CPG Packaging Design & Branding Agency
We built the agency that ambitious brands deserve
First Pick provides strategic graphic design and marketing collateral design services for brands that want every piece to feel considered, connected and worth a closer look.
OUR PACKAGING CAN BE SEEN ON SHELVES IN
FROM TRIBUTARY TO FIRST PICK
Why our name was actually our second pick
Tributary was built around the idea that strategy, design, and collaboration could come together to help small businesses grow. After nine years, the work had evolved, and our name needed to catch up.
First Pick speaks more clearly to what we help brands become: the product people reach for, the business they trust, and the name that stays front of mind.
Why clients choose us
Hire us when you need us:
For a day, a full brand build, or a year-long retainer.
No chasing your creative team:
Clear scopes, timelines, progress updates, and next steps keep the work moving.
Only humans work on your brand:
With direct access to the people leading and creating the work.
You own what we create:
No locked content, hidden licensing, or proprietary systems. You receive full ownership of your website, source files, packaging artwork, and brand assets.
A Portland graphic design agency working with brands near and far.
Based in Portland, First Pick partners with founders, marketing teams and organizations across the country on strategic graphic design and brand collateral.
PACKAGING DESIGN & BRANDING AGENCY FOR CPG BRANDS, SERVICE-BASED BRANDS, AND NON-PROFITS.
Branding that’s more than good taste
Standing out should mean something
We build brands to earn attention with intention. Every bold choice should make the business easier to recognize, remember, and choose.
The whole picture matters
Strategy, identity, messaging, packaging, websites, and campaigns should work as one recognizable system. We connect the pieces so every touchpoint strengthens the next.
We work with people and brands we truly connect with
When we share a belief in what is being built, the work gets stronger and the entire process is more fun for everyone.
FOUNDER AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Marielle Claire
Marielle is an award-winning graphic designer who began her career in public relations and marketing before founding the studio nearly a decade ago. Today, she leads the strategy and creative direction behind First Pick’s work, keeping every project connected to each client’s larger business goals. She continually looks for ways to strengthen the studio’s offers and relationships, bringing clients smart, relevant strategic support whether they are launching something new or scaling what is already working. Through workshops and webinars, she also makes strategic brand thinking more accessible to newer founders, helping them build clarity now and prepare for what comes next.
Design Team
DESIGN LEAD
Kristen Hamby
Kristen leads design development across brand identities, packaging, and creative applications. Her background in illustration, iconography, and motion helps brands build richer, more recognizable visual worlds.
BRAND AND DIGITAL DESIGNER
Nicole Juniper
Nicole brings brand systems to life across identity, websites, and digital experiences. With a sharp eye for typography, structure, and usability, she creates work that feels considered at every scale.
Copywriting Team
NAMING AND MESSAGING
Lisa Raphael
With a background in traditional media, Lisa takes the skills she honed helping magazines go digital and TV shows get social into every project. She’s developed content for World Cup champs and Emmy-winning journalists, and shaped messaging for beloved companies and industry-changing startups. She brings a words-first approach to branding and give the people what they want: good content.
MESSAGING AND COPYWRITING
Rachel Leslie
With a journalism degree and over a decade of experience in marketing, Rachel has worked with brands like Nike, Goop Kitchen, Away, Zola, and more across brand strategy, voice and tone, messaging, and executional copy needs. She loves nothing more than the power of brand storytelling when it comes to supporting today’s top-of-mind brands.
How it works
If you’re building something ambitious and looking for the right creative partner, schedule a call with our founder. We’ll talk through your goals, what is getting in the way, and where our work could make the biggest impact. If it feels like a fit, we’ll send a custom proposal with our recommended path forward. Choose your direction, sign the contract, submit your deposit, and your time is reserved.