Symposium Emporium

December 2, 2024

PRIVATE CLIENT

SYMPOSIUM EMPORIUM

ART DIRECTION / BRANDING / EVENT DESIGN / PACKAGING

Symposium is a semiannual, multi-day event that celebrates the work accolades of a company that specializes in tech/communication. Half-way through the event, there is an evening Social component structured as a themed cocktail party. For Spring 2024, the theme was ‘Vintage Grocery’ inspired by Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart.

Affirma developed the core branding and art direction, while collaborating with several other event planning organizers to provide full event support. The event required everything from large format signage to the development of faux products adorning grocery endcaps.

For this brand system, my team invited attendees to step back in time for a retro inspired company social. Drawing from old-school printing methods, we infused every detail of the event collateral with nostalgia. From the iconic halftone dot patterns to the whimsical hand-drawn starbursts, this system captured the essence of a vintage shopping experience.

Our designers wear many hats, including overall conceptual design and copywriting. If you have a great idea, we’ll figure the rest out in order to actualize it.

PROJECTION DESIGN

To play off the theme, our team provided vintage poster designs for each aisle name with a hand-painted aesthetic to be projected onto the walls. An added weathered paper texture makes them look pasted on to the wall.

CEILING BANNERS

These hanging banners add another example branding to the space to further elevate and add color to the social event space. The banners utilize accent colors from the branding behind the logo to increase accessibility.

CIRCLE BANNER

This acts as the central anchor for the space with the open bar located immediately below. The exterior pushes a high-contrast treatment of the event logo, while the interior provides a surprise pop of color that ties into the space.

CEREAL & MILK

A clever pairing that ties into the theme of the first and last days of the event: Symposium and Demo Days. The two items have a corresponding color story, while the cereal box explores an illustrative option.

PAPER TOWELS & BLEACH

Our cleaning supplies are inspired by the 2nd Wave of Technology: AR/VR! The graphic elements of the paper towel band nod to VR rhythm games while the layout and color palette maintain harmony with the bleach label.

WINE

The vintage label design for Reality Red evokes visual callbacks to other types of wines such as rosé (with an illustration of a rose), and sparkling (with sparkle accents). It offers a sense of celebration and embodies the spirit of camaraderie.

BBQ SAUCE

Celebrating the organization’s love for sweet and tangy BBQ sauce, we’ve introduced a label design treatment that mimics that of ‘Sweet Baby Ray’s.’ The design is embellished with digital media symbols as a nod to the communication aspect of the private client’s work.

This project was an excellent demonstration of the skills my team is capable of. We created a design system that was so delightful and flexible, it covered over 50 individual assets while maintaining a sense of purpose and intrigue. Affirma’s designers wear many hats, including overall conceptual design and copywriting. If you have a great idea, we’ll figure out how to actualize it.

One of the major challenges of this engagement was the condensed timeline. With over 50 individual assets, our 20-day approach had to be aggressive and organized. Through our strategic approach to design process and flexible team of designers, we were able to meet our deadlines all while going above and beyond the client’s initial expectations.

LET'S CONNECT

If you have a vision, let’s pair it with my flair for design! Feel free to send me an email to learn more about my experience, freelance rates, and availability.

EMAIL

Research Infographics

November 27, 2024

PRIVATE CLIENT

DATA-HEAVY INFOGRAPHIC SERIES

ILLUSTRATION / DATA VISUALIZATION

A technology-focused research team approached Affirma asking for design services that simplified their multi-year road-map outlining innovation in their field. The purpose of this piece was to communicate their progress and aim to secure additional funding for their research. The scope of work included one detailed timeline and one high-level overview infographic.

To achieve this, Affirma created an overview infographic and a detailed timeline infographic to communicate their messaging at different scales depending on the audience.

The design process started microscopic with the content-heavy timeline. Once our team gained a deeper understanding of the research methodology and processes, the design team was able to discuss vision with the client and develop solutions to best communicate their message. We used looping highway systems as a source of inspiration based on the client thinking of their multi-stage road-map as a highway. Our theme was influenced by the otherworldly, dynamic look of long-exposure traffic photography to convey space travel.

Detailed Timeline Infographic

This design pulls its form from an aerial perspective of a looping highway system. Each loop sections off a different era of the timeline. This helps to group the information and make it easier to digest and translate to an overview perspective in the second poster. We’ve also used scale to direct the composition. Era 3 is the largest loop (and the ultimate goal) so it’s the largest on the map and incorporates a subtle flare to attract the eye.

The timeline tracks three categories of information: Audio Formats, Innovations, and Landmarks. Audio Formats are the most important of the three, so they’re highlighted in gold and paired with custom illustrated iconography. Innovations and Landmarks are each assigned their own color and are simplified as they are lower on the hierarchy. The client requested we leave room for an information summary in the lower right corner.

