Category: Graphic Design

CAAEL

Client: CAAEL (Chicago Area Alternative Education League)

[2022] Another collaboration with Next Level Copy! CAAEL, a nonprofit based in the Chicago area, was in need of an entire brand and messaging overhaul. Knowing this would help their mission, we excitedly signed on. Dana and I helped CAAEL understand their prime audience (donors), analyzed their current website and picked out the most essential information that potential donors would want to see. We worked through the site architecture, wireframes, and mockups, all the way through to the final WordPress design implementation.

Brand Mood Board

Website Redesign

New homepage walkthrough

CAAEL Original website

Here are a few shots of the new CAAEL website,
or click here to see the site live from your browser.

Graphic Design Logo Design Web Design

The MXY Group

Client: The MXY Group

[2021-22] Emily, the principal engineer from The MXY Group, came to be needing the whole package: logo, business cards, and a website for the new engineering business. After a deep dive phone call and some light homework on Emily’s behalf, we nailed down the vision for the new business: reliable, hometown friendly, but with a wink. You know, MOXIE! We chose a playful color palette and a typeface with personality and tied them together into a clean website that is easy for their clients to navigate. It was also important for the stakeholders to have a website that will grow with the company–there are plans to build out a projects section once they have more use cases under their belt. Site built on WordPress.

Logo + Variations

Business Cards

Website Design

Graphic Design Web Design

Public Art University of Houston System

Client: Public Art University of Houston System

[2022] Working with the Public Art department at the University of Houston (PAUHS) was a dream! We collaborated on many exciting projects, including the brand identity for the Warhol Exhibition, the visual identity for the Art on Screen annual film festival, and recreating the public art campus maps for cohesion across all five campuses.

I was also the web content manager for the PAUHS WordPress website. My first project was to audit their entire website and make the necessary edits to make sure there is cohesion throughout the site. I created a hierarchical set of typography rules for all titles and body text, ensured all links were hot and cohesive across the board, and created and/or updated graphics and images for consistent use across the site. Once the audit was complete, I continued with content updates and page builds as needed.

Instantaneous Beauty: Andy Warhol and the Photographic Process Brand Identity

Developed and implemented the brand identity for Instantaneous Beauty: Andy Warhol and the Photographic Process, the exhibition of Andy Warhol’s Polaroid images across two University of Houston campuses. Taking a Polaroid is a quick action, usually tossed on a table to continue developing, I wanted to recreate this feeling in the visual identity by using gifs and recreating piles of photos wherever I was able. This was a huge project for Public Art – we created graphics for online advertisements, social media, newspapers, and for the PAUHS website. I also created a custom landing page for the exhibitions.

Art on Screen Visual Identity

The Art on Screen Film Series is an annual themed event put on by PAUHS. 2022’s theme was titled Shortcuts to Qatar, featuring short films by filmmakers in Qatar. I chose to use film stills from three of the films, picked specifically because the faces are either somewhat obstructed or completely hidden–hoping to convey a feeling of intrigue to the viewer. I was lucky to be sharing studio space with a graphic designer from Qatar, who kindly provided the Arabic translation and helped me learn about Arabic language conventions and how it is displayed alongside English.

A poster, yard signs, social media assets, and digital signage graphics were created for the event.

Public Art Campus Maps Redesign

I know, campus maps might not be the most exciting designed object to show, but I love a good design problem and this was a fun one to tackle. The UH main campus already had a great campus map designed for all of their public art, but the other four campus maps lacked consistency and hierarchy. In addition, the public art office did not have access to the maps, which was a pain point for them when they needed to add new artwork or edit a piece when it goes to conservation.

Using the main campus map for consistency, I created new map templates for all four campuses from scratch, ensuring they all used the same design system so viewers knew that all campus artworks were, in theory, a unit, even though they are spread out over Southeast Texas. We added the PAUSH tagline “Exclusively for Everyone” to each map to further the messaging of their brand. Most importantly, I created the maps in Photoshop so they, or another designer, would be able to edit the maps in the future. Full maps (with interiors!) can be viewed here.

