see my work… © 2012. All Rights Reserved
Eat on Purpose Identity Though not a non-profit exactly, this start-up venture had a great mission that needed support. The founder, Dr. Aisha Prim, had a desire to change our youth, particularly in minority communities, through proper nutrition. Born out of that desire was Eat on Purpose, which teaches youth and parents how to eat and what to eat. Client: Eat on Purpose
Shala W. Graham
Communication Designer
Cari Brown-DunCan LCSw-C, LiCSw, LCSw PrinCiPaL/CLiniCaL DireCtor
t: 301-565-0720 | f: 301-565-0721 icamentalhealth.com | cari@icamentalhealth.com 817 Silver Spring avenue, Suite 203 Silver Spring, MD 20910
working to strengthen families and communities
817 Silver Spring Avenue, Suite 203 Silver Spring, MD 20910
817 Silver Spring Avenue, Suite 203 Silver Spring, MD 20910 t: 301-565-0720 | f: 301-565-0721
ICA Identity and Stationery Innovative Clinical Associates is a human services and behavioral health consulting firm that provides comprehensive services to children, youth, families, schools, facilities and corporations throughout the Washington metropolitan area. Client: Innovative Clinical Associates
Shala W. Graham
Communication Designer
Two-Color logo
→ View the Brand Identity Guidelines eBrochure
Brand IdentIty GuIdelInes eBrochure
GRDS 715: Print Studio I | Professor Sarah Adams | Summer 2010 | © Shala W. Graham, 2010
BlaCk/whITe logo Gallery Espresso Brand Identity The Gallery Espresso is a cafe chain featuring gourmet European coffee and tea, native to Savannah, Georgia. The cafe combines a gallery space and performance venue with a coffeehouse. The cafe is eclectic and trendy, with a grassroots, local flair that supports the community’s arts and entertainment industry. The Gallery Espresso needed to create a national brand with local charm, unlike other national chains that are identical in every location. Class: Print Studio I
Shala W. Graham
Communication Designer
→ Visit the Website
I am...
I am...
an event planner a troop leader a soup kitchen server a foster parent
I am...
an educator a football coach a supportive husband a foster parent
a a a a
financial planner business counselor community activist foster parent
Do Something. Foster a Child. www.fosterachildDC.org
Do Something. Foster a Child. www.fosterachildDC.org
I am...
Do Something. Foster a Child. www.fosterachildDC.org
a a a a
program manager dance instructor choir member foster parent
Do Something. Foster a Child. www.fosterachildDC.org
Foster a Child Social Awareness Campaign The social issue I chose to address was the foster care system in the Washington, DC metro area, specifically the need for more African-American foster parents. For the medium, I selected advertisements on the Metro bus and rail system in DC, as it is the primary mode of transportation for working professionals in the metro area. The target audience is middle- to upper-class, African-American, married couples in the DC metro area. Classes: Graphic Design Studio II & Digital Studio I
Shala W. Graham
Communication Designer
r
Interactive Options to Avoid Foreclosure
Mortgage Programs Are Available to Help
Whether your financial hardship is temporary (short-term) or more permanent (long-term), whether you want to keep your home or you have decided that you are ready to sell or leave, or if you’re not sure what to do, we can help. There are options available to help homeowners just like you, who may be struggling with their mortgage payments and need assistance.
Refinance
Get a new loan with a lower interest rate or other adjusted terms
Repayment Plan
Pay back your past-due payments over an extended period of time
Forbearance
Temporarily suspend or reduce your mortgage payments for a specific period of time
Modification
Modify the terms of your mortgage to make it more affordable
Deed-for-Lease™
Rent your home and remain in the property as a tenant—available for homeowners whose mortgage is owned by Fannie Mae
Short Sale
Sell your home and pay off all (or a portion) of your mortgage balance—even if you owe more on the home than it’s worth
Deed-in-Lieu
Transfer the ownership of your property to your mortgage company for release from all (or a portion) of your mortgage loan and payments
KEY
STay in youR HoMe
It’s time to get fit… financially! Contact Your Mortgage Company Today.
→ View the Direct Mailer
Leave youR HoMe
We Want to Help Take action and gain peace of mind and control of your situation. Contact your mortgage company to discuss your options. For more information, visit KnowYourOptions.com Know your options and Deed-for-Lease are trademarks of Fannie Mae.