Once the detailed timeline was complete, it was easier for the client to pick which aspects of each era were most important. The scope of work increased—resulting in the development of two posters. Our approach to illustration and data visualization shifted based on the subject matter.

Overview Infographic

Once the detailed timeline was complete, it was easier for the client to pick which aspects of each era were most important. This overview highlights three key technological achievements to represent each era of research. The purpose of the overview was to show that, as time progresses, performance increases while size and power usage decreases. Innovations and Landmarks were omitted from this poster in the interest of space.

To simplify this composition and make it easily digestible in 60 seconds or less, our team decided on a clear three-column approach. By dividing the canvas clearly, we were able to represent related information in a familiar way consistently. For this poster, we chose metallics as our accent colors to establish hierarchy. The timeline below follows this structure, and lists each of the Audio Formats that correspond with each era.

This project as a whole was an excellent demonstration of the skills our team is capable of. I worked on a steep learning curve to understand the research and messaging the client was looking to present, and managed to synthesize and streamline that information twice. The end product was widely well-received, and will continue to represent the research team through their next era of innovation.

One of the major challenges of this engagement was that it was constantly evolving. The initial scope of work only included the detailed timeline infographic. As the project progressed, the client’s needs evolved with it. We worked to support the client from both a project management and visual design standpoint to ensure they had an end-product they were proud to present at their presentation.

LET'S CONNECT

If you have a vision, let’s pair it with my flair for design! Feel free to send me an email to learn more about my experience, freelance rates, and availability.

EMAIL

Building X

October 28, 2024

REDWOOD CAMPUS

BUILDING X OPENING

BRANDING / EVENT DESIGN

The grand opening of Redwood’s 20th building, Building X, is a week-long celebration with multiple surprise and delight activations scheduled for campus employees. Affirma Consulting developed the core branding and art direction, while collaborating with several other event planning organizations to provide full event design support. The event needed everything from digital collateral to share on social media, to in-person event support and everything in between. My team met the initial standards and elevated the quality of work to create an atmosphere that was unmatched by previous campus events.

The Affirma team is responsible for the design work on the Redwood Campus, as well as its events and activities. This creates a homogeneous wayfinding package that has scalability and flex. Eventgoers are familiar with the aubergine framing element that remains consistent across all a-frame signage. This only strengthens wayfinding on campus. All large-format on-site signage features an interactive QR code element redirecting to the event’s microsite.

Affirma collaborated with the event team to create a sticker sheet that could be handed out as swag during Building X’s first week of business. Once content and conceptual direction were established, the design team illustrated each individual sticker within an environment that interacted with the content. The client also requested ‘merit badge’ stickers and pins that represented each of the surprise & delight activations taking place during the week-long event.

Illustrations used for the Redwood Trail Maps match the stylistic cues pulled from the Building X sticker sheet. To differentiate the pieces of collateral, the trail maps were colored in a magenta-leaning palette. The figure in the foreground is rendered in high fidelity with shading, texture, and intricate detail. Figures on the birds-eye map are rendered in a lower level of detail with a sketchy appearance as they’re pushed to the background and viewed at a distance.

This large-format signage installation was originally based on the hand-drawn trail maps created for the event. A series of nature trails underpin the wooded area surrounding Redwood’s 20th building. We created a whimsical/picturesque map that illustrates the trails that sprout from the northern end of the campus. The design was mounted to a weatherproof frame and post sign with an attached awning to reduce glare and prevent bleeding from rain.

A tight-knit dream team of 5 visual designers worked to develop a multifaceted design system for an office grand opening. From signage/wayfinding and print collateral to digital, animation, and web design, this team ensured every touchpoint of the event felt curated.

Illustrated journals are a staple for the parent company. This design features a scene plucked from the PNW with a subtle nod to the launch of Building X. The color story leans evergreen.

My team designed a series of diecut, monochrome bamboo keychains as swag for the event. It depicts a simplified version of the journal design in various colors.

One of the event activities was screen printing your own tote design! We created 4 variant single-color designs based on the different approaches to collateral within the visual system.

This project was an excellent demonstration of the skills we are capable of. We created a design system that was so versatile it covered over 30 individual assets, while maintaining purpose and intrigue. We worked closely with event planners to deliver full design coverage and day-of support—ensuring the event ran smoothly and looked beautiful. Despite working in a condensed timeline, our project management maintained a steady pace.

One of the major challenges of this engagement was that we were not able to go on-site to ensure quality ahead of time. Affirma is a global consultancy. This means the designers had to develop and deliver all collateral while working remote from the client and each other. Our team kept up consistent contact with our stakeholders, vendors, and print/production contacts to ensure all items met our high-quality standards, despite the distance we had to overcome.

