Consider us an extension of your team
You don’t have time to babysit a creative team. With us, you don’t have to. We’re all working towards the same goal: your success. We provide proactive ideas and innovative solutions to accomplish your mission.
We know where you’re coming from
We understand that you’re trying to clearly communicate your brand message. We know that bad design paired with mediocre copy is the biggest barrier between you and your audience. As a full-service creative agency, we’re focused on delivering your message in a powerful and impactful way.
Once upon a time...
TwoTone: A History
TwoTone Creative is a small design agency located in West Des Moines, Iowa. The company started six years ago as a Christmas card company in our Creative Director, Jenny Cross’ basement. (If you ask us nicely, we might still design a Christmas card for you.)
TwoTone grew little by little, and eventually, Jenny had to turn away clients because she was working around the clock to continue to serve and help her current customers. It was the tipping point of moving into a full-service creative agency. After much prayer, Jenny hired her first designer.
Now, as a team of 10, we work with a variety of clients, helping them with their communication strategies, design, copywriting, branding, social, and marketing initiatives. We’re a small team that takes ownership of the work we produce. We strive to be flexible and work quickly to serve our clients — without sacrificing quality.
Great design is at the heart of what we do, and we’re honored to work with churches, digital marketing agencies, and so many other businesses — big and small. We seek out like-minded clients and opportunities that correspond with our values and goals. At TwoTone Creative, we’re passionate about elevating, celebrating, and helping our clients grow through top-notch marketing and design.
The Faces You’ve Been Waiting For
The TwoTone Team
Jenny Cross
Founder & Creative Director
With more than 10 years of agency experience, Jenny has had the privilege of working with a large variety of brands. She loves partnering with other business owners and entrepreneurs, and specializes in brand development. From digital marketing to online course creation, Jenny’s knowledge and skillset has prepared her to be a successful creative director.
Jenny received her B.F.A. in Visual Communications from Truman State University in 2012 and spent several years in Colorado before returning to the Des Moines area. She loves being close to her family and spending time with her husband and daughter. And though she loves design, living life for Christ has made the greatest impact on her life.
Grace is our master of organization and account management. She graduated from Drake University with her bachelors in Journalism and Mass Communication, and is the go-to person for everything that TwoTone has to offer. She has the difficult task of keeping the rest of us on task - fortunately for all of us she does this perfectly with her signature smile and can-do attitude.
The middle of 9 children, Grace loves spending time with all of her nieces and nephews and sharing her passion for chocolate milk with them. She loves travel, home improvement shows, and big cups of coffee in the morning.
Abby's ability to design quickly and creatively makes her the person to call when you need something done yesterday. She learns quickly, and her mind thrives when it is occupied with lots of ideas. She loves working on branding projects where she can let her creativity loose. Abby graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in graphic design. Following graduation, Abby went to school at Drake University and graduated with a master of arts in brand communication.
Abby is originally from Okoboji and loves to spend her weekends in the summer at the lake with family. Abby also loves to cook (she even created her own cookbook), and especially loves trying new recipes. In her free time, you can find Abby biking around Des Moines with friends, or watching the Food Network while enjoying a glass of wine.
Vanessa is our designer specializing in all things web-related. She earned her degree in graphic design from Dordt College and discovered her passion for digital design. Vanessa enjoys the challenge of web design because it is always developing and changing. She works to create user interfaces that complement the website's content for a seamless user experience.
Originally from Pella, she is a native Iowan and now enjoys being part of the Des Moines area community. She lives with her husband and their labradoodle puppy. In her free time, you can find Vanessa reading, browsing Pinterest, and exploring the city.
In case you’re wondering, Rick has two sisters, so he’s used to being outnumbered by the girls. TwoTone is already benefiting from his new perspective and fresh ideas! Rick is a well-rounded designer with a variety of skills. He enjoys tracking how a company’s brand impacts their social perception and success. He’s also fascinated by how design is constantly changing and evolving. He has an outstanding ability to learn new things quickly and adapt to change. Additionally, he’s skilled in working with tight timeframes, and he’s constantly noticing trends and new advancements in design.
Rick has always enjoyed being creative and active, so when he went to Central College in Pella, Iowa, he decided to study graphic design, psychology, and exercise science. Eventually, he realized his true passion was for design, and decided to focus on this area. In his free time, he enjoys staying active (through tennis, basketball, running, biking, etc.), hanging out with friends, visiting various breweries around Des Moines, and attending concerts.
