The annual gala is held in the spring each year. This year the gala benefits patients at the newly opened J.A. Wedum Residential Hospice.

I was hired to give the benefit a fresh new look, and one they could use over the next few years and simply change the color palette each year.

I created a logotype for the event, which highlights the word hospice:

And along with the logotype, I created a hand-illustrated pattern using my ink pen, which I then created a repeating pattern with fresh hues of orange, blue and green.

The pattern has flexibility. It can be changed in color, or pieces of the illustration can be pulled out on their own, as I displayed within the concept presentation:

The overall feel is uplifting. The event isn’t a sad one, but the challenge with designing for a hospice benefit is that “hospice” inherently has a grave tone as it does relate to the passing of life. But Allina’s approach is that hospice is about being able to enjoy life — however long or short the rest of it may be — and being able to provide people with a wonderful, beautiful, well-built and safe place to do that.

For more information, visit Allina’s website.

Inspiring Real Women to Run

I’ve worked with the two owners of this inspiring new company before. Meghan Huber and Cathy Schmidt also have played a huge role in giving Minneapolis women a chance to run in the yearly Women Run the Cities event, a women-only 10 mile and 5k run/walk.

I’ve designed everything for that event since it started six years ago, and it was actually at the 2011 Women Run the Cities that Meghan and Cathy approached me, in the madness of coordinating the race with their running shoes headsets on, to share with me some of the buzz of their new company idea. Since then we’ve been collaborating on the designs I’ve shown here.

They’ve started a new company with a wonderful mission: To inspire real women to run. The idea behind the company is that running, for most women, isn’t about being fast— as their organic lip balm states, “slow is the new fast”.

At There She Goes, running is about being healthy, but most importantly having fun. Their products are geared toward this: Arm warmers and lip balms are the first products in production, and they’re hitting the ground running (had to, sorry) at a lot of different running expos and tradeshows in 2012.

Tradeshow Booth Design

Product Display Sign

Arm Warmer, Product Design

Lip Balm Design

Pretty cool to see my work on the news!

Watch the video here.

And if you’d like to visit the actual website, it’s: www.fainting.com

My PSA: If you or anybody you know has unexplained fainting, it could be the sign of a heart issue. This site is a good resource for help.

I wanted to send something unique to my husband, so I painted a heart and then made a few variations. Feel free to use them on Facebook, email, or whatever!

Happy Valentine’s to you all. I hope in some way it’s a special day.

Think of a website being made of “layers”.

A website is built from HTML code. The design of a website displays content so it’s user-friendly to the viewer. In a way, the design is like a skin, and the HTML is the bones. Some websites are simply built with those two layers, and if the site needs to be changed, you (or a website developer/coder) need to directly work on the HTML code.

Don’t know code?

So, what if you want to change your website content but you don’t know HTML code? A content management system (CMS) makes the website user-friendly to you, the owner and administrator. It’s like another “skin” — this time on the back-end — that helps translate what you want to change in the website into HTML.

Do I really need a CMS?

I urge people to really think about whether they need it or not — because yes, it takes more time (money) to create a user-friendly back-end to your website. And it’s not always necessary. But sometimes it’s invaluable. It all depends on your needs.

How do I know if I need a CMS?

A good place to start planning is to think about what information on your website will need to be updated, changed or replaced on a regular basis. Say every week or every month. Your CMS can be as minimal as a single-functioning widget that helps you upload a new product image every week. Or as robust as managing your own news, products, orders, blog, and other content.

If you only need yearly updates, or fewer, I wouldn’t recommend adding a CMS to your website. Those updates can be done by a skilled developer who charges you for a couple of hours’ work per update.

I can help.

I work together with you to help you plan your website. You may not know what you need updated. You may not even know what content is going to be on your website. Figuring that out is part of what I do.

I met Connie, a shiatsu and thai yoga masseuse, one bright and sunny morning in a coffee shop in St. Paul. Literally, we had to wear our sunglasses in the coffee shop. She had called me the previous day, exclaiming that she was sick and tired of trying to design her own stuff, and was ready to take it to the next level. Of course, I was thrilled.

It turns out we both share some of the same design tastes. Both of us being from artistic Finnish families, we agreed there’s something in our blood that tends toward a simple, sparse, almost asian sensibility. I was even more thrilled that she likes my illustration style and wanted me to illustrate her stuff.

So after our meeting, Connie sent me a sketch of an idea that had come to her. The idea was a line connecting words, which I then extended into connecting to a tree. All of this ties nicely back to the idea of the flow of energy, or qi — the basis of shiatsu.

Now that’s good energy.

