work sample

This is a work sample I just recently finished. Nordeen Design Gallery, an interior design service and showroom, contacted me for a new logo. They wanted something that would speak to their current customer (an older demographic) while attracting those younger thirty-somethings. The integrity and elegance of the brand needed to be maintained while offering a fresh perspective to the business. You will see the original logo at the top followed by two of my favorite proposals underneath.

believe logo problem

Very quickly, I wanted to share this... I was online today and found a major controversy regarding the logo for a charity organization called mondonation and its relation toBritney Spears. This organization has been around since 2005 and they mass produce T-shirts as a form of sales to help raise money for their different causes. What's printed on the T-shirts? Their "believe" logo.

The new Britney Spears perfume "believe" is part of the Elizabeth Arden perfume line, or so the article says. Take a look at two logos above. Britney's new 2007 believe logo highly resembles the mondonation logo, don't you think? Click on the title of this post to find out loads of info.

designer's remorse?

I subscribe to an e-newlsetter called Robert Genn Twice Weekly Letter. As illustrated by the name, it's an email letter I receive twice per week in regards to this man's thoughts on painting, art and life in general (while I am a graphic designer at heart, I dabble in the occasional painting as a creative outlet).
Today, the newsletter focused on "painter's remorse." Robert stated that just like buyer's remorse, a painter can look back on a piece when finished and stress over their strokes, color choices, etc. Refer to the article excerpt below:

You've no doubt heard of "buyer's remorse." That's where you go out and buy a new Volvo and immediately start thinking you picked the wrong colour, should have bought the Turbo version, and paid more than you needed to. Painter's remorse is a similar situation. Both fall under the frequently studied condition known as "cognitive dissonance." Having committed yourself to something, you soon find your second thoughts getting the better of you. All seems well when you're building toward those final strokes, but in its frame and under another light it begins to fall apart.

After reading this, I definitely could empathize. Not only do I have painter's remorse after working on my personal art, but I definitely feel designer's remorse as well. Did I make that font too bold? Is that stroke large enough? Is the concept really there? While I get the idea, does the audience?

It's a strange thing because while working on a design or logo, I get very excited and am completely focused. I submit the idea and feel great about it for about an hour. Then, remorse sets in.

I suppose this feeling is something that helps me to always want to be better at what I do. It's sort a personal competition to "beat my last design" and feel more pleased with it. If most painter's seem to have painter's remorse, than I'm guessing I'm not the only designer in this particular boat.

going back to green

while i love print design more than any other type of graphic art, it is still probably the most harmful to the environment. unfortunately, mounds of wasted direct mail, brochures and other materials i help my clients to create end up in our landfills. as a result, i'm always looking for ways to help my clients make their materials more eco-friendly. there's a printer out there by the name of Greener Printer. i love these guys and their cause. not only are they concerned about printing materials in a less hazardous manner, but i recently found out that they donate a portion of every job to the Breast Cancer Fund and the non-profit Green Biz. talk about a good company.

i find a company like Greener Printer not only a privelage to work with, but an inpsiration to my own business. how can i better myself as a business owner and better my business by helping out my community? for more information about this fab company, visit www.GreenerPrinter.com.

work sample

I think I have writer's block today, so what better way to update my blog than with another work sample?

This is a piece I did recently for a client who owns her own personal training company. She needed a logo and a card design that would represent her zest for life and fitness. We chose a healthful looking blue tone to contrast the vibrant orange.

One thing most people know about this client, before they even know she's a personal trainer, is her love for her two Great Danes. She walks with them daily and even brings them to Dairy Queen for icecream and to show them off! That being said, it didn't seem like her personality could truly be conveyed in her cards if we didn't create a little illustration to compliment the design. Needless to say, she's very excited her dogs could be included in her company collateral.

working from afar

In just a few weeks I will be working from the remote location of Montreux, Vaud, Switzerland. My husband is shipping out to his business headquarters and, luckily, I'm in a line of work that allows me to tag along.

Montreux is a tiny Swiss village at the base of the Swiss Alps just next to Lake Geneve (see map). We visited last year for a few weeks, but this time around I'll be there for a month. While the location is breathtaking, I'm very happy that I can bring my work with me. I remember last year I read three books in two days (bad ones, too).

For the past month or so, I've been preparing my clients for this slight transition. And funnily, while I do work with many of my clients long distance already, a seven hour time change thrown into the mix could be a shock.

