“The one thing you have that nobody else has is you. Your voice, your mind, your story, your vision. So write and draw and build and play and dance and live as only you can.” — Neil Gaiman
Highly recommend this quick read written by Bill McGowan, former host of the TV show “A Current Affair.” It debunks a few prevailing communication tactics – the same ones that often left me a little nauseous! [The Gaiman quote above opens chapter 4.] #amreading #recommend #ad #amazon #communication #words
I have always been somewhat proud — that’s not quite the right word — of the fact that over 25 years of designing marketing materials for clients, I have NEVER advertised. I think it’s less pride than it is reassurance that my skills and talents are valued and worthwhile and not having to advertise is just a key performance indicator (KPI in the business world).
During my 6 years of consulting and humanitarian work, I didn’t design much of anything (although those skills did come in handy many times – particularly using MailChimp to send a regional newsletter but I digress…). Occasionally random strangers would still approach me via email or my website about design work. Most of the time, I’ve had to ignore those requests but I had some free time yesterday when an easy request arrived in my in-box and I learned a few things about myself:
This new client found me via a simple Google search for “ticket business card” and came across this old post from 2013. Wow! That’s reassuring because even though I thought my skills were a bit rusty — and I’m sure they are — good design is timeless. I may not have the drawing skills I’d like but I can set up a typographical hierarchy like nobody’s business…and it was good to know I’ve still got it, it just takes a little longer than six years ago!
Most of you know I’m working full time for a “higher cause” this year and haven’t been doing much designing at all but was asked to put together some possibilities for a stake logo for church. Oklahoma City had designed one for their stake — story has it from a reliable source that the stake executive secretary just did it one day and it was quickly adopted — and it’s a great logo. 
The Bartlesville Oklahoma Stake, however, doesn’t lend itself to easily using an acronym for a logo. Pitfalls include derogatory connotations of letters similar to BOS, etc. ad nauseum. At any rate, one hasn’t been chosen so maybe they’ll pursue other options but here’s the contenders and a flyer that was created for a stake conference around the same time. Skills are rusty – it’s amazing what a year off from designing can do for that to happen! It took me twice as long as it should have to come up with these passable designs… 
Adam & Kizzie are coming to Bartlesville and it’s going to be a fantastic night of music at OK Mozart’s Ambler Hall. This is a new direction for OK Mozart’s music selection and this duo with their gospel, blues, rock-n-roll and jazz sound are sure to please. I can’t wait to hear how they sound in Ambler Hall. If you’re local, info & tix are at okmozart.com.
Technically I designed these billboards a little over two weeks ago. The traditional billboard goes up tomorrow and I hope to add a shot of that from the street as well.
Traditional billboard
Digital billboard
Digital billboard from the street
It’s not a full-on style guide but it’s a step in the right direction with a usage guide for the most common scenarios for a logo. I’m so excited about some of the concerts coming up at Ambler Hall! Check out Adam & Kizzie — they’re coming in November. For more details, visit OK Mozart on the web.
Contenders:
Lots of interesting musical things going on here but I didn’t like the femininity of the lyre shape as well as having the logo associated with any single instrument, even though the trumpet is very engaging.
Final Design:
The final design incorporates something that sets Ambler Hall apart: its gorgeous chandelier, donated by a patron. It’s the first thing you see upon entering the small hall and it is the perfect icon to associate with the acoustic hall that can also be rented for receptions, weddings or meetings. It’s elegant, simple and a good choice! Next post, I’ll list the style guide variations.
There’s a Mexican restaurant in Bartlesville, La Fiesta, that I’ve never been to — not because it’s not popular but because when we stayed in the hotel that shares it’s parking lot (while our home was under construction), we witnessed the chef puking out back then go back in. The next night we witnessed an ambulance take away a customer. We kind of figured that was an omen and wrote the restaurant off without ever actually trying it. I found it interesting, then, that I was tempted to go when I was requested to design these coupons for Father’s Day. I was relieved it was on Sunday because that eliminated my temptation altogether since we try our best to not eat out on the Sabbath Day. I just may have to try it another time, though!
