I’m Karen van Zyl, a brand and packaging designer with over 10 years of experience helping businesses in the food and beverage sector stand out through bold, distinctive design. What sets me apart is my ability to balance creativity with strategy—I don’t just create visuals that look good, I design with the consumer in mind, ensuring packaging connects, communicates, and sells. My experience spans working with companies like UCC Coffee, where I developed impactful designs that strengthened brand identity and shelf presence. With a strong focus on mockups, hand-drawn illustration, and brand storytelling, I bring products to life in a way that is both authentic and memorable. I thrive on collaborating with clients to elevate their brand, adapt to their vision, and deliver designs that feel both unique and consistent.…

Karen Vanzyl

I’m Karen van Zyl, a brand and packaging designer with over 10 years of experience helping businesses in the food and beverage sector stand out through bold, distinctive design. What sets me apart is my ability to balance creativity with strategy—I don’t just create visuals that look good, I design with the consumer in mind, ensuring packaging connects, communicates, and sells. My experience spans working with companies like UCC Coffee, where I developed impactful designs that strengthened brand identity and shelf presence. With a strong focus on mockups, hand-drawn illustration, and brand storytelling, I bring products to life in a way that is both authentic and memorable. I thrive on collaborating with clients to elevate their brand, adapt to their vision, and deliver designs that feel both unique and consistent.…

Available to hire

I’m Karen van Zyl, a brand and packaging designer with over 10 years of experience helping businesses in the food and beverage sector stand out through bold, distinctive design.

What sets me apart is my ability to balance creativity with strategy—I don’t just create visuals that look good, I design with the consumer in mind, ensuring packaging connects, communicates, and sells. My experience spans working with companies like UCC Coffee, where I developed impactful designs that strengthened brand identity and shelf presence.

With a strong focus on mockups, hand-drawn illustration, and brand storytelling, I bring products to life in a way that is both authentic and memorable. I thrive on collaborating with clients to elevate their brand, adapt to their vision, and deliver designs that feel both unique and consistent.

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Skills

Experience Level

Branding
Expert
Adobe Illustrator
Expert
Adobe Photoshop
Expert
Web Design
Expert
Adobe Indesign
Expert
Presentation Design
Expert
Social Media Design
Expert
Email Design
Intermediate
Mailchimp
Intermediate
Shopify
Intermediate
Wix
Intermediate
Brochure
Intermediate
Flyer
Intermediate
Poster
Intermediate
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Work Experience

Freelance Graphic Designer at Vanzyl Design
January 1, 2022 - Present
Deliver custom design and branding for small businesses, startups, and online retailers. Develop visual identities, style guides, and branding assets. Design, build, and maintain responsive e-commerce websites focused on strong UX. Produce marketing materials for print and digital (social media graphics, emails, promos).
Senior Graphic Designer at Givft Station
December 31, 2022 - July 25, 2025
Designed and launched a responsive e-commerce site to boost UX. Created digital ads, social graphics, and email templates that increased engagement and conversions by 40%. Developed B2B and B2C marketing presentations, product visuals, and promo materials. Collaborated with marketing and sales to ensure visuals aligned with brand goals.
Senior Graphic Designer at Captec Group
December 31, 2019 - July 25, 2025
Developed digital and print marketing for product launches, trade shows, and online campaigns. Created brochures, social media graphics, web banners, and email visuals — contributed to a 25% increase in customer engagement. Refreshed brand guidelines and templates for a cohesive visual identity. Worked cross-functionally to deliver high-quality projects under tight deadlines.
Freelance Graphic Designer at Vanzyl Design
January 1, 2022 - Present
Deliver custom design and branding for small businesses, startups, and online retailers. Develop visual identities, style guides, and branding assets. Design, build, and maintain responsive e-commerce websites focused on strong UX. Produce marketing materials for print and digital (social media graphics, emails, promos).
Senior Graphic Designer at Givft Station
December 31, 2022 - July 26, 2025
Designed and launched a responsive e-commerce site to boost UX. Created digital ads, social graphics, and email templates that increased engagement and conversions by 40%. Developed B2B and B2C marketing presentations, product visuals, and promo materials. Collaborated with marketing and sales to ensure visuals aligned with brand goals.
Senior Graphic Designer at Captec Group
December 31, 2019 - July 26, 2025
Developed digital and print marketing for product launches, trade shows, and online campaigns. Created brochures, social media graphics, web banners, and email visuals — contributed to a 25% increase in customer engagement. Refreshed brand guidelines and templates for a cohesive visual identity. Worked cross-functionally to deliver high-quality projects under tight deadlines.
Freelance Graphic Designer at Vanzyl Design
January 1, 2022 - Present
Deliver custom design and branding for small businesses, startups, and online retailers. Develop visual identities, style guides, and branding assets. Design, build, and maintain responsive e-commerce websites focused on strong UX. Produce marketing materials for print and digital (social media graphics, emails, promos).
Senior Graphic Designer at Givft Station
December 31, 2022 - July 26, 2025
Designed and launched a responsive e-commerce site to boost UX. Created digital ads, social graphics, and email templates that increased engagement and conversions by 40%. Developed B2B and B2C marketing presentations, product visuals, and promo materials. Collaborated with marketing and sales to ensure visuals aligned with brand goals.
Senior Graphic Designer at Captec Group
December 31, 2019 - July 26, 2025
Developed digital and print marketing for product launches, trade shows, and online campaigns. Created brochures, social media graphics, web banners, and email visuals — contributed to a 25% increase in customer engagement. Refreshed brand guidelines and templates for a cohesive visual identity. Worked cross-functionally to deliver high-quality projects under tight deadlines.

