I treat every project as if it were my own.
Brand positioning, creative direction and content for businesses that want to be chosen for what they do best.
For businesses starting out and looking for a clear direction, and those already established who have realised that posting more isn't the answer.
Based in Sintra, Portugal. Working with businesses in Portugal and Brazil.
You don't need more posts. You need a clear decision.
Most businesses come to me with an active social feed and little to show for it. The problem is rarely how much content they produce. It's that no one has stopped to ask the question that comes first: what do their customers need to feel to choose them over someone else?
Until there's an answer, every post is a guess. Sometimes a good-looking one. Still a guess.
That's where I come in. Before the design, the post or the campaign.
I started with print files. Now I start with the decisions.
I started at 15, preparing artwork for print. Long before strategy or positioning were part of my vocabulary, I'd learnt something that still guides me: every choice says something.
From print production to leading marketing, a lot has changed. That principle hasn't.
My work begins with the gap between what a business is, what it says and how people see it. The problem is rarely a missing post, logo or campaign. It's that gap. So I understand the business first, then help it be heard.
When a client wins, it feels like my win too.
How I work
I'm there in the meetings, the briefings and the shoots. Not just on a video call.
Direction.
Before we design anything, we decide what it needs to say and who it's for. That gives every design choice a reason.
Showing up.
I've done the hands-on work.
Following through.
I've prepared print files, created posts, run campaigns and led teams. When I talk strategy, I know what it takes to deliver it.
I don't hand over the work and disappear. I stay involved to see it through. What matters to me isn't just delivering. It's seeing that we made the right call.
From print production to leading marketing.
It started with volunteering at a church. I was doing the work before I had a job title. Then came my own studio in 2008, agency roles in Brazil, creative direction in Portugal and two international awards in 2022. Today, as CMO at Vaultstone and the person behind Dlord Studio, I still work by the same principle: decide first, then create.
What that looks like in practice.
I joined OK Student as a designer in 2020. Within months, I was reshaping its visual identity and the way it spoke to students. By the end of that year, Vermilion Group, the company behind it, had asked me to lead creative direction across three businesses in six markets, from Portugal to Bangladesh. Two international awards followed in 2022, and some of that work is still in use today.
Four projects, from the most recent to the earliest.
Lisbon. Since 2025.
Marques Jr. Barbershop
Cascais. Since 2022.
Vaultstone
OK Student and Vermilion Group
Igreja Vida Plena Global
International education. 2020 to 2022.
Portugal and the United States. Since 2019.
A digital assets and tokenisation fintech, in a sector where communication starts with trust. I joined at the beginning as a strategist, shaping the positioning, editorial direction and campaigns alongside the CEO and legal team. I became CMO in 2026. The work is ongoing, and we're still building towards the results.
A barbershop established nine years ago in Cascais, where around 80% of clients are tourists or international residents. Since 2022, I've led its positioning, creative direction, content and campaigns. The direction we chose is quiet luxury: twelve posts a month, one image at a time, with no discounts or pressure to book. Today, it's a recognised premium barbershop in Cascais.
A church network growing across Portugal and the United States, with a clear challenge: expand without losing its identity. I started at the headquarters in Amadora, setting up the YouTube channels and, during the pandemic, the online services. I later wrote the document that now guides more than eight congregations, covering identity, culture, governance and leadership development.
Who I've worked with.
Amadís Gastro Drink, Assembleia de Deus Ministério de Piracicaba, Avance Hub, BEON, Boa Vista Pauliceia, Boa Vista Residencial Club, Bom Peixe, Bordon, Bosch, Cincilingua, Citrosuco, Colégio Liceu, Comunidade Restauração, Coplacana, Damha Urbanizadora, Danilo Casassa, Elektro, Escola de Fotografia Palladino, Hyundai Brasil, Igreja do Evangelho Quadrangular, Instituto Formar, Kasarão Churrascaria, Laís de Souza Psicologia, Marina Almeida Coaching, Max Pires Coaching, Maxsoy, MRM Plast, Odebraz, Os Croissants, Pipa Brasey, Pluxee Portugal, Porto Business School, Refrix, Restaurante Sushíssimo, Saúde Beneficência, Selah Atelier, Serenity Healthcare, Sicoob Cocre, Sodexo Portugal, Sodiê Doces, Stone Comunicação, Sumerbol Supermercados, The Congregation of Yahweh UK, Toekan Empreendimentos Imobiliários, Vittal Coco and Xerium Technologies.
Businesses, artists and independent professionals. Work delivered through the agencies I've been part of and directly through Dlord Studio.
From people who know my work.
Tell me what you need.
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Tell me where your business is today and what's holding it back. Write as you would to a friend. No need to make it formal. I read every message carefully, preferably with a coffee in hand, and reply using the contact details you leave.
Frequently asked questions.
Good design gets attention. Positioning builds a business.
Partners.
When a project needs it, I bring in people I trust for photography, video, visual identity, paid advertising and PR.
Have a project that needs direction?
Tell me where things stand.
Lucas Dlord. Brand positioning and content strategist. Sintra, Portugal.
© 2026