Hello, and thanks for dropping by. I'm Aga Grandowicz, an art director, graphic designer, and illustrator behind AGRAND, a Dublin-based graphic design studio which I established in 2007.
I believe great design isn't just about how it looks – it's about the difference it makes. For more than two decades, I've helped organisations, publishers, brands, and businesses communicate more effectively through design, illustration, storytelling, strategic thinking, and system-building.
My work sits at the intersection of creativity, communication, and problem-solving. While many people focus on individual outputs, I'm interested in the systems behind them: how brands grow, how ideas spread, how audiences engage, and how creative, commercial, and operational elements work together to create lasting value.
I specialise in bringing structure to complexity, and over the years, I've combined expertise in design, publishing, marketing, branding, illustration, and entrepreneurship to build projects from the ground up. Whether developing a visual identity, launching a publication, creating a communications strategy, or designing marketing materials, I enjoy bringing structure to complexity and turning ambitious ideas into practical, achievable outcomes.
Alongside my work as a designer, I am also a wildlife illustrator, author, and publisher. This combination brings a distinctive perspective to projects, blending creative thinking with a deep understanding of storytelling, audience engagement, content development, and business realities.
Having launched and managed several ventures of my own, I understand the challenges organisations face when resources are limited, priorities compete, and decisions carry real consequences. As a result, I contribute more than creative execution alone – I help identify opportunities, connect seemingly unrelated ideas, and develop systems that support long-term growth.
At the heart of every project is a commitment to creating work that communicates clearly, solves meaningful problems, and leaves a lasting impact. In my nature-related projects, that also means helping people better appreciate, understand, and protect wildlife and biodiversity.
While I continue to enjoy working independently, I am equally interested in joining a larger organisation where strategic thinking, creativity, and systems-building are valued. I am at my best when navigating complexity, connecting ideas across disciplines, and turning ambitious goals into practical, well-executed outcomes.
Here's what I can offer:
› Concept development and visual storytelling across print, digital, and brand platforms
› Creative direction and end-to-end design leadership, from strategy to final delivery
› Team leadership, mentoring, and cross-functional collaboration
› Client-facing presentation of creative concepts and design solutions
› Project management: budgets, timelines, workflows, and resource allocation
› User-centred design informed by research, analytics, and behavioural insight
› Strong visual judgment, quality control, and attention to detail
› Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere)
› Clear, confident written and verbal communication
› Creative direction and end-to-end design leadership, from strategy to final delivery
› Team leadership, mentoring, and cross-functional collaboration
› Client-facing presentation of creative concepts and design solutions
› Project management: budgets, timelines, workflows, and resource allocation
› User-centred design informed by research, analytics, and behavioural insight
› Strong visual judgment, quality control, and attention to detail
› Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere)
› Clear, confident written and verbal communication
Advertising and design agencies I worked with in Ireland include:
Boys & Girls, Chemistry, Cream, Dialogue, DMA, DMCM, Epsilon (previously Acorn), In the Company of Huskies, Isobar, Idea, Javelin, Originate, Murray Creative, RichardsDee, Rothco, RoomThree, Strategem, Source Design, Tadata, Target McConnells, Verve, Vocal, vStream, ZOO Digital.
For these agencies, I worked on client accounts that included: 3 Mobile, Airtricity, Amdocs, An Post, Bank of Ireland, Bewleys, Danone, Doc Morris/Unicare, Dublin Bus, Dulux, Fexco, Fitbit, GAA, Glanbia, Google, Green Spot Whiskey, Greenlink, Guinness, Husqvarna, Jaguar, IPUT, Irish Life, Kennedy Wilson, Land Rover, Malibu, Mastercard, O2, Origina, Oroko, Powers, Red Breast Whiskey, SEAT, Ulster Bank, Vodafone, Volkswagen Bank.
For these agencies, I worked on client accounts that included: 3 Mobile, Airtricity, Amdocs, An Post, Bank of Ireland, Bewleys, Danone, Doc Morris/Unicare, Dublin Bus, Dulux, Fexco, Fitbit, GAA, Glanbia, Google, Green Spot Whiskey, Greenlink, Guinness, Husqvarna, Jaguar, IPUT, Irish Life, Kennedy Wilson, Land Rover, Malibu, Mastercard, O2, Origina, Oroko, Powers, Red Breast Whiskey, SEAT, Ulster Bank, Vodafone, Volkswagen Bank.
I also worked, as a contractor, for Web Summit (2022/2023).
Feel free to explore my portfolio, and see some of the work I've done with my clients and the ad agencies I worked with. I particularly enjoy designing for culture- and events-related organisations; for example, working as Head of Design with a great team to create branding, marketing collateral, and strategies for a large event could be a dream task. I also love working with a lot of text, so any brochure or book project is a perfect fit for me.
Ready to take your brand to the next level? Let's chat!
Many of us have passion projects; to see my other work, you may want to visit these websites: aga-grandowicz.com (wildlife art and illustration), naturalworlddesign.ie (designing for nature-related organisations), and naturalworldpublishing.ie (publishing nature-related books).
Some grants and awards I received for my work:
› Bursary Award from the Arts Council Ireland in 2024.
› Literature Project Award from the Arts Council Ireland in 2024.
› Literature Agility Award from the Arts Council Ireland in 2023.
› Literature Project Award from the Arts Council Ireland in 2023.
› Art grant from Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council in 2022.
› Awarded Artist in Residence at McAuley Place in 2022 and 2023.
› Art grant in 2020 from South Dublin County Council.
› Honour Award for Illustration at CBI’s Book of the Year Award 2019, for Dr Hibernica Finch’s Compelling Compendium of Irish Animals.
› Heritage grant in 2019 to provide wildlife illustrations for Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.
› Shortlisted for Literacy Ireland Children’s Book Award 2019, for Dr Hibernica Finch’s Compelling Compendium of Irish Animals.
› Shortlisted for Irish Books Awards 2018 in the Best Irish-Published category, for Dr Hibernica Finch’s Compelling Compendium of Irish Animals.
› Silver award at An Post Smart Marketing Awards, Dublin, 2019.
› Bronze award at An Post Smart Marketing Awards, Dublin, 2016.
› Four Gold, two Silver and two Bronze awards at An Post DMA, Dublin, 2014.
› Winner in ‘Direct Marketing’ category – at All Ireland Marketing Awards, Dublin, 2014.
› Silver award in category ‘Best Utility’ – at An Post DMA, Dublin, 2012.
› Two Gold awards in categories Smartest Advertising and Smartest Integrated Campaign for GUINNESSPlus; client: Diageo Ireland, 2013.
› Two Gold awards in categories ‘Best Over-all Creative’ and ‘Best Direct Mail Low Volume’ – at An Post DMA, Dublin, 2010.
› Awarded a Bursary Award from the Arts Council Ireland in 2010.
› (Before 2006) Various awards, grants and scholarships in design and art competitions in Poland.