HELLO THERE “This portfolio is a reflection of me as a designer and as a person. It holds what inspires me and what drives my passions. It is my great pleasure to invite you to flip through the pages. My hope is that it will inspire you to love design as I do.�
I am a Point Loma Nazarene University graduate, a believer in Christ, a coffee addict, a dessert advocate, a Southern California native, a girl supported by her family and a lover of everything design. I find my happy place when I lose myself in a design project with an exceptional cup of coffee in hand. To me, design is meant to inspire ideas, motivate actions, and engage emotions. I swoon over beautiful scripts, clean san-serifs, and neutral Pantones. I am inspired by thoughtful, minimalistic designs and I bubble with excitement at the thought of working as a designer for a company that holds similar values as my own. I wish to surround myself with individuals I can learn from and aspire to be like. The people around me will help shape me into the person I will become. I believe that my career will be very important but it is the people in my life and the positive legacy I wish to leave that is the most important.
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PERSONA L B RA ND I N G
A S P E CI A L T H A N KS
B r an d Id en tity
60 08 BLOOMS MAG A Z I NE P u b l ica tio n D esig n
16 BLOOMS A NNU A L RE P O RT In fo r matio n Gr aphi c s
22 A MPERSTA MP PA PER CO T y p o g r a p hy
26 VOL K SWAG EN MU SE UM E n v ir o n men ta l D e s i g n
34 A BSOL U TELY EV ENTS B r an d Id en tity
40 POE STREET C OFFEE P r o d u ct D esig n
46 I VY SMI L ES D esig n fo r Go o d
52 BRA NSON B REWI NG H O US E P r o d u ct D esig n
P E O P L E TO M E N T I O N
SELF BRANDING
My style is neutral, clean, and simple. I have a “less is more” philosophy when it comes to my personal style and design. I swoon over designs that are stripped down to the bare essentials and use the most basic principles to stand out among a world that is cluttered. My favorite fonts are san-serifs like Gill Sans and Avenir, especially when they are used in all caps and kerned out far. It was important to me that my personal identity was “me” through and through. When designing a brand for myself, I wanted it to capture me as a designer and as a person. My objective was to represent my simple style and my love for minimalistic and clean designs. I did this first, by choosing a color palette that wasn’t flashy or vibrant but that was subtle and basic. That is why I wanted to design using only black type, white polka dots, and gray texture. To continue with the simplicity, I chose a sans-serif font for my logo — bolding my first name to give the design more dimension and interest. I also liked the contrast between having a textured background paired with a graphic white box.
BRAND IDENTITY, TYPOGRAPHY
JOHNSON 6
JOHNSON 7
BLOOMS MAGAZINE
I have discovered this year that I have a love for publication design. I am “wow!-ed” when I see a well designed spread and I enjoy flipping through magazines as a pass time activity. Before this year, I felt like I had never been exposed to the world of true publication — not junk celebrity gossip magazines — but magazines that are designed as an artform. I first fell in love when I discovered Darling Magazine and Kinfolk Magazine at Anthropologie. From there, I was inspired to create and design my own for one of my senior projects. Blooms Magazine is a collection of photography I am inspired most by. The idea behind it is to merge gardening with art and design. It is a creative take on the typical plant publication. Blooms Magazine is intended to serve as more than just a book with gardening tips but also as a book to be set out for guests to view while visiting. My goal was to design a publication that was completely “me” inspired. I did this my choosing only the best fonts, the most beautiful photography, and keeping the spreads as simple and clean as possible.
PUBLICATION DESIGN, BRAND IDENTITY, TYPOGRAPHY
Blooms MAGAZINE
JOHNSON 11
JOHNSON 12
JOHNSON 13
JOHNSON 14
JOHNSON 7
BLOOMS ANNUAL REPORT
I loved creating Blooms Magazine and wanted to extend upon it by designing an annual report for the same company. The objective for Blooms Magazine Annual Report was to present important information in the most aesthetically appealing way possible while still maintaining professionalism. It was also important to capture the Blooms Magazine “vibe� to make one unified brand identity. I did this by choosing similar photography that was present in the magazine publication, maintaining the same fonts, and establishing a similar color scheme. This annual report contains yearly reports such as balance sheets, graphs on spending, and income statements. It also includes an update on what the company has been doing during the past year to help their community and news on company expansion happening in the coming calander year.