WaysHome National Foreclosure Prevention Campaign WaysHome is the consumer outreach campaign of Know Your Options by Fannie Mae. Several materials were developed to support the national outreach, including information sheets, emails, direct mailers, banners, kiosks or other materials to support their event booths and meet-and-great events. Client: Fannie Mae
Shala W. Graham
Communication Designer
Brand Building • SEO TipS • FuncTiOnal OFFicE SpacE
the early years of entrpreneurship
InsIde
62 FunctIonal spaces
Home offices that make you want to go to work by Janet Louis
mEEting thE cliEnt
How to sell your company, talk money and close the deal
30 seo tips
42 Brand Building
68 perfect clients
Make Google your friend. by Shala Graham
It’s never to early to start. by Mark Bartley
Attracting the perfect client is easier than you think! by Adam Ducker
15 Meeting the client Refine your elevator pitch to make the best first impression by Carrie Wilson
53 hire right Rules for expanding your business right by Frances Munoz
27 You verses theM Develop a clear strategy to stand out amongth your competitors by Jerry Godwin
58 Marketing on a Budget We’ll show you what works best for young businesses. by Jacqueline Richmond
34 entrepreneur profile Gayle Cruise: From Microsoft to Fashion Designer by Patrick McLaughlin
60 do not enter How to set boundaries for your home office by Charon Reed
38 Balance For work, life and cashflow by Carlos Scott
68 5 rules for success as an entrepreneur Rules that are not meant to be broken by business owners by Yolanda Carway
38
deceMBer 2009 | 7
departments 10 editor’s coluMn 12 contriButors 25 ask venture 46 MoneY Matters 72 tech review
15 cover story
From microsoFt ExEc to Fashion DEsignEr
Article copy from yourslipisshowing.com.
EntrEprEnEur profilE
Entrepreneur Profile
BalancE Work, Life and Cashflow December 2009 | $3.99
→ View the Magazine
from microsoft to fashion DEsignEr
Marketing executive Gayle Cruise returns to her passion after leaving Corporate America. by. Patrick McLaughlin
A Massachusetts native, Gayle Cruise attended a summer program at Parsons the New School for Design, in New York City, before heading to Florida in 1981 to study marketing and branding at Florida A & M University. After graduating, she moved to Cincinnati, OH to work for Procter and Gamble (P&G). Gayle left
34 | Venture
P&G as a brand manager and returned to her Massachusetts roots to attended Harvard Business School in Cambridge, where she honed her marketing skills. After receiving her MBA, she worked for two additional blue-chip companies. In New York, she worked as a consultant for McKinsey & Company.
“Being creative, working with my hands is second nature.”
December 2009 | 35
Venture Magazine Identity and Layout Design This fictitious magazine, Venture Magazine, is for start-up and young businesses. The target audience includes new, American-based business owners, a mix of those still in the planning stages up to approximately 5 years of running business full-time. The ideal subscriber is running their business full-time and committed to seeing it succeed, while maintaining a healthy work/life balance for themselves and any employees. Class: Graphic Design Studio I
Shala W. Graham
Communication Designer
Broken Down
EmpirE StatE of mind Grew
up
in a
town,
that is famous as a
place of movie scenes
Noise is always loud
There are sirens all around And the streets are mean
if i could make it here
i could make it anywhere
that’S what thEy Say Seeing my face in lights
dreams
or my name in marquees found down
Broadway
Even if it ain’t all it seems,
I got a pocketful of
Baby,
I’m from New York,
concrete jungle
where dreams are made of
There’s nothing you can’t do
Now you’re in New York Big lights will inspire you these streets will make you feel brand new
ladies work so hard Hear it for New York, New York, New York
on the avenue, there ain’t never a curfew
Such a melting pot on the corner selling rock
PrEAchErS PrAy To God
hail a gypsy cab takes me down from harlem to the Brooklyn Bridge Someone sleeps tonight with a hunger for more than from an empty fridge
I’m going to make it by any means
I GoT A PockETful of drEAmS
New York Baby, I’m from
concrete jungle where dreams are made of
THere’s NoTHINg You caN’T do
Now you’re in New York
These streets will make you feel brand new
Broken Down
EmpirE StatE of mind
Big lights will inspire you
Hear it for New York, New York, New York one hand in the air for the big city
street lights, big dreams, all looking pretty
No PlAcE IN ThE world ThAT cAN comPArEd Put your lighters in the air Everybody say yeah, yeah yeaah
New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of
There’s nothing you can’t do Now you’re in New York
These streets will make you feel brand new
BIg lIgHTs wIll INspIre You
hEar it for nEw york Empire State of Mind Experimental Booklet In this project, I wanted to create a piece that would make a nice keepsake for fans of the song “Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down” by Alicia Keys that communicated ideas around New York’s concrete jungle of dreams, big lights of inspiration and being unstoppable. It needed to be an in-your-face approach to New York that had high-contrast in both color and texture, but still inspiring and exciting. Class: Typography Studio I
Shala W. Graham
Communication Designer
Priced Out
Workforce Household Profile
Metro Area Household Composition
Assistant Professor at Georgetown University (Single-Income Household)
Persistence of the Workforce Housing Gap in the Washington, D.C., Metro Area
DISTRIBUTION OF HOUSEHOLDS BY HOUSEHOLD SIZE A deeper analysis of the characteristics of
age, this trend likely will only slightly alter the
Vital Statistics:
workforce households in Washington, D.C., reveals
overall distribution of household sizes. Though
•
Household Type: Single Parent, Two Children
more about this group’s specific housing needs.
