About Me

Don't let the fancy name fool you.

When you hire Zeal Design Studio, you’re working with me, freelance graphic designer Nicole Holmes, from start to finish. 

Nicole Holmes

Owner, Graphic Designer

MY STORY

Entrepreneurship runs in my veins. I grew up working in my family’s book/gift shop and later our medical practice. The family tradition continued when I started a jewelry booth in a local antique shop in my teens. I know first hand the struggles and joys that business owners experience. Even amid the roller coaster ride of entrepreneurship, it is full of joy, freedom and accomplishment. 

ZEAL: n. enthusiastic and diligent devotion in pursuit of a cause, ideal or goal; fervent adherence or service; passion

I graduated from Abilene Christian University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, with an emphasis in Graphic Design. I learned about real-world graphic design during two summer internships, one with a Christian record label in Tennessee and one with a book design firm in Oregon. I have attended several design conferences throughout the years to sharpen my skills. 

Zeal Design Studio was born in 2006 during a mother/daughter road trip from Oregon to Texas. We sketched out the initial business plan on a restaurant napkin, and charged forward. Armed with passion, a creative eye and the understanding of small business needs, I began my journey as a freelance graphic designer. Since then I have worked with over 200 clients in eight different states and three countries. 

Learning about a variety of clients over the years has been a joy and a challenge. They have included a hospital, a farming co-op, a university, a port-a-potty business, an art studio, and a software company, just to name a few. I am proud to serve the dreamers, the doers, the risk takers, the problem solvers, my fellow entrepreneurs. I enjoy helping them look professional and, most importantly, communicate well.

I live in Bryan, Texas, with my handsome husband, two magical children and a Schnoodle named Doodle. My goal is making God smile in everything I do and treating others as the image bearers of God that they are. I enjoy treasuring the small moments with my young family, volunteering at church, exploring new restaurants, attempting to garden, and discovering hand-painted vintage signs.

“Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.”
Romans 12:11 NIV

Fun Fact: I had a hand in Pluto's demise. Sort of...

Many moons ago I interned at a book design firm. While there, I designed the original book cover for Pluto’s obituary:
The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America’s Favorite Planet by Neil deGrasse Tyson.

It was published in 2009 and has been redesigned several times since then.