Visual Commu o nications Portfoli
Nice to meet you! I’m Emily, a lover of all things creative. I study Visual Communications and Graphic Design at the University of South Carolina, where I work as Creative Director of Garnet & Black Magazine and The Carolina Agency. I believe in good design, inclusivity, and kindness, and I strive for my work to reflect these values. emilyschoonover.com | emilyaschoonover@gmail.com | 706.616.7101
04 | Illustration Client Work • Art Prints • Paper Goods • Editorial 14 | Design Identity Systems • Publications • Advertisements • Infographics 26 | Digital Motion Graphics • Web Design • Videography • Photography
A rt Work • t n Clie
Prints • Paper Goo ds • Ed itorial
AbleSC Save the Date When AbleSC had to rethink their annual fundraiser to ensure it was COVID-friendly, they immediately thought of “hygge,� or the Norwegian word that conveys a mood of coziness, comfort, and wellness. Since guests would be attending virtually, from their own houses, this client really wanted their save the date invitations to feel home-y and warm. I illustrated this set of icons so those looking at them could be immersed in hygge, so that they can hear the crackle of a record player and the warmth of a cup of tea. Subtle patterns, textures, and soft colors emphasize this feeling. 6 | Illustration
Jarrett’s Jungle Ads These advertisements are a part of a spec campaign I developed to encourage college students and younger people to shop at Jarrett’s Jungle, a local plant store. I took a page from common dating app imagery and wording to create ads that are not only cute and playful, but are informative as well. 8 | Illustration
Stationary and Print Illustrations The illustrations on the left were inspired by the idea of empowerment and independence. They are reminders of confidence and strength brought to life and covered in pink for an added dash of feminine power. On the right is a greeting card I designed in an effort to send more snail mail, inspired in part by the isolation of COVID quarantine and by the need to support the USPS. 10 | Illustration
Tarot Cards I illustrated these tarot cards as an interactive spread for Garnet & Black’s Fall 2020 issue. I developed an accompanying Snapchat lens that allows readers to receive a Tarot reading on their phone. Simply scan the Snapcode in the app, hover the camera over your card of choice, and get your reading! This lens has been viewed over 700 times. 12 | Illustration
• Publications • Ad Systems vertise y t i t ments n e d • Infographics I
Garnet & Black Magazine Being a part of the G&B staff for three years as a designer, art director, and creative director has not only given me insight into the world of print, but it has also allowed me room to experiment with combining photos, illustrations, and graphics to tell stories in eye-catching ways. 16 | Design
Original logo
New logo
Sketches and exploration
Key Changes Therapy Services Key Changes Therapy Services offers music, occupational, and speech therapy to children with cognitive disabilities. However, the client’s original logo only reflected the music aspect of their services, and they wanted to rebrand to represent the full scope of their work. I developed the new logo to play on a different meaning of the word “key,” and each section of the brain signifies one of the three services Key Changes offers. 18 | Design
VISUAL IDENTITY
This is the primary logo. Use it as frequently as possible, as long as space allows. Try to maintain a some clear space around the logo to give it room to breathe. This logo should not be stretched or distorted, and the colors should not be altered. This is the secondary logo. Use it when space doesn’t allow for the full logo, or when the name “Key Changes Therapy Services” is already on the piece. Use this logo for social media profiles and icons as well. The tagline is “Unlock the mind.” This represents that when typical therapies and other treatments don’t seem to work, Key Changes can break throught the barriers and reach untapped potential. Use this with the logo as often as possible.
PLUM #A02062 CMYK 0 80 39 37 RGB 160 32 98 GOLD #F6C44E CMYK 0 20 68 4 RGB 246 196 78
TEAL #32B0B6 CMYK 73 0 3 29 RGB 50 176 182 Use plum as the primary color, with teal and gold as accents. Use all colors at an opacity of around 70% as secondary colors for a softer look. Use plum with arts therapy, teal with occupational, and yellow with speech.
RALEWAY Bold
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
Semibold Regular
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Raleway is available both on Adobe and Google Fonts. Use the bold weight for main headers. Semibold should be used for titles, and regular for body copy. Body copy should generally be around 12-14 pt. Use italics for emphasis.
I also developed simple brand guidelines so that the small team at Key Changes could easily maintain their new identity system across all platforms. The elements are clean and welcoming, as shown in these business cards. This identity was developed over the course of 24 hours during UofSC’s CreateAThon with a team of four other students. My role was graphic and motion designer. 20 | Design
Since Key Changes relies heavily on donations as funding, we decided to create an explainer video the client could share on social media to both educate the public and encourage contributions. The team came up with a script and I developed the motion graphics to accompany it. This piece follows the new identity system and uses a voice-over paired with simple graphics and animations to illustrate the impact a small donation can have on a child’s life.
