CREATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR VISUAL COMMUNICATION

Farnam West is a creative studio focused on visual communication through brand identity, design & photography.

Luke W. Schmuecker

Founder

Brand Strategist / Creative Director / Photographer

Based in San Diego, Luke is a partner at Shacksbury Cider and was the Director of Marketing for six years, leading brand strategy and creative direction.

During his tenure, Shacksbury won numerous Good Food Awards, and Luke's brand work has been featured multiple times in Dieline and other industry publications, even earning a spot on Hop Culture Magazine's list of top "beer" can designs of the year, no small feat for a cider company. While at Shacksbury, Luke focused heavily on building the brand through collaborations with industry leaders such as Momofuku, WhistlePig, Jasper Hill Cheese, Farmhouse Pottery, and others.

In early 2022, Luke branched off to fully commit to Farnam West. Since then, Farnam West has worked on projects including branding and design for restaurants, hotels, and CPG brands in the food and beverage industry around the country. Additionally, Luke has done photography for a wide range of clients including Tivoli Audio, Wilson Sporting Goods, the Alexander Calder Foundation, Adidas and Consortium Holdings as well as art direction for Tennis Channel.

Luke's writing and photography have been featured in Esquire, Food & Wine, Tennis Magazine, Edible, and others. His work has earned him multiple "Excellence in Journalism" awards from the San Diego Press Club. He has also served as a marketing and branding panelist for the ACA (American Cider Association) on several occasions. In his free time, he and his wife Amberly are fixing up their California ranch (while chasing their kids), and Luke is trying to sneak in as much tennis and travel as possible.

Sasso & Co

Bart Sasso - Partner / Head of Design

Sasso & Co. is a multidisciplinary design agency specializing in F&B, hospitality and consumer package goods.

They have produced ridiculous amount of award winning design work for Tip Top Cocktails as well as a cornucopia of beer, wine and cider brands. They also have built brand identities for many well known restaurants around the country and are continually knocking out work for Marriott Bonvoy.

While the Sasso team is incredibly versatile, deep down they are really building brands for the opportunity to design some cool merch.

In his “free time” Sasso & Co founder, Bart Sasso (illustrated here) is also a partner and the creative director for Ticonderoga Club in Atlanta.

Angie Huang

Photographer

Angie lives life with a camera in hand. With a background in portrait photography, Angie excels at capturing and conveying emotions through her images. Whether it's portraits, lifestyle shots, or event photography, Angie's light touch and approachability enable her to capture moments in their most organic form. She shoots a mix of digital and film.

In her free time you will likely find her at Winyl.

Evan Richards

Designer

Evan is a layout wizard and type geek who has a diverse background in everything from CPG to being the Design Manager for the Utah Jazz. His editorial design work for Gear Patrol Magazine is not to be missed.

If he is not kerning, he is probably on his bike.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

Dieline Gets It.

How does a brand balance the challenging act of appearing approachable and playful while still maintaining a sophisticated homage? …

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Camp Dad.

“And that’s the genius of Harvest Camp. It’s a successful event because Schmuecker isn’t planning a media tour or PR day…”

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Playlist

Read on to learn more about how Luke applied his two part creative process to cider as the inspiration for his two-part Spotify playlist...

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