In Progress Banner

Currently I’m working on and finishing up one of my last projects for the summer for GLFF. Since we have multiple hands in most design and organization decisions, this is a joint project. Jessica, another design intern, and I have collaborated on the banner that will be included on the top of the website homepage and possibly on posters for the organization when it is featured at events. Below are a few options of the banner with a variety of color options and combinations based on the colors found in the existing logo. This banner has been an ongoing project all summer, I will make another post of the process and other examples of banners that Dorit had suggested.

Final meeting in California tomorrow with all the interns before I fly back to Wisconsin!

Tim Burton Exhibit-August 17

I went to the LACMA and the Tim Burton exhibit this past weekend. It was inspiring to see how young and talented Burton started out as an artist and the fact that he started out as an art student.

"The exhibition brings together over 700 drawings, paintings, photographs, moving-image works, storyboards, puppets, concept artworks, maquettes, costumes, and cinematic ephemera, including art from a number of unrealized and little-known personal projects. Many of these objects come from the artist's own archive, as well as from studio archives and private collections of Burton's collaborators. Hundreds of never-before-exhibited artworks and sketches will be joined by a selection of film posters accompanied by music composed for the exhibition by Burton's longtime collaborator Danny Elfman.

Two large-scale outdoor artworks are also installed on campus: a topiary inspired by Edward Scissorhands (1990), and Balloon Boy, an enormous figure based on an amalgamation of characters that Burton first introduced in his 1997 book The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy and Other Stories."

- LACMA website

Progress of Site--August 8

Since arriving at Green Lifestyles in June, the new site has moved ahead but still has a long ways to go as far as layout and information organization. The GreenLifestyles.org website focuses on living a green life in every aspect such as eating organic, using organic or vegan beauty products or entertainment that will only positively benefit your mind. Because there are so many different subjects surrounding the site there is a lot of information that needs to be divided into categories. While the heads of the web design and communication "departments" have been loading information onto the site as well as all of our images from past events, the group of interns has been developing design for the site as well as posters for the events that were held this summer.

It's progressed throughout the summer but it has been difficult developing a cohesive design with so many different people adding designs and ideas. It has been an experience of learning how to work with a client and a start up organization and website. As of today, the site still has not been publicly launched but we hope to launch in the next month or so. There have been set-backs such as the client changing their mind and moving offices. Right now, the organization is moving down the street so it has been chaotic and the site progress has been put on hold as that takes place but our meeting this week Friday (my final meeting) will be at the new location so I'm excited to see the building.

Below is a screen shot of the site so far with the design elements that Dorit has chosen from my background design and colors as well as design elements that she found on other sites that she liked.


The banner (in orange) is a place holder for the moment as myself and another design intern are developing a few final ideas for the banner at the top of the site incorporating the original logo and colors found on the site.

Famous Monsters of Filmland--August 1

In the midst of my Green Lifestyle internship, I found another opportunity through a magazine my friend works for near LA in the San Fernando Valley called Famous Monsters of Filmland. I contacted them with my resume and a link to my website with work samples, looking for freelance work they may need a designer to work on. During the end of the month of July I had an interview with their creative director and was given “homework” to finish to display my abilities and skills as a designer with programs such as Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign.

It would have been a great opportunity where I would be working three times a week at the magazine doing photo correction, file formatting and layout for the editions they release. Unfortunately, I discovered it too late and there wasn’t enough time for them to train me with their company before I would be leaving to return to school in Wisconsin. They loved the work I did but the timing wasn’t ideal. Hopefully I can keep them as a contact and resource if I return to California after graduation.

Design and layout of order form page for FM back issues and special edition issues.

Design and layout (below) of FM clothing and monster merchandise order form.

Green Fair LA--July 30

The event started at 10am and lasted into the evening but each intern was asked to volunteer for one 2 hour spot at some point during the day. The fair was held at the Los Angeles Technical College located near downtown. Thankfully, it was held partially indoors, under large tents because it gets extremely hot and sunny in that area. There were about 20 to 30 booths at the fair, including our own as well as live entertainment and organic/vegan food trucks set up outside of the college. I was technically in the second group of volunteers from 10am until 12pm but when I arrived the booth was still not set up and boxes were everywhere. Luckily, another graphic design intern, Catherine had arrived around 9am and we quickly began organizing and setting up the booth with our posters, informational flyers, and sign up/volunteer sheets for the website. We also organized the raffle prizes Dorit brought along such as vegan/green lifestyle books and DVDs. My favorite prizes were the two vegan necklaces that were available. They were gorgeous ivory necklaces made from an ivory tree rather than ivory from the husks of elephants

After taking around an hour to set up the booth and organize the prizes, I was able to take turns walking around the fair to explore other booths and vendors (and get free samples!). Attending an event likes this is always interesting and informative because I’m still learning a lot about what it takes to live green. There was every form of organization or business at the event such as green cleaning supplies, organic grocery delivery company, eco-friendly baby clothes and toys and organic soaps and lotions. By 12:30 my shift was over and another intern came to replace me but we had three volunteers sign up and one filmmaker who was very interested in developing green videos for the website and the next film festival we hold. The one drawback to the overall even was that they charged people to come into the event and see the booths so I believe that we lost interested people because of it.

Meeting Before Fair--July 28

The main area of focus for the meeting is preparation for Green Fair L.A this coming weekend, July 30 in downtown Los Angeles. Greenlifestyles.org was one of the organizations and businesses picked to set up a booth at the fair that focuses on and brings attention to the importance of living a green life. I’m not sure what to expect as far as the venue and the turn out of events such as these but it should be a fun time to check out the other booths and vendors.

Dorit tends to develop last minute ideas that, while good, have little time to become organized. As designers we have all the posters ready for the event to hang up at our booth. We have a poster with the website name and logo as well as another one advertising our Green Beauty Campaign that launched after the salon makeover event in June. The idea for a raffle will bring people to our booth to learn more about our website and win prizes but I’m curious how she will find prizes by Saturday.