Pool Creative » graphic design

DURANGO HIGH SCHOOL SLC PROGRAM

kris — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:06:38 +0000

What a great way to kick off the new year. I just received the SLC brochures off the press and couldn’t wait to share. Durango High School is changing things up, and starting next year will offer a community of Small Learning Communities- where each student can pick the learning style that suits them best. I wish this was an option for me. Needless to say, I’m excited about what it means for the school and am very pleased with the publication I helped them put together. It’s designed to make the process of choosing an SLC a little easier. Each school gets its own spread complete with a matrix that helps you see all the stats at once.

You can view the entire book by clicking on the pdf link below.

SLC Book pdf

HERMOSA CREEK LOUNGE WEAR

kris — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 19:22:47 +0000

I’ve recently finished design of the first edition web site for Hermosa Creek – Affordable Luxury Lounge Wear. The line represents beautiful feeling basics, in clean silhouettes for the contemporary woman. I wanted the site as well as all the collateral to reflect this feeling. Simplicity, sophisticated and comfortable. At this stage they are not selling from the site, but using it as a marketing piece to show the line to buyers.

My role— I work with the designer Christina Erteszek developing and designing her communications pieces, art directing photo shoots for print and web, and most recently in color consultation for the line. The web programmer for this site is William Glenn.

HANGING AROUND

kris — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 19:49:51 +0000

I’ve just finished my first “animation.” It was a project I started with Cara a few years ago and got side lined. I kept meaning to revisit it, but you know how it goes. So the other day, my friend Jack at the Durango Chamber told me to consider finishing it and entering it into the Chamber Video contest. What the hec? So I did. The Look Local First campaign sends a good message in a nice way. No begging or preaching. Just a, “Hey, next time you’re shopping look local first. If you don’t find what you need, then that’s fine.” The animation’s goal: to give you a brief run down of what happens to our dollars and why it’s a good idea to try to keep them flowing in your county.

SPEAKING OF LOGOS… LOGO LOUNGE HAS SELECTED ONE OF MINE

kris — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 15:16:08 +0000

Another one of my logos has been selected to be published as part of the Master Library series, titled Typography & Enclosures- a part of the LogoLounge new series of books. This one is for a package design I put together for Jaki’s Eye Makeup Remover Cloths. This project was maybe one of my favorites. I loved the illustration and fun feel of the design. It was just really great to explore this range. The logo was selected for its typography treatment.

LIVING SOLAR

kris — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 21:47:57 +0000

I just finished designing a new logo for Ben and Holly Jason of Living Solar- formerly Sustainable Living Technologies. I’m really really pleased with this I.D. It seems like many logos you bump into for a solar company, or business include the sun. While that’s an obvious symbol for solar, it’s also very overdone. The challenge here was to develop a logo that is memorable, and different. When Holly told me that she has always thought of a frog as a great mascot as they are incredibly sensitive to their environment and solar energy clearly has its perks when it comes to protecting the environment. It made so much sense. Ok forget that frogs are also sensitive to dry heat and the more literal problems with a frog representing a solar company. It’s a risk image, but a memorable and fun one. I believe one that will work.

But really this brings me to the bigger issue of what a logo should be or do. I know I have written on this before. It’s a big thing for me, because you often see logos that are trying to do too much. It does not have to include everything that a business does. It really just needs to trigger an emotional response. This little frog guy does that for me. It makes me curious, want to know more, smile and think about solar technology and its impact on the world.

I think that’s a good thing.

FIRST NIGHT, FIRST HAND

kris — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 19:20:05 +0000

I’m a little late with this post, but I feel it’s one of those better late then never situations. Mainly because I wanted to give a great big Thank You to Carol Clark of Ecologic for getting this gig together. Durango was long over due for this sort of all ages entertainment on New Year’s. Forget the fact that your eyelashes froze to your face that night, and forget that we had recently received boat loads of snow which made set up that much more fun- it was a great event. And it’s only going to get better.

Way to go Carol!

HONEYSUCKLE

kris — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 19:11:31 +0000

Pantone has released its Color of the Year- For 2011 the color to be and see every where is… honeysuckle. Or pink. Cheery. Optimistic. And who doesn’t feel happy around pink?

As my daughters and I contemplated what color to paint their little vintage bathroom, I brought pink to the party. They loved the idea. Now we’re in beautiful azalea pink towels and a petal pink wall- keeping with the flower theme. And you know, it’s great. You look good in the morning when pink surrounds you.

