erica schomer
D E S I G N PORTFOLIO
We are always in the process of becoming
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erica schomer S H E ’ S A C R E AT I V E : THIS IS HER STORY
One of the most hands-on classes I’ve taken at St. Edward’s University was Print Production. I learned the basic components of design and explored its rhetorical nature. The course helped me polish my fluency in InDesign, but more importantly fueled my passion for design. I also had the wonderful opportunity to create design with a purpose. In my portfolio, you’ll find a flyer redesign, informational poster design, sales document design, color and type design, brand packaging, and page design. I hope you enjoy my experimental approach to each document’s rhetorical needs. Enjoy.
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TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S 7 FLYER REDESIGN 13 INFORMATIONAL POSTER REDESIGN 19 SALES DOCUMENT DESIGN 25 COLOR & TYPE DESIGN 31 BRAND PACKAGE DESIGN 43 PAGE DESIGN
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F LY E R D E S I G N
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The global public art initiative, Portals, is now at St. Edward’s University through Sept. 30, 2016. Portals, a project of Shared Studios, are gold shipping containers equipped with immersive audio-visual technology. When you enter one, you come face-to-face, live, full-body, with someone in an identical gold shipping container somewhere else on Earth. Participants at the Austin Portal on the St. Edward's campus are invited to enter for up to 20 minutes to converse live with a stranger abroad as if in the same room. Live interpretation is available. RSVP RSVP for 20-minute timeslots at http://www.sharedstudios.com/locations#/st-edwards-university/ Dates 8:30–9:30 a.m., Monday–Friday and noon–2 p.m. Weekend dates will be announced on university social media channels. Location Between Munday Library and Andre Hall
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PORTALS
The global, public arts initiative has arrived.
Get global. PORTALS is an immersive, audio-visual experience that allows people across the world to interact face-to-face. RSVP for timeslot by scanning the QR code.
Open for conversation.
Draft
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PORTALS PORTALS
SHARED_STUDIOS' global, public arts initiative has arrived.
Broaden your worldview PORTALS is an immersive,
Open for conversation
RSVP for timeslot by scanning
RED_STUDIOS' global, public arts initiative has arrived. audio-visual experience that the QR code. allows people across the world to interact face-to-face.
aden your worldview
TALS is an immersive, o-visual experience that s people across the world eract face-to-face.
Munday Library. Sep. 1 - 30.
Open for conversation
RSVP for timeslot by scanning the QR code. Munday Library. Sep. 1 - 30.
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A N A LY S I S I am pleased to present to you my flyer PORTALS that I redesigned for SHARED_STUDIOS. PORTALS is a global arts initiative located on campus. Located in front of the Munday Library is a gold shipping container built with an immersive, life-sized, audio-visual technology that allows you to come face-to-face with someone in another location. The initiative collaborates well with the St. Edward’s motto “take on your world” by interacting with people around the globe. I believe my revisions make the document more visibly attractive, readable, and skimmable. I began by cutting bulky paragraphs and briefly summarizing the objective of PORTALS. If my audience wants more information, they can scan the QR code located in the top right corner. I considered typing the website address, but I believe that, in our world of search engines, most people will simply use Google. Next, I focused on attracting my audience. The giant shipping container may appear mysterious, and I believe that is part of the appeal. I placed an image of the gold shipping container at the bottom of the page to draw my reader’s eyes down the page. I started with a black background and added to a playful blue to attract my reader to the title. I chose two contrasting, clean typefaces: the thick Oswald and the thin Open Sans. I separated two small paragraphs using gridlines, and placed the most relevant information (the description) first, followed by the RSVP, location, and date.
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I N F O R M AT I O N A L POSTER DESIGN
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ORIGINAL
DRAFT
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FINAL
A N A LY S I S I am pleased to present to you my redesign of an informational poster on the science of happiness. While happiness varies among individuals, science reveals dozens of biological factors that directly contribute to a happy, healthy mind. My objective was to redesign a poster simple enough for non-science majors to understand. I began by extracting the information Dr. Sullivan needed. He instructed me to describe happiness in relation to the brain and its neurotransmitters, serotonin and dopamine. In addition, he asked for three ways to boost happiness. I believe my revisions make the document more visibly attractive, readable, and skimmable. This documents displays two typefaces: the serif Source Serif Pro and playful Sunday. I used Source Serif Pro as the body text because it read easily, and Sunday in all caps as the display text because it drew attention and added contrast. Besides the title, I separated all the information within a white box with a dark blue border for readability and organization. I also separated the two sections with a soft gold arrow border to intentionally draw the audiences’ attention across the page, as if they were quickly reading. Instead of using superfluous bullet points or numbers, I simply listed the three ways to boost happiness. I visually represented each item with a small brain icon and the respective neurotransmitter icons. The previous document included too many images and icons, so I carefully picked only what seemed necessary. The icons also helped form a clear gridlines, which the last document lacked. Beginning at the top, the primary icons (the brain, the heart, the sun, the pillow) line with one gridline. I aligned the secondary icons (the serotonin, dopamine, and two brains) with the right justified gridline. At first, I placed the secondary icons on the same gridline as the primary icons; however, my second draft focused more on text hierarchy. In order for the information to comply with the gridlines, I composed light pink backgrounds for the secondary information less than a paragraph. Without the background, the information felt disorganized and out of place. With the background, the information justified itself to the invisible gridline.