LET'S CONNECT

If you have a vision, let’s pair it with my flair for design! Feel free to send me an email to learn more about my experience, freelance rates, and availability.

EMAIL

Anniversary Series

July 16, 2024

PRIVATE CLIENT

ANNIVERSARY SERIES

ILLUSTRATION / ANIMATION

The Happy Anniversary Series is a collection of looping animations designed for a private client. The initial scope of work was to create a looping GIF celebrating work anniversaries for each month the company’s employees were assigned to work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the course of nine months, our team developed 24 concepts and 10 final looping animations spanning March through December of 2021.

Our team had a few points to keep in mind starting out. The client’s brand standards dictated the shape of the cake and the allowed colors to use in the illustrations. Fortunately, their color palette was expansive, and their design direction was minimal for the series. However, it was vital to the client that each month portrayed the seasons as accurately as humanly possible for their specific region.

In the initial stages, we spent days researching seasonal fruits, vegetables, and flora in the Farmer’s Almanac until we had a total of 24 concept sketches to pitch. Each concept featured a real cake made from seasonal fruits, and the background featured seasonal blooms. Once our concepts were fully fleshed out, the client narrowed the scope until each month had a single course of action.

Each month, I challenged myself to learn a new skill in Adobe After Effects. My favorite part of the final reel is seeing how far the production quality has come from its humble beginnings in March.

This series was particularly personal because it helped me develop as a motion graphics designer. Each month, I challenged myself to learn a new skill in Adobe After Effects. From learning a basic April rain effect to manipulating different warp and light settings to create a dramatic June heatwave, I was able to expand my toolkit along the way. My favorite part of the final reel is seeing how far the production quality has come from its humble beginnings in March.

LET'S CONNECT

If you have a vision, let’s pair it with my flair for design! Feel free to send me an email to learn more about my experience, freelance rates, and availability.

EMAIL

Yellowbird Hot Dip

June 28, 2024

YELLOWBIRD FOODS

HOT DIP

BRANDING / PACKAGING / ILLUSTRATION / WEB & ANIMATION

In the summer of 2020, Yellowbird Foods made its dip debut at Whole Foods Market nationwide. Made with 100% organic ingredients, Hot Dip’s visual identity took a lot of cues from the Yellowbird’s Whole30-approved organic sauce line that launched early 2019. With illustrations of fresh garden veggies and vibrant colors that pop right off the shelf, Hot Dip is the perfect addition to the nest.

To learn more about the process of this project, access my blog entry here: Branding a Product Line.

My team focused heavily on the journey our condiments take: from the pepper farm, to our kitchen in beautiful San Marcos, straight to your Friday night feast. Hot Dip’s illustrative direction is primarily inspired by floral prints found on oilcloth. We champion anything that encourages us to play with our food — no matter how messy we get.

Our illustrations are brought to life by a key component of our brand identity: color. Much like our other sauces, color acts to differentiate different flavors of dip. Hot Dip utilizes a mostly-monochromatic, surrealist approach to color. The ingredient illustrations harmonize with the background’s overarching color; however, the radiant leaves interrupt the monotonous monochrome with sparks of unexpected contrasting hues inspired by Sandy Skoglund’s A Breeze at Work (1987). This adds a visual interest that would be lacking otherwise.

We complimented our lush illustrations and unexpected color palette typographically with heavier letter forms as a reference to the thick, rich consistency of the dip.

Compositionally, we were driven by the cyclical form of our dip container and used it as a method of story-telling. The lid has a border of fiery ingredients arranged in a circle to reflect on our commitment to holistic and clean nutrition. The Bird peaks out from his garden of fiery produce to challenge our Flock to think beyond the chip. Hot Dip is a journey. Once you buy it, you embark on an experience that’s hotter than a pedicab seat on a summer day. When you open your first tub of Hot Dip, the inside lid surprises you with a literal wave of flavor. It encourages you to dip, dunk, and drench any food to make it infinitely yummier. Make sure to put down an oilcloth — things are going to get messy.

LET'S CONNECT

If you have a vision, let’s pair it with my flair for design! Feel free to send me an email to learn more about my experience, freelance rates, and availability.

EMAIL

Ridebook

April 2, 2024

PRIVATE CLIENT

RIDEBOOK

PUBLICATION / ILLUSTRATION

“Ridebook: Activities on the Go” is a saddle-stitch activity book developed to keep your brain occupied during your daily commute to work. It was created for a private client near the Bay Area by Affirma Consulting.

The initial scope of work was broad, with stakeholders expecting a coloring brochure with a crossword puzzle. My design team went above and beyond the call to action. This 27-page book is filled with fun coloring pages, puzzling brain teasers, and helpful wellness tips—all of which was conceptualized, planned, developed, and completed by dedicated designers.

