Development

Client Experience

Our client experience is vast and varied. We’ve collaborated with start-ups and established brands, both local and global. Our clients are viewed as partners. We believe that the best work is created through strong collaboration and communication. We don’t just execute projects, we build lasting and tested relationships.

NOTABLE CLIENTS
Bloom Farms
Clif Bar
Cooperstown Distillery
Double Eight Dairy
Dollar Shave Club
Droga Chocolates
E & J Gallo Winery
Evergood Sausage Co.
Excelsior Wines
Fetzer Vineyards
Henry's Original
Latitude Beverage Co.
Long Meadow Ranch
Loveski Deli
Merisant
No. 8 Health
Pascal Pictures
Pottery Barn
Peet’s Coffee
Peerless Coffee & Tea
Sun Basket
Target
The Wine Group
Whole Foods Market
Williams-Sonoma
Zwilling J.A. Henckels

Studio Leadership

Michael Hester, Principal & Creative Director

With over two decades of experience in design and creative, Michael brings a wealth of experience to Pavement; his background includes packaging, branding, art direction, creative advertising and editorial design. Michael began his career with The Wall Street Journal in San Francisco during the late-’90s dot-com boom. Since then, he has lived and worked in New York City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco with such notable clients as Dwell Magazine, E & J Gallo, Stila Cosmetics, Juicy Couture, Motorola, Sony Vaio, The Gap, and Banana Republic. Prior to founding Pavement in 2014, he was the director of all packaging efforts for Williams-Sonoma, where his work received numerous accolades from Communication Arts, The Dieline, as well as other publications for his work.

