Newz

We’re inspired by good work in all its forms, creativity in unusual places, people who think differently, and organizations willing to take calculated risks.

magazine on coffee table with AI-generated illustration on on the cover
Prompts and perseverance A client called in June asking for help in creating an original illustration for a magazine cover. I’ve done this countless times in my career, but — for this project — talent sourcing and art direction was much different. The “talent” was AI.  For the Summer issue of the NSAA Journal, editor Heather Fried dipped her toe into the wild west of AI imaging software. Her challenge: to create a cover image to represent the issue’s editorial content. When she first shared her idea, I thought “brave,” but was quietly hoping not to get involved. I could
Combining talents for delectable outcomes Last summer, the Méli Mélo Charcuterie Boards — a lively collaboration with 600 Grit fine wood design — debuted in the art festival world. Maria Garcia, my former tennis partner and expert woodworker, had applied as an emerging artist to two of the nation’s most prestigious fairs — the Fort Worth Main Street Arts Festival and Denver’s Cherry Creek Arts Festival. A Colorado native now at home in Texas, Maria clearly had soaked in some of the “go big or go home” Lone Star attitude in targeting these events, but even she was slightly overwhelmed

Salon Savvy

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It’s a good hair day. “A good hair day is the most amazing day ever!”, to quote the Urban Dictionary. Helping clients have more of them is the raison d’être for elle.b Salon’s Central location in West Denver. When the award-winning studio added skin, nail and brow services to complement their cut, color and extensions expertise, however, the word salon no longer seemed enough. EnZed Design was invited to collaborate on renaming the enterprise to communicate its expanded offerings and distinctive style. (A savvy decision, if we do say so.) The new moniker, elle.b Savvy, was directly inspired by the
“I do,” was my reply when Denny’s creative services popped the question: Do you design wallpaper?  I’d just completed a custom pattern and a dozen or so templates for the corporation’s to-go boxes, cups, bags, and seals. This new request was a special invitation — to design the wall covering for their Las Vegas Wedding Chapel* on the iconic strip.  With unbridled enthusiasm, I reviewed the creative brief. My task was to marry icons from the bride and groom t-shirts with the iconic French diamond shape housing the restaurant’s logo. A childhood of road trips and a decade of designing
Custom patterns can bring your brand fashion forward. Does your logo deserve a bigger, better sense of style? Whether making an online or in-person appearance, a brand requires a suite of assets — or wardrobe — to differentiate the organization it represents. Brand guidelines typically cover the basics, such as logo colors, fonts, maybe photo style and copy tone — the white t-shirt and jeans of marketing. But maintaining a powerful presence by ensuring visual continuity is far more complex – not unlike fashioning the signature look that makes a day-to-evening transition effortless.  By providing my clients more options, customized