After a year of settling into their new brand, the Charles F. Kettering Foundation was ready to go a bit bolder and brighter on this year’s annual report. This layout offers the strategy and scope of their important work.

These web banner concepts were created for the EPA’s National Preparedness Month. For this task, I was given some options that were presented to the client and asked to create alternative headlines and designs, and produce them for final art.

As the lead graphic designer for the EPA’s GLO (Get the Lead Out!) Initiative. I have had the the pleasure of creating a multitude of projects. Shown here is the community engagement event booth mock-up, as well as the children’s’ activity book which includes the mascot I developed for the program. The table coverings and banners are customizable for communities to include their community name or logo or seal. Retractable banners were developed to engage attendees. These booth are designed to get community members talking to their utility representatives to gain information about water service line replacement, and ultimately participate in community surveys. These surveys help communities apply for important funding. To entice families, a separate kids’ area has been developed. I developed the Water Hero mascot to assist with this task. I created an easy to print activity and coloring book to hand out at schools and events. There are also photo opportunities for parents and children. I was responsible for developing the creative, writing the copy, and sourcing the printing for these materials.

The Challenge - Represent a collection of essays that reflect journalism in a time of media distrust and a fractured information ecosystem.

The Process - This book design, which included the cover and contents, was the culmination of many months of collaboration with the editors and feedback from their authors and colleagues. We began with an exploration of cover concepts. The end goal was to speak to the subject in an engaging, bipartisan manner that addressed the many outlets and changes happening in modern journalism.

The Result - Using texture, color, iconography and typography, create a tactile and meaningful package that spoke to both traditional and modern journalism and highlighted, no pun intended, each author’s essay contribution.

The Challenge - Create campaigns and branding materials that position the hospital as a leading area resource for healthcare and as a preeminent research and teaching facility.

The Process - I had the opportunity to work with the marketing and communications staff at UC Health as a contract freelance designer. In this role I was armed with their impactful “In Science Lives Hope” positioning and access to their library of images. I was charged with using these elements to create impactful campaigns which included billboards, magazine ads and social media. I also had the opportunity to write concept headlines for these campaigns. In addition to the campaign projects, I was also tasked with creating new image libraries for everything from environmental elements to backgrounds and key art for ads. I also had the privilege of helping to develop a brand guide and to perform an audit of leading teaching hospitals. The audit included both independent research and taking the other team members’ research to create a PowerPoint presentation.

The Result - A marriage of bold science imagery and humanistic patient care.

The Challenge - Help long-time client reinvent their fitness business in a new marketplace with a new strategy and focus

The Process - I first began working with this client when they opened their pilates studio. After many successful years, this client wanted to transition their business to an online group fitness model. Working with them, and the new online group platform, I researched the marketplace and new target audience and helped them develop a new brand, brand guide, merchandise, fitness manuals and more. After some time, the business opted to leave the group model and edit and tailor the pilates studio to the new fitness concept model. I was able to pivot with the client to the brick and mortar version of this brand to create signage, t-shirts, presentation slides, email headers, stationary, and more.

The Result - A vibrant and energetic brand that reflected the passion of the owner and represented the new target audience.

The Challenge - Create an interactive pdfs for Risk Mitigation, Emerging Markets, and Risk Management to sell products offered by LexisNexis, a global information and analytics company.

The Process - Working with a project manager and copywriter, I designed and produced these downloadable Buyers’ Guides. One hurdle that needed to be conquered was that there was no imagery or specific style assigned to this product. I designed these looks to be modern and techie as well as quick and easy to navigate and digest. To accomplish these design styles I sourced, modified and combined several vector stock images for unique overall looks. Playing with type size, color and style was key to keeping the end user engaged. In the first ebook, there is a Q & A section with jump links to help guide the end user to more information about specific products tailored to their needs. After the documents were created, social media and email graphics were created to support the publications.

The Result - Easy-to-use, modern interactive pdfs and ebooks guiding customers through an overview of products and services and piquing interests to learn more and connect with a sales representative to drive sales.

The Challenge - Rebrand a library of social media assets including posts, banner ads, and email headers to reflect new brand guidelines.

