Merge | Design + Web Development

good design for

good

We are a design studio that crafts strategic websites and marketing collateral that align with–and elevate–your entire brand

Client success comes first

We select our clients carefully by identifying companies that offer services and products that we believe in. We consider ourselves a partner, not a vendor. We communicate directly. We engage and walk you through the process to ensure you get as much value as possible on every project. And we measure our success by your success. No egos, just results.

Right brain: meet left brain

Strategic design is a unique blend of creative and analytical skills. We merge both to create print and web communications that engage visitors and inspire them to action, while representing your unique brand personality.

Our Services

Visual Design

Design forms the foundation of everything we do; a visual form of communication that helps you deliver your message, generate interest, and compel people to action.

IDENTITY + LOGOS
CATALOGS
BROCHURES
MARKETING COLLATERAL
TRADESHOWS

Web Development

Creating an eye-catching web presence, with simple usability, is vital to your success. With an eye on trends and best practices we deliver just that.

CUSTOM WORDPRESS DEVELOPMENT
E-COMMERCE AND EVENTS
CRM AND API INTEGRATIONS
USER EXPERIENCE AND ACCESSIBILITY
SEARCH ENGINE MARKETING + OPTIMIZATION
EMAIL TEMPLATES

Merge is a tremendously powerful, yet nimble design agency that not only has the know-how to create a beautiful website but they take ownership to solve the inevitable challenges on the way.

Dave Levine, Communications Director
WildEarth Guardians

We'd love to hear your ideas and see if we can help.

Boulder, CO

Michelle Dodd, Co-founder
303.257.0335
michelle@merge.studio

Crested Butte, CO

Stacey Schultz, Co-founder
303.641.8544
stacey@merge.studio

Julie Tuerk

Web Developer + Code Creator

Julie brings a diverse background to her practice of web development. She has studied computer programming, art, and psychology, and is also a certified sommelier. Her eagerness to learn new technical skills has enabled numerous small businesses and nonprofits to create an online presence, improve website functionality, and manage data. Julie loves solving problems with creative solutions, but is equally at ease using traditional methods to help clients realize their visions.

Michelle Dodd

Co-founder + Technical StrategistWith over 15 years of web development experience, multiple business ventures and a varied client focus, Michelle brings a wealth of ideas and perspective to every project. In the early days of the web, she helped shape the online communication of many small businesses. She then spent several years at Northern Arizona University focusing on project and department-specific websites for non-profit centers and departments across campus.

In 2008 Michelle returned to the fast-paced world of the private sector to form a web development company focusing on small business and non-profit websites that create a meaningful difference for the client, as well as consulting on development teams to provide front-end code for large web apps in agile development processes.

In 2016, she contributed her business acumen and development skills to co-found Merge. Michelle finds solid, efficient, and affordable technical solutions to the unique needs of each web project. With clear communication and enthusiasm, Michelle enjoys the process of creating beautiful websites that make a tangible difference for clients.

Michelle has planned and experienced multi-month, self-supported bike tours (Southeast Asia and the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route), sea kayak expeditions (Circumnavigating Baranof Island in SE Alaska) and through hikes (The Hayduke Trail in Utah). These days she finds joy in camping, mountain biking and skiing with her husband and daughter, and playing indoor and sand volleyball.

Dina Barnese

Project Manager + Master Juggler

Dina is a project manager with a vast background in IT. Her two decades of experience include end-user hardware and software support, database design, web back-end development, business analysis, and enterprise-level project management. Not one to let the grass grow under her feet and always seeking knowledge, she sought new opportunities throughout her twelve years at Northern Arizona University, steadily advancing in the IT department. In 2013, she took her skills to the world of healthcare, where she managed complex projects to implement electronic healthcare record systems.

Intending to add to her management skillset, Dina attended mediation training in 2005. She was hooked and thus started her side hustle of becoming a mediator. She served as a volunteer court-appointed mediator for eight years, during which time she continued training in advanced facilitation, negotiation, and mediation skills.

Dina joined the Merge team in 2017. She approaches project management with a goal of guiding the client’s vision to reality, keeping the big picture in mind while managing details and tasks.

Outside of the IT world, she is a potter, musician and nature lover. She serves on the board of directors for the Flagstaff Foundry, a nonprofit performing arts incubator, and emcees the PineStories Story Slam.

Stacey Schultz

Co-founder + Creative Strategist Stacey is a 20-year design + marketing professional with a unique background that combines a decade as a web designer (both on the corporate and agency side) as well as another decade as a marketing director for a cultural travel company. She has led dozens of website and mobile app designs, encompassing everything from marketing content to complex online applications. She is guided by a belief that humans always come first and the best technologies are those that go unnoticed but add value.

In 2016, she started Merge to help small businesses and non-profits elevate their online experience and digital strategy. She has a 360-degree view of everything that goes into creating and maintaining successful websites and an in-depth understanding of all the skills needed to accomplish even the most complex projects.

She has served as Interactive co-director on the AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts) Board of Directors and on the artists’ committee at PlatteForum, a community based non-profit for the arts in Denver. Currently, she is a volunteer with the Crested Butte Adaptive Sports Center.

Outside of Merge, she is an accomplished artist and passionate outdoors person. In the winter you can find her on the ski slopes and in the summer mountain biking in her backyard of Crested Butte, CO. Her paintings are in several private collections including the National Renewable Energy Labs in Golden, CO and she has shown at the prestigious Cherry Creek Arts Festival, a national juried art festival.