Archive for March, 2010

One person can move many

Sunday, March 28th, 2010

Communication at its best is a two-way process allowing for an exchange of ideas, beliefs, thoughts and information that ignites some action. Such was the case when Del Harley presented her month long celebration of Earth Day to Starbucks and once the company agreed, Del ran with her idea. Luckily I was in her foot path and she asked for my help, too. Talk about harnessing the energy of many – Del united green businesses who are not only creating innovative products, but these same products give back to the consumer and the planet in measurable ways. This campaign required some design work; enter me. Del and I worked together to create a calendar to showcase the fabulous products these companies donated, gave some earth-friendly tips and got Starbucks’ loyal coffee drinkers interested by showing them how they could be part of this green solution. The calendars along with more information will be in 12 Starbuck stores throughout Manatee County. Give your idea life.

Earth Day celebration the month of April

The Perception of Time Designed

Thursday, March 18th, 2010

Design is a visual language. Using recognizable symbols eases that communication and helps your audience make quick associations. Those associations, however, are influenced by our experiences. For instance, I see maple leaf and think rich, amber syrup for my pancakes; my boyfriend sees that same leaf and thinks all things Canadian. What do you think of when you see exploding clocks and reordered numbers? I hope something to do with time. I was asked to design a flyer promoting an upcoming workshop on timeline management and visually express the stress people experience with time. This Alaska-based wellness center wanted a simple design which relied on graphics and minimal text. My solution was to take time and explode it…starting with cascading clocks at different angles filling someone’s head, a list of to-dos and an explosion of numbers. I kept it somewhat controlled so there was order among the potential chaos -varying size and proximity, and chose yellow to contrast the black, which is also seen as a hopeful color, the font for the numbers is traditional and legible, and the contact information very orderly at the bottom of the page. Quick design, great turn-out.

TimeLine Management Flyer

A STUDY OF DESIGN – Series:: v1.12

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

If you’ve journeyed with me these last few months you’ve been privy to stories about artisans and design details for Artisans’ World Marketplace. And you’ve learned that this store is providing a concrete way to respond to the global problems of poverty, hunger and our environment. The director, Sandy Ramsey, encourages and welcomes you to experience the unique art and positive change the store is making in our world. I am thrilled to be her designer…in a small way I get to contribute with my work. So, drop in while you’re downtown and buy everything you fall in love with…

artisans world marketplace store front

Soon I’ll be working on a short video to showcase Artisans’ product selection. In the meantime, I’ll be writing about more clients and projects — my latest DVD cover for Marc Nathanson’s documentary titled, Small Town, Big Dreams: Lake Placid’s Olympic Story; cigar bands for Cusano cigars; logo designs; an ad for MyGreenBuildings; a stationery package for a client in Alaska….oh, and my book. I’m so excited! I’m working with an editor to complete the final edits.