In the spirit of renewed optimism, I recommend you go out and pink yourself somehow. You know you want to.

FIRST NIGHT IN DURANGO

kris — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 20:19:58 +0000

Having just completed the graphic system for First Night Durango, an EcoLogic Event – I have to say I’m particularly excited about it. Both the system and the event. Durango has been in need of an all ages New Year’s event for some time. This one has something for everyone.

For the entire family, go downtown around 8:00 and jump into the festivities. It’s an all ages celebration, combining art, music, food, activities and kick booty warming stations. Hot chocolate for kids, slightly harder offerings for parents.

And if you are kid free and looking to partake in an adult event, there will also be a Sparkling Wine and Cupcake tasting set up in an enormous tent, heated and decorated lounge style. Music, entertainment and plenty of fun are all part of this private event. Tickets are $50 which I think is a great deal for an entire evening of swanky entertainment.

Get out and have some New Year’s fun Durango!
FIRSTNIGHTDURANGO.COM

HOW DESIGN CONFERENCE- IT’S A WRAP

kris — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 20:47:55 +0000

Starting with Tuesday morning, my brain went into over drive. We got the most succinct run down of the history of branding by Debbie Millman. The premise that successful brands today represent the promise of a new community or family. In short, there are more people living solo today than ever before which goes against the human nature of needing family or a tribe. Through social media, humans have found a new way to connect and create family. Brands that deliver the promise of this connection will ultimately be the successful ones. I felt a little depressed with this, but somehow it explained why I don’t have the drive to jump into social media on a personal level with the exception of wanting to police my daughter’s Face Book page… I get it, but it makes me sad. It makes me want to do all I can as a designer to help people make more human connections in person.

We rolled into a fabulous talk given by Sam Harrison on how to sell your ideas. We’ve all been there and all left a pitch thinking, “they don’t get it.” – Sam gave us a few tricks to help smooth the process out. I wonder if he has ever pitched to a group that insists on 100% consensus? We picked up his book idea selling to sleep on and hopefully absorb it through osmosis.

At that point we jumped over to a quick session on specializing your firm. This is worth an entire blog as I continue to be unsure of our direction here.

And to top it all off we danced our butts off to the tunes of The Jakarta Band. It was a white party, but we didn’t get the memo until we were already in Denver so had to come up short with white outfits. Wonder if my legs would have sufficed? More community. More connection.

The last sad but sweet day created more internal questions and more resolve.

Sum it up- HOW was amazing and I highly recommend it to any designer no matter how big or small.

MONDAY AT THE HOW CONFERENCE

kris — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 04:15:55 +0000

Today was one of those great big overwhelming fabulous days. All in one day I heard about collecting what motivates you- as in it might be something you use later. Which is really funny, because this is something I have had to fight in myself all my life- not to be a pack rat and I feel like I’ve done a pretty darn good job with that. Here I find out that all that crap was actually a good thing. On a side note- I’m really good at finding stuff when I need it. Gail Anderson was a hoot and reminded me of a very good friend which made me smile more while I was watching her.

I learned that it’s OK to be a kick ass swaggering female. I am good at what I do, which is really great design and I’m psyched to be doing it. Erin Sarpa and I should have coffee sometime. I like other kick ass women too.

I learned that when I come back again in another life I want to be Leatrice Eiseman. She gets to travel the world looking for inspiration and new trend with color for Pantone. She is the person along with a few others, that tell the WWD what’s in for the coming seasons regarding color. The Pantone color of 2010- Turquoise. I had my turquoise bag 2 years ago! I was feeling pretty smug about this fact. Kidding aside, I heard a lot of what I felt, which seems to be a continuing thread at this conference for me. Confirmation is a beautiful thing.

After the mellow fashion vibe from Leatrice, we found the complete polar opposite with Mike Perry. He had a stint with Urban Outfitters and I get the feeling he’s still wondering what hit him. He’s a kook and eclectic and just plain funky, but again, its the theme. He is authentic. Gotta love that.

After a day of all that yummyness, Cara and I had to call it a night with burgers and a bottle of wine and a really bad movie featuring one of my favorite bad asses- Benicio del Toro. We’ll forgive him the gory werewolf film.

Did I mention how much I love design?