blog
Designing a Logo for a Church
A recent design project involved creating a logo for the Congregational Church of Batavia. The church did not have an existing logo, and there was a need for a logo that would tell the viewer who they represent. My logo designs are usually not this detailed, but a minimalist logo would not be as effective in communicating the message the Congregational Church of Batavia needed to tell. The church thought it important to incorporate the colors of the Pride Flag. Although this meant using many more colors than I usually use in a logo...
read more2020 Update – July 2020
Other than the obvious, how has 2020 been treating you? Although adjusting to sheltering at home, changes in plans and travel, and finding ways to socialize, there has been some good. I’m enjoying spending more time with my family and experienced some interesting opportunities, which are mentioned below. Mural Commission for Fox Valley Special Recreation Association Activate the Alley Mural As part of Water Street Studios Activate the Alley initiative to bring awareness to area nonprofits, I am proud to be one of the ten artists...
read moreWorking from Home Does Not Mean the Work Stops
Brochure designed for Early CHOICES Hey, what is happening with you, and your business while in quarantine mode? One of the projects I recently accomplished was the design and production of a 16 page research report for Early CHOICES and sent it to the printer. Early CHOICES promotes high quality inclusive education for all preschool aged children, supporting the inclusion of children with disabilities, and is funded by the Illinois State Board of Education. My design emphasized the subject, preschool students, in an easy to...
read morePivot in a Changed World
March 2020 This week I prepared to do something new: teach graphic design classes entirely online. In addition to my design business, Resolution Creative, I am part of the adjunct graphic design faculty at two community colleges. Both schools were scheduled to close for spring break. At the last minute another week was added to the break so the schools would have time to convert all their classes to an alternative learning delivery method, due to the rapid spread of Covid-19. I had just two weeks to rapidly learn if this was possible, how to...
read moreMaking an Investment in Your Branding and Logo Design
You may have seen companies advertise logo designs for $5 – $25. Most of the low price designs provided use cheap stock clip art and free fonts instead of something custom designed for your business. Even worse are the “design companies” who copy other designers’ work. Usually the client does not receive a logo that is distinctive or memorable, but very generic in concept. Many of them are too complex, using lots of fine lines and too much detail. When used at a small size, the fine lines will be lost and it may be difficult to...
read moreThe Resolution of the 9 ft. x 61 ft. Mural
Click here to download a pdf of the entire mural A few months ago I was commissioned to design a mural for the offices of the Dunham Fund, a philanthropic organization supporting education and community development programs through grant-making. The fund was established by the late John C. Dunham, president and chairman of Equipto, a steel shelving company based in Aurora, IL and founded by his father. Preference for grants is given to applicants within greater Aurora area. Challenge: The intention of the mural was to cover five sections of...
read moreWhat does Low Resolution Mean?
It’s been a while since a client has said “just grab my logo off my website” to use in a print project. It may be a sign that most clients realize that an image used on a website will be too low resolution to use for print. Or at least the client will realize for some reason it doesn’t work. But if you’re still confused about resolution, perhaps we can help. What is Print Resolution? A digital image is made up of pixels, tiny squares of red, green and blue that combine to make different colors. Pixels per inch (ppi) is a measurement of...
read moreIs Your Marketing a Stock Photo Cliché?
Stock photography is often a reasonably priced way to add images to your marketing communications. However there’s a falseness to the images. The models look a little too happy. Have you heard of Women Laughing Alone With Salad? It is a blog devoted to many stock photographs of women laughing and eating salad. Why? Because this is a common stock photo, used all too often. Your brand should not be represented by clichés. Do have the skills to edit a stock image, so that it resonates with your target audience and clearly conveys your message? A...
read moreThe Theory of (My Design) Evolution
Resolution Creative has been in business for over 30 years, originally under the name Lisa Smith Youngdahl Graphic Design. As with most businesses, there has been a period of evolution over the years. Much of the evolution has been caused by technology changes. My graphic design education had focused on drawing and fine art as well as the principles of design. My early career was spent at a drawing board and the tools of the trade were pencils, technical pens, and markers. Everything changed in the 1980s with the introduction the Macintosh...
read moreHanging On To Your Past
I moved my business this month. I am still in Water Street Studios, still on the second floor. Yet, moving always means packing and sorting through remnants of the past, deciding what was important to keep. Included in this review were some of the marketing pieces I had designed in the past for my own business. Brochures and one sheets that were well designed and engaging, but perhaps the message did not reflect my current focus. I realized, although I had invested the time and cost of producing these items, I did not need to keep them. It...
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