average household size is trending downward,
An average of 40 percent of the metro area’s
larger households will continue to make up a
WASHINGTON, Household Composition in the D.C. MSA Washington, D.C., Metro Area
•
Profession: Assistant Professor
•
2009 Annual Household Income: $74,000
•
2009 Affordable Home Price Range: $250,000–$280,000
workforce households are made up of three or more
notable portion of future growth. Households of this
•
Required Downpayment: $25,000–$28,000
people. This finding is significant, because larger
size are conventionally thought of as a traditional
•
Percent of AMI for Three-Person Household: 81%
households require homes with more bedrooms,
40% couple with one or more children, yet many of these
which typically are more expensive, often limiting
households are a single parent with two or more
their housing options to fringe locations.
children, multigenerational households such as a
This university professor can afford to purchase a home priced between $250,000 and $280,000. Home values have appreciated considerably from 2000 to 2009, severely
29%
29% 40%
1-Person Households 1-Person Households
indicated by the black star on the maps below.
Although recent demographic trends point toward
of roommates and others sharing a home for
an increasing number of smaller households as
preference or cost reasons.
3 or More Person Households
30%
echo boomers enter their 20s and baby boomers
Locations with Affordable Median Home Values for Profiled Family 2000 and 2009
Terwilliger Center for Workforce Housing
2000
2-Person Households
2009
30% Sources: RCLCO, U.S. Census 2007 PUMA data.
Less than 60%–80% of 80%–100% of 100%–120% of More than 120% SOURCE: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey PUMA Data, 2007; RCLCO 60% AMI AMI AMI AMI of AMI
Affordable
WASHINGTON, D.C., METRO AREA
Priced Out
Estimated Number of Households Distribution of Households
243,487
223,196
202,906
771,042
2,029,059
29%
12%
11%
10%
38%
100%
} 23%
8
Source: RCLCO, Claritas, U.S. Census 2007 PUMA Data
or 466,683 of the households in the Washington, D.C., metro area are in the 60 to 100 percent AMI income range. 9
MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME
Sources: Claritas, RCLCO.
Rapid growth in housing values outpaced income growth between 2000 and 2005, limiting affordability and workforce housing options throughout the metro area. Recent housing market fluctuations have helped restore this balance on the periphery of the metro area, although a jobs/ housing imbalance persists near major employment cores.
