About
HALO 22 is an independent collective of creative professionals working in identity, brand, print, packaging, content, advertising, communications, websites, and digital experiences.
We bring decades of diverse experience to every project for our clients, and we pull just the right team together for the goal at hand.
The Name
You were going to ask, right? Okay. Sun dogs, sun pillars, moon dogs, and parhelia are part of a family of optical phenomena called 22° halos. In short, the right group of hexagonal ice crystals comes together to produce any of these halo effects.
The results can be stunning.
Plus, a relevant domain was available.
Sun Halo by Bieverwin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Moon Halo by Indivox, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Client Testimonials
“HALO 22 beautifully reimagined the visual identity for our long-standing signature conference, which required infusing new, vibrant life into a brand while not disturbing its foundation. Their team brings a blend of think-outside-the-box meets manic attention to detail to every project.”
—Jesse Rutledge, National Center for State Courts
“This is the first time since 2020 that we had professional photos made for our digital and print materials—so much has changed in the last four years. The HALO 22 team was able to work with our needs and within our limitations to give us plenty of choices for our upcoming marketing campaign. David brilliantly captured our brand through a fresh lens. My team enjoyed working with HALO 22 and are so happy with the results.”
—Mandy Brannon, Duke University Press
“An excellent collaborator who can move with a client at any stage in the communications journey. HALO 22 works with various stakeholders and creates excellent communications—the rare team that is top-notch in both strategy and execution.”
—Katie Levey, Pyxera Global
Working with HALO 22 is an absolute pleasure. Their dedication to excellence and professional yet welcoming approach to collaboration make every project a standout experience. The time and effort invested in getting things right do not go unnoticed, and it’s this commitment to quality that makes our partnership so valuable. We truly appreciate the positive atmosphere they bring to our projects, and we’re looking forward to many more successful endeavors together.
—Annise Weaver, NC-PAL
“I’ve worked with HALO 22 since their launch. David and Emily have been involved in Microspace sales and marketing collateral for years, and they have always done good work. Their strongest attributes? They listen, ask good questions, turn around work quickly, and I’m almost always impressed with their first take! Lately, they’ve been helping us develop some internal and external materials for CBC Corporate, working alongside our WRAL Digital Solutions team, and continue to be full of great ideas.”
—Chris Overby, Capitol Broadcasting Company
I have relied on HALO 22 for years to keep my career professionally, concisely, and beautifully presented online. David and Emily are responsive, creative, friendly, and talented. More importantly, they have a better idea than I often do for my web presence. I’m grateful for their guidance and craft.
—Roger Canaff, Author
“HALO 22 is where we go when we have a problem that's nagging us, or the nebulous outline of an idea, or 12% of a plan. It's not only that they're great listeners, teasing out what we really need; they're also experts in iterative problem-solving, honing, and recombining multiple approaches until the solution emerges, as if by magic.”
—Jennifer Bedell, Atomic Empire
“HALO 22 is our go-to whenever our organization needs a high-quality marketing concept, brand, or design. They take the time to understand exactly what our goals are for each project and then consistently deliver work that blows us away.”
—Gina Rozier, Downtown Durham Inc.
We have worked with David, Emily, and the team since they established HALO 22. They have taken ownership of our website, content development, and ongoing support so we can focus on the core components of our business. They are a great resource whenever we need to refresh our brand and update our marketing tools. It’s nice to have someone we can trust to handle these needs.
Matt Bland, Bland Landscaping
You might recognize some of our clients.
Whether your organization is large or small, we always provide thoughtful services that will help you meet your goals. Send us a message to kick off your next project.
The Team
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David Spratte
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
David has worked with words, images, and how they come together in design for decades. That experience helps him guide people and projects to accomplish what they've set out to do. When not on the job for HALO 22, you might find him taking photos, cooking, or playing with cars.
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Emily Combs
LEAD DESIGNER
Emily began her career by creating custom blog designs in the early 2000s. Since then, she’s received a BFA in Graphic Design, and gained over a decade of experience on projects for screen, print, and brands. When she isn’t designing, you’ll find her reading sci-fi/fantasy novels and hanging out with her cats.
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Jennifer Bisbing
WRITER AND EDITOR
Jennifer Bisbing is an award-winning book editor and photographer. She's our go-to editor and helps shape and shepherd all the words—both for web and print. Jennifer also develops content guidelines to keep style and voice consistent. When not behind a viewfinder or working with words, she's climbing mountains.
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Jennifer Bedell
FULL-STACK DEVELOPER
Jennifer has spent 20 years writing and maintaining extensible software. She's like a kid in a candy store when she's developing a custom solution to a novel problem or learning a new tech stack. Given her experience shepherding complex projects to completion, you'll sometimes catch her in the Project Manager role here at HALO 22.
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Mark Garbrick
FRONT-END DEVELOPER
Mark has been turning design ideas into web realities since the early days of CSS. When he's not tweaking a stylesheet or wiring up JavaScript listeners, you can find him all over the world doing wildlife photography or at home playing Minecraft with his son.