All Posts in Shout Outs

February 8, 2021 - Comments Off on Discovering Jade Purple Brown

Discovering Jade Purple Brown

When I stumbled upon Jade Purple Brown on Instagram @jadepurplebrown, I was immediately drawn to her bold, striking illustrations of women living, doing, being. Colors and shapes exploded off the screen, capturing (and freeing) the power of each person, leaving me wanting to meet her and hear her stories.

Words to Live By, illustrated by Jade Purple Brown and marked with Keep Tabs, flag it with flair! 

In the book Words to Live By, 50 original quotes from 50 inspiring women jump off the page. The quotes are not public domain, so fresh and zesty. Each is designed with colorful typography and paired with a gorgeous illustration, bringing power to the words with images of strength, unique beauty, and resilience. Maybe I see these qualities, because it’s what I need right now, but each time I page through it, a different image catches my eye and brightens my outlook. I marked a few favorites with Keep Tabs, color coordinating the tab with the image, of course!

Published by Chronicle Chroma

Once I discovered this book, I had to have it—actually five of them, as each woman in my inner circle absolutely needed a copy. Maybe you do too! 
— Helen

April 17, 2018 - Comments Off on Giving back is always in style

Giving back is always in style

This month, Barbara & Company is celebrating their 35th anniversary. EnZed has created advertising for the women’s clothing boutiques since 2005. Back then, we crafted their tagline “The best collection is yours” during a brand update to position the retailer. Currently, we design monthly advertising in the form of emails, print and digital ads and social media assets, and write blogs promoting new arrivals and a myriad of fundraising events for the local retailer. 

Their secret to longevity? Giving back. Owner Kathy King is a true champion of the community, using her stores to fundraise for nonprofits — from an annual food drive and fashion show fundraisers to specific causes like breast cancer research and aid for Boulder flood victims in 2013.

As a small company ourselves, we enjoy supporting small businesses as their design partner — collaborating to create consistent, affordable marketing that connects with their customers and drive sales. Read the latest blog Hemlines and Timelines and enjoy a look back at our designs for Barbara & Company over the years.

August 8, 2017 - Comments Off on A Scroll Down Marian Lane

A Scroll Down Marian Lane

It was 2011 and I was showing pictures of rubylith and T-squares to a tittering crowd at the MCA, recounting the many acts of Marian Halliday. This everlasting pillar of Colorado’s creative community was about to receive the coveted AIGA Fellow award, and I had the honor of introducing her to the audience. Highlighting her achievements was easy; the difficult part was doing justice to her shining personality. So I opened with her signature “helloooooo” and the rest took care of itself.

Fast forward six years to the lobby of Gensler. I’d convened the Advisory Board for their first meeting of the new year and we were gathering at Amy Siegel’s office. I was excited to spend time with Amy as I’d always admired her for being a founding member and great mentor in our community. Marian was there, being a valuable fixture of the chapter, always the “doer”, the helper and connector. That was when she draped an arm around each of our shoulders and said, “Guess who are the newest AIGA Fellows?”

It was now May 19th, a snowy, cold spring day turning to dusk. I was sitting in Room and Board, wearing the dress Karl and I found in Rome on my 49th birthday six months before. Rotating delightfully in a half-round, chartreuse chair, I surveyed the setting. Marty had the microphone talking about 1985, incoming president Victoria and outgoing president Jess beamed in the background, and past president Elysia was running the laptop. My posse was poised in front of the screen — the EnZedders, treasured collaborators, clients, friends and college roomies coming from out of state. Alexis was live streaming it all for my family in New Zealand to see on Facebook. To the other side, a swash of Fellows were seated with familiar and new board members, volunteers peppered in amongst them. I could see my 27-year-old-self in some of their faces, full of anticipation of what might come next with party lights in their eyes. AIGA had brought the lifers, the newbies and the mentors together in one room.