Less than $50,000 $50,000 – $100,000 $100,000 – $150,000 $150,000+
2000
2005
2009
2014
Less than $150,000
HOME VALUES
Steady Growth in Household Income Does Not Keep Pace with Rapid Housing Value Appreciation in the Washington, D.C., Metro Area
TOTAL
588,427
Place of Employment
→ View the Report
2-Person Households
3+-Person Households
couple with an older parent or parents, or groups
limiting this professor’s housing choices within close proximity of his workplace, as
$150,000 – $300,000 $300,000 – $450,000 $450,000+
14
15
Priced Out: DC Report Design Upon completing research, RCLCO called on needed help producing a report for the Terwilliger Center of the Urban Land Institute addressing the need for workforce housing in the Washington, DC metro area. I aided the team in the refinement of data, charts and maps, as well as designed the 30 page report. Client: RCLCO
Shala W. Graham
Communication Designer
Contents
histoRy of south shoRe Lake tahoe
Introduction and Summary
3
Address Deferred Reinvestment in South Shore Lake Tahoe
4
History of South Shore Lake Tahoe
5
New and Compelling Bed Base
7
Resort Attributes Considered Extremely/Very Desirable
8
Expanded and Un-Rivaled Recreational Amenity Platform
10
Sophisticated and Expanded Shopping, Dining, and Entertainment Options
11
Revitalized and Right-Sized Gaming Offering
12
Convention Infrastructure
13
Closing Thoughts
14
Lake Tahoe’s modern history began in the 1850s, when a silver
Shortly thereafter, Harrah’s introduced the first major showroom
These pioneering settlers scattered around Lake Tahoe creating the
The showroom was a 750-seat state-of-the-art facility attracting
strike known as the Comstock Lode attracted miners in droves. pattern of development that informs Lake Tahoe’s local economy. The vibrant mining economy created a very affluent population locally, and services and attractions to spend that wealth soon fol-
for live performances in 1959, named “The South Shore Room.” the top acts including Wayne Newton, Sammy Davis Jr., Bill Cosby, and Frank Sinatra.
lowed. The area quickly emerged as a vacation destination from
The 1960 Winter Olympic Games held at Squaw Valley celebrated
and around Lake Tahoe. Residents of the rapidly growing Cali-
expanded its international brand to include being a premier ski
the subsequent development of a dominant tourism economy in fornia cities were drawn by the luxury resort offerings and stun-
ning landscape of Lake Tahoe, and by 1900, Tahoe was the premier West Coast resort and second-home destination.
Organized gambling and skiing were first introduced to the region
in the mid-1900s, providing an additional spark to the growing region and its current tourism-dom-
Lake Tahoe’s ascendancy as a world-class resort destination, and destination. Area entrepreneurs and champions of Lake Tahoe continued to invest and improve the region through the next two
decades, and the resort hotel core in Stateline continued to grow with Harvey’s expanding and enhancing their facilities as new entrants penetrated the market. Notably, the Sahara Tahoe, presently known as the Horizon Casino Resort, was built in 1965.
inated economy. These industries would form
Harrah’s built a flagship state-of-the-art property in 1972 which
Lake Tahoe tourism, effectively
ented hotel, and the Park Tahoe currently known as the Montbleu
the foundation for the future trajectory of
transforming the region from a
summer destination into a four-
season destination supporting a
resident employment base.
Among the first large resort hotels
earned North America’s first Five-Diamond rating for a casino-ori-
Casino & Spa was completed in 1978. The South Shore resort and
tourism economy was flourishing, and the proverbial “rising tide” was lifting all elements of the regional tourism economy. Full-time population in South Shore increased fivefold between 1960 and 1980 from 10,000 to 50,000.
introduced to the region was the
Beginning in the early 1980s, reinvestment in the region’s tourism
vey’s Lake Tahoe in Stateline, Nevada.
the regional tourist accommodation base stopped. Unfortunately,
property presently known as Har-
Originally referred to as Harvey’s Wag-
on Wheel Saloon and Gambling Hall, the property was opened in 1944 with
limited gaming facilities, a small din-
infrastructure slowed, and the process of enhancing and refreshing
this corresponded to a period of rapid growth in the gaming and winter recreation industries elsewhere, accompanied by fevered reinvestment and modernization of the resort hotel experience.
ing area, and a gas station. Harrah’s was
Over the course of the last two decades, South Shore ceded its role
1950s, buying several local clubs followed by
destinations that have reinvented and kept the visitor experience
the next significant market entrant in the
an expansion of Harvey’s, which included an
11-story hotel addition. South Shore Lake Tahoe was flourishing.
among the most glamorous and exciting gaming venues to other exciting. South Shore deteriorated from a national vacation des-
tination to a day-tripper destination overly dependent on gaming, and unappealing to non-gamers. Most recently, the South Shore
hotels have even had trouble competing with newer and more
2
5
sophistiCated and expanded shopping, dining, and enteRtainment options
→ View the Report
Browsing in interesting stores, compelling and contemporary res-
Restaurants are a key component of the resort retail mix, and plan-
tions are also integral elements in the contemporary vacation ex-
periences at a variety of price points. Most large format hotels
taurant options, and varied and contemporary entertainment opperience, and woefully under-presented in South Shore. While
the casino hotels – those in Lake Tahoe in particular – were early
pioneers in integrating these activities into the guest experience, the offerings pale in comparison to peer resort markets.
