We’re not just a design agency.
We’re a one-stop shop for all of your visual storytelling needs.
Wayfinder Studio is owned by Nicole Keating, a graphic designer and GIS professional with a passion for storytelling. She has nearly a decade of experience helping nonprofits, conservation organizations, community groups, government agencies, and others translate the story of place into compelling visuals.
Nicole’s wide variety of skills and experience means that she’s equipped to help you create fully custom visual communications tools, ranging from maps to newsletters to interpretive signage and more. She can even help you research and write your content, or translate complex environmental science into materials accessible to your audience.
Serving passionate people like…
Land trusts
Conservation & environmental organizations
Recreation groups
Community groups
Government agencies
Conservation-minded companies
Advocacy organizations
Small businesses & business associations
Private landowners
& others who would benefit from our services!
What makes working with us different?
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We prioritize creating communications tools that are accessible to people of all ages & abilities by:
Using design principles that make signage and maps easier to read for those who are low-sighted or color blind.
Incorporating information about barriers to empower those who are navigating trails with disabilities to make informed choices.
Tailoring content to be clear and informative to allow people of different ages and cognitive abilities to easily obtain key information.
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We’re all too familiar with the tug-of-war that can happen between scientists and communicators, fundraisers, and other teams when trying to share your work. We are committed to finding the balance between scientific integrity and accessibility.
With a background in both science and design, we have the skills and knowledge to take you from start to finish of a variety of projects. No need to hire multiple contractors or take valuable time away from internal staff to get things done.
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For nearly a decade, we’ve worked primarily with nonprofits, small towns & businesses, and community organizations. We understand how hard it is to get it all done with limited resources and love providing solutions that save you time and money.
Meet the Team
OWNER, DESIGNER & CARTOGRAPHERNicole Keating
Nicole started Wayfinder Studio in 2022 because she’s passionate about using her skills to tell the story of place.
As a lifelong lover of playing in the mud and collecting rocks, Nicole has devoted her education and career to learning about and sharing the wonders of the natural world. She received a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from Hamilton College in 2015, where she focused her research on understanding the impacts of climate change on Central New York farmers.
In the years since, she has lived in the beautiful Adirondack Park and Maine, where she worked for The Nature Conservancy. Now, Nicole resides in the hills of Central New York, where she grew up, with her husband Rory, and several rescue pets — dog Finn, and cats Eoin, Kieran, and Benji. This website design features photos from all three of these regions that have shaped Nicole’s own story in many ways.
ILLUSTRATORLiz Burdick
Wayfinder Studio is proud to partner with Maine-based illustrator Liz Burdick to offer a variety of illustration types to enhance our design projects.
Liz is a 2022 graduate of Maine College of Art and Design. Her passion for environmental and human rights activism drives her to create art that will make people of all ages think about the world around them and inspire them to make it a better place for us all.
“Nicole’s skills and experience are perfectly suited for this niche of communicating the work and science of conservationists – she has a great talent for distilling complex science without sacrificing important nuance and presenting it in visually compelling and engaging way.
I have felt very fortunate to work with Nicole, and to learn from her how to improve my own communication. I couldn’t recommend her enough!”
— Hadley C., River scientist
