Notes |
Our love letter to you
behind the branding - beauty editor portfolio website
Jessica Grey Ourisman is a LA-based beauty and wellness editor covering topics related to the mind-body — and beauty — connection. The inspiration for her website was chic and sleek with a bit of edge. Through an expertly crafted one page site with custom coded section navigation, one-of-a-kind iconography, and simple functionality we were able to create a digital home to showcase Jessica’s body of work.
SEO + Blogging as a Freelancer
Optimizing your website through building a content strategy to drive your business’s direction is what makes SEO so rewarding and far more controllable than social media. With mindful SEO practices and quality content, the work is essentially done for you. Where social media is in the hands of an unknown algorithm, your website and SEO is the hands of you. Search engines are like libraries. Your website’s content are the books. The first page of a search engine is the librarians recommend reading section.
behind the branding - real estate agent - branding + website
Seattle Jones offers matchmaking real estate services so you can live your happily ever after. The direction for the branding was worldly yet detailed. Through the colors and iconography, we were able to capture both Seattle and sailing - staples to the Seattle Jones story. Together, we crafted a full branding suite including main and alternate logos, color palette, typography, and animated logo, and website. We’ve always believed illustrated logos to be a rare and personal way to set your brand apart from the rest. Our design tends toward simple line strokes and hand drawn vibes, while many brands these days feature singular typefaces or one-off vector icons.
SHOP SMALL LOCAL & FAR 2020
consciously creative small businesses to shop this holiday season and beyond:
behind the branding - custom ice dye studio - branding + website
Capturing the magic of tifanie white | studio through branding and a website was an incredible merging of minds both right side and left. The construction of such an intricate shop experience calls for days of number crunching and conceptualizing to ensure a seamless execution. Together, we co-authored a main and alternate logo, notecard design, yet to be released custom hang tags, stickers, and fabric labels, and a website.
behind the branding - a nail studio- branding + website
Queenie Nguyen is a celebrity and editorial manicurist based in Los Angeles, California. She has worked in the nail industry for more than 12 years and specializes in natural nails and contemporary nail art. Together, we created a branding suite and portfolio website to beautifully showcase her work. Clean, simple, and serene characterize the design vision and how the identity was brought to life.
behind the branding - fitness coach - branding + website
THE SHAW METHOD is your go-to place to sweat, stretch, and socialize. Their online fitness classes and coaching helps professionals turn burnout to balance through movement and mindset. The overall feel for THE SHAW METHOD was a high-vibes, glitter-popping party with bright hues and shining movement. Together, we created a main and alternate logo, selected colors and typography, and built a website to offer class schedules and booking.
behind the branding - romance novel editor - branding
BookSmart provides skillful developmental editing so you can confidently publish the best version of your story. Specializing in romance novels, the branding sought a light, pastel feel with soft illustration. Together, we created a main and alternate logo with a custom illustration and hand lettering and color palette. The logo consists of a soft, whimsical illustration and prominent hand lettering.
behind the branding - GOOD VIBES COOKIE CO - website design
Co-creating the GOOD VIBES COOKIE CO website was one of those pinch me dream projects. The goal was to incorporate an effective, simple and clean design to let the confectionary magic speak for itself. We do not usually take on existing brand identities when creating a website, but when someone so likeminded comes along, you know the opportunity cannot be passed up.
How to Automate your Instagram for FREE | Keeping a Clean & Consistent Feed
Want to keep your marketing and messaging consistent without the hassle and eye strain of spending all day on the social platform? Let’s break down how I keep my Instagram feed automated for free.
Note: you’ll have to bring the content, creativity, and authenticity to your posts. As for sharing the love here’s how to make it less of a hassle:
Hand Painted Boutique Studio Ornaments
They’re here! Every year I create a new set of hand painted glass ornaments. It’s a favorite past time of mine. And for the first time ever I AM SO SO SUPER EXCITED to have decided to share them on the site and offer them to all of you. They are a labor of love. I craft each girl from my own imagination and more often let the paintbrush do the talking then my own mind.
The Self-Taught Game as a Freelancer
The Self-Taught Game
When I was gifted my first watercolor palette I simply could not resist the sketchy, watery strokes of the medium that allowed me to create landscapes, florals, and portraits in an entirely new way.
Then came the day I met digital, and our romance quickly bloomed with each tantalizing pixel and processor. And now it’s my job. One I gleefully, hesitantly, excitedly, nervously, and ecstatically took on for myself.
Inside a Freelance Designer's Toolkit
Welcome to the toolkit
let’s dive into the inner-workings of the studio.
Brushes
Throughout the years I have collected brushes from wherever I go. Brushes are so personal, and my best advice is just to experiment and find what you like. Keep in mind the style of your work and your chosen medium.
I prefer synthetic bristles with smaller tips that mimic the size and stroke quality of a pen or marker. For my style, I stick to a 00 to 3 size range and a 6 or 10 for my larger pieces. My collection consists of mostly round and rigger.
Finding your Niche as a Freelancer
You found your passion. Now what?
I have always loved creating. But how did that translate into anything more than a hobby or just something I enjoyed? I knew I needed to narrow down what it is I wanted to create. Welcome to the art of finding your niche.
It was daunting. I didn’t want to do it. And to be honest I didn’t know if I could. I knew I liked laying things out. I could draw and paint. Use design software. Make websites. Write when I needed too. But none of these things seemed to make the direction I should take any clearer.
Welcome to the Studio
She's here. She's launched. She's birthed. Out and open to the world. Come on in, we're open. This launch has been a long time coming. But I could not be any more grateful for the journey it has been to get here. So why are we here? What made us want to create this virtual storefront? Why is there a feather in the window? Valid questions. We are truly humbled by all of them.