Notable Awards & Press

2022
  • Communication Arts Typography Annual 12, Excellence in Packaging: Hunt & Gather
  • Communication Arts Typography Annual 12, Excellence in Packaging: Floro Cannabis
  • Graphis Packaging 10, Gold: Pavimento Tequila
  • Graphis Packaging 10, Gold: Cooper's Whiskies
  • Graphis Packaging 10, Gold: Peerless Micro Reserve Coffee
  • Graphis Packaging 10, Gold: El Paso Distillery Vodka
  • Graphis Packaging 10, Gold: Novaolo Wines
  • Graphis Packaging 10, Gold: Fortune Teller
  • Graphis Packaging 10, Gold: Woah Candy Co.
  • Graphis Packaging 10, Silver: The Baconer
  • Graphis Packaging 10, Silver: Bloom Farms Highlighter Plus
  • Graphis Packaging 10, Silver: Cane High Rum
  • Graphis Packaging 10, Silver: Zoma Cannabis
  • Graphis Packaging 10, Silver: Lulu's Chocolates
  • Graphis Packaging 10, Honorable Mention: Bloom Farms Refresh
  • Graphis Packaging 10, Honorable Mention: Superba! by Dollar Shave Club
  • Graphis Packaging 10, Honorable Mention: Sierra Sungrown Cannabis
  • Beverage Tasting Institute World Packaging Competition 2022, Gold: Happenstance Whiskey
  • World Brand Design Society, Top 20 Agencies World Ranking
  • Communication Arts Exhibit: Glorious Cannabis Co.
  • The Dieline: Heirloom Coffee Roasters
  • The Dieline: Copper & Cask Spirits
2021
  • Communication Arts Design Annual 62, Excellence in Packaging: Brooklyn Cider House
  • Dieline Awards 2021; First Place, Cannabis: Floro Cannabis
  • Communication Arts Exhibit: Floro Cannabis
  • World Brand Design Society, Top 50 Agencies World Ranking: #8
  • World Brand Design Society Awards 2020/2021, Silver Award: Cooper's Whiskies
  • World Brand Design Society Awards 2020/2021, Silver Award: Bloom Farms Refresh
  • World Brand Design Society Awards 2020/2021, Shortlist Award: Lulu's Chocolates
  • The Dieline: Glorious Cannabis Co.
  • The Dieline: Don Chepe Cannabis
  • The Dieline: Hunt & Gather Whiskey
  • The Dieline: Happenstance Whiskey
  • The Dieline: Brooklyn Cider House
  • The Dieline: Floro Cannabis
2020
  • Communication Arts Typography Annual 10, Excellence in Packaging: Novaolo Rosé
  • Graphis Design Annual 2021, Gold: Lulu's Chocolates
  • World Brand Design Society, Top 50 Global Agencies Ranking
  • The Dieline: Williams Sonoma Holiday Confections
  • The Dieline: Realize CBD
  • The Dieline: 18 Best Packaging Designs of May 2020, Lulu's Chocolates
  • The Dieline: Lulu's Chocolates
2019
  • Communication Arts Design Annual 60, Excellence in Packaging: Fortune Teller
  • Dieline Awards 2019; Neenah Paper Award, Best Use of Paper in Packaging: Zoma Cannabis
  • Dieline Awards 2019; Second Place, Cannabis: Zoma Cannabis
  • Graphis Design Annual 2020, Gold: El Paso Distillery Vodka
  • Graphis Design Annual 2020, Silver: Cane High Cooperstown Distillery
  • Graphis Design Annual 2020, Silver: Woah Candy Co.
  • Graphis Design Annual 2020, Silver: Zoma Cannabis
  • Graphis Design Annual 2020, Honorable Mention: The Baconer
  • Graphis Design Annual 2020, Honorable Mention: Tikva by Panaxia
  • World Brand Design Society, Top 50 Agencies World Ranking: #11
  • World Brand Design Society, Top 25 Agencies of 2018: #4
  • World Brand Design Society Awards 2018/2019, Gold Award: Peerless Micro Reserve Coffee
  • World Brand Design Society Awards 2018/2019, Silver Award: El Paso Distillery Vodka
  • PaperSpecs Weekly Gallery: Zoma Cannabis
  • The Dieline: Bloom Farms Refresh
  • The Dieline: Fortune Teller
  • The Dieline: Woah Candy Co.
  • Victionary Publishers, Flora & Fauna Design Inspired by Nature: Bloom Farms Highlighter Plus
2018
  • Communication Arts Design Annual 59, Excellence in Packaging: Novaolo Wines
  • Communication Arts Typography Annual 8, Excellence in Packaging: Cooper's Whiskies
  • Communication Arts Exhibit: Zoma Cannabis
  • Communication Arts Exhibit Print Edition: Superba! by Dollar Shave Club
  • Communication Arts Exhibit: Peerless Micro Reserve Coffees
  • Type Director’s Club 64, Excellence in Typography: Novaolo Wines
  • Type Director’s Club 64, Excellence in Typography: Superba! by Dollar Shave Club
  • Graphis Design Annual 2019, Gold: Cooper’s Legacy Whiskey
