Juxtaposition: the fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect

Proof: Proven experience, proven difference, backed with facts

The studio was named after the thing we believe most: contrast is key, and it’s proven to make the difference. Juxtaproof was founded by three friends who loved the same work and working together. All three founders graduated from Chatham University’s Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Design Program. Each with a strong passion and expertise for brand design, but each of us has a unique blend of experience that packs an unmatched punch when combined. The rest is history. 

The Founders

  • Bree Rice

    Co-Founder, Creative Director | Font Designer | Pittsburgh, PA
    BS in Marketing with minors in Web Design/Development and Advertising/PR, Rochester Institute of Technology
    MA In Interdisciplinary Design, Chatham University
    Certificate in Type Design, Type West

    Bree is the person on the team who notices the things everyone else walks right past, the kerning that's slightly off, the color that's close but not quite right, the accessibility issue hiding in plain sight. With over 10 years of agency, nonprofit, and freelance design experience, Bree specializes in print production and type design with a passion for the details that make or break a brand in the real world. A Type West 2022 alum, she has a debut font on the way. She's also a committed advocate for design accessibility and loves nothing more than helping small businesses understand why it matters. When she's not working, you'll find her reading whatever Cassie tells her to, planning her next trip, at home with her husband and their Australian Shepherds, or training for her next triathlon. She's set to complete her third half Ironman in 2026!

  • Cassie Rupert

    Co-Founder, Brand Strategist | Storyteller | Pittsburgh, PA
    BA of English Literature, minor in History, Saint Vincent College
    MA In Interdisciplinary Design, Chatham University

    Cassie came to brand strategy through an unusual but useful combination of marketing, content, public relations, global operations, project management, and design, which means she can see a brand problem from about six different angles before most people have identified it as a problem. Her decade of experience across nonprofit, agency, and corporate environments is what makes the discovery process at Juxtaproof work. She knows how to find the story inside a business and build the strategic framework that makes everything else click. When she's not working, you'll find her with her nose in a book, audiobook on while tending the garden, testing a new recipe, exploring new places with her partner, or doting on her cockapoo Kona, who has never once been described as low-maintenance.

  • Rachel Keeney

    Co-Founder, Art Director |  Illustrator | Weirton, WV
    BS in Biology, Wheeling Jesuit University
    MA In Interdisciplinary Design, Chatham University

    Rachel brings a researcher's brain to every project. Her background in biology means she digs until she finds the right solution, not just the first one. Her attention to detail is unmatched and above all else - precise. As Juxtaproof's art director and resident illustrator, she works across brand, editorial, and custom illustration with a particular love for the travel and hospitality industry and local community work. Her client history spans higher education, nonprofit, and small business, and her illustration work often includes birds, flowers, and highly scientific anatomically correct depictions. Rachel lives in Weirton, WV, an active member of the local community, where she and her husband are renovating their home (themselves!) on an apple orchard, wrangling a small zoo of animals, and chasing their three spunky kids. 

How We Work

  • We don't open a design file until we understand your business, your audience, and what you're actually trying to accomplish. We ask the questions most designers skip, write our own briefs, and build a strategic foundation before anything visual begins.

  • When you work with Juxtaproof, you work directly with the people building your brand. That means tighter communication, higher standards, and work that reflects genuine expertise at every stage.

  • AI is everywhere and everyone wants to automate and move faster. We get it. But a brand you don't understand is a brand you can't use, and a brand you can't use is a brand that doesn't work. Every Juxtaproof engagement is built around making sure you leave with more than deliverables. You leave knowing what you have, why every decision was made, and how to apply it consistently without calling us every time. We want you to be able to take the keys to your brand and drive it yourself. We'll be here when you need us, and not because you're dependent on us, but because the work keeps growing.

Audits & Advice

Some of our best client relationships started with a single conversation before anyone knew exactly what they needed. If you have a brand challenge you can't quite name yet, that's exactly what the first conversation is for. You don't need a brief, a budget, or a fully formed idea to reach out. Want a fresh set of expert eyes on what you have? We're happy to spend a few hours reviewing your business, identifying what's working and what isn't, and putting together honest advice, even if you choose not to execute anything with us. Sometimes that's exactly what you need first.

Let’s work together!

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