Libby is a dedicated designer with an eye for detail. She is especially equipped in typography and uses her skills to convey client messages clearly and effectively. She enjoys working on a variety of design types, but brand identity is her favorite.
Libby always knew she wanted to have a career that would allow her to be creative at all times, so she decided to give graphic design a try. She fell in love with it and ended up pursuing a degree in graphic design from the University of Northern Iowa. When she’s not designing, she enjoys cooking, photography, thrift shopping and exploring the Des Moines area.
As our creative copywriter, Melanie helps craft what you want to say in the way you want to say it. With experience in social media management, feature writing, blog posts, and more, she’s passionate about connecting the dots between small details and big-picture ideas.
Whether you need a snappy tagline, a compelling email message, or a social media post that keeps people coming back for more, she enjoys transforming ideas into stories that impact and inspire. She’s in her element when she gets to revitalize tired old ideas into fresh, new content, and loves tackling writing projects covering any topic.
A lifelong Iowa native, Melanie graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in public relations. Outside of work, she enjoys reading (or writing) a good book, collecting vinyl records, and exploring downtown Des Moines.
As our digital marketing specialist, Emily uses her personable, people-driven approach to understand our clients’ needs and create strategies that produce results. A true forward thinker, her creative mind loves analyzing how the digital world evolves and interacts with our everyday lives.
With her go-getter attitude, Emily will transform existing social and digital ads and research different approaches to make a greater impact. She’s passionate about tailoring strategic ads to reach specific target audiences and thrives when she’s surrounded by like-minded team members who share her creative drive.
Emily graduated from the University of Iowa (go Hawks!) and holds a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. When Emily isn’t executing campaigns for our clients, she enjoys spending time with her husband, her baby daughter, and their two labradors. You might find her enjoying red wine and crime podcasts, trying out new recipes on her family and friends, or exploring new restaurants and breweries around Des Moines.
Chloe is our executive assistant, and works tirelessly to manage the everyday details of our team to keep us on track for success. Her detail-oriented approach makes her the perfect person to manage schedules, keep in touch with clients, and help our office environment run smoothly.
Chloe is passionate about taking the big ideas and goals of others and crafting a detailed plan to help them succeed. She thrives in fast-paced environments where she can collaborate with others, and she’ll be the first to help someone get organized or take initiative on whatever new project comes her way.
Chloe graduated from North Central University in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she majored in Business Administration and Pre-Law. When she’s not coordinating the everyday details of life at TwoTone, she loves going on hikes, listening to music, attending concerts, and exploring new coffee shops.
As our motion designer, Lucas Hansen helps bring our graphics to life! He’s our go-to guy when it comes to transforming designs into completely new creations that catch the eye with movement, in addition to creating and editing videos that make a big impact.
His diligent work ethic and positive attitude helps him work to exceed client expectations, all while getting projects done efficiently. Lucas is happiest when he can get to work on the details of a project, ensuring that the final design is of the highest possible quality.
Lucas earned his degree in graphic and web design from North Idaho College, and originally hails from Washington State. Outside of work, Lucas likes to play video games, make music, and spend time with friends.
Grace is our master of organization and account management. She graduated from Drake University with her bachelors in Journalism and Mass Communication, and is the go-to person for everything that TwoTone has to offer. She has the difficult task of keeping the rest of us on task - fortunately for all of us she does this perfectly with her signature smile and can-do attitude.
The middle of 9 children, Grace loves spending time with all of her nieces and nephews and sharing her passion for chocolate milk with them. She loves travel, home improvement shows, and big cups of coffee in the morning.
Abby's ability to design quickly and creatively makes her the person to call when you need something done yesterday. She learns quickly, and her mind thrives when it is occupied with lots of ideas. She loves working on branding projects where she can let her creativity loose. Abby graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in graphic design. Following graduation, Abby went to school at Drake University and graduated with a master of arts in brand communication.
Abby is originally from Okoboji and loves to spend her weekends in the summer at the lake with family. Abby also loves to cook (she even created her own cookbook), and especially loves trying new recipes. In her free time, you can find Abby biking around Des Moines with friends, or watching the Food Network while enjoying a glass of wine.