A question a lot of people ask me is, "How are you going to work while you're gone?" The answer is simple. I will continue to work full-time during my relocation. Thanks to email and the Internet, along with an international cell phone, my communication lines will remain open. Of course, I expect a few calls at midnight, but this is the price of relocating myself for a month.

I do think that this could serve as a very refreshing time for me. I'll be away from most of my distractions and have a lot of new inspiration. Not only with the sites, but in being able to see design and advertising at work on the other side of the globe. Don't worry... I'll be sure to leave notes while I'm there. And maybe post a picture or two.

work sample

Just another sample for the day...

I did this proposed website design for a comedian in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. I wanted something wacky and comic book-like to match this individuals personality. The project never ended up being developed, but it's still one of my favorite designs. The unexpected right alignment combined with the, literally, hand-written links creates a comical feeling. I combined photos and illustration to give the overall design a Lichtenstein-type influence.

Cold Emailing vs. Cold Calling?

Unfortunately, times can get slow for all of us. This morning I was reading a short blurb from HOW Design magazine discussing a design firm who regularly uses cold emailing instead of cold calling. Read blurb below:

Peleg Top, of Top Design Studio, finds Web and email addresses for his prospects in trade publications. "Cold email marketing works better than cold calling on the phone," says Top. "It enables the prospect to respond without a confrontation." Top tells of sending an email message to a prospect at a record company that he wanted to work with. "A day later she responded with a positive response, and we're now going through the introductory mode."

Each time writer and photojournalist Jed Block does email marketing, he gets at least one job as a direct result. "And a job that I probably wouldn't have gotten otherwise," he adds. That's what happened when he sent a warm message to Mary Kramer of K&G Tax Consultants—warm, because Block is a client of the firm.

Hey, Mary:
I just updated my Web site and thought you'd be interested in an exercise that appears under "Current Piece of Work." If you haven't visited for a while, I invite you to look around the site. It's not all business—most of the time, I try to have a little fun.
This is a onetime mailing that I thought might interest you. If you'd like to stay in touch, the site makes it easy for you. And please don't hesitate to contact me if I could ever help out.
Thanks,
Jed Block,
who writes for businesses and people wanting to communicate clear, stimulating, professional information with others.
http://www.jedblock.com

"What grabbed me was that all his message did was introduce his Web site," says Kramer. "It wasn't a big pressure thing. We had been thinking about doing a Web site for a year, so we were looking for help. When I got the message, I looked at his site, which was really creative. Plus, he was local." Since then, Block has worked on their brochures and a few small mailings, as well as their Web site.

I really like this type of marketing. I feel that these days, companies can come across as being not very genuine. In a recent post I discussed that a great reminder to your clients about your company is to simply send a quick note, sort of "thinking of you" in feeling. I truly believe that if you let it be known that you put forth a little bit of effort, people will respond.

Flash Dance

Do you ever hear your college professors words in your head every now and again? Lately, I've been working on a website in Flash for a client. In creating the animations, I'm reminded of my web design professor's mantra, "Designing in Flash is like choreographing a dance. All the movements must compliment one another and co-exist to form something beautiful."

She was a little crazy at times, but this thought really stuck with me. It's very true when you think about it. None of us like to a website that appears to have ADHD; flashing banners and animations moving so quickly across the screen that we don't have time to decipher what we just saw.

I personally think that there are many websites that abuse the beauty of Flash. Some designers and clients alike think that it doesn't matter what the site design looks like, as long as things are flying around in front you. However, I do feel that when done correctly in conjunction with a solid design, and when used in an elegant manner, a website created in Flash can be a very powerful communication tool... like a well choreographed dance. ;)

Work Sample

I have no clue why this didn't occur to me before, but I thought I'd share a few work samples. I love vintage so my style matches well with this particular client, kick (yes, lowercase). They're located in La Crosse, WI and the store recently particpated in the town's Krazy Dayz event. They needed some promotional materials for their "krazy" discounts so this is the ad and mailer that was used. For more samples visit www.13thirtyone.com.

Have You Met My Favorite Co-Workers?

For those of you who don't know my two favorite work buddies, here they are. The little one's Luna (Great Dane puppy) and the Golden Retriever is Ben. We work together regularly.