  • Graphis Design Annual 2019, Gold: Peerless Micro Reserve Coffee
  • Graphis Design Annual 2019, Silver: Novaolo Wines
  • Graphis Design Annual 2019, Silver: Bloom Farms Highlighter Plus
  • Graphis Design Annual 2019, Silver: Henry's Original
  • Graphis Design Annual 2019, Silver: Superba! by Dollar Shave Club
  • Graphis Design Annual 2019, Merit: Farmstead by Long Meadow Ranch
  • The Dieline's Top 50 Packaging Projects of 2018: Bloom Farms Highlighter Plus
  • The Dieline: Zoma Cannabis
  • The Dieline: The Baconer
  • The Dieline: Farmstead by Long Meadow Ranch
  • The Dieline: Peerless Micro Reserve Coffees
  • The Dieline: Bloom Farms Highlighter Plus
  • The Dieline: Superba! by Dollar Shave Club
  • World Brand Design Awards, Gold: Peerless Micro Reserve Coffees
  • World Brand Design Awards, Silver: El Paso Distillery Vodka
2017
  • Communication Arts Design Annual 58, Excellence in Packaging: Cooper's Classic Whiskey
  • Communication Arts Exhibit: Superba! by Dollar Shave Club
  • Communication Arts Exhibit: Cooper's Classic Whiskey
  • Lurzer’s Archive, 200 Best Packaging Design Worldwide: Pavimento Tequila
  • Lurzer’s Archive, 200 Best Packaging Design Worldwide: Cooper's Classic Whiskey
  • Type Director’s Club 63, Excellence in Typography: Cooper’s Classic Whiskey
  • GDUSA Shelf Life: Cooper Classic Whiskey
  • GDUSA Shelf Life: Bloom Farms Highlighter
  • GDUSA Shelf Life: Pavimento Tequila
  • Graphis Design Annual 2018, Gold: Cooper’s Classic Whiskey
  • Graphis Design Annual 2018, Silver: Peet's Cold Brew Coffee
  • Graphis Design Annual 2018, Silver: Long Meadow Ranch Olive Oils
  • Graphis Design Annual 2018, Merit: Bloom Farms Hand Rolls
  • The Dieline: How Pavement Created A True Original for Henry's Original
  • The Dieline: 16 Whiskey Designs We Love, Cooper’s Classic Whiskey
  • The Dieline: 10 Best Cannabis Package Designs, Bloom Farms Highlighter & Bloom Farms Hand Rolls
  • The Dieline: 20 Nature-Inspired Packaging Designs, Bloom Farms Hand Rolls
  • The Dieline: Behind the Design for Bloom Farms Hand Rolls
  • The Dieline: Crafting the Ideal Package for Selling Spirits, Cooper's Classic Whiskey
  • The Dieline: Novaolo Wine
  • The Dieline: Cooper's Classic Whiskey
  • The Dieline: Bloom Farms Hand Rolls
2016
  • Communication Arts Design Annual 57, Excellence in Packaging: Highlighter by Bloom Farms
  • Communication Arts Typography Annual 6, Excellence in Packaging: Williams-Sonoma Coffee Blends
  • Graphis Design Annual 2017, Silver: Highlighter by Bloom Farms
  • Graphis Design Annual 2017, Merit: Once Wines
  • Graphis Design Annual 2017, Merit: Beckon Fetzer Vineyards
  • The Dieline Awards 2016, Outstanding Achievement in Packaging: Highlighter by Bloom Farms
  • The Dieline: Package Design in the Cannabis Industry
  • The Dieline: 5 Questions with Pavement: Peet's Cold Brew Coffee
  • The Dieline: Peet's Cold Brew Coffee
  • The Dieline: Spitball Whiskey
2015
  • Communication Arts Design Annual 56, Excellence in Packaging: Pavimento Tequila
  • Communication Arts Exhibit: Williams-Sonoma Coffee Blends
  • Graphis Design Annual 2016, Gold: Pavimento Tequila
  • Novum World of Graphic Design: Feature Article, October 2015
  • Lovely Package: Williams-Sonoma Coffee Blends
  • The Dieline: Pavement Studio Spotlight
  • The Dieline: Highlighter by Bloom Farms
  • The Dieline: Pavimento Tequila
2014
  • Communication Arts Typography Annual 4, Excellence in Packaging: Williams-Sonoma Olives
  • Communication Arts Exhibit: Diablo’s Shadow
  • Rockport Publishers, Best Practices for Graphic Designers, Packaging: Feature on Williams-Sonoma
  • Package Design Magazine, Snapshot Feature: Aftelier Chef’s Essences
  • The Dieline: Diablo’s Shadow
  • The Dieline: Droga Confections
  • The Dieline: Double 8 Dairy
  • Lovely Package, Feature Article: Double 8 Dairy
2013
  • Communication Arts Design Annual 54, Excellence in Packaging: Williams-Sonoma Cocktail Mixers
  • Communication Arts Design Annual 54, Excellence in Packaging: Williams-Sonoma Peanut Noodle Sauce
  • Communication Arts, Feature Article: The Exquisite Packaging of Williams-Sonoma
  • Communication Arts Exhibit: Williams-Sonoma Artisanal Pastas