I recently finished a big photography and design project: An online gift guide for independent businesses in Over-the-Rhine. The area’s merchant groups wanted something to showcase the variety and depth of gift-appropriate items available on Main and Vine streets to encourage people to shop local this holiday season.

Environment and product photography

Page design and layout

So, after running from store to store taking pictures for two days and spending several more days (and very late nights!) working on the design and layout, it was ready!

You can click through the entire guide here, and if you happen to live in the area, I hope you’ll take advantage of all our city has to offer and do some shopping in OTR!

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Since I’m gearing up for The Big Switch–you know, switching out all of my lightweight summer stuff for heavier knits and wools–I thought it would be a good idea to keep this season’s color + texture inspiration in mind. Otherwise, I wind up trying to fit EVERYTHING into my closet/armoire/accessory annex and y’all know that never works!

Images: Intermix, Net-A-Porter, Topshop

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My friend Alaina is putting together a series of fundraisers called Mural on Main to raise money for Artworks to paint a mural on the side of the building at the west corner of Main and Liberty. The mural will face high-traffic thoroughfare Liberty Street and serve as a colorful, quirky welcome to Main Street!

I volunteered to help by creating the poster for the event, and after gathering the needed information from Alaina, I played around with my chosen font (yay!) to create a custom text logo.

After adding bright splashes of color and creating the flyer, Southpaw printed ‘em up and they were distributed post haste!

Be sure to stop by Neon’s from 5-11 tonight (or MOTR on the 26th) to enter the raffle and participate in the silent auction for dope prizes and art!

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Light it up in honor of Bike Month; Birds and butterflies are (almost) as interesting as the birds and the bees; Body art drawn on with a Sharpie suddenly seems like a good idea;  This is one way to make sure all of your photos look good together; The hair, the coat, the expression, all perfect; Sometimes, a simple “Hello” isn’t so simple.

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Sometimes you have to design a document around a minimal amount of text–this is often the case with announcements, lists, and those extra boring (and seemingly unnecessary) reports most employers require.

Most of the time, the first instinct is to try to make the content fit the page by enlarging the text, quadruple-spacing the lines, or (god forbid) adding little pieces of clip art.

Please don’t do this! I will hunt you down...

However, the best way to design around short text is to make the text area smaller. White space is your friend!

Start by dividing the page

I divided the page in half length-wise, and into thirds horizontally. The text area is limited to the lower two-thirds of the right half.

Have fun with text and design elements

After adding the text, you can have fun with the rest of the page! I like large type, so I changed the title to the fail-proof combination of Georgia italic and Helvetica Neue Condensed.  The page is defined with a 6-point horizontal rule at the top and bottom of the page, and the space between the title and the text is defined by a similar, thinner horizontal line.

It’s still simple, yet looks like it would much more interesting to read–which is the point of these documents anyway, right? Try it the next time you have to hand in an EBR!

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I keep meaning to share some of the design projects I’ve worked on over the past few months, so here’s the first installment. One of my clients is Breck from Fashion Without Guilt, who I “met” (what do you call it when you meet people through the googlenet?) when she contributed to Style Sample magazine. Fashion Without Guilt is a fun site (with a very attractive and familiar layout!) that focuses on affordable fashion, beauty, and style for women who love quality fashion at a affordable price.

Breck got in touch because she wanted a new logo–something professional and fun but not too busy, perhaps using the acronym for Fashion Without Guilt. In the creative brief, she noted that she wanted “a uniform, clean feel.”

Based on her input, I created two very different concepts, and after only one revision, was ready with this:

I created print and web-ready versions of the full logo–which can be used on anything from business cards to branded merchandise– as well as the site header and standalone acronym for the Fashion Without Guilt Facebook page. Breck was thrilled with the results and the fast turnaround, and sent a lovely testimonial, saying

The two concepts that I received were exactly what I was looking for. Her level of professionalism and timely responses will make me a CUSTOMER FOR LIFE. She is my Internet Mary Poppins.

My pleasure! Thanks for letting me share this project!

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I returned from the IFB Conference with a stack of business cards, which I thought was fantastic. If you have a blog, a website, or especially a business (no matter how small), you should have business cards.

While they seem like a holdover from simpler times, there are a few reasons why handing a small square piece of paper to a potential client, contact, or friend is still an effective way to network.

1. It’s a tangible representation of a person and their brand.
2. It serves as a reminder for forgetful people. *coughmecough*
3. It’s like a little piece of art in your purse or pocket.
4. It makes you look professional.

The easy way

Even if you don’t have top-notch design skills, you can still try your hand at creating a business card. There are two easy ways to do this:

1. Logo + text

It’s as simple as putting your logo on one side and your contact info on the other. Creating a grid is an easy way to ensure everything lines up in an aesthetically pleasing way. Don’t be afraid to right-align your text or use portrait (vertical) orientation. Easy-peasy.

2. Photo + text

There’s a good example of this at the end of the DIY lightbox post. If you create a product–crafts, jewelry, clothing, food, widgets–take a good photo of it and use the image on your card. Just crop it a bit and add your contact info. You can sample colors from the image to find complementary shades for the text.

Printing

With all of the online printing services it’s easy to have cards printed inexpensively. I’ve had good experiences with and heard positive feedback about:

• Overnight Prints
• Moo.com
• Vistaprint
• Uprinting

Don’t forget to see what your local print shop can do! If you’re in  Cincinnati, Seemless has extremely fast turnaround.

Most of the sites mentioned prompt you to upload an image file (JPG or TIFF) or PDF–several even offer die-cutting and more advanced features. For example, at Overnight Prints, you can add rounded corners for an additional $2 per 100 cards.

