Meet Valerie Anderson

owner and creative director of VLA Designs

Sound Bites to Check Out
99pi with Roman Mars
Design Matters with Debbie Millman
The Honest Designers Show by DesignCuts
DB | BD – Design Observer

On My Bookshelf
Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett + Dave Evans
Pivot by Jenny Blake (also a podcast)
Graphic Design Thinking by Ellen Lupton
Brand Thinking by Debbie Millman

I left my <3 in…
Cortona, Italy
Prague, Czech Republic
San Francisco, CA
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Iztapa + Lake Atitlán, Guatemala

¡Saludos!

I am an artist, graphic designer, brand strategist and design leader located in Baltimore County, Maryland. VLA Designs came to life as a freelance venture in 2005 in my cozy rowhome rental in Baltimore City, but I credit time spent living in the Dominican Republic as the impetus for my career as a designer.

Over the years, my design studio has at times served as a side gig, and at other times as my sole source of income as I moved around the country with my husband, raised my children and searched for creative direction and fulfillment. While I have a broad range of design and leadership skills, the focus of my freelance work has been on branding, publications, infographic design, illustration and promotional strategy and design.

In addition to running my freelance design studio, I lead a team of creatives at Sterilex, an award-winning biotech company in Hunt Valley, Maryland that focuses on keeping people and animals safe from harmful pathogens through innovative solutions for biofilm control. As the Creative Services Manager, I oversee the company brand and design strategy and collaborate with our marketing team to promote our services to a global market.

Since 2017, I have also served on the board of AIGA Baltimore, our local chapter of the professional association for design, a national nonprofit organization powered 100% by volunteers. As the current president of AIGA Baltimore (2019-2021 term), I support and guide our volunteer board of directors in our mission to lead as designers, create events that engage the creative community in meaningful discussions, provide a network of support and education for designers and bring about positive social change through design.

I am passionate about using my gifts to do good wherever I can and enjoy collaborating with like-minded creatives. I would love to learn more about you and how we can work together to create a more compassionate society. Fill out my contact form and let me know how we can work together to give back.

Interested in Collaborating?

Let's Talk