Question 1

What does a creative director actually do?

Accepted Answer

A creative director sets the visual and verbal logic for a brand's expression — the framework within which all decisions about image, language, and design are made. Daniel Stanford's work begins with understanding what a brand already is, and extends to governing how that identity appears across every surface it touches.

Question 2

What kinds of clients do you work with?

Accepted Answer

Luxury fashion, beauty, hospitality, film, and fine art brands. The common thread is clients who understand that how something looks is not separate from what it means.

Question 3

What is the difference between creative direction and art direction?

Accepted Answer

Creative direction sets the strategic framework — the brief, the logic, the governing rules. Art direction executes within that framework — the specific photographs, layouts, and sequences that carry the idea forward.

Question 4

What is the Taste Consultancy?

Accepted Answer

An advisory retainer for founders and CMOs who have internal creative resources but want senior creative judgment at the decision-making level. It is a scheduled relationship, not a project.

Question 5

Do you work with brands outside of Montreal?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Most engagements are conducted remotely or with a limited on-site presence for key production days.

Question 6

How do I begin?

Accepted Answer

Through the intake form or directly via the contact page. A discovery call precedes all formal proposals.

Question 7

Do you offer one-off consultations?

Accepted Answer

No. Engagements are structured as projects or retainers. This is a function of how useful deep familiarity with a brand turns out to be.

Question 8

How do you handle intellectual property and confidentiality?

Accepted Answer

Every engagement is governed by a formal agreement that includes confidentiality provisions. Work shown in the portfolio has been cleared for display by the respective clients.