UHD map before + after

UHV map before + after

UHCL map before + after

UH Sugar Land map before + after

Graphic Design Web Design

Next Level Copy

Client: Next Level Copy

[2020-22] Dana at Next Level Copy reached out to me when she saw the need for a graphic designer who could help with her copywriting business. The case study writing portion of her business was growing and she needed someone who could design interactive PDFs. We’ve created four templates to date for each of her case study offerings, which I customize around the client’s brand guidelines.

Dana and I also collaborate on case study web pages, animated audio graphics, pitch deck designs, maintaining her WordPress website, and creating graphics for her website.

Love-Serve-Grow-Full-THUMBNAIL-CASE-STUDY

Case Study Design

Take a peek at a recent full-story case study

Graphics

Animated Audio Graphic

Branding Graphic Design Web Design

GoldSky Security

Client: GoldSky Security

[2022] GoldSky Security was referred to me by another client, Dana from Next Level Copy. Initially, GoldSky needed a new home page designed for their website. My main contact, Keith, gave me carte blanche to completely reimagine their brand (but the logo needed to stay the same). Keeping the idea of trustworthiness at the forefront of my design plans, I began mapping out a mood board that reflected a cyber security brand that was modern and sleek, but still aesthetically approachable and easy to use. After sign-off from the client, I implemented the design elements into a wireframe, then a fully designed mockup for their developer.

After the home page project, GoldSky retained me to complete other web projects, PDF documents, and in-house graphics.

Rebranding

Website Redesign

New homepage walkthrough

Homepage: sketched wireframes to final design

Company Data Sheets | PDF Design

Tradeshow Backdrop

In-House Graphics

Book Design Graphic Design Photography

Auspex

Auspex is a visual research project based on the ecosystems of Hall County, NE. The sandhill crane migration served as the impetus for this project. Working as a part ornithologist, photographer, and designer, I researched the early naturalists of Nebraska and acquired writings and photographs from the University of Nebraska’s Archives + Special Collections Library, Frank Shoemaker and Erwin H. Barbour being the most prolific; reading academic journals and books about the ecological systems and how they are most threatened by agriculture and water shortages; and two research trips to Grand Island, where I collected sound, video, and photographs of the sandhill cranes. Additionally, the symbology found throughout the book was sourced from Shoemaker’s field journals – the shorthand notes for bird calls.

Graphic Design Web Design

Amy Posner

Client: Amy Posner

[2021] Amy Posner was referred to me by another client, Dana from Next Level Copy. Amy had a few design needs: a new sales page for her website, social media templates that her team could edit in Canva, and a couple of digital PDFs. After a discovery call, I learned that we would be following her current brand standards–smooth sailing! I worked closely with Amy’s assistant, Anne, hitting project milestones and receiving final approvals from Amy.

Client: CAAEL (Chicago Area Alternative Education League)

Brand Mood Board

Website Redesign

New homepage walkthrough

CAAEL Original website

Client: The MXY Group

Logo + Variations

Business Cards

Website Design

Client: Public Art University of Houston System

Instantaneous Beauty: Andy Warhol and the Photographic Process Brand Identity

Art on Screen Visual Identity

Public Art Campus Maps Redesign

UHD map before + after

UHV map before + after

UHCL map before + after

UH Sugar Land map before + after

Client: Next Level Copy

Case Study Design

Graphics

Animated Audio Graphic

Client: GoldSky Security

Rebranding

Website Redesign

New homepage walkthrough

Homepage: sketched wireframes to final design

Company Data Sheets | PDF Design

Tradeshow Backdrop

In-House Graphics

Auspex

Client: Amy Posner

7 Strategic Moves | PDF design

Six Profitable Niches | PDF design

Podcast "One Sheet" | PDF design

Social Media Templates