Amy’s video rolled. Her path was different than mine, discovering commonalities and friendships through swimming, developing talents and mentorship programs through working. But our roads were now converging. After a heartfelt tribute from her boss and an elegant acceptance from Amy, my video rolled and Marian took the floor. She had a scroll with a large red ribbon. She untied it and, like Santa’s good-girls-and-boys list, it unfurled dramatically and dropped down to the top of her toes. And so began my introduction. Marian asked. I said yes. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat... A yes is what plunges you into all sorts of interesting things.

The AIGA National Fellow award program is a means of recognizing seasoned designers who have made a significant contribution to raising the standards of excellence in practice and conduct within their local or regional design community as well as in their local AIGA chapter. The areas of education, writing, leadership and reputation as well as the practice of design are given equal consideration in measuring significant contribution. AIGA is the professional association for design with more than 25,000 nationwide organized in 72 chapters. Colorado’s chapter was established in 1990.

AIGA can act like a mirror. If your career is stagnant, it will present those who are doing what you aspire to, sometimes providing inspiration, other times frustration. If you’re in a place of change, it can provide the springboard to inspire new thoughts, approaches and collaborations. If you’re feeling your power, it offers you a way to give back or reconnect. It’s all about your view of your situation and how you choose to engage with those opportunities around you. I’ve gone through all those stages and I expect I’ll do so again. Thankfully, I can’t say no to you, Marian … ahem … AIGA. But I can say, no regrets.


Photos by  Jim Darling Photography and Hashtagitude

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November 12, 2015 - Comments Off on A Creative Collective

A Creative Collective

Summer of 2015 was a busy season, so busy we are blogging about it in November! EnZed Design hired Ligia Teodosiu, designer and talented illustrator, Helen finished her term as president of AIGA Colorado, and we moved to a new beautiful space at 2626 West 32nd Avenue, just around the corner from the old Tejon location. The new studio is a store front in a small shopping district surrounded by stately Victorian homes and refurbished bungalows as well as restaurants, coffee shops and small boutiques. And lest we forget, the North High School tennis courts are just steps away.

Helen and Ligia are enjoying the company of several creative firms, the same crew from before. Two digital designers—Matt Crest of ACL Software and Chris Arnold of Authentic Form & Function—and two print experts—Jason Wedekind of Genghis Kern and Maura Gauthier of The Paper Guppy—are the primary office mates. There are currently 6 more desks available for other creatives to add to the buzz.

The Furniture Creative Coworking space came about a dream realized by Jason Wedekind to have his letterpress shop under the same roof as his design studio. (If you’re wondering about the Furniture reference, it’s a letterpress term.) When the space came up for rent, he pounced and the renovation began. The new space is has lots of natural light, high ceilings and an open floor plan with designer touches throughout. There’s a private conference room with sliding steel framed walls, a phone booth room with a wall that glows blue when in use, and a sizable kitchen with a garage door in lieu of plate glass window in the back. Jason’s contractor, Sam Brown, salvaged ceiling planks to cover divider walls and built custom 10-foot steel doors for the press room. Wood floors, exposed brick, white walls and stripes of steel lighting give the place an airy open feel with edgy industrial finishes.

Although the LoHi neighborhood is constantly changing, this area is more settled with established store owners flanking the studio. There is lots of street parking on 32nd and the side streets. Look for the original big blue “Denver Fine Furniture” sign.

We hope you’ll come for a visit and explore LoHi a little, too.

 

December 20, 2014 - Comments Off on Our 2014 highlight? An 1863 experience.

Our 2014 highlight? An 1863 experience.

EnZed Design FCC Services Gettysburg Leadership Experience Helen Young

When the innovative marketing director at FCC Services, first spoke with us about rebranding their Gettysburg Leadership Experience, we were intrigued. How often does a design group like EnZed have the opportunity to develop a fresh identity for a program merging 19th Century lessons and 21st Century leadership?  The result, I’m delighted to say, has garnered enough participant interest to fill all 2015 Experience sessions and cause more to be slated. (It’s also led to our being asked to develop special materials to help FCCS celebrate their 40th anniversary and re-energize their conference offerings.)

