We partner with discerning businesses and institutions to refine their brand image and create work that feels elevated and memorable.
Global Outlook
Our projects have taken us to dozens of locations around the world, exposing us to a wide range of cultures, perspectives, and ways of working. These experiences continue to influence the way we tackle design, storytelling, and visual communication.
NEW ZEALAND
Flying over the Tapuae-o-Uenuku mountain range
STRATEGIC / Years of leading complex projects across a wide range of industries have informed our practical approach to creative work. We understand how to navigate competing priorities, collaborate closely with leadership teams, and develop effective ideas that still push boundaries.
At Ultra, we see design as a way to create desire and shape perception. The most effective work draws people in and leaves a lasting impression.
REFINED / Our process is guided by careful attention to detail, from typography and imagery to pacing, tone, and narrative structure. We value clarity, restraint, and visual cohesion, creating work that feels considered and intentional.
ENDURING / We aim to create work with longevity, grounded in strong ideas rather than trends. Influenced by a wide range of visual traditions and references, our approach balances timeless design principles with originality and instinct.
KENYA
Maurice, our local guide in the Maasai Mara
Our Services
— Branding and Brand Image Development
— Creative Strategy and Consultation
— Graphic Design
— Editorial Design
— Copywriting and Content Development
— Photography and Art Direction
— Product and Lifestyle Photography
— Video Production
— Website Design
— Social Media Asset Design
— Print Design
— Packaging Design
— Brand Research and Analysis
— On-Location Production
— Creative Team Support
JAPAN
Evening in Omoide Yokocho, Tokyo
FRANCE
Visiting the tasting room at Château Latour, Pauillac
ULTRA
Ultra is a Washington, D.C.–based design studio led by creative directors Marco Javier and Lauren Hassani. We collaborate with businesses, institutions, and internal creative teams on projects across hospitality, culture, travel, wine, and lifestyle. Together, we bring more than four decades of combined experience in graphic and advertising design, photography, film, writing, and creative strategy to our work at Ultra.
Recognition: AIGA, AIGA 50, Communication Arts, Graphis, Type Directors Club, Graphic Design USA, PRINT, HOW, American Advertising Federation (ADDY Awards), and the Art Directors Club of Metropolitan Washington
Marco Javier is a creative director working in branding, photography, film, and visual communication. His path has taken him from Manila and Hong Kong to Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., places that continue to inform his outlook.
Over the course of his career, Marco has led teams and directed projects in advertising, fashion, nonprofit, and institutional settings. His client work includes campaigns and initiatives for brands such as Levi’s, Gucci, Ralph Lauren, Nike, Microsoft, and Mazda. Photography and image-making remain central to his approach to design and storytelling.
One of Marco’s earliest travel assignments took him deep into the Peruvian Amazon, crossing the Amazon River from Iquitos to photograph a school.
Lauren Hassani is a writer, designer, and creative director whose work is rooted in storytelling and visual communication. With backgrounds in both design and writing, she brings an editorial approach to brand development through language, imagery, and visual narrative.
Lauren has worked with agencies, studios, and nonprofit organizations on nationally and internationally recognized initiatives for clients including USAID, the U.S. Department of Education, the World Bank, and the National Institutes of Health. She holds a B.F.A. from Washington University in St. Louis and a master’s degree in writing from Johns Hopkins University.
Her experiences also include climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and spending a year teaching English in rural China.
PHILIPPINES
Along the shores of Boracay Island
GERMANY
Cologne Cathedral at dusk