When you hire Zeal Design Studio, you’re working with me, freelance graphic designer Nicole Holmes, from start to finish.
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.
I earned my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from Abilene Christian University, but I really discovered the heart of design through two summer internships: one at a Christian record label in Tennessee and another with a book design firm in Oregon. Those experiences taught me that design is about much more than looking good. It’s about visually portraying someone else’s life’s work, the author, the musician, the business owner, the nonprofit founder. Over the years, I’ve continued sharpening my skills through design conferences and plenty of hands-on experience.
Zeal Design Studio began in 2006 on a mother–daughter road trip from Oregon to Texas. Armed with nothing more than a sketch of a business plan on a restaurant napkin and a lot of passion, I launched my freelance journey. Since then, I’ve had the privilege of working with 250+ clients across eight states and three countries. From hospitals to farming co-ops, port-a-potty businesses to art studios, every project has stretched me creatively and deepened my appreciation for the dreamers, doers, and risk-takers I get to serve.
What I love most? Helping small businesses look professional and communicate clearly—because design isn’t just decoration, it’s a tool that builds trust and moves people to action.
These days, you’ll find me in Bryan, Texas, with my handsome husband and our two magical kids. My faith grounds me, my family inspires me, and I do my best to make God smile in everything I do. When I’m not designing, I’m treasuring little family moments, trying new restaurants, discovering hand-painted signs, or killing houseplants.
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.
