A black and white portrait of Dörte de Jesus

Photo by Filine Fink

About

Dörte de Jesus is a creative director and design consultant for values-based brands. Her work focuses on publishing, editorial design and brand communication.

Having started out with an MA in Communication Design, Dörte worked as an art director and graphic designer for boutique design studios and media companies in Berlin, London, Lisbon and Munich for almost a decade. In 2016, she founded the award-winning independent climate/fashion/vision publication, The Lissome, and launched her design studio.

Dörte’s expertise is in the conceptual development and implementation of publications. She helps her clients identify and define their communication objectives and translates them into the appropriate editorial and design format.

Through the annual publication of The Lissome, she collaborates with a selected international network of authors, copywriters, photographers, illustrators, and translators. She has received several awards and recognitions for her work.

Photo by Stefan Dotter

Storytelling for Change

Dörte works at the intersection of Earth-centred design, mindfulness, and system transformation, helping to rethink how we will live in the world of tomorrow in a beautiful and responsible way.

As an experienced communication designer, she understands the power and importance of storytelling – to change cultural narratives and influence social norms. She firmly believes that if we are to create cultural shifts toward human and planetary well-being, we need to inspire the collective consciousness of what might be possible.

At The Lissome magazine, Dörte provides a nourishing space for conversations and contemplation and amplifies nature-based sustainability through beautiful high-quality aesthetics and thoughtful, in-depth writing. Her aim is to re-enchant and strengthen our relationship with the natural world and redefine our place as humans within it.

Offerings and Services

Publishing: Dörte develops and implements publishing projects from the initial concept and project management to content creation, image selection, layout, and print production

Editorial Design: She designs layout and visual language in combination with typography to create a distinctive visual character for magazines, books, catalogues, and corporate publications with a focus on printed matter.

Art Direction + Content Production: Dörte directs creative production processes including photo shoots, set design and layouts. She collaborates with a selected network of writers, photographers, illustrators, and translators in order to provide all content needed for the implementation of a project.

Brand Identity: She helps brands and organizations develop compelling visual identities through the combination of colour palette, typography, logo, look and feel, and tone of voice, and translates them into a coherent brand experience.

In her work, Dörte blends creativity with empathy and thoughtfulness. She likes to go deep, asks meaningful questions, and always holds space for the bigger picture.

You can reach Dörte via email.

Portrait of Dörte de Jesus in a black dress

Photo by Bella Fenning

Testimonials

“Dörte is one of the most creative designers I’ve ever worked with. She’s extremely talented, highly dedicated and has a wonderful character. A very rare jewel!”
– Kathrin Redl, In-House Art Director ELLE Germany

“With Dörte’s distinctive art direction, TAUKO Magazine has captured the hearts of the international craft community as well as professionals from the publishing industry, winning the prestigious title of “Innovator of the Year” by the Finnish association of media houses in 2023. Since our first meeting, I have been in love with Dörte’s unique way of creating beauty and poetry in the world. Working with her always gives me the feeling of being on the verge of creating something extraordinary.”
‍– Mila Moisio, Editor-in-Chief of TAUKO Magazine

“Working with Dörte was a joy. She has an impeccable instinct for strong design and beautiful imagery and so I felt in very safe hands. Dörte took time and care to understand the ethos of the festival and to ensure the branding, logo, images and website design was fit for purpose. Most importantly for me, she is committed to working ethically, consciously and sustainably, which brings full, heartfelt integrity to all her work. I would recommend Dörte to any individuals, organisations or brands who wish to work with a sensitive, intuitive and clear sighted guide.”
‍– Becky Burchell, Founder CHANGE Festival

“Speaking to Dörte and getting a trained eye to give clear, HONEST insight was invaluable to keep branding clear and focused. Dörte understands visual presentation and she also knows the importance of communicating the sustainable credentials of a brand with a balance of simplicity and passion.”
‍– Alison Baker, Founder Ally Bee Knitwear

The Lissome Magazine

Dörte de Jesus is the founder and vision keeper of The Lissome, an award-winning independent print magazine and online platform, created with an international community of photographers and writers.

At The Lissome, she explores the intersection of mindfulness, earth-centred design, ecology and system transformation through sensual and thoughtful storytelling – providing a nourishing space for conversations and contemplation, making positive future visions tangible.

Here, you can explore The Lissome print editions, online platform, and Instagram account.