Who We Are
Small by Design. Big-Agency Firepower.
We’ve built KTD to be small, nimble, and personal—because we believe great work starts with great relationships. You won’t get layers of agency bureaucracy or be passed from one person to another. You’ll work directly with experienced, creative people who care about your organization, your goals, and getting the work right.
Our clients span federal agencies, international NGOs, arts and cultural institutions, universities, associations, healthcare innovators, nonprofits, municipal governments, and small businesses. No matter the size or scope, we bring the same level of energy, experience, and attention to every engagement.
We become an extension of your team, working collaboratively to bring strategy, messaging, design, and digital expertise together. We listen, we ask questions, we solve problems, and then we make the work great.
Because ultimately, our greatest measure of success is simple: helping our clients achieve their goals—and sometimes go beyond them.
Meet the team behind the strategy, creativity, and relationships that make it happen.
Chief Marketer & Creative Director:
Kate Tallent
Kate Tallent is a marketing strategist and extremely talented creative director with more than 25 years of experience helping organizations clarify their brands, sharpen their messaging, and achieve their marketing goals.
Kate brings vision, energy, and strategic thinking to every project. Her creative approach is never one-size-fits-all. She takes the time to understand each client—their mission, audience, goals, challenges, and budget—and develops a creative solution that is uniquely suited to them.
One of Kate’s greatest strengths is knowing how to build the right team for the right project. Rather than maintaining a large agency structure, KTD brings together a carefully selected team of specialists based on each client’s needs, scope, timeline, and budget. From designers and developers to writers, photographers, videographers, digital marketers, and other specialists, Kate knows who to bring to the table—and how to bring them together to create exceptional work.
That flexibility gives KTD the best of both worlds: the personal attention and agility of a boutique agency with the expertise and firepower to take on complex, high-level projects.
Known for bringing both strategic insight and creative vision to the table, Kate guides projects from concept through completion, bringing together strategy, branding, communications, design, and digital to create work that is thoughtful, effective, and memorable. She is also recognized as a highly skilled project manager who knows how to bring creative teams together and keep complex projects moving forward.
Key Expertise & Achievements:
- Marketing strategy and communications
- Brand strategy and visual identity
- Creative direction from concept to completion
- Integrated marketing campaigns and collateral
- Award-winning graphic design
- Building and leading specialized creative teams
- Project management and creative team leadership
Kate earned a B.S. in Fine Art with a concentration in Printmaking from Towson University and an M.A. in Publications Design from the University of Baltimore, a distinctive program blending writing and graphic design. She has also taught graduate and undergraduate design courses at American University, the University of Baltimore, and Towson University.
When she’s not leading creative projects, Kate enjoys hiking with her dog Kaito, and spending time with family and friends.
Check out Kate’s interview from 2022 with 7News & WJLA 24-7 ABC News Sports Anchor Scott Abraham about the new logo design for the Washington, DC Commanders football team here.
Senior Graphic Designer:
Holly Morgan Barnard
Holly knows brands — and what makes people fall in love with them. Before joining KTD Creative, she managed the creative development of successful advertising and direct marketing campaigns across a range of industries, bringing both strategic insight and artistic vision to every project.
Key Expertise & Achievements:
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Leads and contributes to all phases of print and digital design, from concept and layout to final production
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Offers creative solutions that exceed client expectations
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Strengthens and elevates every brand she works with by deeply understanding client needs
Holly earned a B.F.A. in Visual Communications from the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). Her career includes senior design and art direction roles with Wolters Kluwer Health – Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Catalpha Advertising, Siquis Agency, and Planit Advertising.
When she’s not designing, Holly enjoys gardening, playing drums in her rock band, and spending time with family and friends.
Senior Graphic Designer:
Ethan Duran
Ethan’s expertise spans both print and digital media, and he excels at managing complex design projects from concept through delivery. Known for his innovative approach, meticulous attention to detail, and strategic creativity, Ethan brings strong leadership and a passion for visual storytelling to every project he undertakes.
Key Expertise & Achievements:
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Manages complex design projects from concept to delivery
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Applies innovative design approaches and strategic creativity
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Brings meticulous attention to detail and strong leadership
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Excels in visual storytelling across print and digital media
Ethan’s award-winning work has been recognized multiple times for excellence in publication design and photography. His accolades include the 2020 GLGA Graphics Excellence Award (Best of Category, Directories & Source Book – NAPA Black Book 2019), and more.
When he’s not designing, Ethan enjoys exploring local flea markets and curating his two photo blogs.
Creative Associate:
Grant Heinicke
Grant graduated from the University of Maryland in Spring 2026 with a bachelor’s degree in Studio Art and a concentration in Graphic Design. He first joined KTD Creative as an intern in Fall 2025 and now continues to support the team as a Creative Associate.
With a passion for marketing, branding, and visual storytelling, Grant is eager to make his mark through creative, eye-catching design. He assists with a wide range of projects, including design research, illustration, and asset development.
Outside of work, Grant likes creating art, playing video games, and taking trips to the beach.
Fun Fact:
Friends for over 30 years, before KTD Creative was a company, Kate and Holly made music together in a Baltimore-based band called Secret Crush Society. They met while in college and lived across the hall from each other. Ethan and Kate met in graduate school in the 1990s at the University of Baltimore — they both appreciated each other’s sartorial flair and became fast friends.