Education

Masters Degree at University of Portsmouth
January 1, 2015 - December 31, 2016
Bachelors Degree at University of Portsmouth
January 1, 2011 - December 31, 2014
Masters Degree at University of Portsmouth
January 1, 0000 - December 31, 0000
Bachelors Degree at University of Portsmouth
January 1, 0000 - December 31, 0000

Qualifications

Add your qualifications or awards here.

Industry Experience

Retail, Media & Entertainment, Professional Services, Software & Internet, Consumer Goods
    uniE621 Pemberwick Spiced Winter Blend
    The Pemberwick Gin brand was born from a vision to merge Victorian elegance with the intrigue of exotic exploration. Our design process began with in-depth research into heritage spirits packaging, botanical illustration, and 19th-century typography. From there, we crafted a cohesive brand identity that could adapt seamlessly across multiple expressions — starting with the Dry Gin’s refined exotic profile and expanding to the warm, seasonal Winter Spice Blend. Every element, from the ornate label detailing to the muted yet rich colour palette, was developed to evoke quality, authenticity, and timeless appeal, ensuring Pemberwick stands proudly in today’s premium craft gin market.…
    uniE621 Pemberwick Dry Gin Label & Packaging Design
    The Pemberwick Gin brand was born from a vision to merge Victorian elegance with the intrigue of exotic exploration. Our design process began with in-depth research into heritage spirits packaging, botanical illustration, and 19th-century typography. From there, we crafted a cohesive brand identity that could adapt seamlessly across multiple expressions — starting with the Dry Gin’s refined exotic profile and expanding to the warm, seasonal Winter Spice Blend. Every element, from the ornate label detailing to the muted yet rich colour palette, was developed to evoke quality, authenticity, and timeless appeal, ensuring Pemberwick stands proudly in today’s premium craft gin market.…
    uniE621 Safaristaff Rebrand
    CLIENT OVERVIEW: SafariStaff  International. SafariSta  Africa has been placing experienced safari staff  into positions throughout the African continent, offering Specialist recruitment, training, marketing and representation. DESIGN BRIEF: Led the brand refresh for SafariStaff , striking a balance between brand evolution and recognition by retaining the core elements of The original logo. The goal was to modernise the visual identity while maintaining familiarity for existing audiences. The process began with a comprehensive brand audit and stakeholder workshops to uncover core values and future goals. Key insights informed a refreshed identity system that is both versatile and cohesive across all touchpoints — including print materials, vehicle graphics, uniforms, and digital platforms. branding webdesigner illustrator graphicdesigner logo designer…
    uniE621 Safaristaff International Brand Redesign
    CLIENT OVERVIEW: SafariStaff  International. SafariSta  Africa has been placing experienced safari staff  into positions throughout the African continent, offering Specialist recruitment, training, marketing and representation. DESIGN BRIEF: Led the brand refresh for SafariStaff , striking a balance between brand evolution and recognition by retaining the core elements of The original logo. The goal was to modernise the visual identity while maintaining familiarity for existing audiences. The process began with a comprehensive brand audit and stakeholder workshops to uncover core values and future goals. Key insights informed a refreshed identity system that is both versatile and cohesive across all touchpoints — including print materials, vehicle graphics, uniforms, and digital platforms. logo graphicdesigner webdesigner designer illustrator branding…
    uniE621 Granite Mountain Hotshots Logo
    New project inspired by the film 'Only The Brave'. Granite Mountain Hotshots Inspired by the 1931 Horsepower logo with a twist of adding fire for hair to represent the firefighters. granitemountainhotshots onlythebrave logodesign branddesigner vanzyldesign graphicdesigner illustrator designer…
    uniE621 Scuf Gaming Lookbook
    The brief for this project was to design a bold, visually impactful lookbook showcasing the partnership between SCUF Gaming and IDT Systems. The lookbook highlights the collaborative process of creating custom SCUF consoles using IDT’s advanced sublimation printing technology. Using high-energy imagery supplied by both brands, the lookbook aligns with SCUF’s performance-driven gaming identity while reflecting the sleek, statement-making aesthetic of their website. The final design celebrates innovation, individuality, and craftsmanship, capturing the synergy between SCUF Gaming’s custom controllers and IDT’s premium console customisation technology to inspire gamers looking for the ultimate personalised gaming experience. graphicdesigner illustrator branding logo designer…
    uniE621 Kraken's Gin
    This project features the label designs for Kraken's Gin, including intricate octopus illustrations, nautical-themed text, and submarine sketches. It also showcases gin bottles with the octopus design and a detailed black and white octopus illustration branding graphicdesigner logo designer illustrator…
    uniE621 Grand Cafe Coffee Rebrand
    CLIENT OVERVIEW: UCC partners with leading brands in foodservice, hospitality, and retail to deliver exceptional coffee experiences that exceed consumer expectations and lead the market. DESIGN BRIEF: The challenge was to revitalise and elevate the Grand Café brand through compelling design that not only highlights the premium quality of its coffee, but also tells the story of its origins — rooted In the lush rainforests of South America. With Rainforest Alliance certification at its core, the refreshed identity needed to reflect the brand’s deep connection to nature and its commitment to sustainable farming practices. The goal: transform Grand Café from a behind-the-scenes offering into a proud, front-of-house feature that customers can connect with and feel good about the original Grand Cafe Packaging…