Enforce your identity

Make sure your cards reinforce the visual branding on your website, labels, packaging, etc. Your goal is to create an identity for your business or product, so all of your materials should have the same look and feel. If you’re feeling really creative, you can also use stickers, stamps, or even handwritten cards for a personal, crafty touch!

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Friendboy started a software development company earlier this year, and after only a few months of coaxing, he agreed to take five minutes to talk to me about a logo for his company. I don’t know what his deal is. Half the fun of starting a business is branding.

He named the company Toliman, after one of the three stars that make up Alpha Centauri. Yeah, he’s a geek. He’s also fairly traditional, having worked in computer programming and law–two industries not exactly known for wild creativity. I figured I’d keep things simple and fairly tame.

Since Alpha Centauri is often designated using the α symbol, I knew I wanted to include it in the logo. After playing around with several fonts, I settled on Georgia, a classic serif typeface that works well in print and on the web:

It doesn’t look like much, but this is where the tips I talked about in how to design a simple text logo come into play. I adjusted the kerning, elongated the letters just a touch, and replaced the letter “a” with a green (his favorite color) α symbol.

Can you tell what else I adjusted?

I created two versions of a standard business card–one simple and one slightly more design-y–as well as basic stationery. Do people even communicate via paper any more?

Surprisingly enough, he liked it! I guess if you don’t have a creative brief, it helps to really know your client.

I love these types of projects!

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I’ve been working my *^% off on the upcoming issue of Style Sample magazine only to have an uncooperative cover subject flake and not send photos.

A great article was written (and it was difficult to get responses to the interview questions–I should have known then), four inside pages have been allotted, the issue comes out in a matter of days, and after repeated requests and multiple deadline extensions, I have no photos for the article and no cover image.

Seriously, boo? That’s unfair not only to me, but to the writer of the article and all the other contributors who managed to get their sh*t together and send everything in on time. Real talk.

It’s cool, though. I’ve been working on a mini-redesign and am excited to see what everyone thinks. I’m also experimenting with some ads, so we’ll see how that goes as well.

So it’s not like I don’t have enough on my plate, but whatever, we’ll make it work. I just wish people would stick to their commitments, you know?

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Sitting at Iris Book Cafe, I nibble at the ice cream with caramel topping I “accidentally” ordered. I meant to get tea, but well…you know how that goes.

The door chimes, and Michael Palmer walks in wearing a gray “Made in the Nati” t-shirt. We exchange pleasantries and sit down to chat about Nati Evolvement, the t-shirt company he owns with partners Colin and Adam. He seems kinda familiar… I look at him curiously.

“I’m almost positive we’ve met before.”

No, it’s not a pick up line. I met Palmer (he goes by his last name) a few years ago when Nati Evolvement participated in a fashion event I produced for Second Sunday on Main (then known as Sunday Markets on Main). I remember being impressed by their professionalism and ambition, and it seems time has only served to amplify both. Colin comes through the door, sporting the same gray t-shirt Palmer is wearing, almost like a uniform. Cute. “I swear we didn’t plan this” they promise. Mm-hmm. Sure, guys.

Background
Nati Evolvement is a Cincinnati-based t-shirt and design company that started in 2005 as a creative outlet for a few friends in the graphic design industry.

“We wanted to create a new way for people in Cincinnati to show their pride in a unique and [hopefully] stylish way. As the company evolved we…really wanted to emphasize our desire to help local small businesses to grow and shine.”

Running the Nati
All three partners actively participate in running the business. Palmer does the majority of the graphic design, especially on the clothing side. Adam really focuses on web design and interactive media. Colin’s focus is more on business development, client relations and community partnerships.

“While we all tend to focus more or less on one area we all chip in on the business side of things and are pretty versatile in being able to cover for each other as the situation may present itself.”

They all maintain “regular” full-time jobs in addition to their responsibilities at Nati Evolvement, which can be difficult when they participate in all-day events, like the upcoming T-Shirt Festival on Fountain Square. “We count on good friends to volunteer at times like that!”

Design Inspiration
My own personal interest in design leads me to ask about the design process. According to Palmer, ideas and inspiration can come from anywhere, anytime. He shows me a few pages in his sketchbook.

“I really just try to keep my eyes open and always have a sketch book around to make sure I can capture a thought. We draw a lot from the unique history and characteristics of the city and the pride that we have for it.”

Since what they do is fashion based, international trends are influential as well. “I love to pick up on something I see from traveling and bring a little bit of that back to the Nati.”

So apparently, Palmer gets an idea from the heavens, and as “The Force” flows through him and onto the paper, his hand moves on its own accord (Colin swears he’s seen it happen!). Well… maybe not exactly.

Production
In reality, Palmer draws a rough sketch, then moves to the computer to create a digital representation. The final design is separated into screens and sent off to the screenprinter, where the ink colors are matched as closely as possible using Pantone® color matching. They work with the printer to determine the heaviness and depth of the color.

All of their shirts are printed on American Apparel tees–the guys like that they’re made in the US and I agree that they have a nicer feel/drape than other options. Of course, they also source other items from various manufacturers. The full line includes tees, hats, hoodies, jackets–even stuff for the kids.

Products
The finished product is sold at two main locations: Denim and Park+Vine. Once those orders are fulfilled, the rest go up for sale online.

Online orders are fulfilled by Palmer by hand–sometimes he’ll even include a personal note. “If I know you it’ll be really personal.”

He spends a lot of time at the post office as orders are shipped via good ol’ USPS. No automation here, folks! Every item is shipped from Cincy with love. Awww…

Look for Part 2 next week, when we’ll talk about the other stuff they do and what’s next for Nati.

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Tagged–I’m It!
Style: The White (and Black) Stripes
Do-It-Yourself Fashion

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