In brief, The Gettysburg Experience brings corporate executives to the Gettysburg battlefield for an intensive exploration of decisions made during that nation-changing three-day conflict. The goal is to examine what happened at that Civil War turning point and translate it into practical leadership strategies to guide one’s personal and corporate path forward.

EnZed’s initial scope of work included a new logo, program graphic design, marketing collateral and on-site materials for participants to use during their Gettysburg “boots on the ground” journey. Moreover, our copywriter Carla Carwile was to provide web text for project co-partner, Rabble + Rouser.

But something happened on the way to final product.  Our objectivity led to questions that sparked a full-program reassessment by the client. Modules were updated, options expanded and activities aligned. The outcome is winning praise as well as participation. The FCCS board just pronounced it exceptional and a major step forward for the organization.

EnZed Design FCC Services Gettysburg Leadership Experience Helen Young

Shown here are:

• The brochure encouraging enrollment

• The field guide with customized map used by participants while at Gettysburg

• The copper cup memento inscribed with the program logo

 

This multi-layered project succeeded because of true teamwork. A special thanks to:

• Rob Barnes of Vintage Pressworks for his custom iNPEND notebooks and his Civil War expertise

• Matt Luckwitz of GrafPort for his 3D battle-plan map tracking the three-day battle

Frederic Printing for their signature excellence

Annette Slade for the photo appearing here and the finished product images on our EnZed website

 

…and most important, to the FCCS team. Thank you for an extraordinary opportunity.

 

 HAPPY 2015, EVERYONE!

And we'll take a cup o' kindness yet, for auld lang syne.”

February 12, 2013 - Comments Off on Fine Fellows

Fine Fellows

This June, AIGA Colorado is honoring two of our brightest and boldest creatives to be recipients of the prestigious AIGA Fellow Award. The Fellow award program is a means of recognizing designers who have made a significant contribution to raising the standards of excellence in practice and conduct within their local or regional design community as well as in their local AIGA chapter. The areas of education, writing, leadership and reputation, as well as the practice of design are given equal consideration in measuring significant contribution. I’ve been honored with the request to design the gala event invitation.

At the 2011 Fellow awards, I had the opportunity to make the introductions for one of my favorite people—a fine Fellow she is. I would like to share with you a little about my wonderful friend and colleague, Marian Halliday.

AIGA Fellow Award 2011: Marian Halliday
Star Date: June 2011 — Introduction Speech

Huh-looooooo!

Good evening. I’m pleased to have the honor to introduce one of my favorite people in the graphic design industry, Marian Halliday. Or as some of you may know her affectionately as Marian Jolly Halliday, Maid Marian, Marian, Marian the Paper Librarian, or even... Marian the Barbarian!

AIGA Colorado Fellow Marian Halliday paper expert Sprint Press Denver EnZed Design

You maybe wondering why Marian is being symbolized by animated stills. Actually, it’s only fitting because Marian’s entry into the design world was first as an illustrator for animator Paul Fierlinger in Philadelphia. During her two years there, she hand drew cells for animations featured on The Children’s Television Network. Yep, Sesame Street! Paul’s most memorable work from that time was Teeny Little Super Guy.

Marian Halliday started her career as a designer in the publishing world as a paste-up artist at the newspaper Canyon Courier. And eventually she worked as a designer for Macnimera Publishing for eight years where she design collateral for quintessential Colorado clients, like National Cattleman’s Association.

Although her career started in Philly, her love affair with design, designers (one in particular) and AIGA grew when she came to Colorado. As she merged families, she also corralled her passions into something much more far reaching.

AIGA Colorado Fellow Marian Halliday Sprint Press EnZed Design Denver

Fastforward to 2011. On a particularly sunny day this spring, Marian came by and shared with me that she had been helping Bob Taylor’s daughter clean out his office. Given Bob’s love of this creative community, she wanted to be certain nothing of historic importance was lost. But when she said, “You’ll never guess what I found…,” I knew there was a surprise coming with a story to match.

