Distillery A Creative
Distilling ideas into creative strategies to solve problems and create lasting value.
I'm a freelance creative director and experience designer with a deep love for storytelling, systems thinking, and bringing big ideas to life. As a seasoned design professional, I specialize in crafting top-tier visual communications and immersive brand experiences. I'm an empathetic leader who is passionate about mentoring others, sharing knowledge, continually learning, and striking the right balance between quality and agility. The work needs to be meaningful, the people need to be awesome, the coffee needs to be hot!
My studio, Distillery A Creative, is where I channel my love for distilling ideas into clear, actionable creative strategies. I work with clients like USAFacts, Microsoft, and Red Door Collaborative to build brands from the ground up, design data-rich content, and craft compelling stories. One of my favorite long-term clients has been USAFacts, where I helped develop overarching brand and data visualization guidelines and designed visuals and annual reports that helped grow their audience to over a million followers. I learned to love Excel and found that I really enjoy nerding out on data. I make information not just digestible—but delightful.
Over the past 20+ years, I’ve had the privilege of leading and supporting creative efforts for some of Microsoft’s most iconic events, including CES, Build, and Ignite. Whether I’m art directing visuals, designing immersive experiences for thousands of developers, or creating a social campaign, I thrive at the intersection of creativity and strategy. I’ve also led design teams, managed live event creative production, built scalable design systems, and leveraged a broad set of tools to continually push creative boundaries.
I'm a designer and a creative strategist who truly GETS it. I can lead design strategy, deliver creative briefs, draft copy, create wireframes and/or final art, design gorgeous slides, draw an illustration, make a cute animation, crack a joke, provide art direction, develop a brand style guide from soup to nuts—you name it. If there's a design problem you're struggling with, I'd love to help!
I also enjoy writing about presentation design—keep scrolling and check out some of the links below.
Alicia Thornber
Founder and Creative Director
Distillery A Creative
Alicia Thornber
Founder and Creative Director
Distillery A Creative
My services (the types of work I like to do!):
Brand Strategy • Brand Style Guides • Logo Design • Illustration • Presentation Design • PowerPoint Templates • Experience Design • Creative Direction • Art Direction • Design Solutions • Data Visualization
How to hire me:
Do you have a creative challenge you need help with? Click the green button above and send me a note! I'll do my best to get back to you as quickly as possible, usually within 1 business day. If your project sounds like a good fit, I'll schedule a quick 30-minute discovery call to learn more and chat specifics.
My Medium articles on presentation design:
Creating a presentation?
Don't make these five common mistakes
Don't make these five common mistakes
12 useful + surprising things you can do in PPT
Transform your slides with color
Design better charts in PPT
Get gorgeous gradients
Awesome PowerPoint animation techniques
Alicia Thornber
Founder and Creative Director, Distillery A Creative
Alicia lives in Bellingham, Washington with her husband and two children. When she's not at her computer in creative mode, she enjoys outdoor activities like hiking and snowboarding and spending time with family and friends.
Recent portfolio samples:
USAFacts presentation: State of the Union 2022
Developed custom PowerPoint template and unique graphics. Worked with Chief of Marketing and other project leads to develop presentation content. Used Microsoft Excel and Adobe Illustrator to create all data visualizations.
Microsoft Azure: Ignite presentation
Designed custom iconography and high-end animation solutions for this 30+ slide presentation (remainder of content under NDA).
Flipgrid presentation template
Worked with local PNW agency Johnnie Studio to develop a refreshed look & feel for Flipgrid's presentations. As the primary brand refresh was not yet complete, this template took inspiration from recent social marketing campaigns and helped charter new creative explorations, at the same time meeting their immediate marketing & content needs.
USAFacts: Data visualizations
Hand-crafted custom data visualizations designed with Excel and Adobe Illustrator.
Examples of brand identity work
Logo/identities developed for Reese Ryann Builders, Strategic Event Procurement, Domino Beauty Boutique, Halibut Flats, Gigglespots.
Client testimonials:
“In the last 15+ years that I’ve worked with Alicia, she has become a trusted partner to develop my presentations. She easily translates draft concepts and narratives into compelling visuals. Not only is Alicia a great designer, a PowerPoint pro, and an expert in her field, she is an engaging and collaborative team player. I’d recommend Alicia to any speaker needing a first-class executive presentation.”
- Steve Ballmer, former CEO of Microsoft, founder of Ballmer Group and USAFacts.org
"As someone who has been working in live event production for over 25 years and for nearly 20 years at Microsoft ensuring the best communications for our senior executives, I cannot recommend Alicia Thornber enough as a visual storyteller. Alicia has brought to life many of the corporate narratives for Microsoft over the years. Not only is she a PowerPoint superuser but her skills in leading teams of people around these communications is second to none."
- Brian Schilling-George, Director, Microsoft Executive Productions
"This PowerPoint is stunning – the animation and builds – WOW!!!
I’m blown away. I know you are talented – but geeeezzzz this is out of the ballpark."
I’m blown away. I know you are talented – but geeeezzzz this is out of the ballpark."
- Jae Ellard, Founder, Simple Intentions
Let's chat!
Thank you!