Vanessa is our designer specializing in all things web-related. She earned her degree in graphic design from Dordt College and discovered her passion for digital design. Vanessa enjoys the challenge of web design because it is always developing and changing. She works to create user interfaces that complement the website's content for a seamless user experience.
Originally from Pella, she is a native Iowan and now enjoys being part of the Des Moines area community. She lives with her husband and their labradoodle puppy. In her free time, you can find Vanessa reading, browsing Pinterest, and exploring the city.
In case you’re wondering, Rick has two sisters, so he’s used to being outnumbered by the girls. TwoTone is already benefiting from his new perspective and fresh ideas! Rick is a well-rounded designer with a variety of skills. He enjoys tracking how a company’s brand impacts their social perception and success. He’s also fascinated by how design is constantly changing and evolving. He has an outstanding ability to learn new things quickly and adapt to change. Additionally, he’s skilled in working with tight timeframes, and he’s constantly noticing trends and new advancements in design.
Rick has always enjoyed being creative and active, so when he went to Central College in Pella, Iowa, he decided to study graphic design, psychology, and exercise science. Eventually, he realized his true passion was for design, and decided to focus on this area. In his free time, he enjoys staying active (through tennis, basketball, running, biking, etc.), hanging out with friends, visiting various breweries around Des Moines, and attending concerts.
Libby is a dedicated designer with an eye for detail. She is especially equipped in typography and uses her skills to convey client messages clearly and effectively. She enjoys working on a variety of design types, but brand identity is her favorite.
Libby always knew she wanted to have a career that would allow her to be creative at all times, so she decided to give graphic design a try. She fell in love with it and ended up pursuing a degree in graphic design from the University of Northern Iowa. When she’s not designing, she enjoys cooking, photography, thrift shopping and exploring the Des Moines area.
As our creative copywriter, Melanie helps craft what you want to say in the way you want to say it. With experience in social media management, feature writing, blog posts, and more, she’s passionate about connecting the dots between small details and big-picture ideas.
Whether you need a snappy tagline, a compelling email message, or a social media post that keeps people coming back for more, she enjoys transforming ideas into stories that impact and inspire. She’s in her element when she gets to revitalize tired old ideas into fresh, new content, and loves tackling writing projects covering any topic.
A lifelong Iowa native, Melanie graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in public relations. Outside of work, she enjoys reading (or writing) a good book, collecting vinyl records, and exploring downtown Des Moines.
As our digital marketing specialist, Emily uses her personable, people-driven approach to understand our clients’ needs and create strategies that produce results. A true forward thinker, her creative mind loves analyzing how the digital world evolves and interacts with our everyday lives.
With her go-getter attitude, Emily will transform existing social and digital ads and research different approaches to make a greater impact. She’s passionate about tailoring strategic ads to reach specific target audiences and thrives when she’s surrounded by like-minded team members who share her creative drive.
Emily graduated from the University of Iowa (go Hawks!) and holds a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. When Emily isn’t executing campaigns for our clients, she enjoys spending time with her husband, her baby daughter, and their two labradors. You might find her enjoying red wine and crime podcasts, trying out new recipes on her family and friends, or exploring new restaurants and breweries around Des Moines.
Chloe is our executive assistant, and works tirelessly to manage the everyday details of our team to keep us on track for success. Her detail-oriented approach makes her the perfect person to manage schedules, keep in touch with clients, and help our office environment run smoothly.
Chloe is passionate about taking the big ideas and goals of others and crafting a detailed plan to help them succeed. She thrives in fast-paced environments where she can collaborate with others, and she’ll be the first to help someone get organized or take initiative on whatever new project comes her way.
Chloe graduated from North Central University in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she majored in Business Administration and Pre-Law. When she’s not coordinating the everyday details of life at TwoTone, she loves going on hikes, listening to music, attending concerts, and exploring new coffee shops.
As our motion designer, Lucas Hansen helps bring our graphics to life! He’s our go-to guy when it comes to transforming designs into completely new creations that catch the eye with movement, in addition to creating and editing videos that make a big impact.
His diligent work ethic and positive attitude helps him work to exceed client expectations, all while getting projects done efficiently. Lucas is happiest when he can get to work on the details of a project, ensuring that the final design is of the highest possible quality.
Lucas earned his degree in graphic and web design from North Idaho College, and originally hails from Washington State. Outside of work, Lucas likes to play video games, make music, and spend time with friends.
Want to join the TwoTone team?
We are always looking for remarkable people.