Cafe N’ Play

Cafe N’ Play is a new business by the owner of Naperville Moms Network that I was able to create branding and identity from scratch.
The logo and branding had to focus on the the 2 main elements of the business:

1.) Chic boutique cafe that offers healthy small plates and is the first brewer in Illinois of the organic artisan coffee brand, Kind Coffee

2.) Fun, kid-friendly place where children from infants to 9 years old can safely play and entertain themselves while their parents have a coffee

Since the owner wanted this business to be marketed in conjunction with Naperville Moms Network, the branding of Cafe N’ Play had to complement and overlap some of the existing Naperville Moms Network branding so that it would be apparent that the two are connected.

Starting with Naperville Moms Network, I used 2 of the main colors from that palette form Cafe N’ Play, but added in a few extra colors that would differentiate Cafe N’ Play. The palette focuses on the brown from NMN and the new orange color to suggest a sophisitcated cafe, but uses teal highlights and other vibrant colors form NMN’s palette as accents to inspire fun and playfulness, without overpowering.

I also used a few fronts from Naperville Moms Network, but added and additional font to give Cafe N’ Play its own voice and feel. A unique pattern was also tied into the branding to add fun and sophistication.

Motorola Solutions – WiNG Product Launch Ads

When an agency failed to produce viable concepts for Motorola Solutions’ first new product launch after weeks of development, I was asked by the Sr. director to make a few concepts within a few hours based on my understanding of the brand. My concepts were positively received and were used over the agency’s designs for the new product launch of the WiNG 5 networking series.

Naperville Moms Network

There were many hours of brainstorming with Kelli Thompson when she had the idea for Naperville Moms Network, and I wanted to create a brand that enveloped all of the ideals of the warm, friendly, fun community of moms that she was looking to create.

Her logo and color scheme needed to be fun, friendly and stylish while still practical to be inviting to all types of moms. I wanted to create a set of fun monograms as well that could look fantastic in small places, but could also be used on promotional pieces, especially since the community is often abbreviated as “NMN” by Kelli and the users.

The website was created in Ning, and I customized the design template to fit the NMN brand as mush as possible. I still make design tweaks and updates periodically, especially as Ning expands their customization options.

I also create the stationary set for NMN including letterhead, business cards and flyers, as well as a set of promotional items on Cafe Press.

View the Naperville Moms Network Website >>

Behindthechair.com Product Catalog

For behindthechair.com’s bi-annual catalogs, I would Project Manage the design and production of the catalog from start to finish. I would ensure pages were divided appropriately between Design Team Members, as well as having a hand in the production myself.

In 2008, I was able to establish a new art direction for the redesign of the catalog in order to give it a fresh, clean look. I utilized geometric shapes to effectively use space to show as many hairstyle images as possible, yet maintain flexibility to accommodate a varying amount of images. This helped to keep each page layout as clean and easy to read as possible while displaying a large amount of information.

Motorola Solutions – Retail Visionary Summit 2010

These coordinating pieces were created for an event for high level Retail Executives and Industry Leaders.  This event was the first to feature Motorola Solutions’ new branding design and therefore needed to be clean, interesting and engaging. Event pieces include an Event Signage, eVite, Notebook, Card Holder, and Program Guide

CSBarks Dog Festival

Carol Stream Park District (CSParks) decided to have a new and innovative dog event for their 2010 activity schedule and needed a fun look to really grab attention.

I created a small print ad to be included into their bi-annual activity catalog. There were no images available, since this is the premier event, so it opened a lot of opportunities to be creative with vector images and drawings. Even to the point of manipulating a found font to fit the theme.

I also design the framework for the supporting website for CSBarks, which I then gave to their in-house programmer to put together to their specifications.

Motorola Solutions – Executive eVite

This eVite was intended to showcase the beginnings of the new Motorola Solutions branding while inviting high level staff to an event. The design was a distinct contrast to the old branding, showcasing the modular, modern layout of the new branding, while maintaining an approachable feel to gain acceptance.

Advanced Health of Naperville

With her 10 year anniversary approaching, Dr Cathy Subber, owner of Advanced Health of Naperville, decided it was time for a change in her branding, with a the aim of creating a look that better suited the caring nature of her business.

Using her logo as a base, I created a website and stationary with a welcoming layout, designed to reflect the positive, relaxing and friendly attitude her chiropractic team provides. To maximize its effectiveness, the new branding was integrated across all of her marketing materials, including window banners, letterhead, compliment slips, business cards, and flyers for the regular local activities, charities and meetings that Cathy is engaged in.

As a busy business owner and mom, Dr Cathy’s new website also needed to be fast and easy to update. To achieve this a blog was added to the site to allow Dr Cathy, or her staff, to easily upload photos, news, and updates at their own discretion. The new website was launched in time for her tenth anniversary celebration and as already helped generate new clients for her practice.

Visit the Advanced Health of Naperville Website >>

Motorola Solutions – PowerPoint Slides

Occasionally, I assist in redesigning and finessing PowerPoint presentations that are intended to have a high level of visibility. I aim to design slides to have maximum legibility and organize information to be easily digested by the viewer. These are a few examples of features PPT slides that I’ve created.