Redesign to Keep Fresh

About a week ago I read a post on a linked in group I belong to which I found to be of really sound advice. A fellow designer had mentioned when she sees fliers that she does not like she takes them home an re-does them. Brilliant! In this day and age of so much info coming at us so fast it can be hard to come up with projects to practice on from scratch, using her idea the project already has content it just needs some new design. A great way to keep my design skills and creativity fresh!

As I’ve been mulling this over in my mind, I’ve had a specific flyer in mind that has been fermenting ever since I saw it. So finally I went to work and in almost no time had redesigned the poster. The result was a great exercise in design, and I felt great afterward, having been able to unleash some creative juices. This is definitely a practice I will be adopting from now on.

Before:

Art in the Barn Original Flier

 

After:

Re-Designed Flier

Going Home Again…

After years as an in-house designer for a large furniture manufacturer/distributor I was a highly disillusioned designer. I had started in design to help others by provided great design to promote great causes/organizations. Unfortunately the economy had other plans for my career… Sound familiar? But today I realized not all is lost, I had a great influx of hope and excitement regarding my career and where it is going. It is one thing to get excited about abstract possibilities, it is quite another to get excited about actual possibilities.

What happened you ask? The United Way finally got back to me and seem to be just as excited as I am about the possibility of collaborating with them. Why the excitement? I think the email I sent my contact at the United Way sums it well quite well, here is an excerp:

…As my initial email explained I own Empowered by Design, Inc. which was founded to provide small business, non-profit, and educational organizations great design within their marketing budget. I believe that organizations that keep their communities strong and connected deserve to have the same great quality of design available to them as larger corporations with larger marketing budgets.

 

I founded EBD partly because I personally believe in the Buddhist concept of “Right Livelihood” which means engaging in professions that benefit the community as a whole and that are ethically and morally sound. I went to design school with this concept in mind and started my career as a designer at Highline Community College, which was a perfect match for me. After a layoff due to budget cuts I took an in-house job for a large furniture manufacturer and distributor. I was there for close to 5 years but I never forgot my goal of providing design for small business, non-profit, and educational organizations. Last year I left my in-house job to have my son.

 

After close to a year off, I have decided it is time to follow my heart and do what I love (design) for all of the reasons I started out with after college. I always dreamed of providing great designs for great organizations that help build community and that’s what I’ve set out to do. Part of following my beliefs is to provide great design to organizations that have no marketing budget but have great goals. This has led me to the United Way…

Today I realized that even in this economy, even in this materialistic/capitalistic society, it is still possible to hold true to my dreams and ideals and follow the path to Right Livelihood.

Educational Handouts

Currently I am working on educational handouts for a nonprofit that specializes in finding safe, affordable housing for low-income families and helps them to find the next steps in their journey. These educational handouts are incredibly basic by design standards, however, I find them to be quite fulfilling. Just knowing that these handouts will help to give someone the skills they need to maintain and keep their home makes it worthwhile.

In the design field I see so much focus on the “uber cool artistic” design work. But sometimes something simple is just what the brief ordered and will do so much good for so many. Don’t get me wrong, I love designing the “uber cool” stuff. The creative release from those designs is a rush like no other. But, I also love knowing that my designs, no matter how complex or simple, are making a difference in people’s lives and building stronger communities. Sometimes the challenge is not to improve my design skills, it is to improve the community I live in with my design skills.

About Empowered by Design

Empowered by Design was founded to provide small business, non-profit, and educational organizations great design within their marketing budget. We feel that organizations that help keep their communities strong and connected deserve to have the same great quality of design available to them as larger corporations with larger marketing budgets. Whether you are looking for a small flyer or an entire website, Empowered by Design is here to help you get the most out of your marketing dollar.

Why focus on small business, non-profit, and education:

Small businesses are the foundation of local communities, not to mention local economies. The importance of small businesses cannot be overstated, they provide the core goods and services as well as jobs that keep the community running. They are also, often times, among the largest contributors to charity in their communities.

 

Non-profit organizations provide a wide variety of essential services for those in need and help to stabilize the community through their work. The services they provide often mean the difference between success and failure for many community individuals.

 

Educational organizations help to develop the skills and abilities of individuals that are essential to becoming a productive, contributing member of a community. Not only is their work is instrumental in building stronger communities, it is essential.