Frequently Asked Questions
What makes you different from other branding studios/agencies?
At Teal Studio, we believe clarity is confidence. Our method, Simplicity by Design, helps brands refine what matters and remove what doesn’t. We partner with marketing teams to close creative gaps, strengthen visual systems, and deliver consistent branded assets that actually get used. With deep listening, quick execution, and scalable design support, we bring calm to the creative process with results that last.
What is the difference between a company’s purpose and their mission?
Your purpose is why your company exists; the reason you started and what you stand for beyond profit. It’s the heartbeat behind the work.
Your mission is how you bring that purpose to life every day; the actions, services, or experiences that move your purpose forward.
At Teal Studio, we like to think of it this way:
Purpose is why it matters.
Mission is what you do about it.
Example:
Apple’s Purpose: To challenge the status quo and empower creative thinking.
Apple’s Mission: To design products that are simple, intuitive, and seamlessly integrated into everyday life.
Patagonia’s Purpose: To protect the planet we all call home.
Patagonia’s Mission: To build the best products, cause no unnecessary harm, and use business to inspire solutions to the environmental crisis.
Teal Studio’s Purpose: To create and support better visual communication.
Teal Studio’s Mission: We partner with leaders to design clear, scalable brand systems that unite emotion and vision for purposeful growth.
How do you define a company’s values?
Values are how your brand shows up in the world — the behaviors, beliefs, and standards that guide every choice you make.
If your purpose is your “why” and your mission is your “how,” your values are the “how you do it well.”
Think of them as your compass or in Teal’s case our paint palette. They don’t change with trends or timelines. They keep your direction steady when decisions get complex.
At Teal Studio, our values form the acronym T.E.A.L., a reminder that clarity and heart can coexist in business:
Truth – The magic in our discovery process. We uncover what’s real and meaningful before we design anything.
Empower – Through experience, empathy, and deep listening, we create emotional connections that move people.
Action – We believe in systems, implementation, and designs that work quickly and seamlessly.
Leadership – We encourage brand-led clarity and simple, empathetic guidance for teams and audiences alike.
Strong values don’t just describe your culture. They direct it. Three well-defined values are often all you need to stay consistent, confident, and clear.
How do you pick brand colors?
At Teal Studio, color starts with the story: your purpose, your audience, and the emotions you want to evoke. From there, we draw on decades of expertise in photography, design, and color theory to translate that story into a palette that works everywhere — on screen, in print, and in real life.
Color isn’t decoration; it’s strategy. The right hues carry meaning across cultures, signal industry relevance, and quietly guide perception. That’s why we pair intuition with research — understanding psychology, symbolism, and even competitor positioning — to ensure your colors say what your words can’t.
Because when color is chosen with intention, it doesn’t just stand out.
It stands for something.
What’s the difference between branding and marketing, and how should they work together?
Branding and marketing aren’t the same — but when they work together, they’re unstoppable.
At Teal Studio, we see branding as the foundation and marketing as the engine. Branders define the story: the mission, values, voice, and visual system that guide every creative choice. Once those assets and guidelines are in place, marketing takes the lead, activating that story through campaigns, strategy, and execution.
When the two stay aligned, teams move faster and communicate with clarity. Branders provide the guardrails; marketers drive the momentum. And when it’s time to evolve or realign, branding steps back in to fine-tune the story so marketing can stay effective.
In short: branders and marketers need to be collaborators, not competitors.
Solid branding gives marketing purpose and great marketing brings the brand to life.