PUBLICATION DESIGN, INFORMATION GRAPHICS
BLOOMS MAGAZINE 2013
ANNUAL
REPORT
JOHNSON 19
AMPERSTAMP PAPER COLLECTIVE
This year, I had the lovely opportunity to be apart of a great company called Posh Paperie as their intern. It was at this internship where I found a love for thick paper, flawless letterpress, and beautiful scripts. I also found that I really enjoy stationary design and appreciated the simple, yet feminine and sophisticated designs that are popular in the wedding industry. This new found love inspired me to create my own paper brand that would specialize in making both pre-designed and custom stationary. My objective for this company was to create a brand that was simple and relatable. I wanted a company that made designs that could be built around customers own photography– designs that could be easily customizable. I did this by first creating a postcard series that could be used for a variety of occasions. The design is clean, simple, and could work with many different photos. If I were to expand the company, I would design more wedding products such as save the dates, invitation suites, table numbers, wedding programs, shower invitations, and rehearsal dinner invitations.
BRAND IDENTITY, TYPOGRAPHY
JOHNSON 24
JOHNSON 25
VOLKSWAGEN MUSEUM
Volkswagens have had a history of being “first cars” in my family. My parents reminisce about times when my dad would pick my mom up for dates in his “baja bug” that had an exposed engine in the back and how my grandpa put a Minnie Mouse sticker on my moms bright yellow beetle so she would be able to find it in busy parking lots. The tradition of Volkswagen continued in my family when my parents surprised me with a white bug after I turned 16. I have fond memories that surround Volkswagen so I thought it was very appropriate to design a Volkswagen Museum for one of my projects. There is currently a Volkswagen Museum which is located in Germany that does not have an established identity apart from the VW logo. My objective for this project was to bring an identity to that museum that represented the unique history of the VW brand. I wanted the museum to have a modern feel with a retro undertone. I accomplished this through the use of bright colors, clean typography, and unique photography while maintaining the recognizable VW logo.
BRAND IDENTITY, ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN
JOHNSON 28
JOHNSON 29
JOHNSON 31
JOHNSON 33
ABSOLUTELY EVENTS
I have always been inspired by the wedding industry and the design that goes along with it. So I was excited when I was asked by Angie Metts, owner of Absolutely Events, to give AE a new brand identity — this included a new logo, new business cards and new company documents. Angie is the type of person who makes everyone feel at ease when she is present. She is positive and has a glow about her that is contagious. Her company is very representative of her personality and has a feminine loveliness that I thought was important to capture in her rebrand. The objective of this rebrand was to communicate what type of company AE is to potential couples. It is important to show brides the type of weddings Absolutely Events usually works with to help perspective clients decide if AE is the wedding coordination company that would be the best fit for them. The concept I designed for Absolutely Events captures who Angie is as a person and what personality her company has taken on over its years of service. I accomplished this by choosing a light color palette, using a sophisticated serif, and designing a feminine flower stamp as the logo.
BRAND IDENTITY
We d d i n g P l a n n i n g , D e s i g n & C o o r d i n a t i o n
JOHNSON 36
JOHNSON 37
JOHNSON 39
POE STREET COFFEE
I am a lover of coffee. Nothing says, “good morning!” like an exceptional cup after rolling out of bed. However, I was saddened when I realized that most coffee is a product of human slavery and unfair working conditions. This harsh reality is what inspired me to create my own brand of coffee that also does good in the community by providing fair trade products. My inspiration for the name came from the street my fiancé lives on in San Diego, CA. I always liked how Poe Street rolled off the tongue and I knew I wanted to use it as a brand name. I decided to use it for my coffee company because “Poe” also reminds me of the famous poet, Edgar Allen Poe, and I thought it would be creative to use a crow, a bird talked about in one of his poems, to represent the brand. Since this company is fair trade, my objective was to have an organic but simple feel to the company. I did this by using Kraft paper bags for packaging the coffee beans and for the stationary. I paired the organic looking brown with bold black stripes because I wanted to communicate to the audience that this brand is taking a bold stand against human slavery. I thought that the contrast between the boldness of the black against stark white of the labels and the organic brown of the Kraft paper represented that well.