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SALES DOCUMENT DESIGN
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Apply to hilltop Leaders A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED LEADERSHIP PROGRAM DESIGNED FOR SOPHOMORE STUDENTS TO EXPLORE WHO THEY ARE AS LEADERS, AND HOW THEY CAN BECOME AGENTS OF POSITIVE CHANGE.
Program Highlights
Earn 1 credit hour per semester Attend interactive weekly sessions Bond on a weekend retreat Create and implement a service project A five-day study tour of Chicago, Illinois
INFORMATION SESSIONs Tues. March 22 Thurs. March 31 Fri. April 1
RAGS 319 at 5 PM RAGS 301 at 8 PM RAGS 320 at 2:30 PM
bit.ly/HL16 Apply now! Applications DUE Wed. April 6 at 5 PM
ORIGINAL
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Apply to hilltop Leaders A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED LEADERSHIP PROGRAM DESIGNED FOR SOPHOMORE STUDENTS TO EXPLORE WHO THEY ARE AS LEADERS, AND HOW THEY CAN BECOME AGENTS OF POSITIVE CHANGE.
Program Highlights Earn 2 credit hours for a yearlong class Attend interactive weekly sessions Bond on a weekend retreat Tour the Texas Capitol Create and implement a service project A five-day study tour of Chicago, Illinois
INFORMATION SESSIONs Tues. March 22 Thurs. March 31 Fri. April 1
RAGS 319 at 5 PM RAGS 301 at 8 PM RAGS 320 at 2:30 PM
bit.ly/HL16 Apply now! Applications DUE Wed. April 6 at 5 PM
DRAFT
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Apply to hilltop Leaders A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED LEADERSHIP PROGRAM DESIGNED FOR SOPHOMORE STUDENTS TO EXPLORE WHO THEY ARE AS LEADERS, AND HOW THEY CAN BECOME AGENTS OF POSITIVE CHANGE.
Program Highlights Earn 2 credit hours for a yearlong class Attend interactive weekly sessions Bond on a weekend retreat Tour the Texas Capitol Create and implement a service project A five-day study tour of Chicago, Illinois
INFORMATION SESSIONs Tues. March 22 Thurs. March 31 Fri. April 1
RAGS 319 at 5 PM RAGS 301 at 8 PM RAGS 320 at 2:30 PM
bit.ly/HL16 Apply now! Applications DUE Wed. April 6 at 5 PM Questions? Contact Erica Schomer at eschome@stedwards.edu
FINAL
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A N A LY S I S I am pleased to present to you my postcard design for Hilltop Leaders, the leadership program I direct at St. Edward’s University. Hilltop Leaders is a yearlong program for sophomores who are interested in discovering who they are as leaders and how they can create change within the community. The program includes a weekend retreat, weekly sessions, a visit to the capitol, the opportunity to create and implement a group service project, and a five-day study tour of Chicago, Illinois. Later in March, the new director of Hilltop Leaders will begin marketing and recruiting students to apply. I propose a marketing-oriented postcard that can be used to hand out (via tabling or through other Student Life events) or personally invite sophomores to join. When I began my design process, I knew I wanted to experiment with gradients. I love the how the color transforms across the page, much like how the participants transform through the program. I centered ‘apply to Hilltop Leaders’ in a bold sanserif (BEBAS NEUE) typeface with a contrasting gradient. I chose the slab serif Rockwell to increase legibility. For color, I chose soft yet attention-grabbing colors to balance a sense of professionalism and fun. Because this program receives national recognition, I chose to market this prestige on the front blurb: ‘a nationally recognized leadership program.’ The program’s goal is also listed on the front: students will ‘explore who they are as leaders, and how they can become agents of positive change.’ On the back page, the background switched to a gradient blue for variety and textual clarity. I fully believe that this program changes lives, thus I listed the various opportunities under ‘program highlights.’ The postcard lists the information session dates, location, and time. I separated the dates from the location and time for legibility and gridline cohesion. Finally, the postcard showcases two photos of Hilltop Leaders during their Chicago trip, which is a major selling point for the program. As a former Hilltop Leader and current student, photographs of a program catch my attention and allow me to visualize the environment. The photographs featured smiling, tight-knit students, which reflect a sense of community. This postcard is intended to increase applications for Hilltop Leaders. Under ‘information sessions,’ I placed a shortened application link and the due date. This allows students to quickly access the application link if they come across this print advertisement. For any questions or concerns, I added the email of the current director: myself.
