LaFleur Studios

A Singer, A School & And An Infamous Family : Recent Projects

mary — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 01:19:18 +0000

Freelance designers regularly entertain the challenge of juggling an extreme variety of creative projects. Here is a quick look at three projects that I’ve recently completed … contrasting the skillsets and insights needed to meet client creative demands – and also the knowledge required for quality print and successful web applications.

Vieve Rose logo. Vieve wanted a fresh but feminine logo to be used on her new CD, self-promotions, and show giveaways — like t-shirts and stickers.

USC Rossier School of Education. I worked with Rossier, through IngleDodd Publishing, to create a new name, masthead, and overall design for their biannual magazine.

KCET: Inventing LA promotions. I created the event promotion look for this new program that highlights the infamous Chandler family. The design incorporates the existing logo with graphic images linked to their historic Los Angeles Times newspaper history.

The Greed of Green

mary — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 23:34:48 +0000

It is unfortunate to read reports of greed and materialism, especially when it appears to be on our dime. It has been reported in The Nation, that International Paper has just received it’s first check for $71.6 million for a one-month period from the IRS for the use of ‘alternative fuels’ in processing it’s pulp. Have they been walloped by the economic crisis too? No, it appears that the paper industry has turned the original ‘green’ intentions of a tax credit into big ‘green’ profits – not only from the pay out but also from increased stock prices.

The process of using the ‘black liquor’ from separation of fibers has worked efficiently for the paper mills since the 1930s, but the addition of diesel fuel into the mixture qualifies for the mixed-fuel tax credit — even though it isn’t necessary. In fact, the paper mills proudly produce seventy-three percent of the energy they use without the addition of other fuels. This ‘blackhole’ of going green is paying off with big bucks for the top 10 paper companies to basically make paper. See the article and see the unapologetic response of IP’s vice president for global government relations — it’s terribly disheartening. Read the article ‘Pulp Nonfiction‘ by linking here.

Bookhouse Banners

mary — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 09:32:40 +0000

The BookHouse creative is a personal favorite — this was a promotional campaign for my own used bookstore in South Pasadena, CA. The colorful, enchanting pulp fiction covers begged to have a prominent appearance in the shop. I discovered that the text inside was just as colorful as the illustrations, earning a prominent place on the banners. The banners were hung in the front window and throughout the store.

320 Ranch Web Design

mary — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 09:01:38 +0000

The 320 Guest Ranch, located in Big Sky Montana, needed an overhaul for their website — including a new brand look and greater functionality for site visitors. I incorporated rustic textures, earthy colors and rich imagery into the new site design. The new branding expands into other graphic elements that can carry over into their web marketing materials.

Click on ‘Other Views’ to see the homepage and three promotional landing pages displayed on the right side. A fun visual opening, folksy music, and a selection of different slideshows helps stimulate visitors to explore the site. Project was in collaboration with the Edgeworks Group and Benoit Marketing.

Toyota Accessories Promotions

mary — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 08:54:16 +0000

Working with Asbury & Associates, I’ve helped to create the annual branding and promotional tactics for individual vehicles and the overall accessories product line. Over the past 15 years I’ve worked with the Asbury team on Toyota, Scion, Lexus, Mazda, Suzuki and Hyundai projects. Although vehicle trends evolve yearly, the creative challenge always seems to remain the same — to create a unique and inviting brand look with a handful of outlined studio beauty shots.

Click on ‘Other Views’ to view four different brochures that went all the way to print — yeah! I also have many, many beautiful conceptual comps that I’d love to show anyone who is interested.

Media Vault Exhibit Panel

mary — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 08:43:34 +0000

Media Vault decided to make a last minute appearance at MacWorld and wanted exhibit graphics that connected to the needs of their key customers – film and animation creatives. Media Vault promotions had always focused on product features but this new creative is all about user benefits. This panel is one of a three-part series.

Mudu Branding

mary — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 08:26:35 +0000

Mudu Mobile Multimedia is a new device that combines camcoder, MP3, movie player, camera and voice recorder capabilities into a single handheld unit. The dark, edgy, and sensuous branding was meant to contrast/complement the streamlined metallic styling of the device.

Click on ‘Other Views’ and you’ll see the product package. It is designed to stand out on big-box-store shelves — in contrast to the trend of simple, ‘mac-styled’ competitive packaging.

A New Brand of Exotic Beasts

mary — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 04:31:07 +0000

The swirls that I mentioned earlier have finally gone live as part of the updated brand and site design for dvmteam.com. This financial service site for veterinarians wanted a redesign that followed an earlier concept using exotic animals. I created a brightly colored menagerie with a simple two-column layout that allows the right column banners to be visible at all times. The monotone creatures and the content stay clean and simple. Simple but rich textures in the header and the footer all contribute to a lively but pleasingly cheerful site.

Dickens. Huell. And Stalin.

mary — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 22:14:22 +0000

Relationships with freelance clients can easily last through only one or two projects but I just realized that I have been designing the front and back covers for KCET Magazine in Los Angeles since January, 2006 (41 covers). Beginning with a cover featuring Charles Dickens’ Bleak House, this successful run of monthly large format issues is a feat of perseverence for KCET, who are in constant funding battles to maintain a monthly printed publication for their members.

The covers can feature a local favorite like Huell Howser or highlight a prominent production like the May issue’s BBC co-production of ‘WWII Behind Closed Doors’, a three-part series about Stalin. Whether the source artwork is a paltry 72 dpi screen capture, a Frank Gehry scribble, or a beautiful image from the National Archives, the subject matter is always a surprise. Special recognition goes to Kathryn Diaz and Michael Fuller who have successfully kept the magazine alive and interesting. Also thanks to IngleDodd publishing who have helped produce the magazine for more than 20 years and keep me as a member of their creative team.

KCET Visionary Awards

mary — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 12:21:13 +0000

KCET, the Los Angeles community television station, celebrated their annual gala event by honoring Rick Caruso, a local developer who had demonstrated an exceptional philanthropic commitment to Southern California. I worked with the fundraising committee to create a unifying theme for mailers, posters and event promotions. I designed a unique foldout invitation that mirrored the elegant style of Mr. Caruso and helped to set the stage for the formal event. The warm black, gold and creme color palette created a dramatic link to all of the gala pieces.

Millennium CX Branding

mary — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 17:53:19 +0000

Bausch & Lomb needed to invigorate the Millennium Surgical System — it had been on the market for more than a year but the product had very little cachet in the minds of ophthalmic surgeons. We uncovered the unique attributes of the internal pump and named it ‘Concentrix’ to set it apart from the competition. The Millennium CX was relaunched with a theme of ‘think next’ — elevating the benefits, as opposed to just the features. The dramatic revolving arrows were used in preshow promotions and the more subtle revolving arrows with messaging were used in the brochures.

Click on ‘View More Details’ to see the product brochure.

Ventro Annual Report

mary — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 23:43:00 +0000

Ventro was a rapidly rising company that specialized in b2b e-commerce, especially medical products. The company had been overwhelmed with growth and needed a last minute annual report — with a small budget and no photography. I worked with the ‘emerging’ theme to create pages that had an expanding, segmented styling to the imagery. This project was created through Asbury & Associates.