About

Opal creates distinctive experiences for knowing brands.

Process

Replacing noise with grace, restraint, clarity and conﬁdence.  

Giving energy to big thinking in collaboration with passionate and parallel thinkers.  

Finding vibrancy in subtlety by exploring beneath, between and beyond to reveal a brand’s true colors.  

Inspiring experiences that are tactile, meaningful and sustainable.  

Moving minds.

Capabilities

Team

Christine Wisnieski
Founder & Creative Director

Growing up in a creative household, Christine’s passion for seeking out romance in the world flourished early on. She was raised just outside the Cuyahoga Valley National Park by a trained architect and nurse who nurtured her ideas and independence. After spending her twenties working in design, she established an award-winning practice under her own name in 2011 where she designed a stationery line, collaborated with like-minded brands and laid the foundation for Opal.

Christine brings thoughtful intentionality and her penchant for beautifully simplifying a story to every project at Opal. Her considered eye is reflected in all of the studio’s work, designing from a place of pause. She holds a BS/MA in visual communication design and minors in fine art and art history from Kent State University. She has received multiple awards from the American Institute of Graphic Artists. Her work has been featured in various books and publications including Communication Arts, The New York Times, Print Magazine, Elle Decor, Better Homes and Gardens, Martha Stewart and The Dieline. She lives on the east side of Cleveland with her husband, their son Ellis and their cat.

Lauren Woltman
Designer

Lauren received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in graphic design. While at university she met Christine as Opal’s first intern. Lauren started her post graduate career at Little Jacket, designing in the real estate and non-profit spaces. She returned to the office of Opal in 2015 and has spent a decade working and growing Opal with Christine. Lauren has an appreciation for simplicity and it is reflected in every visual system she collaborates on. Her work has received multiple awards from American Institute of Graphic Artists and been featured in Logolounge, Print Magazine and BP&O. Lauren is an Ohio native. She resides on the east side of Cleveland with her husband Christian and their beloved cats.

Hilary Bovay
Project Manager

Hilary joined Opal after several years of project management and over ten years as a freelance photographer. She is skilled in creating a gentle client experience and an organized workflow. She holds a deep interest in language and the written word, and contributes both copy and imagery for clients and internal projects. Hilary is a native Rhode Islander and received her undergraduate degree in visual communications from Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts. She lives on Cleveland’s east side with her husband Andrew and their cats.

Vicki Urbas
Business Manager

Vicki grew up just south of Cleveland. After spending the early years of her career in design and content creation, Vicki went on to lead design production for a luxury interiors brand. She has extensive experience in marketing, from executing catalogs to omni-channel campaigns. She brings a deep understanding of the creative process and a knack for making the seemingly impossible possible. Vicki holds a Bachelors of Science in fashion and merchandising with a minor in marketing from Kent State University. She lives on Cleveland’s east side with her husband and two children.

David Matia
Designer

David graduated from the Industrial Design program at the University of Cincinnati. While attending the DAAP program he completed five internships across the country and abroad at both agencies and in-house teams, including Braun, Ecco, and Fossil. David is a native of Ohio and wintered in New York throughout his early years. He is an avid skier, hiker and traveler. He lives in Brooklyn, NY.

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