BRAND IDENTITY, PACKAGE DESIGN
FAIR TRADE COFFEE
HELLO THERE “This portfolio is a reflection of me as a designer and as a person. It holds what inspires me and what drives my passions. It is my great pleasure to invite you to pjkjkjkjkk through the pages and to hopefully be inspired to love design as I do.�
I am a Point Loma Nazarene University graduate, a believer in Christ, a coffee addict, a dessert advocate, a Southern California native, a girl supported by her family and a lover of everything design. I find my happy place when I lose myself in a design project with an exceptional cup of coffee in hand. To me, design is meant to inspire ideas, motivate actions, and engage emotions. I swoon over beautiful scripts, clean san-serifs, and neutral Pantones. I am inspired by thoughtful, minimalistic designs and I bubble with excitement at the thought of working as a designer for a company that holds similar morals to my own. I wish to surround myself with individuals I can learn from and aspire to be like because the people around me shape me into who I am as a person. I believe that my career will be very important but it is the people in my life and the positive legacy I wish to leave that is the most important.
JOHNSON 43
JOHNSON 44
IVY SMILES
Last summer, I took a trip to Malawi, Africa where I met the sweetest girl named Ivy. Ivy is a part of an incredible non — profit organization called Children of the Nations who pairs sponsors with children in need. They support villages in several parts of the world where there is a great need for basic necessities such as food, drinking water, and shelter. They bring aid to these villages in the form of building construction, spiritual guidance, and basic supplies. Upon returning to the United States after my trip, I was emailed by COTN about an initiative they were having where they wanted to get 500 kids sponsored before school started. However, this initiative unfortunately failed to even come close to their goal. I recognized that it was most likely due to their poor advertising and promotional materials. So, for my project, I decided to create my own initiative named after my sweet Ivy to get 500 children sponsored before Christmas. My objective was to create a unique brand with posters, pamphlets, and web banners to make people feel like they are a part of something important and unique. Sponsors have the ability to change lives and my idea for this project was to create a feeling of empowerment so that people will take the initiative to get involved. I did this through the use of simple typography, minimalistic graphics and unique photography.
WEB DESIGN, DESIGN FOR GOOD
JOHNSON 48
JOHNSON 51
BRANSON BREWING HOUSE
This beer company was inspired by a character from the popular British show, Downton Abbey. The show takes place in Britain during the 1920’s , however, Tom Branson — the character who inspired this beer brand — is an Irishman who married into the wealthy British family. Tom Branson often finds himself the odd man out and longs to be back home in Ireland. I thought an Irish beer would do well as a brand because Ireland has a rich beer culture. I have also always been intrigued with Irish culture and history so I thought it would be interesting to create a beer designed after it. Branson Brewing House is an Irish inspired beer brand. My objective was to create a brand that captured the essence of Ireland in the 1920’s while still maintaining a modernity that appeals to culture today. I did this by choosing dark greens and greys for the color palette, using a san-serif font, and brown Kraft paper material for the packaging. I also designed the logo as a stamp which was a popular means of branding during the time period.
BRAND IDENTITY, TYPOGRAPHY
JOHNSON 54
JOHNSON 55
JOHNSON 57
A SPECIAL THANKS “This portfolio is the product of my college years but it is my family and friends who made it worth creating in the first place. They have inspired me more than they realize. Their support means everything to me.”
