Jess Lace is the passionate one-woman band behind the screen at Beachdays. She’s a graphic + web designer with years of experience backing her from advertising agencies to small businesses and start-ups.
Grounded but never predictable, she finds inspiration in the beauty of everyday life. She’s a colour junkie and thrives on pushing boundaries, delivering work beyond expectations with organic tones, expressive typography and quirky illustrations.
When she’s not designing, you’ll find her enjoying slow mornings with her little one, sipping coffee in the sunshine, or sneaking off for a salty dip in the ocean.
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I was initially placed with Height PM through Gather Recruitment and now work as their permanent freelance designer, offering flexibility while still being part of their team. Height is a values-driven consultancy focused on creating sustainable communities, which aligns with much of the work I do for them. My tasks include designing visually appealing reports, documents, and diagrams in InDesign, along with web design and other collateral. Working primarily with infrastructure sector clients, many from government agencies, requires a high level of confidentiality, consistency, and attention to detail.
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I have collaborated with Brooke from Brandspired for several years, typically assisting during periods of high demand. My work with him spans a variety of tasks, often on tight deadlines, including reports, small branding projects, and print collateral for his clients. We have developed a strong working relationship, and more recently, Brooke has become an unofficial mentor, providing guidance not only on design challenges but also on the complexities of running a solo design business.
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I was placed on contract with Uno Loco through The Pond as a freelancer, and after building a strong rapport with the Account Manager, I continued working with them on multiple short-term contracts. Initially, I worked in-house at their office on K Road, before transitioning to remote work. I handled a variety of briefs, often picking up projects midway to bring them to completion or managing smaller projects from start to finish. My work included reports, branding collateral, signage, and billboards.
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I initially joined MetroEXP on contract in 2020, then continued remotely as a freelance designer through 2021 and 2022. I worked across accounts including Waste Management (EDMs, digital ads, print flyers), Chorus (campaign rollouts across print and digital), Rodney Wayne (print and digital ads), and Wendy’s (social media creative and campaign rollout).
MetroEXP was also my introduction to the agency world fresh out of uni. During this time, I worked with brands like Ford Motor Company, Pioneer Brand Products, Colab Projects, and McGreals, tackling projects from catalogues and corporate stationery to signage, event branding, and website design.
A standout project was designing the Rio 2016 Olympic Village dress for the New Zealand Olympic Committee, which included wall murals for athlete lounges and apartments, building signage, and exterior design.
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I worked closely with a small creative team—Creative Director and Senior Graphic Designer—on large FMCG campaigns for brands like Kraft/Heinz & Wattie’s and Gregg’s, rolling out print (POS for supermarkets, magazine ads, adshells, busbacks) and digital assets (large-scale banners, web ads, digital adshells). I also handled smaller-scale projects for Hancocks (Jack Daniels), Constellation Brands, and Smales Farm.
A big part of my role involved creating content for 14 social media pages, including Fujitsu General NZ, The Good Taste Company, and Food in a Minute. Working alongside the Senior Graphic Designer and Social Media team, I often had creative freedom to develop visuals based on written content.
Beachdays is built on skills honed early in Jess’ career, working in advertising agencies of all sizes on print and digital campaigns, social media content creation, and collateral design. Managing multiple client accounts in a fast-paced environment sharpened her attention to detail and calm approach.
Over time, strong client relationships led her to transition into freelance and contract roles, allowing her to stay closely connected to the industry.
Have a nosey at some of her commercial work here