The depth of need to have new and compelling shopping oppor-
tunities is demonstrated by the recent success of the new shopping
district at the base of the Heavenly Valley gondola. These stores are experiencing extremely high occupancy rates and achieve very
high rents. Retailers report very strong performance, and pre-leasing for the now stalled Chateau project was very successful. These
stores also point to the possibility of a physical transformation that
ning for new properties should allow for a diversity of dining ex-
now include several different dining options and rely on non-guest patronage in large measure. The days of the low cost buffet are gone for good.
The role of entertainment cannot be overstated, as it plays a critical role in driving visitation at all times of the year. This is not just a
casino hotel phenomenon, but a key emerging element of vacation behavior. One should look to Aspen -- where there is varied
and robust entertainment, cultural, and arts programming -- as the
only traditional mountain resort market that has succeeded in attracting a year-round visitation pattern and resident base.
is possible along Route 50.
Government and resort owners must all partner in developing a
The success of these new stores also points to a unique potential
ues and options. Venues should range from the large format stage
differentiating element of South Shore. Most mountain resort mar-
kets with dramatically reduced traffic outside the winter months
cannot support a diversified array of unique retailers. Even tony Vail Village offers mostly tee shirt shops and service retail, with a scattering of restaurants. New retail should be included along
the Route 50 frontage of the large resort properties, animating the street and encouraging pedestrian activity.
coordinated and mutually reinforcing array of entertainment venshows to smaller black box spaces appropriate for intimate per-
formance, outdoor venues, spaces appropriate for conversion for
indoor sporting events, etc. Two dimensions are critical. Each
property should offer complementary and distinct spaces, since the entire region will be the beneficiary of enhanced visitation, and spaces should be as flexible as possible to serve the most potential
markets. Critical in this is providing facilities that can serve as
auxiliary space for conventions and meetings, as will be discussed further below.
Government and resort owners must all partner in developing a coordinated and mutually reinforcing array of entertainment venues and options.
Reinvention of South Lake Tahoe report After researching and analyzing the opportunities for transforming the South
11
Lake Tahoe area into a prime resort and vacation hot spot, RCLCO needed a report designed to present to their client to encourage them to invest in redevelopment of that area. Client: RCLCO
Shala W. Graham
Communication Designer
→ Visit the Website
Yvette Ross ExECutivE DirECtOr
P 202.722.0459 | F 202.280.1105 PO Box 40852, Washington, DC 20016
Matching talented students with
yjross@projectmatchdc.org | www.projectmatchdc.org
exceptional educational opportunity
PO Box 40852, Washington, DC 20016
PO Box 40852, Washington, DC 20016 | P 202.722.0459 | F 202.280.1105 | www.projectmatchdc.org
Project Match Identity and Website Project Match is a nonprofit that matches minority students in the Washington, DC area with boarding schools. They were in desperate need of a new brand identity and website that would increase the professional perception of the organization into increase student and donor interest. Class: The Role of Graphic Design in Social Awareness
Shala W. Graham
Communication Designer
→ Visit the Website
Playa Grande Website Playa Grande was intended to be a luxury, high-end resort in the ChiriquĂ Province of Panama, for which I designed a joint venture brochure in 2007. This website takes that approach that the resort has been developed and is available for tourists, retirees, secondhome buyers, honeymooners and families to plan and book their next home or vacation. Class: Graphic Design Studio II
Shala W. Graham
Communication Designer
Dizzy Animated Type This animation, just under 14 sections, tells the story of two children playing happily together. Class: Typography Studio II
Shala W. Graham
Communication Designer
Psalm 139 Animated Narrative Somehow, using type, color and motion, I needed to communicate the indescribable feeling of being perfectly loved and protected, as described in Psalm 139. With that understanding, I selected the humanist Hypatia Sans Pro typeface because it is warm and legible, while hinting towards history with an expansive type family. The type was paired with a color palette of purple, gray, dark brown, and a soft blue-green. Class: Typography Studio II
Shala W. Graham
Communication Designer
Memoir of a Geisha Movie Title Inspired by the art of a geisha and key events in the story of the movie, I created a new movie title to introduce this romantic drama. Class: Typography Studio II
Shala W. Graham
Communication Designer