Daytime Design Co.
Vayda Mental Health Collab. brand identity — logo, stickers, and studio photography

A high standards, low ego design studio.

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Em Smale, founder of Daytime Design Co.
For legacies in the making (DDC® · 26) Your creative department
Brand Design Web Design & Dev Product Design Design Leadership
Recent Daytime Design Co. client work — brand and web projects cycling through

Building brands, websites, and products that feel human and hold up in boardrooms.

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(ALL) View All Work The Full Archive
Human.
Em Smale, founder of Daytime Design Co.
Em Smale, founder of Daytime Design Co.

Hi, I'm Em. Founder and Creative Director of Daytime.

Before this, I spent the better part of a decade inside design rooms at Google, Ford, Delta, Polaris, and UnitedHealthcare. I led teams. Built brand systems. Shaped products used by millions of people.

In 2023, I left to build something different.

A studio small enough to move fast. Senior enough to lead. Built to embed alongside founders.

About Daytime
© Services (DDC® · 26) Your Creative Department
Kind Words

Emily immediately understood our brand vision and delivered designs that truly elevated our presence.

She's organized, fast and efficient. Every project completed quickly and with such care. If you're looking for someone who truly gets brand experience, communicates with ease and delivers stunning work, she's it.

Natalie Ellis
Co-Founder & CEO, Bossbabe

I've worked with some of the best designers in the world.

Emily somehow integrates the best qualities of all of them while creating extraordinary work with speed, excellence, and a sense of joy that is astonishing. It's not possible for me to recommend her any higher.

Brian Johnson
CEO & Founder, Heroic

Em's process for design is so buttoned up and detail-oriented.

She's both a world-class creative thought partner and a second-to-none executor, with meticulous attention to detail and the best energy.

Cait Scudder
Founder & CEO, The Millionaire Mother

Working with Emily was pure magic.

She built the full brand suite and website for Doer to Delegator in just one week and somehow made it feel fast and un-rushed. Her process was seamless, thoughtful, and incredibly easy to walk through, even as a busy business owner juggling a million things.

Chelle Temple
CEO, Doer to Delegator

I knew Emily was going to nail it, but I did not expect her to completely blow me away.

From the depth and detail in the intake form, to her attentiveness and ability to really hear you and hone in on the heart of your work and message, to the final deliverables and every step along the way, I have been impressed beyond words.

Monica Justesen
Photographer

Emily somehow reads your mind, even when you're not sure how to say what you want.

She's intuitive, professional, and wildly creative. Her vibe? Total creative hype woman meets calm, grounded guide. I felt supported and seen every step of the way, and now I'm obsessed with showing off our site.

Erin Venker
Owner, OCD and Anxiety Center of MN
Natalie Ellis Brian Johnson Cait Scudder Chelle Temple Monica Justesen Erin Venker
Services

What Daytime can do for you

No juniors. No layers. Every project led personally, end to end. The only question is where we start.

A navy CEO Mama crewneck sweatshirt with the script wordmark printed in white across the chest
from $8k

Brand Design

for the founder who's outgrown their brand and is ready to go to the next level.

Most Popular
The Philosopher's Notes site and app shown across a laptop, tablet and two phones
from $15k

Brand + Web Design

for the founder ready for an elevated brand and a website that actually works.

Biggest Transformation
The Vayda site shown across a desktop monitor, laptop, tablet and phone
from $22k

All-In-One Brand Sprint

for the founder ready for the most productive four weeks of their entire year.

A Rite-Hite loading bay configurator shown on desktop and mobile, with interactive hotspots over a dock scene
typically $40k+

Custom + Partnership

for the founder juggling a lot of moving parts who needs a design leader, not another person to manage.

The Full Practice

What we're known for

Brand Design

Identity systems that feel cohesive, recognizable, and ready to scale.

Web Design

Sites that carry the brand and convert — design to live, no handoff gap.

Product Design

Apps, platforms, and dashboards — complex products made to feel simple.

Leadership

Your creative department, fractional — embedded direction, end to end.

The thing most clients tell me is they didn't expect the process to feel this collaborative or this easy.

That's the point. That's Daytime. Get In Touch

"How did you do this in one day?! It's so beautiful. So much fierce joy. I'm still not over it, and I never will be. Client for life."

DH
Danielle Harasek ✔︎
Brand in a Day

"I seriously cannot say enough good things. She completely understood the vibe and vision I wanted, even when I struggled to articulate my thoughts. And she did it all in a day. I am seriously so blown away."

KP
Kate Purvis ✔︎
Holistic Health Expert

"She blew me away. My brand feels SO much more elevated. She took my words and turned them into a stunning website. I know this investment is going to pay off hugely."

EB
Emily Bishop ✔︎
Coach & Embodiment Guide

"You truly have such a gift. You heard what my vision was and totally executed. If you need website or branding help, RUN don't walk to Daytime Design."

HC
Hannah Chijioke-Davis ✔︎
Founder, Agora Wellness Center

"I truly couldn't have gotten where I am without you. Everything will be so much quicker and easier now that all of this is in place, and I'm already excited about the next two parts of the product suite."

D
Dalia ✔︎
Brand & Product Client

We partner with leaders at moments of growth, reinvention, and scale.

If you've built something important and it's ready to operate at a higher level, you're in the right place.

We design the systems that bring clarity, cohesion, and confidence across brand, web, and product. So everything else can move faster, cleaner, and with more conviction.

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The Monica Justesen brand applied across a debossed leather camera strap, wax-seal keyfobs and letterpress cards

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