More to come

I also designed an email newsletter for her, which will be sent out soon. After she sends it, I’ll share it. Next will be her website redesign, which will also use this illustration style.

This client has what I love: A truly unique and distinct position in the market. What Keen Editions offers is editing and publishing help for authors who want to get published. Especially an author who doesn’t want the hassle and potential confusion of self-publishing, or the extreme cost (and not always quality work) of a large publishing company.

In short, Keen Editions helps authors navigate their way to being published. They can even provide a cost-effective, high quality paperback printing solution.

The logo

Because Keen Editions is agile, the logo had to feel light on its feet. It’s not a traditional publishing company. When you work with Keen Editions, there is nothing but forward movement and progress. But it’s thoughtful, too. The lowercase letters have an approachable, up-to-date feel. The blue feels fresh and clean.

The symbol is derived from an open book, and inspired by this feeling of movement. It’s almost like a bird.

I also created a version of the symbol that is contained within a circle for independent uses, such as on a book spine:

The website

Websites don’t have to be big to have impact. The Keen Editions website is only two pages. The main goals are: to help people understand where they sit in the marketplace, what is offered, and who to contact. Since it’s all about books, I felt the homepage should reflect that with a bookish feel. The clean, modern logo is contrasted by the more traditional serif typeface. The overall mood is welcoming, smart, and established.

Nice things people say

I admit. I love to please. So when I hear nice things, I get warm fuzzies that keep my creative engines fired up. Here are a few things said about Keen Editions’ new look:

“Thank you again for capturing my essential self and message so exquisitely! Many called it beautiful.”
— Ann K. Ryan, publisher and editor at Keen Editions

Said to Ann by others:

“It is  welcoming, professional and intriguing—just like you!”

“It makes me want to write a book published by you!”

Visit the site

Keen Editions

I went with one of my personal favorite color palettes: Gray-blue walls with white, and pops of other bright colors throughout. Organic elements show up here and there, like the jute rug under the table and wooden storage boxes. Floor to ceiling white window panels diffuse the light from the big windows, and hide the radiator and other pipes.

We configured the space into three areas: Computer work, Painting/art work, and Meeting.

When you enter the room you see the meeting space, with a nice clean, white table and four chairs. (One is pushed back by the red book case.)

A brushed stainless steel light hangs over the meeting table.

I found this tree branch and bird vase this morning as I browsed for some decorations. As I cleaned it with glass cleaner, I found out it’s exactly the length of my arm. In case you were wondering.

My workspace. This area needs art, something big and beautiful…

This is my painting and illustrating corner. The stainless steel table is counter-height, and easy to clean.

I’m very excited to have this new environment to work in. I already feel more focused and productive. Well, once I’m done writing this blog and find some more coffee — I will be.

Feel free to stop by sometime!

Google Map

About six months into it, I started to ponder the benefits of having more separation of work and home. Now, a year and half into it, I know it’s time. I crave more routine. I feel like I’m never done working, even when I leave the “office”. I love what I do, but I’d like to feel like I can leave work where it belongs. I miss “coming home from work.” Literally.

I also find that giving design presentations in my home or at the local coffee shops has lost its initial novelty. The dogs don’t make great door greeters at home, and the coffee shops are often loud or crowded.

So, I started looking for an office space. Criteria: Close to home, as to still avoid a commute. Bigger than my current 10′ x 12′ room. Windows are a must. A secure entrance that will keep my equipment safe — although, I’ll probably still lug my laptop back and forth. (Who can spend a whole evening without Facebook?) And hopefully, some architectural character of some kind.

I found it. Exactly a mile from home.

At the corner of convenience: Italian food, the bank, Three Tiers bakery, a hair salon, bowling and Nokomis Shoes. What more could I possibly need?

It’s a space right above the neighborhood italian food gem, Al Vento. There are 6 office suites upstairs. It’s a 1930′s building, and still looks it — although the big windows are brand new. The building has a secure entrance, and my office is over twice as big as my home office, with plenty of room for my desk, my painting table, and a conference table.

I’ll be in suite 5. The doors kind of have that 1930′s – 40′s detective office feel. You can almost hear the typewriters and smell the cigar smoke.

Suite 5.

Moving in this weekend. Stay tuned for the big reveal…

One of my favorite things is seeing the enormous finish banner, shown below (that’s me in the pink shirt). It’s fun to see something that was once just a graphic on my computer screen come to life.

I always feel a sense of pride, being a part of this yearly event. Sometimes I see the shirts being worn on runners around town, too. I usually ask “Wow, who did that shirt design? It’s simply amazing.” Just kidding.