I met Marian in 1993, when she had moved on to paper. I was new to Denver and had just four years of design under my belt. We bonded immediately over the gorgeous textures, the newest colors, the heaviest weights — she knew them all. And best of all, she could read that scary spec chart behind the decks.

Along those lines, let’s just take a moment to review Marian’s career history with this handy, and much simpler, timeline. On left is the Archaic Eon circa 1972 to 1989 where she worked as an illustrator and designer — represented by the T-square.

During this period, it was often noted that Marian could draw a straight line, a skill many clients covet to this day.  Then we enter the eventful Paperozoic Eon. It starts with the 5-year Zellerback period and is followed by the more substantial Unisource Period that lasted through 2009. Note the correlation of the founding of the local AIGA chapter in 1989 and the inaugural Heart Art event, in 1994.

AIGA Colorado Fellow Marian Halliday Sprint Press EnZed Design Denver

If you look very closely, you’ll notice a tiny blip during the 1999-2000 millennium called the Steinian Period, or more commonly known as the Scottie Dog in the Lobby Event. Finally, Marian landed at Johnson Printing where she now functions as their paper librarian by day, and Bat Girl by night. [Marian is now with Sprint Press.]

Woven throughout this enduring career has always been AIGA.

I served with Marian on the board in the mid to late 1990s. A few years prior, the board had conceived Heart Art. A beautiful event at chocolatier Coco Loco, it had captured Marian’s heart and she made it her priority to run it. And she boy did she run with it.

Heart Art became the single most consistent event held by AIGA Colorado. Moreover, it is a significant fundraiser for the association, as well as the community. That longevity and its great return is due to Marian's passion, hard work and ability to recruit a great team of volunteers to make it happen. She's a practical gal, understanding the time and budget limitations, but still managing to turn out great attendance every year. Not to mention, gather the artwork for auction, from our local deadline-stretching designers.

When I see Marian in action on Heart Art, I think of Dick Van Dyke's one-man band in Mary Poppins. Quite a physical feat, with a dash of comic genius. Marian has served on the AIGA Colorado Board, it’s executive committee and as Advisor to the Board. She is always ready to lend a helping hand. She remains involved in many events, as encourager, instigator, organizer, sounding board, and welcoming face.

AIGA Colorado Fellow Marian Halliday Sprint Press EnZed Design Denver

In 2010, she was instrumental in the advancement and renaming of The Robert Taylor AIGA Scholarship. Earlier this evening, you heard from Robert’s daughter, Jenny, about this wonderful resource. Beyond AIGA, Marian loves being it touch with the community. She's often called upon as a recruiter by creative principals or a head hunter by job seekers. She's like a walking Twitter feed.

One hour with Marian and I feel connected. She's how I keep in touch with what's really going on in printing, design and advertising firms, who's working where, and what great account just landed on whose desk. So, at lunch, I got all caught up. Caught up in what a remarkably valuable asset Marian Halliday is to AIGA Colorado.

The momentum builder and worker bee. The bringer of industry news, paper promos, and now printing technologies, too. The caretaker of the past, so we don't forget how we got here. I think when Bob left us, he passed that well-carried torch to Marian.

So, I thought for a good while before responding to her you’ll never guess teaser. What would surprise me in Bob's dusty collection of design tools? No, those are probably still in my basement. We need to go back even further...

AIGA Colorado Fellow Marian Halliday Sprint Press EnZed Design Denver

“Not a clue,” I finally said. “What was it?"
Marian laughed:  “A 300-sheet pad of Rubylith!”

Certainly one for the archives.

AIGA Colorado Fellow Marian Halliday Sprint Press EnZed Design Denver

Thank you Marian. From all of us. And especially from all of the volunteers and members, past and present, who make AIGA Colorado a lively and lovely organization.

Ta! Ta!

Credits: Mary Poppins, Maid Marian, Walt Disney Studios; Bat Girl, DC Comics; Red Sonia, Marvel Comics; Side of Beef, Ask The Meat Man; Brady Bunch, ABC. The imagery collected here was found via Google nearly two years ago. If an image is yours, please contact me and I will add a credit and a link.