I feel both a sense of relief and a tinge of anxiousness as I complete this portfolio. It symbolizes the end of a chapter and the beginning of something completely new — a newness that is still unclear to me. As I reflect back on my time in college, I see my growth as a person and as a designer. I realize that my journey is really nothing without the people who were, and still are a tremendous part of my life — to them, I owe everything to. I want to first thank my absolute best friend and fiancé, Ryley Johnson, for being my biggest fan and for loving me through the stresses of completing a senior portfolio. I want to thank my parents for encouraging me every step of the way as I figured out who I am and who I am wanting to become. I want to thank my best friends — Katie Engle, Christine Day, Erica Wright, Megan Calzia, Melissa Gunter, and the Poe Street Boys — for being a positive encouragement every time I needed it, you guys mean the absolute world to me. I don’t think God could have blessed me with a better group of friends. I also want to say thank you to “the mac pack” — we did it! Janelle Hiroshige — experiencing college was a blast with you. I’m so glad we met freshman year! Cody Chase and Payton Beckman — thank you for your patience and help as I figured out photography. And to the rest of the clan — You guys made going to the mac lab enjoyable and I couldn’t be more proud to graduate with such an exceptional group of designers. Lastly, I want to give a huge thank you to Courtney Mayer for investing in us wholeheartedly and always encouraging us to design what we love. Your passion for teaching and for design is very inspiring. I couldn’t have asked for a better senior portfolio professor. I am excited to be graduating and moving on to a new stage of life. These people have made me feel like I can accomplish anything and I am anxious to see where God will lead me. Thank you for viewing my portfolio — I hope it gave you a small insight into who I am as a person and as a designer.
T HAN K YO U TO O U R P ORT FO LIO R EVIEWERS: Gu u sj e Bend eler | Creative Direc tor P ar al l ax Br andi ng + Interac tive Tyler Blik | F o under + Creative Direc tor Bl i k Design Bobby Bu c ha nan | Princ ip al Buchanan Design Min C hoi | A r t Di r e c tor + Senior Designer M e nt us Int e r ac tive Marketing Da ve Conove r | Owner Studi o Conover Ma ximo E sc obed o | Creative Direc tor M axi mo, Inc Peter H orj u s | Illu strator P e t e r Ho r j us De s ign + Illu stration Pa tti J u d d | Presid ent Judd Br and Med ia Vi ce -P r e si de nt, San Diego Film Festival Ch ris McC a mp bell | Design Direc tor Kathy Davi s Assoc iates T r a cy Mei ners | Cr e ative Direc tor, Owner Studio TM S cott Mires | P ar t ner + Creative Direc tor M i r e s+Bal l Brand Design F a brizio Sc rip p a | Creative Direc tor F abr i zi o Scip p a Graf ic a K e l l ie Sch roed er | P r e sid ent + Creative Direc tor F ue l haus Int e gr at e d Brand Commu nic ations M ic h e lle Shoema ker | F reelanc e Grap h ic Designer H u man Tr affi ck i ng Co ngregational Liaison at P o i nt Lo ma Nazarene University Ce nte r fo r Just i ce & R ec onc iliation G loria T ebelma n | Assoc iate Art Direc tor San Di e go Magaz ine
T HA NK YO U V E RY M U C H TO TH OSE WH O SH AR ED T H E I R T I M E , A N D EX P ER P ISE: N ick Aba d illa | P ho tograp h er and f ou nd er Ni ck A badi l l a—p h otograp h y Ma rcy Alyn | A s s o ci ate Direc tor and Designer U n iv e r si ty o f San Di e go — InDesign p age layou t sec rets Sibyl R u bottom | M.F.A. Yale University C o - fo u nde r o f Bay P ar k P r e ss —art of h and -mad e books D a niel Hefferna n | D esigner and Letterp ress P r int e r o f Cl o ve St r e e t Press—art of letterp ress
P H OTO G RA P H Y C R EDITED TO : A bs o l ut el y E v e n t s | Bra ndo n Ki dd P h o to g ra p hy I v y Sm il es | S a ra h Jo ub ert A m p er s t a m p P a p er | Bet ha ny Uy b o co * I do n ot o w n the r i ght s to any p h otos u sed in Blooms M a ga z ine o r Bl o o ms A nnual R ep ort or th e c over p h otos fo r B r a n s o n Br e w i ng Ho us e , Amp erstamp Pap er, and Poe S t r e et C offe e . A l l pho to s w e re taken f rom Pinterest, and T u mbl r w he r e t he o r i gi nal sou rc e was u nknown.
T HA NK YO U TO T H O S E W H O M ADE TH E P O RT FO LIO R E V I E W A R EALIT Y: O f f ic e of Strength a nd Vocation—Re yna Sun d, N i ck Wolf, Sa nd y Ische | Event Planning Kyle F u ru sh o | G uitar Entertainment
PO RT FO L I O PRI N T ED BY N EY EN ES CH
FIND ME ON BEHANCE.COM/JENNA-JOHNSON