Carolina Insider This is an annual special publication produced by The Gamecock that covers the best of the best in Columbia. I designed the cover and section pages for the 2019-20 edition, which features popular landmarks, businesses, and activities on and off campus. I wanted this publication to stand out from anything else on campus news racks, so I strayed from the traditional UofSC colors and graphic style. Bright collages of illustration and large, bold text keep things fun and inviting. These publications were distributed by the thousands to Gamecock students and parents. 22 | Design
Rave Guardian The Department of Law Enforcement and Safety at UofSC requested a redesign of their current advertisements which encourage students to download the Rave Guardian safety app. One of the app’s primary features is a safety timer for when students walk alone, so I chose to illustrate a scene that every student can relate to. I played upon distinctly “college” elements in the imagery and headline in order to further relate to the target audience. This ad was later developed for newspaper, magazine, and web. It won 2nd place for best display ad (CMBAM 2020) and 1st place for best advertisement (SCPA 2020).
Garnet Media Group I developed this campaign for GMG to share information with customers about advertising space. Using brand colors, clever headlines, and retro-inspired illustrations, these unique sales fliers conveys the necessary information without looking boring or corporate. 24 | Design
Pound for Pound The purpose of this infographic was to convey a set of assigned facts and statistics in an easily digestible way. I combined graphs with illustrations to make this infographic more interesting and used a bright, contrasting color scheme to catch the viewer’s eye.
Web Design • Vide ograph raphics • G n y • Phot tio o ography M
Know When to Write a Thank-You Note This video was created for Garden & Gun’s “The Manual of Southern Know-How.” Rustic, textured illustrations paired with charming narration reflect the style and voice of this publication. Flowing transitions keep the viewer interested as one scene blends into another. 28 | Digital
On the far left are my original sketches, which I developed into the storyboards shown beside them. These were further simplified and refined based on client requests until we reached the final style, shown above. This piece was produced alongside Dejon Johnson and won a silver ADDY for both social media and animation.
Moonlit Press Web Design I designed this website mockup as a e-commerce platform for my small business, Moonlit Press, to sell stickers, stationary, and other paper goods. The design is clean and airy to match my branding and to keep my products at the center of the viewer’s attention. Easy navigation and simple graphics ensure that this website is accessible and attractive. 30 | Digital
Your Life is Not a Game This project is a 60-second PSA to bring attention to symptoms of depression that are often brushed off as strains of young adulthood. The tagline, first-person point of view, and on-screen graphics like options and a health bar all mimic the look of a video game. I used this parallel to grab the attention of high school and college students. The black and white footage paired with eerie, ethereal music and glitch effects emphasize the somber tone. 32 | Digital
How to Plant a Succulent The purpose of this video was to teach the viewer a task in just 30 seconds. Hand-drawn text and video clips appear and transition in sync with a quick, playful beat in order to keep viewers engaged. 34 | Digital
Cola Kicks This mini-documentary features two young entrepreneurs who turned an Instagram page into a successful shoe store. Co-owners Adam Patrick and Josh Kilgore talk about their humble beginnings, their passion, and their hopes for the future as viewers get a glimpse of Cola Kicks and the faces behind it. Shot and produced with Haley Salvador. 36 | Digital
Journalistic Photos These photos document a Toddler Time event at the Georgia Aquarium, where children get to meet and learn about the creatures of the sea. The use of silhouettes emphasize the contrast between the small children and the vastness of underwater life. 38 | Digital
Product Photography: Studio When styling this product shoot, I chose red props to accent the vibrant color of the purse and convey a heightened sense of femininity. 40 | Digital
Product Photography: Natural Light For this shoot, I took advantage of golden hour light to highlight the metallic details of this bike and bring out its reddish-orange accents.
Photo Story For my photo story assignment, I followed engineer-turned-metalsmith Valerie Lamott as she prepared for a local indie craft show, Crafty Feast. Her beautiful jewelry is often inspired by the great outdoors, and each of her pieces is handcrafted with meticulous care. Seeing Valerie work in her garage studio, create custom pottery pieces to display her pieces on, and greet hundreds of customers at Crafty Feast with a contagious smile makes the passion and love she has for her craft obvious. 42 | Digital
Studio Fashion This shoot was inspired by lavender branches, timeless beauty, and simplicity. I wanted to create a soft backdrop that would highlight the models as well as the details in each outfit like makeup and jewelry. I used these photos to create a mock ad for the sustainable brand Kotn, promoting their line of fall basics. I incorporated aspects of the photo shoot, like a sprig of lavender and a length of twine to create a sense of cohesion throughout. 44 | Digital
emilyschoonover.com | emilyaschoonover@gmail.com | 706.616.7101