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COLOR & T YPE QUOTE
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“IF YOU ARE BORED AND DISGUSTED BY POLITICS AND DON’T BOTHER TO VOTE, YOU ARE IN EFFECT VOTING FOR THE ENTRENCHED ESTABLISHMENTS OF THE TWO MAJOR PARTIES, WHO PLEASE REST ASSURED ARE NOT DUMB, AND WHO ARE KEENLY AWARE THAT IT IS IN THEIR INTERESTS TO KEEP YOU DISGUSTED AND BORED AND CYNICAL AND TO GIVE YOU EVERY POSSIBLE REASON TO STAY AT HOME DOING ONE-HITTERS AND WATCHING MTV ON PRIMARY DAY. BY ALL MEANS STAY HOME IF YOU WANT, BUT DON’T BULLSHIT YOURSELF THAT YOU’RE NOT VOTING. IN REALITY, THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS NOT VOTING: YOU EITHER VOTE BY VOTING, OR YOU VOTE BY STAYING HOME AND TACITLY DOUBLING THE VALUE OF SOME DIEHARD’S VOTE.”
–DAVID FOSTER WALLACE
ORIGINAL
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DRAFT
FINAL
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If you are bored a bother to vote, nd dis n’t o d y g d u o n e n t r e n c h e d E s u ar sted by politics a e h t t r e parties, who ple abli s in effect voting fo ajor a m h and who are keenl se re m e n t s of the two umb, d s y to keep you d i awa r t a s s u r e d are not ests r s a n d t o g i v e y o u e v g u s t e t h at i t i s i n t h e i r i n t e i c a l ery ed a yn c d n n a d bored pos ome e-hitters and wa n h o t s a i b l e r e a s o n t o s tay D o i n g l l m e a n s , s tay a t c h i n a y. d g M a t mary i T By r v yoursel p o n h ut ullshit b b o f m , e t if you want D o n ’ e a l i t y, t h e r e i s n o t h a g. n i t r o t v suc in b y t e y t o o o v n v u o ’ r e t r i e ing: n h h t t g t i o , e v hing as not or you oubling the d e y m l t i o c h y a t ou vo va l tay i n g s t e And y b u e. t e o e r t s v W o F a l d i l v ace of some diehard’s – Da
VOTE!
A N A LY S I S I am pleased to present to you my voting poster design. With David Foster Wallace’s bold quote, I crafted a design that would appeal to current St. Edward’s University students who are eligible to vote. My poster design is 24” X 36” because the quote’s long length. I began messing around with type, but I knew I wanted students to immediately know this poster was about voting. I had only seen long copy within magazines, so I trusted my gut. Within InDesign, I plotted the quote on wavy lines to represent the American Flag. I used a cool, blue background to juxtapose the warm red and the stark white. The warm red advances towards the reader, and the white text below it helps the reader organize and clearly read the text. For the stars part of the flag, the word “VOTE!” in all caps challenges students to use their voice as a civic right. I chose a blue that matched the red’s hue, which I think separated the “VOTE!” text and the “–David Foster Wallace” signature. I chose the typeface BEBAS NEUE, which is a straightforward, clean Helvetica– Neue-like typeface. I have a particular infatuation with BEBAS NEUE simply because of its elegant, yet bold appearance. I chose this all–caps font to give my audience a sense of urgency. In the future, I would like to experiment more with spacing when writing on a line, and experimenting more with gridlines that include uneven or wavy lines.
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B R A N D PAC K AG E
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Craft Horizon Our story AUTHENTIC. COLLABORATIVE. TRANSFORMATIVE. Craft Horizon works with small companies and agencies looking to boost their brand and reach new horizons. Our services include collaborative rebranding, online workshops, and premade designs. We’re here to help you develop your brand story. Together, we can create everything from an authentic visual identity to an approachable media presence.