Our team adopted the private client’s brand assets for the initial structure of the book design. As for illustrations, we were particularly inspired by Hanna Barbera’s timeless, whimsical, and expressive style. We wanted the characters on the pages to feel friendly and fun!

COVER ART

My team put together a list of fifteen different titles, committed to finding something that would be perfect for the client’s vision—”Ridebook: Activities on the Go”. From there, we worked through five different covers until we settled on the final. The cover is an in-progress coloring page rendering to pull the audience in by demoing the inner content of the book.

WELLNESS GUIDES

Throughout the book, we include a series of guides on wellness stretches, hydration, and mindfulness. On each page, the reader can rate the activity and track how it made them feel. These sections were inspired by the concept of ‘unwinding’. They’re a tangle of line drawings providing a visual guide for the stretch activity.

COLORING PAGES

Our team was provided with a list of seven locations the client wanted to highlight in the Bay Area. From there, we researched each locale and pitched loose concepts to the client. Once approved, we quickly moved into the illustration phase.

“I SPY” PUZZLE

This activity was inspired by “Where’s Waldo” and “i Spy” puzzles. The postcard in the upper left corner sets the scene and leaves a list of people the audience must find before the shuttle can depart. The scene is incredibly busy and filled with red herrings and jokes.

“Ridebook: Activities on the Go” started as a small, fun idea of swag. Our team turned it into an all-encompassing statement piece complete with activities and fun facts to entertain your left and right brain. In addition to the book design, we also pitched a matching colored pencil or crayon pack.

To make this a reality, Affirma reached out to several printers and fulfillment centers across the country to research production and shipping timelines, as well as different finishing methods. We settled on an aluminum tin of 12 colored pencils as the perfect companion to the activity book.

Our designers wear many hats, including overall conceptual design and copywriting. If you have a great idea, we’ll figure the rest out in order to actualize it.

This was an excellent demonstration of the skills my team is capable of. We took an abstract concept for a book and translated it into a fully thought-out product. Here, clever content and whimsical imagery pairs with functional (and fun) design decisions. Our team promises quality— which is why we worked closely with the printer during the production stage to ensure the final book met our high standards.

One of the major challenges of this piece was the conceptual direction and content development. My team didn’t have assistance from a copywriter, so we spent much of our time writing and planning. Key to overcoming this was working closely with the client as a major resource. Our designers wear many hats, including overall conceptual design and copywriting. If you have a great idea, we’ll figure the rest out in order to actualize it.

LET'S CONNECT

If you have a vision, let’s pair it with my flair for design! Feel free to send me an email to learn more about my experience, freelance rates, and availability.

EMAIL

Yellowbird Original

February 28, 2024

YELLOWBIRD FOODS

ORIGINAL GIFT PACK

BRANDING / PACKAGE DESIGN / ILLUSTRATION

Yellowbird’s first expedition into the petite picante was their 2.2oz Original Variety Pack. It was immediately loved by members of the Flock and those looking to venture into the spicy unknown. Unfortunately, the packaging was only designed to retail online; it lacked the necessary information to sell in a brick-and-mortar retail environment. This made it difficult to attract newcomers who weren’t familiar with the brand. The goal for this project was to design retail-ready packaging that highlights the unique look and feel of the Original sauce line while also making an appropriate pairing for the existing 2.2oz Organic Variety Pack.

The gift pack’s aesthetic was inspired by the bright vibrancy of Yellowbird’s core palette. Typically, the branding dictates that yellow is used as a supporting accent color; however, moving forward with vibrant yellow packaging would be the best way to compliment the bright white look and feel of the bottle design. It was important that this design felt related to its pair, The Organic Gift Pack, so we maintained a consistent base layout with a few stylistic differences. Each of the foliage illustrations was rendered in Adobe Illustrator with dimensional gradients and added grain.

A departure from the painterly illustrations on the Organic pack still felt similar with the added textural quality and vibrant color palette. The barcode was also swapped from a pepper (on Organic) to a cloud as a callback to the cloud motif on the Original bottle design. The interior of the packaging supports Yellowbird’s natural narrative by featuring a rich green interior with a subtle cow-print texture. Compositionally, the color payoff of the dark velvety-colored interior adds a break from the packaging’s shocking vibrancy.

The vibrant quality of the packaging design, and incorporated illustrations, speak to the unique flavors tucked within.

To experience the heat yourself, visit Yellowbird.com or visit a local hot sauce shop near you. The Original 2.2oz Variety Pack is now available in the gift shop at the Museum of Ice Cream @Austin, Texas today! I can’t think of a better pair for fresh-picked heat than chilly, pink sweets.

LET'S CONNECT

If you have a vision, let’s pair it with my flair for design! Feel free to send me an email to learn more about my experience, freelance rates, and availability.

EMAIL

Archives