Recent Projects
All Freelance Clients After 2020 Graduation
Hoagstrom
Accounting Solutions
Logo/LinkedIn Banner
Design Question:
If a client is a freelance CPA who teaches finance lessons on LinkedIn, what should her personal branding look like?
Design Answer:
According to my client, mastering accounting and finance can be a puzzle. So she asked me to combine the imagery of a puzzle piece, a light bulb and the symbol for money. My client is passionate about educating and teaching beginner students, so I chose a font to reflect this. I used a rounded sans serif font that looked similar to an elementary school writing book. I also used bright, highly saturated colors to communicate that Mrs. Hoagstrom brings energy and fun to a field that can be stressful and bleak.
Homerville
Grace Brethren Church
Business Card/Newsletter Info Ad
Design Question:
How should it look when a local church needs to update their building photo and informational cards?
Design Answer:
This card and image will be printed in local community news letters as advertisements. I wanted to maintain the warm welcoming tone from the previous design, even though it had too many fonts and a blurry photo from the 90’s. I used the same text and phrases, but updated the fonts to look more modern. I paired a professional sanserif font with a playful and energetic script font.
The Kyrgyz Language and Resource Development LLC
Logo and Stamp
Design Question:
How do you make a logo that will be used by a non-profit organization in a third world country that speaks another language? KLRM translates and distributes informational literature about how to care for handicapped children. These resources are given to villages in rural Kyrgyzstan where families live in canvas houses called “Yurts”.
Design Answer:
The client asked that the logo look like an official seal and include both the English and Kyrgyz translation of the company name. This logo uses the imagery of a yurt, an open notebook, and one person helping another in a wheel chair. It was very important to the client that this logo be designed with the Kyrgyz perspective in mind, rather than an American one. We diligently discussed draft after draft until we found the one with the right blend of meaning for their non-profit organization.
MVNU Cultural and Diversity Department Event
Social Media Advertising and Poster
Design Question:
What is the best way to design a poster that works on a variety of social media channels? The event is a panel of six speakers, and their names and official titles must be listed next to their photos. The department would like “Save the Date” posts, “Meet the Speakers” posts as well as regular posters for the campus. How should I organize the information on each one?
Design Answer:
I started by developing the more complex posters, and then built the small scale posts with those elements and pieces. I used the different weights of the font “Univers” to create a visual hierarchy. I used bright green to highlight the date of the event, as well as other key words.
(Earlier that year, I developed the department’s branding. Their name is “Woven”, so I used a basket pattern overlaid with a gradient of MVNU colors. This motif was used on email mailers, power points etc).
University Travel
Process Timeline
Poster and 8.5"x11" Handout
Design Question:
If a three-page informational packet is too confusing and cluttered for students to understand, will a poster solve the problem? Can it hold all the information in the correct sequence without losing clarity or key details? The poster must show all due dates for the documents.
Design Answer:
I listed the student and administrator documents and due dates on either side of the timeline. Two groups of students turn in paperwork simultaneously, but their timelines overlapped. To clear up confusion, I made two additional colored-block timelines. I labeled each entry with either yellow or orange to match the block timeline. I used the font “Din” so the poster would match the MVNU branding.
Nancy Long’s
Sewing and Alterations
Logo and Business Card
Design Question:
How should you draw a logo for a niche business? Nancy Long specializes in altering and hemming wedding dresses, but she does not design them. She does not want her logo to be confused with a bridal shop or flower shop.
Design Answer:
Although several logo alternatives were suggested, the client ultimately chose the simplest logo, that was the closest to her original vision. She wants to communicate that with her company, the client will have an effortless dress alteration experience. The logo unifies a simple contour of a wedding dress inside a gestural heart outline. The name of the business is written in an elegant script with the “I” illustrated as a needle with thread. The cards are also double sided so Nancy can write the appointment detail reminders on the back for her clients.
MVNU Off-Campus
Lunch Program
Small and Large Posters
Design Question:
The college art building is offering free lunches, but the students don’t know about it. The menu is complex, and limited and no one knows where to find it. How do you increase awareness to the target audience: busy college students? How do you explain a sack lunch menu options without using a chart?
Design Answer:
I started with a dark blue background so that these posters would stand out on campus bulletin boards. I organized the menu using colorful boxes and icons to make the information flow easier. I also included lively typography at the top of the posters to make them more eye catching.
Daria Swisher
Logo
Design Question:
What is the best way to make a logo for a double major who wants to launch her personal brand and improve her employment opportunities?
Design Answer:
Daria Swisher studied journalism & media production, and has forged a career as a radio announcer. I created a logo that combines these ideas into a simple balanced icon. I made a silhouette of a microphone and framed it with the cross hairs from a video camera (Including the “recording” dot). Daria is straight-forward, professional and a minimalist. She loved the versatility of this logo.
Art Gallery
Covid-19 Guidelines
Poster
Design Question:
Social distancing posters are common, but many are cluttered and hard to read. How do you create a simple, unique poster that explains the gallery social distancing rules to visitors?
Design Answer:
To explain the mandate rules, I used colorful illustrated icons from VectorStock.com and simple text instructions. I used modified versions of the MVNU color scheme for the header and footer. The additional negative space in the body of the poster improves legibility and clarity for the viewer and the illustrated icons lend a lighter tone to a serious topic.