The Process - As a freelance contractor, I am often tasked with seamlessly joining teams in the midst of transitions. Sometimes this transition is because of a rebrand, or influx of work, or loss of staff. I am required to quickly learn an organization’s brand standards, workflow, chain of command, communication styles, and internal file management systems such as file naming, DAM, Asana, Workfront, etc.

For this project, my job was to update the old brand files. The background color, font, and in some cases photography, were updated and reformatted and saved into several file formats. Fitting headlines and cropping images effectively to work with the new strong diagonal was key. Each asset also required the color selection for the new triangular element within the new color palette. So, using a color that worked with the imagery was important.

The Result - Quickly, accurately and with an eye for typography, photography and color, and knowledge of file formats, redo social and digital assets in the Nationwide library.

The Challenge - Pivot from the initial assignment of event asset design, including signs, table tents, email invitations, and more, to aid in a complete rebrand. The scope of the rebrand included building signs, advertising, and PowerPoint presentations, as well.

The Process - This logistics real estate company needed an extra hand in its internal art department to help with an annual event for prospective clients. During the kick-off, the company began exploring and rolling out a new brand. (Original Summit Event concepts are shown here first.) While working on materials the brand evolved and was edited to fit the needs of the company. The visuals evolved from a narrow palette of blue and black with heavy typography and few modular visual elements to a wider range of shapes and color, change in fonts and messaging. Being a part of that evolution was a great learning experience. While I worked on PowerPoint presentations, one pagers, building signs, event signs, emails, and social media posts, I experienced the transition of a rebrand from visual theory and intended strategy to implementation and real-world, real-time problem-solving.

The Result - Work with an internal design department to help implement and problem-solve the efficacy of a new brand in real-time.

The Challenge - Create a strategic plan digital document for a higher education institution's office of information technology.

The Process - After meeting with the IT department and the internal marketing and communications departments at NKU, I was given brand standards, copy, and a library of photography. I presented several options which included a cover and a spread. Ultimately, the clients were most interested in the version that used what the university refers to as the “light path”. I used this strong diagonal shape as a dominant design element throughout the document. I also added a textural vector background within the “light path”. I used black and white photography as a strong contrast to the NKU yellow and as a recognizable visual link to the black and yellow brand palette. Working within the typographic guidelines, I set up a visual hierarchy which included custom infographics, iconography, pull quotes, and campus photography.

The Result - Develop a unique brochure for NKU’s strategic plan that utilizes and expands brand standards to set apart the IT department from other marketing and communications efforts.

The Challenge - Quickly create social media concepts for a fast-acting, on-the-go glucose gel for the treatment of low blood sugar and hypoglycemia.

The Process - I was approached to do a quick turnaround project for Transcend Foods for Mother’s Day. The goal was to create social media posts for the portable strawberry and orange glucose packs. I created three versions, each with a slightly different focus and graphic treatments. The first version was focused on the product. For this, I sourced heart-shaped fruit to represent health and placed the product on the imagery and added a Mother’s Day message at the bottom. In the second version the Mother’s Day message is central. I found a “stamp” image of strawberries and oranges which was similar to the graphics on the package and made it a circular repeating pattern. For the third version, the client requested an image with the product as a Mother’s Day bouquet. In order to make the product stand out in the post, I edited two different stock line art files for the stems, leaves, grass and Mother’s Day graphic. The client requested a pink background. Ultimately, this third version was the client’s final selection.

The Result - Explore and present various visual themes to produce social media graphics on a tight deadline and revise according to client feedback.

The Challenge - Join the internal department at a Fortune 500 company to rebrand all collateral. Rejoin the company again to update all the collateral for legal compliance.

The Process - Begin this assignment with onboarding to get familiar with the company’s asset library, workflow systems, processes, and teams and learning the standards of the new brand guide. During my first contract with Equitable, the new brand was being applied. I experienced all the ebb and flow of rebrand implementation, including changes to the brand elements as needed and quick turnaround for projects in order to meet the roll-out timeline. During my second contract with Equitable, I was hired to update documents’ text for legal compliance, as well as tweak the applied brand assets in publications as they had evolved. This involved communication both with the art department and the internal stakeholders, ensuring edits and accuracy on a daily basis and multitasking to meet daily deadlines.