Our services
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Design and Brand Consultant BrandBAR Stationary packaging
Online Workshop Series Brand Development Workshop Personal Branding Workshop Digital Media Workshop
Marketing Consultant Social media Visual marketing
Creative Consultant Content creation
Color C=82
M=52
Y=57
K=35
C=38
M=10
Y=26
K=0
C=9
M=7
Y=7
K=0
C=8
M=16
Y=4
K=0
C=55
M=18
Y=24
K=0
Logos and type CORE LOGOS
CORE TYPE
Nickainley AVENIR NEXT BOLD AVENIR NEXT REGULAR
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Craft Horizon
Erica Schomer C re at i v e D i re c t o r
281.989.0722 erica@crafthorizon.com www.crafthorizon.com
Craft Horizon Customer Name Address email@gmail.com 512.000.0000
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Craft Horizon Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec varius, nunc ut viverra commodo, augue sem rutrum sapien, eget pretium felis turpis tristique libero. Etiam pellentesque ut diam vitae congue. Sed in egestas metus, non semper ligula. Aenean mattis dui porttitor placerat convallis. Quisque at maximus nisi. Morbi pulvinar nisl vestibulum eros mattis rutrum. Fusce quis mi laoreet, luctus metus sed, vulputate risus. Proin feugiat, turpis et imperdiet ultricies, turpis massa pellentesque enim, vitae mattis felis ligula id augue. Aliquam cursus ligula sed metus vestibulum rutrum at nec dui. Quisque commodo dignissim dui a placerat. Curabitur viverra sed diam semper eleifend. Sed semper aliquam libero ut luctus. Vestibulum porttitor enim sapien. Mauris nibh eros, gravida vel justo vel, tincidunt condimentum enim. Nam vestibulum vitae tellus et consectetur. Duis convallis dui ipsum, id mattis mi fringilla vel. Sed vestibulum semper arcu sed rhoncus. Morbi convallis, diam eget luctus semper, ex massa consectetur libero, quis dictum dolor eros eu ipsum. Proin eu sem rhoncus, consequat ex et, finibus nisi. Vestibulum condimentum a orci ac lobortis. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos himenaeos. Sed ut velit eros. In hac habitasse platea dictumst. Maecenas in odio non enim consequat porta. Sed mollis nunc nunc, in tempus mi fermentum sed. Curabitur erat massa, feugiat sed urna non, efficitur porta leo. Praesent velit risus, tempus eget ullamcorper eu, condimentum et lorem. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. Integer euismod massa sit amet odio aliquet pellentesque. Maecenas imperdiet nulla justo. Duis neque arcu, consectetur non vehicula in, pharetra et felis. Sed laoreet molestie tincidunt. Ut posuere ligula in magna posuere dictum. Integer varius at quam et sagittis. Cras eu odio a lectus malesuada tincidunt. Maecenas a placerat est.
Warmly,
Erica Schomer
Creative Director of Craft Horizon
www.crafthorizon.com
erica@crafthorizon.com
281.989.0722
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Craft Horizon Erica Schomer
C re a t i v e D i re c t o r erica@crafthorizon.com 281.989.0722
email@gmail.com 512.000.0000
Invoice #1220 12.01.16
HOURS
TASK DESCRIPTION
RATE
TOTAL
+
3
Task Description 1
$50
$150
+
5
Task Description 2
$20
$100
+
2
Task Description 3
$10
$20
+
3
Task Description 4
$10
$30
+
1
Task Description 5
$10
$10
+
SUBTOTAL:
$310.00
+
TAXES/ FEES (20%):
$62.00
+
TOTAL TO BE PAID:
$372.00
=
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Customer Name
It’s time to tell your story
Craft Horizon
Craft Horizon
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Write it down!
