Style Your Stack Design: Dr. Mary Chang

The question: How do you solve a problem like Dr. Mary Chang?

Kudos from Dr. Mary Chang of Dr. Mom IS Dr. Mary Chang

“Oh, Nan! Let me tell you about Nan—she’s like that friend who tells you the truth in a way that makes you laugh, cry (just a little), and then say, “Dang, she’s right. Let me fix my life.” Working with her was like getting a makeover for my entire brand—and my confidence—because she didn’t just upgrade my newsletter; she somehow upgraded me.

Her creativity? Next level. I mean, she took my message, my quirks, and even my messiness, and turned them into something polished, magnetic, and so me that I almost cried when I saw it. Her design elements weren’t just good—they were spot-on, like she reached into my brain and pulled out the exact vibe I was trying (and failing) to communicate. It’s like she knew what I wanted to say before I even did.

But here’s the thing: Nan’s not afraid to get real. She gently (but oh-so-kindly) pointed out some of the not-so-pretty truths about my site, my writing, and the overall “energy” I was putting out. And honestly? I needed to hear it. She didn’t just tell me what was wrong—she gave me solutions, ideas, and a big, empathetic pep talk wrapped in a killer sense of humor.

On top of that, she’s an absolute workhorse—super responsive, with timely emails and Zoom calls that somehow felt like a mix of therapy and creativity boot camp. You just know she’s putting her heart into every little detail.

Bottom line? Nan is a genius, a truth-teller, and honestly, the branding magician you didn’t know you needed. She’s transformed my brand, my work, and probably my soul a little too. 10/10 recommend.”

The answer: You don’t. Because there IS no problem. Mary just needed a little direction and a receptive ear. Someone to do some brainstorming with her.

Dr. Mom IS Dr. Mary Chang. Dr. Mary Chang IS a multi-degreed educator with tons of ideas, inspirations, and experience. She IS also as smart as they come. Working with Mary IS fun, challenging in all the good ways. If I can be so bold as to speak for her, I found it was enlightening for both of us.

When we first started talking about her stack I learned so much. Mary IS a woman with a lot to say about everything. So yes, a woman after my own heart. And she IS a woman with interests that run the gamut from having great taste in abstract art (something that caught my eye from our first Zoom call, when I saw the beautiful piece hanging behind her desk) to parenting expertise AND being a somewhat controversial voice on education. I LOVE controversial people. SO much more interesting than middle of the road voices!

One of the reasons I take time to get to know my clients is because what they reveal to me about themselves is what informs my design direction. I want to see the environment they create for themselves in their homes and offices, I want to see the colors that appeal to them, I want to see their taste, and hear their voice and I’m a really good listener. It all goes into the work. I don’t just design visual assets; I help the client design their vision. What does their stack mean to them? What message is the most important to convey to potential subscribers?

I help the client design their vision. What does their stack mean to them? What message is the most important to convey to potential subscribers?

Dr. Mary Chang is a super-credentialed parenting expert. But she’s not your run-of-the-mill education and parenting advisor. Mary tells it like it IS. She’s honest and at times can she can even be quite blunt. I think that’s one of the reasons I enjoyed working with her so much. We share those honesty and bluntness qualities for sure. She’s smart and sassy. No holds barred. I discovered over time that she also possesses great humility. Mary is creating safe space for mothers especially, but fathers too, to tell the truth in a place where being a “perfect” parent doesn’t exist and it's okay for readers to admit how difficult being a parent actually is. She’s not that mushy. I find that inspired. I’m happy she exists. Maybe parents will get more real about how hard it is to keep up the pace demanded of them. That the “keeping up appearances” expectation can be impossible to maintain. Spend some time with Mary. Get a dose of the truth with humor and wisdom included.

Mary was the most earnest “I’ll finish that homework assignment yesterday” client I’ve ever had. I can’t imagine living in her head. All the wheels that turn in that brain of hers, 24/7. The one thing that was a little challenging was that with her enthusiasm came a little bit of difficulty with impulse control! I’d say, “Don’t do anything yet. Don’t touch that. Don’t post so much right now.” Sometimes she could handle my directives, sometimes not. I appreciate this part of her personality too, because I relate to it in myself. I have a deeply-ingrained need to figure things out. I’ve jumped the gun so many times in my own life.

Assembly instructions come with that bookcase? I don’t need to read them; I’ll figure it out on my own. They say it’ll only take me a half-hour at most to put the bookshelves together with two people. Well, I don’t have a second person, but I’m dying to put the shelves together NOW, so maybe it’ll take 45 minutes. I’ll just poke around. Five hours later, have I learned my lesson? Nope. But there’s still something to be said for that M.O. because it indicates curiosity and enthusiasm. Though it can also be a time suck. I’m only lately learning how to rein it in, stop and breathe and listen. Reading and following directions is still something I wrestle with. Mary’s learning, too.

Every once in a while, it’s good for me to acknowledge that someone out there might know more than I do, and it’s okay to learn from them. Right? Maybe I don’t need to have all the answers? Boy, is that a hard one for me.

We talked about logos reflecting her love for abstract art. I asked her to send me photos of some of her favorite paintings. They were great. But we also needed to figure out who she was writing for and the more we spoke, the more clarity we got on the direction we needed to go in creating a stack that pops and generates curiosity.

And of course, the thing that popped for me the most was not the art, but the eyeglasses! She sent me headshots of her wearing her fabulous glasses.

Because anyone who knows me, knows how I feel about eyeglasses!

I’m going to stop writing now and show you the work.

The Work

Logo/Icon

Logo: Dr. Mom | Portrait: Dr. Mary Chang | Dr. Mom IS Dr. Mary Chang

Then, once we got the name right after brainstorming together, it was clearly clear that Dr. Mom IS Dr. Mary Chang IS the name of her stack.

Then, the wordmark:

Love the red accent color for all of her links and buttons

Welcome page

I used a black background to mirror the background of the logo. Yeah. This. I also made another version with a white background and black eyeglasses, if Mary wants to mix it up. But the black background? So much impact!

Email banners:

I designed two, just in case Mary felt like something a little different, now and then, and both include her tagline:

And last but not least, two divider options

I prefer making these custom dividers for a little extra. The Substack default divider is fine, but it lacks personality. The custom ones reflect the brand!

That’s the profile!

Now, get on over there for some no-holds-barred info from a woman in the know:

If you need some inspiration, some great graphics that pop, and more creative ideas about looking your best, get in touch with me. I’m also teaching a Zoom Master Class in May 2025.