Here’s the original link to pieces of stock art by CharlieZ. I like my adaptation and his stock art did make it very easy.
All design work isn’t fun or glamorous. Scratch that. MOST design work isn’t fun or glamorous at all because it’s the actual do-this-to-get-paid variety of work (even if it’s ugly). Take this project: I was asked to recreate a farrier’s logo for a 73″ wide banner. It wasn’t difficult to do but it took time to redraw in Illustrator and get it right. There was no using any sort of conceptual design skills — just rote recreation of a graphical element. The project used my expertise of Illustrator but I had no creative liberty whatsoever, which is fine. It pays the bills. Just like any other occupation, graphic design is work — and work I’m grateful and blessed to have! After all, there are worse ways to make a living…
One of Bartlesville’s finest local establishments, Tate Boys Tire, is running a social media contest and I was asked to design their promotional signs for print and online/web. If you want to enter the contest, go to the Tate Boys Facebook Page and just like and share the image!
The program for OK Mozart’s L’Amore d’Italia Ball is a smaller, 4-page, 1-fold piece. I love the interior and it printed nicely on a heavy linen stock thanks to Bartlesville’s best print shop. It turned out just lovely! Osage Casinos sponsored the event and the mask picure on the cover was taken by local artist Gary Gibson.
I’m loving the interesting flow of work coming from Bartlesville’s local print shop. There is, however, the problem of recreating things to print EXACTLY as a client requests — but that is ugly as all get-out. It nearly killed me the other day to save a print-ready file using the Hobo font. The project here called for Rage Italic and a graphic with lines that I absolutely do not understand (It’s so abstract, it could mean anything!). Kill me now. But, such is the life of a print shop — the client’s requests always come first! And if you are the client and you happen to read this: take it from an experienced designer — it’s time for an update on your logo and materials. You don’t even have to hire me. Just, for the love of all that’s holy, refresh your brand.
Exhibit A: Rage Italic in all its horrific 1980s glory — letterhead and envelopes. Because a small town rec center is nothing if not thorough.
So, these are quite simple but since they’re only 2″ wide and they pack a lot of info, it is important to make them readable but still stand out on the entire huge newspaper print page full of black and white! Enter the diagonally cropped picture. It really works! It adds just enough visual “movement” to help the ad stand out on the static page and draw the eye of the reader. Take a look and see which is your favorite. These 8 ads are being printed in a series in the Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise newspaper, based on which performer is coming up next chronologically.
These are similar to the Fun Run poster and t-shirt because it should have the same look but be independent. The Fun Run T-Shirt is going to be printed on sapphire blue so the t-shirt I’m suggesting here is to be printed on neon yellow. If it’s not in the budget this year, perhaps next. Bright colors are so much fun for t-shirts, especially for kids!
Poster design:
T-Shirt design:
I submitted about 9 different designs and these are my favorite versions. The local printer prefers one color, so I was challenged to do an eye catching design while only using one or two colors to keep costs low. Mission accomplished! Which design would you prefer? Do you think Mozart actually said these quotes? Logo front pocket, this design printed large on the back side of the t-shirt design.
In the end, in a somewhat heated debate, my client chose to print two different designs — each of which was liked by different personnel who adamantly did not like the other design! Which makes me think of the phrase, “If everybody likes what you’re doing, you’re doing something wrong!” Not a bad motto to live by! I’m curious, though, which of the two below would you choose?
I designed this stake conference invitation for the first semiannual conference of the Bartlesville, Oklahoma Stake! So nice of the stake presidency to put out an official invitation like this. I hope it helps boost attendance and clarifies meeting times, attendance and info for all involved. I tried to make it match the ward mission plan and the stake mission plan that I had created earlier. I’d better watch out or the stake will have inadvertently created its own press kit and style guide soon! Kidding…