Task List
Let me know if I can help with that! Erica Schomer
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erica@crafthorizon.com
281.989.0722
Color C=82
M=52
Y=57
K=35
C=38
M=10
Y=26
K=0
C=9
M=7
Y=7
K=0
C=8
M=16
Y=4
K=0
C=55
M=18
Y=24
K=0
Logos and type CORE LOGOS
CORE TYPE
Nickainley AVENIR NEXT BOLD AVENIR NEXT REGULAR
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A N A LY S I S I am pleased to present to you my design for Craft Horizon, a creative design studio committed to crafting authentic brands. Through this brand, I would assume the role of creative director and recruit at minimum two other graphic designers. Until then, Craft Horizon will function as a personal design company. Within the upcoming months, I will revise this brand package and soft-launch Craft Horizons. Craft Horizon works with small companies and agencies looking to boost their brand and reach new horizons. Our services include collaborative rebranding, online workshops, and pre-made designs. Craft Horizon strives for authenticity, collaboration, and transformation with its partners. Its mission is to help create solutions and boost others towards success. Together, Craft Horizon and its partners can create everything from an authentic visual identity to an approachable social media presence. As I embark on my journey into “the real world,” I find myself realizing doing what every sensible adult would do: making a plan B. Three years into my writing and rhetoric degree, I realized that I had a passion and a talent for graphic design and marketing. So why not? Why not create a hypothetical design studio that could one day come to fruition? In my opinion, sometimes all it takes is a leap of faith. Solutions fascinated me. I was drawn to my writing and rhetoric degree because it gave me the freedom to interact and observe the world (while getting paid for it.) I enjoyed writing short stories and poems, but it wasn’t until I explored rhetoric that I truly fell in love with the craft. One day in class, we explored brand design and what it meant to have a cohesive image. With the world more competitive than ever, branding is essential to success. For this project, I used Adobe Illustrator and InDesign to design the following print materials: a business card, letterhead, envelope, folder, invoice, notepad, task list, and brand guidelines. Within these documents, I crafted a mission tied together with a cohesive visual identity. I began by developing a mood board, which I found difficult to refrain from tweaking every five minutes. My brand’s colors morphed from a vibrant, bright blue and pink scheme, to the soft green, pink, and blue scheme. I chose these cool colors along with a warm off-white to convey my approachable yet sophisticated attitude. I chose to color-block simply because I enjoyed my color palette, and I also feel like it brings excitement and depth to my brand. In the future, I hope to add additional textures or images to develop this depth. As I began pondering my brand and it’s identity, I began toying with the idea of personal branding versus corporate branding. (If only I could endlessly harp about my skills as a graphic designer.) I chose a more challenging route: brand a business about branding. Inception. It’s where my heart took me. I approached the big question: what would the logo be? As I browsed the never-ending Pinterest realm, I noticed myself leaning towards hexagons and line art. I chose Nickainley as my display font for its playful yet professional appeal. I paired it with the clean and simple Avenir Next family, a san-serif known for its clean demeanor and simplicity. As far as my logo, I chose my favorite symbols, the sun and the moon, to emulate transformation.
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PA G E L AYO U T
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MOOD, IDENTITY, STYLE Identity is the direct reflection of your heart and your mind. It is the very essence of being. We take pieces from our lives–our experiences, our family, our friends, our culture, our religion (or lack of one)–and we create ourselves. Identity within fashion is how individuals express themselves, often represented by the accessories, the clothes, and the style one enjoys. Currently, my outer identity reflects my struggle with my inner identity. I refuse to prescribe to one aesthetic or one style when I can wear multiple. My identity feels new every day, yet I am still myself. I discovered that my emotions, determined by what happened the day before, what music I had listened to, what dreams I had – directly affect my style. So I hold me emotions on my sleeve. I am intentionally vulnerable. I have peeled back my layers so others can peer into my being. Here is a list of my style-personas: Some days I feel anxious and I let the quietness instruct me. From an unanswered text to a job interview to an unsettling comment, my anxiety seeps through my skin, and I disguise it with fabric. I wear neutral colors to blend in–so no one will stare, so no one will judge. I am safe, and I might wear jeans and a hugging sweatshirt. Some days I am tired. After an exhausting night of studying or restlessness, I feel sluggish and languid, so I wear cotton–knitted and woven. Maybe a polyester sweatshirt. Never chiffon. Never denim. Give me 94% Modal and 6% Spandex.
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Some days I feel calm and dark. This morning I am a mixture of reflective thoughts and acceptance. The air is filled with gulps of reality. I am conscious of what I wear, so I wear my favorite pieces: adidas shoes, black high-waisted skinny jeans, and a bold statement crop top. My eyeshadow is dark, and the eyeliner-gods have blessed me with a perfect cat eye. This, I feel, is my most common identity. It’s not a mask I hide behind, but very much my essence. Some days I feel energetic and playful. After a lively night with good friends and good food, I wear a menagerie of patterns, dresses, and accessories like long necklaces and bold earrings. I wear jewelry from small boutiques or even Kendra Scott. I might even paint my nails in a sparkly gold. I might feel comfortable enough to go sans-eyeliner or add lipstick. I have molded myself into many faces: the brand-obsessed teenager, the thrift store fanatic, the all black statement, the lazy college student. I refuse to be distorted by molds and expectations. I am myself, and myself has many styles. Personally, this campus is unique because I can freely express myself with a variety of styles and still feel a part of the community. Identity is not stagnant. It is a process and a journey. Perhaps I don’t have one aesthetic, but multiple, and I always will. St. Edward’s is a place for me to explore my style without expectations or stares.
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2016
THIS WA S MY YE AR