That Fuzzy Feeling

A few months back, a prospective client had come to me with a need for some design help. During our first meeting, she was explaining to me the values of her start-up and how passionate she was about it. Her business was selling hand-made jewelry. This jewelry is not your average looking, homemade stuff. It's very high quality and well crafted. I love it so much that I literally bought a necklance right off of her neck once.

The other night I was out with some friends and wore the necklace. I received compliments on it like crazy! Of course, being a small business owner myself, I was sure to give her credit and offer contact information. Yesterday, I decided I'd let her know just how much praise this necklace had received. I felt really good about the gesture, as I'm sure all business owners love to hear when someone truly appreciates their product.

But then I was thinking about it - instead of spending a chunk of change on postcards or an email marketing subscription, why not use a genuine note or two to keep in touch with past clients? I certainly wasn't trying to sell anything. I wasn't offering a "tip" or "trick" that someone didn't really want to hear. I simply passed along a nice note and tried to make a person feel good. I think that's much more effective marketing of myself and my business...and it's free.

Feng-Shui for Design?

I attended this meeting the other night that discussed the art of feng-shui and how to apply it to your work and home "spaces." I was so intrigued that I've decided that my weekend will consist of feng-shui-ing not only my office, but my entire house!

Basically, what I learned is that feng-shui is based on the philosophy that the placement of the objects in your house or office (even your pencil cup) affects your energy, thus your life. There's a grid called a "bagua map" which is divided into nine equal sections. This grid is applied to any surface in feng-shui. Each section of the grid, or "gua," has an assigned meaning with a corresponding color and natural element. For example, the top left portion of the grid is the wealth section. The corresponding color for this is purple and the element is wood. Therefore, this portion of your house should have purple objects, objects made from wood (such as candlesticks, etc.) and living plants that grow very straight and upright.

If you can apply this complex way of thinking from your home to your office and to even your car, can it be applied to design? Do you think that if I designed a poster layout, for example, and one area was specifically based on wealth, another on reputation and another on career, it would have any effect on how well the poster was received? Would people be more drawn to it and would it be a highly successful marketing tool? I just might have to feng-shui my next design and find out.

did you know?

One of the services that 13thirtyone Design offers is wedding invitations. What's funny is that some people are amazed at how complex and customized the invitations really are. These invitations aren't your average white ribbon on white paper ones. I try really hard to embody the personality and tone of each couple into their invites. What's great about offering this service is the true appreciation and meaning that comes from working with these clients.

a logo is worth a thousand words.

So yesterday I had to give a little presentation to my fellow Chamber of Commerce members in our Leads Group. Every week one member takes about 20 minutes or so to talk about their business, their services and what a good referral would be. This helps the other group members to understand what exactly they're referring.

I have to be honest and say that I did run through my "speech" about 10 times in my head. As the newest member of this group, I felt it was best if I kept my lecture to a short and sweet overview of who I am and what 13thirtyone is all about. I quickly blabbed about my educational history and my work experience before starting my business. I then introduced the services I offer by bringing up how important it is to have a consistent and credible looking logo and overall brand. I thought I might expand on that point a little bit as, again, I only had 20 minutes yesterday.

Today there are so many companies fighting for the same consumer. Mom and pop shops and large corporations alike all want the same person to buy their product/service. While there are still some people out there who try to support start-up companies as much as possible, the average consumer tends to buy from the most credible source. Does this mean you have to have a huge office and an amazing budget and print four color ads twice weekly? No. However, if said consumer has to pick between a huge store with a cool and trendy vibe that's well known versus a small company with a great customer service repuation, but with poor visual appeal, who do you think looks more credible? The big guys.

I have met so many amazing people since starting 13thirtyone. My fellow small business owners are smart, timely and appreciate every sale they make and every inquiry they receive. I truly feel that they value the customer whole-heartedly and will try their best to make that customer happy. Sadly, I don't think these values are enough to attract new clientel. It only makes sense that you should have an image/logo/identity that also shows how great you and your company are. Offer the new customer an amazing package - not only you and your business, but a great looking product!

We live in time where looks do matter - a lot, unfortunately. I by no means am suggesting to "sell yourself out" or to not hold true to who you and your business are. However, if you can take your personality and incorporate it with a really cool identity, I think it will speak more than a thousand words on behalf of your company.

Inspiration

"There's only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving and that's your own self." - Aldous Huxley (1894-1963)