“We are Groot.”
~ Groot
Guardians of the Galaxy
We are a two-person brand & digital agency located in Asheville, NC. What does that mean? We offer creative strategies to get you noticed and make you look good on paper and on screens. We combined our forces (and our names… see if you notice) to offer our unique perspectives to other small business owners to help them grow.
Why hire us?
Other than the fact that we’re awesome… you get the benefit of focused attention. You’ll talk to only two people during the course of your project… no account managers, customer service reps, etc.
And, if you’re a small business owner, we get what you’re going through. Each of us has worked for and/or started our own businesses even before Sparking Design.
Chris Sparks
- Idea Jedi, Operations Lead
- Super Power: X-Ray perception
- Turn ons: hiking at night, a well told joke, compassion for others
- Turn offs: mean people, bad coffee, The Empire
- Weakness: ice cream, Donkey Kong & 80s arcade games
- Random fact: has seen Elton John 13 times in concert
I am a sixth-generation native of the Asheville area with strong ties to the local community. I have owned or worked for small businesses all my life. I take pride in getting to know my clients and their preferences and going beyond their expectations. I’m thrilled that Sparking Design enables me to combine my love for design and building client relationships.
I am a lifelong fan of the comic medium and the driving force and editor behind Team Cul de Sac: Cartoonists Draw the Line at Parkinson’s, a book nominated for an Eisner and multiple Harvey awards. I was honored to receive the 2013 Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award for my work on the Team Cul de Sac project which raises money for Parkinson’s Disease research for the Michael J Fox Foundation. Since its inception in 2010, we have raised over $250,000 for the MJFF.
I am also a board member of the Verner Center of Early Learning, a nonprofit agency providing high quality, affordable early care and education to children birth to five years old throughout Buncombe County.
In my spare time, I enjoy time with my wife, daughter and our two cats. My favorite outdoor activities include tennis, hiking and cycling. (This year I finally learned how to ride a bike.) Otherwise, you’ll find me reading (comics, sci-fi, biographies, outdoor adventure and history books), watching DC Comics TV shows and a wide range of movies, or just enjoying the fine craft brew and amazing food this town has to offer.
Jamie King
- Design Master, Creative Lead
- Super Power: pixel perfect vision
- Turn ons: color swatches, baby animals, humor
- Turn offs: bad kerning, talking during movies, the First Order
- Weakness: donuts
- Random fact: has the rarest Meyers-Briggs personality type (INFJ)
Design has been my passion for as long as I can remember; my bedroom growing up was a veritable art supply store. You would be hard-pressed to find an artistic medium or craft that I have not tried. My artistic voice was honed in traditional art classes at the University of North Florida, where I earned a BFA in Painting and Drawing. Soon after, I traded my paintbrushes for a computer mouse, completing a Digital Media degree from AB Tech in Asheville.
It has always been important to me to be a well-rounded designer. My diverse experience has taught me that small details make a huge difference, as long as you never lose sight of the big picture.
The last few years, I have been proud to give back to our local web community by serving as an organizer of WordCamp Asheville, a three day conference for WordPress enthusiasts. My role on the Design Team has lead to the most fun I’ve had as a designer.
When not working, you’ll find me gardening, crafting, experimenting in the kitchen, watching sci-fi movies or doing online research (i.e. wasting time on Pinterest).