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.

I met Jennifer Halstead, current owner of the new Magna Health & Fitness, while we were both working for other companies. She’s a dynamic, smart, positive, and very fit woman who knows her stuff. When she decides to do something, she does it well. And when you talk to her, she somehow makes you feel like you can do anything. She really is a Life Changer.

Magna Health & Fitness offers a lot — some services are: Personal Training, Group Fitness, BMI and Body Composition Evaluation, Dietary Evaluation, Corporate Wellness, Clinics, and more.

Basically, she does the hard parts (evaulating, planning, motivating) and you show up (okay, and work hard).

The design.

Jenny hired me to help her with her logo (check), business cards (check) and website (coming soon). In discussing her philosophy, it became clear that her approach is to make life better for her clients. Improving one’s health and fitness  doesn’t have to be a confusing, fad-dieting, body-punishing journey. It can be personalized, simplified, and fun. Magna meets you where you’re at — literally (at your home, a park near you, etc.) as well as figuratively (at your fitness level). No yelling in your face like Jillian Michaels. Well, unless you want them to.

The logo I designed uses bold, all-caps typography for the word MAGNA. It’s strong, it’s straightforward. It’s not soft,  yet it’s approachable. The swirl that’s embedded in the ‘A’, and also used in clusters as a graphic on the business card, represents the journey that’s just begun. Health and fitness should be a journey that’s tailored to our lives, and throughout our lives.

Red is eye-catching, as well as a color that’s warm, active, and alive. In designing the website I’ll be building on the color palette and will also introduce some contrasting lighter tones. (I think…)

I’m excited to be a part of this awesome new company’s brand creation and development. It feels like I’m in on a juicy secret. Feel free to contact Magna through their current website if you’re interested in their services, and stay tuned for the new website coming soon.

This project was a delightful one. Combining my skills in illustration and logo design along with web design was so fun. Starting from scratch and working closely with my clients, I was able to bring this lovely brand to life for lovely people.

What is “bare” honey, anyway?, you might wonder. Dustin and Grace Vanasse are entrepreneurs who are making honey in the purest way: By breeding (locally) big healthy bees that create the healthiest honey around. The end product: Treatment-Free Honey. You’d be surprised what the honey industry is getting away with these days. You can find out more details on their website.

In a nutshell, their honey is: “No Pesticides. No Antibiotics. No GMO’s. No Chemicals. All Natural and Treatment Free.”

But I can attest to taste: their honey is just better. It doesn’t have the overly syrupy flavor that a lot of commercial honeys do, which from my understanding is due to the fact that the Bare Honey is never mixed with anything extra, like corn syrup. (Rumor has it a lot of imported honey is not pure honey — eek!) Also, the bees on Bare Honey farms are never given antibiotics or other unnatural treatments to help them survive. You can also connect with the Bare Honey Facebook Page to get more information on this pivotal Treatment-Free honey movement.

The sweet process

It all started out meeting with Dustin and Grace, and just tasting the honey, talking about what makes it truly different, and what their visions were for the brand. I understood right away that I was dealing with a truly unique product, and the brand could be nothing less than that. Some of the words used to describe what we were after are: Nurturing, pure, smart, playful, unconventional, local and glowing.

What I envisioned was combining illustration, vivid color, all complimented by a restful, clean white background. I spent a lot of time sketching and illustrating different logos, farm scenes, beehives, flowers, pollen, and the like:

I got to enter my “happy place” quite often during this project. Time flies when I’m drawing.

From the illustration work, I extracted 3 different theme variations, of which they liked the most fun, illustrative one (also my favorite).

Website planning & design

It is an interesting challenge to translate a brand, especially one so steeped in the sense of taste and texture, to the web. It’s almost with a story-telling like feel that the homepage opens up with an outdoor illustrated scene as well as the a photo of the actual product — bringing the two worlds together.

The site also includes a retail area, a map with hive, store and restaurant locations, and more information on what Beyond Organic / Treatment Free means.

So, check it out. Barehoney.com. Buy some honey online, or stay tuned for availability on store shelves or CSAs near you.

And TChek knows it. This rebranding project was necessary for TChek Systems to stay current, as well as attract new types of clients as they branch out into the executive-level corporate world with their new expense tracking tools. Ackmann & Dickenson, a local website and application development company, brought me in as the branding expert and lead creative director on this project.

SaaS:  From the Ground Up

We started from the ground up with redefining the brand, which guided the redesign of the logo, website and most importantly, the application. This software as a service (SaaS) needed to be in alignment with the rebranding effort as well as provide a whip-smart, super clean user experience. The main company website design followed closely on the heels of the application design.

From Inside, Out

Your basic marketing collateral was also included in this project, such as business card and letterhead design and PowerPoint templates. There were also designed collateral on the customer side. TChek’s other main product is providing large distribution companies with fuel cards for their drivers to use. I designed some card options that fit within the graphic look and feel of the new TChek.

The Concept Behind the New Look

Since TChek is all about tracking spending, the new logo is less about the “check” and more about the actual business of displaying information easily and graphically. The logo represents the combination of a virtual card and charting/tracking. This chart-like graphic is then used as a graphic element throughout the system. The look is clean with vibrant color, which is used intentionally to guide the user experience through the application.  A brand shouldn’t feel like a set of handcuffs and rely solely on its logo to create the overall look. Instead, I wanted to provide some freedom within the brand to use just the type treatment on its own when the graphic element is strongly used — like on the business card.

http://www.tchek.com/

I can almost hear the whirring of the fan, smell the dust and feel those clicky keys…

And speaking of iPhones: