WE ARE WHO WE ARE
About us.
Indicia Design (”Indicia”) is not your traditional agency, or really an “agency.” We are a collaborative of highly experienced, highly specialized independent creatives. Because we don’t have the same financial obligations as other firms–large or fancy office space, vast amount of payroll, or investors—we are able to focus on getting the job done right instead of simply getting the job done and billed.
Ryan Hembree
Strengths
1. Strategic
2. Ideation
3. Arranger
4. Activator
5. Individualization
Experienced Entrepreneurial and Strategic Creative
Ryan is a strategic creative and design entrepreneur with more than 25 years of experience working in a variety of marketing and design roles. He founded, built and operated his own successful design firm for over 16 years; worked on the client side in sales and marketing; and built and led the design team of a full-service marketing agency.
Today, he works directly with business owners, leaders and other marketing professionals to build brands and solve complex creative challenges. His extensive experience, resourcefulness and knowledge of the industry make him an invaluable collaborator with any creative or executive team. He not only brings innovative solutions to the table, he knows how to turn them into reality—on time and within budget.
Ryan is also a published author, speaker on branding and an Adjunct Professor at Johnson County Community College, where he teaches design business and entrepreneurship.
Entrepreneurial Apprentice and Creative
Aislin (Ash-Lynn) is co-founder of Indicia v2 and represents the firm’s next generation of design leaders. She is a versatile designer with a passion for creating captivating visuals and seamless user experiences, and brings a diverse skill set that blends artistry, functionality, and clear communication.
Outside of design, you’ll often find Aislin indulging in crafting hobbies, including crocheting and cross-stitching. These creative outlets serve as a source of relaxation and inspire her work by providing a fresh perspective and approach to projects and extra attention to detail.
Aislin is always eager to collaborate on client projects and explore new opportunities to leverage her design skills and expertise.
Aislin Butt
Strengths
1. Strategic
2. Communication
3. Learner
4. Empathy
5. Developer
Matt Smithmier
Client CMO, Content Creator
It all comes down to storytelling, after all. Matt has spent an entire career doing just that, first as a reporter and magazine writer, then as a public relations executive and a marketing professional.
For 20 years, he’s led marketing teams of writers, editors, designers and illustrators for a number of Kansas City-based companies and brands — either as an in-house marketing executive or as a consultant working for local agencies. He has extensive experience in the healthcare industry marketing from individual practitioners to larger healthcare organizations.
His work crafting and transforming brand messaging ensures that words serve to not only communicate a message but – more importantly – achieve business goals and strengthen the overall organization through effective storytelling. Matt knows the power of combining messaging with brand visuals to create a corporate identity with clarity and consistency.
Social Media Marketer
Meet Ben—a social media manager with over a decade of experience turning likes into leads and impressions into impact. Ben lives and breathes social media, crafting data-driven strategies that not only engage audiences but also drive measurable growth.
He has crafted digital marketing and client experience strategies across industries like telecommunications, construction, higher education, retail, and banking. Clients include regional and national brands including T-Mobile, the University of Missouri System and Emery Sapp & Sons.
Ben thrives on challenges where he can utilize his curiosity and creativity to deliver results for clients.
Ben Schwenker
Scott William
Programmer and Web Developer
For Scott, it’s always been about making technology work smarter. A self-taught entrepreneur, he began coding and building systems as a teenager and never stopped. For nearly 30 years, he has built, grown, and sold multiple web-based businesses and services from the ground up. Along the way, he even created one of the internet’s top-rated community-driven tech support sites in the late 90s.
Scott’s expertise spans the full spectrum of IT, from server management and networking to databases and web development, but his true passion lies in building websites and web applications that are fast, efficient, and intuitive. He loves creating systems and processes that keep the user experience front and center while helping businesses operate more effectively.
Scott approaches every project as if it were his own, striving to enhance what clients already have rather than reinventing unnecessarily – unless of course, a bold reinvention is exactly what’s needed.