We’ve hired KTD Creative on a range of large- and small-scale design projects over the past year, and their ability to pivot and scale to meet our evolving needs has been outstanding. We also engaged Kate as a Communications Consultant, and she seamlessly integrated with our team—navigating multiple deadlines and shifting priorities with professionalism and ease. Working with KTD Creative has been a consistently positive experience, and I wouldn’t hesitate to work with them again (and again, and again)!
KTD Creative has completely renovated our organization’s marketing output with their hard work and inventive solutions. Between a comprehensive rebranding and many specialized campaigns, Kate and her team have delivered our vision in a graceful, thoughtful and robust way. Lovely collaborators, beautiful work!
Our nonprofit organization hired KTD Creative to design a handbook. We had never produced anything like it. The team was patient in the face of our extending deadlines and stayed in great touch with us for all of the revisions.
I used KTD Creative for my WordPress website design, logo and identity system. KTD is professional and they have great ideas to capture the type of service I provide for clients. Their attention to detail and the quality of their product from design and text to the completion and start up of the website was flawless. KTD makes it all seem easy and not only are they extremely competent, are easy to work with as well. I recommend KTD Creative and their design services most highly.
Working with KTD to design and launch the website for our consulting practice, Rally Point for Collaborative Change, was a great experience. Both the designer and project director brought years of experience to the process of developing every aspect of the website. When we had to put the project on hold for a number of months, they were very understanding and supportive. It was truly a collaborative process – and KTD listened to our needs and our ideas, which were incorporated into the design. Often they knew what we needed better than we did. We definitely recommend KTD for website design.
Amazing. Professional. Cutting edge. We hired KTD to help us brand our restaurant. Kate and her team provided us with gorgeous illustrations, logos, menu design, business cards and good advice. Kate was always on time with her delivery, and kept up a great line of communication. This team has great ideas and are wonderful to work with.
KTD Creative has a solid team of good graphic designers, continuously providing high quality products in a timely manner. They are happy to accommodate your timeline and their customer service is very good.
KTD Creative designed a very appealing and dynamic Drupal CMS and web site design for the Maryland/Israel Development Center which is a non-profit membership organization that promotes trade and investment between Maryland and Israeli companies. The site design has been very well received and assisted us in helping us to achieve our goals.
KTD Creative is a awesome company. Kate and her team are so easy and fun to work with. They take their time to listen and really learn about your company and provides excellent high quality designs for business logos, and overall rebranding. I have enjoyed each phase of my rebranding working with KTD Creative. I highly recommend using KTD Creative for all your design needs.
From start to finish KTD Creative was very professional to deal with. They did what they said would do, when they said they would do it, and delivered an outstanding brochure design for my company. KTD Creative went above and beyond what was promised. Thanks KTD.
I had an absolutely amazing experience with KTD Creative! I met with Kate and went over my needs, budget, and the purpose of my organization. Throughout the entire process, she was responsive, understanding of my needs and style, and a consummate professional across the board. I would happily endorse KTD for anyone looking for a graphic design firm and I genuinely look forward to working with Kate again on future projects.
Working with KTD Creative to design a logo for my business was a delight! Taking the time to learn about who I am and what I’m doing in my work, they got to the essence of my value and brought it to life through their art. The conversation was both evocative and illuminating. I’m thrilled with the logo and all that went into realizing it.
The quality of both the design work and the review/edit process is a cut above the competition! KTD Creative has become the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities’ trusted source for high-quality design for both print and interactive projects. KTD’s web development team also came through for our project in a pinch when we needed additional support in addressing WordPress website maintenance issues.
We were very satisfied with the WordPress website that KTD Creative produced for us. The designers were receptive to our needs and budget, and finished the site on time — and it looks great.
From the very beginning, I knew working with KTD would be different from working with any other designers! Not only was the process of developing our logo professional, it also had a very personal touch that truly showed through in the uniqueness of our logo. During our first session, Kate and her team conducted thorough interviews to find themes, colors, and imagery that finally concluded in the perfect logo for our company Half Hearted Fully Conscious. The logo is AMAZING and has the perfect appeal for the apparel that will be the first product of our lifestyle brand! Kate and team literally blew us away with this design and we are very happy with the logo and the decision to work with KTD. We will definitely work with KTD in the future.
I chose to work with KTD Creative because they are one of the most highly regarded design firms in DC. Working with the team on my new company logo was like meeting with an old friend- the staff is personable, professional and attentive. KTD’s designs are cutting edge. Their attention to detail is impeccable- far beyond any design firm I’ve worked with before. KTD is the standard for design.
KTD Creative was very instrumental in me getting signed to Yamaha as a Saxophone Artist. Ms. Tallent and her team are very attentive to their clients’ needs and their work is impeccable. I highly recommend KTD Creative!
I had a wonderful experience with the KTD Creative team. They were extremely professional throughout the process with timely responses and clarity about the entire process from signing the contract to the delivery of the designs. This was my first time working with a professional design firm and they were generous with their time while educating me about best practices and advocating for my program. I would highly recommend KTD Creative!
Kate and her team created a beautiful, informative, user-friendly website for The Richman Foundation, a new private foundation in Baltimore. Not only does the site share our story in a meaningful way, but it also provides prospective grantees with the information they need to apply for funding. KTD Creative guided us through the creative process and, after the website was complete, the team made sure we knew how to market it and to modify it when necessary. We remain grateful for their good work and guidance.
KTD Creative did a fantastic job of helping me revamp and brand my band’s website. She is highly in tune with what musicians and other creatives need and executed the project in a timely and professional manner.