The Result - Two successful long-term contracts that produced a suite of rebranded B2B and B2C white papers, one pagers, brochures, eFiles, and fillable form pdfs.

The Challenge - Generate an original campaign of retail environmental and direct mail bounceback concepts, design, and final art that incorporated elements of the Bath & Body Works brand and also the new spring line of home and personal fragrances.

The Process - After working on clearance store brand standards for Bath & Body Works, I was asked to concept and create a campaign for their spring event. The scope of this campaign include shelf talkers, various tabletop signs, POP, window and entryway signs as well as direct mail. I used product and floral photography from the newly launched spring home and personal fragrance line and matched it with a script font, the BB&W brand font, and borrowed their iconic gingham and transformed it into a pink on pink element for this event. Energetic bright colors and and a flowery spring feel were the hallmark of this campaign. Working with the floor set team, planograms, copywriters, and the creative director, I designed and produced all the pieces for this spring launch.

The Result - Create an event campaign that highlights a new product line roll-out and drives traffic for the moms, dads and grads season for the personal and home fragrance retail market.

Also shown here :

Clearance Store Branding - This included an audit of personal and home fragrance outlet stores, leading a team to recreate the clearance store sign and library and the creation of a brand guide.

In-house Employee Teamworks Week Event - B&BW goes above and beyond with events for its employees. I was responsible for creating all the visuals for this event including, signage, desk deliveries, a chalk art mural and more.

In-house Employee Gingham Gratitude Event - Working with HR and other internal art teams, I created branded employee incentive elements including the cart shown here, signs, notecards, t-shirts, raffle and contests graphics and more.

The Challenge - Brainstorm and present concepts for a trade show event for an automated accounting software company that included social media, merchandising, incentives, and booth design.

The Process - When I came on board to work with this team, they had selected to place a pop-a-shot basketball machine in the booth. My concept direction was “Nothing But Net”. I had a lot of fun researching the sports theme and exploring the possibilities for drawing traffic to the booth for the sales team to get leads and customers. I created several visual themes, sourced video clips, prizes, contest ideas, giveaways and wrote copy for the social ads and email. I created layouts for a VIP lounge as well as alternate concepts and designs for the event.

The Result - Solid conceptual work for a corporate B2B trade show.

The Challenge: Create a print and digital version of an annual report for an organization that hasn’t had one in 40 years. Utilize provided copy, archived and staff photography, and a new branding direction to reintroduce an organization. Source supplemental stock imagery. Create infographics based on provided statistics. Manage project from concept to completion.

The Process: The first task was to meet with the newly formed communications team to review project parameters, including timelines and goals. When we began this report the Foundation was still in the process of redefining their brand and strategy with another external agency that works exclusively with non-profit entities. Once the agency established the look of the website and the color palette, I was able to pull ideas from that and present several solutions. My charge was to interpret what the agency had provided thus far and create a visual footprint to kick-off the marketing assets. Although challenging, this provided a lot of room for creativity, exploration and collaboration. Other challenges presented were working within the circle frames to achieve good photo cropping, sourcing appropriate stock imagery, creating custom infographics, adding jump links and website links as well as managing printing and delivery.

The Result: The first printed, paginated interpretation of a renewed brand that outlines the organization’s mission as well as its revised strategy, new internal structure and finances. This report was very well received within the Foundation.

The Challenge - Develop an original look and feel for a series of white papers for the Cousins Research Group, an internal research organization within the Charles F. Kettering Foundation.

The Process - The Cousins Group needed a design for a series of white papers which included papers in five different categories. They were looking for a solution that set this series apart from their other publications. After several rounds of design concepts and edits, this version with the file folder shaped graphic, silhouette collage of vector stock images, and a bright, modern color palette was developed into a cohesive series. I conceived each cover collage based on the subject matter of the paper. Using royalty-free stock images, I worked in Adobe Photoshop to put together the conceptual imagery. Heavy sans-serif headline fonts were used and each category was given its own primary color palette. Body copy was broken up to be easily digested by the reader with stock imagery and pull quotes. The pieces were also printed with spot gloss varnish.

The Result - A visually modern and cohesive series with conceptual graphics that presents writings on important subjects concerning democracy and public life.