WONDER AND WIT:
Designing With Intention, Building With Grit
I met Jessica McRee Edwards at the Shoreline Café on a sunny Santa Barbara afternoon. I was having lunch when something caught my attention: a mother being so present and genuinely loving and kind with her young son. The patience and respect she showed him when ordering was so moving, I could actually feel my heart open.
For several minutes, I felt the impulse to acknowledge her, brushed it off a couple of times, but eventually I just had to. I apologized for interrupting, shared how touched I was — and watched her light up at being seen.
That moment connected us. As we kept talking, I learned that not only is she a talented graphic designer, but she's channeling her work toward organizations creating real, positive impact in the world. And when I explored her website, you can imagine my delight — a kindred spirit who had also designed one of our very own Legacy Brand's logos: Get Hooked! See below for a few of the brands Wonder and Wit helped shape.
The more we got to know each other, the more apparent it became: Jessica is a natural fit for A Kinder World of Commerce. I think you'll agree.
ML: How did Wonder and Wit come to be?
JME: Wonder and Wit was born from a desire to create work that truly aligns with my values—both in who I collaborate with and what I put into the world. Early in my career, I built my craft inside large agencies, but I wanted more autonomy and a deeper sense of purpose in the work itself.
What began as a solo leap gradually evolved into a real business, shaped over a decade of hands-on experience and key partnerships—especially with my business partner, Ted Singley, who helped me see the full potential of what Wonder and Wit could become.
At the same time, I was moving through major life shifts—building a family, experiencing loss—which challenged my definition of success and pushed me to think more sustainably about both life and work. Wonder and Wit lives at the intersection of all of that: thoughtful design, collaboration, and a more intentional way of building something meaningful.
ML: What are your company’s mission and values?
JME: We exist to build brands that move culture forward in a thoughtful, positive way. Our mission is simple: to partner with people who are building something real and help them show up in the world with intention, confidence and a story worth telling. Our foundational values are Creativity, Excellence, and Integrity: staying curious, doing the work well, and doing it the right way. Design, for us, is never just aesthetic — it's about alignment, clarity, and long-term impact.
ML: How do you put those values into action in your day-to-day work?
JME: Creativity shows up in how we approach our process — by diving deep into exploration, finding the unexpected angle, and shaping ideas that feel fresh, surprising and inevitable — because the best creative solutions rarely live in the obvious places.
And integrity is how we decide who we work with. We're intentional about alignment — if it isn't there, we step back. That creates space to fully invest in the partnerships we do take on. We approach every client's mission as our own, bringing care, clarity, and a shared commitment to success. No matter the size of the project, we show up with full attention, honest perspective, and a fair approach to get the job done.
ML: I understand you have a very special process you take your clients through—can you tell us about that?
JME: We guide clients through a structured process to define their values, purpose, audience, and positioning—shaping a distinct brand personality, archetype, and voice.
From there, we move into the visual identity phase, where the brand begins to take form through exploration and thoughtful refinement. It’s not about forcing an outcome—it’s about allowing something authentic to emerge from a strong strategic foundation.
What we ultimately create is more than a brand—it’s a framework. A clear, repeatable system that informs every decision moving forward, from creative and messaging to digital and advertising. The result is consistency, confidence, and real momentum.
ML: What types of clients do you most enjoy working with, and what energizes you about them?
JME: We’re drawn to people building with intention — founders, entrepreneurs, and teams who care deeply about what they’re creating and are motivated by something bigger than profit. Many are in moments of growth or transition, and there’s something powerful about helping them step into that next chapter with clarity and confidence.
I’m especially inspired by purpose-driven leaders who are balancing a lot and still operating at a high level — including entrepreneurial mothers, who bring a different kind of discipline and drive to everything they do. Santa Barbara is full of people like this: building thoughtful, community-rooted businesses and doing genuinely impactful work. Being able to support and amplify those voices through design feels completely aligned with why I started Wonder and Wit in the first place.
There’s a shared understanding in these partnerships that makes the work sharper, more collaborative, and ultimately more meaningful. That's when design becomes more than a mere transaction - we get to be of genuine service and the work becomes a true co-creation.
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 Explore Wonder and Wit at wonderandwit.com or reach out directly at
[email protected] to start a conversation.
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