Color My World

Color is EVERYTHING, regardless if used in web design or print design. Color conveys emotions, feelings, moods, and can even determine whether or not you make a purchase, or believe in a brand. It's mighty powerful. In my studio, I surround myself with vibrant colors for stimulation, and also out of love. In my home, it's more of a neutral palette with a splash of soft green and blue hues. I love a peaceful, calming environment when I'm relaxing there.

I digress...

These guys at Kissmetrics created a beautiful infographic that breaks it down to basics - what I learned my freshman year in college many moons ago. I share it for a few reasons 1)  I love infographics, especially nicely designed/illustrated ones; 2) I find color theory fascinating; and 3) my clients need to understand why I choose the colors I do for their brand.

 

The Art of Color Coordination

by KISSmetrics. Explore more infographics like this one on the web's largest information design community - Visually.

INSTAGRAM IS MY JAM. COME JOIN MY TRIBE!

I’m back from my girls’ weekend staycation. Couldn’t resist posting this photo from today’s beach walk. Such a beautiful day! This was a much needed vacay even though it was local. We wined and dined and shopped and talked and laughed so much til our bellies hurt. There’s something to be said about taking this kind of time off from business... even though we talked about business. I’m not ready for Monday but I do feel refreshed... and blessed to have a BFF like I do and live in San Diego! #staycation #bffs#locals #birthdaygirl #lifeisgood
Handcrafting is good as another creative outlet. I just finished my first punch needle workshop with @mintstudiosd at @queenbeemarket and while it was stressful to be a newbie I really enjoyed it. Might turn into a hobby! I grew up crafting due to my mom. We did sewing, needle point embroidery, paper cutouts, quilling and so much more. She’s the one I owe my creative genes to. It’s so good to step away from the computer for 3 days!! . . #crafting #handmade #punchneedle #artsycrafty #iamjoie #joieluxedesign #yourbrandimagestylist #lifestylebrands #graphicdesigner
3-DAY STAYCATION STARTS TODAY! ⠀ ⠀ I know Easter break was just 2 weeks ago, but I didn't get a real one, just 3 days off [a long weekend]. So, while the business flow is low tide, why not take advantage of the free time? ⠀ ⠀ Plus, my BFF/Business Partner is in town this weekend [she moved to LA recently but still has her home here nearby me] and we are spending 3 days of play together here in beautiful San Diego [lucky us, we live here]. ⠀ ⠀ I started freelancing for her 16 years ago, and the relationship went from client-designer to one of the best friendships I have ever had. She closed her agency years ago, but as a she-preneur, she gets me involved in her projects. The relationship blossomed into a loving, nurturing, and fun friendship. She is also the one who cared for me during my surgery and recovery for 4 days at her beautiful, peaceful home. Yeah, that kind of friend.⠀ ⠀ This is not uncommon for me to become friends or friendly with my clients. I invest in my client relationships on a personal level - only if it's fitting. When my clients call me Pammie or Pamcakes, I know they value and cherish me. That's huge. In fact, you wouldn't believe that the Operations Manager at the Ritz-Carlton in Rancho Mirage is one of those. He's real and down-to-earth anyway. Lucky me.⠀ ⠀ So I bid you adieu for 3+ days. . . #staycation #sandiego #retreat #friyay #clientsuccess #iamjoie #joieluxedesign #joie #yourbrandimagestylist #lifestylebrands #lifestylebusiness #graphicdesigner #graphicdesign #branddesign #hospitality #hotel #restaurant #food #beauty #wellbeing #inspirational #instagood
APRIL IS CORAL!⠀ ⠀ It's mid-April and I almost forgot about posting my chosen color of the month. The color coral has been trending thanks to it's sister, Millennial pink; Rifle Paper and all their beautiful prints; Anthropologie's new home decor and furniture; and also that it is Springtime with all the flowers blooming (my fav time of the year).⠀ ⠀ What can I say about Coral? It's definitely a feel-good color with happy-healthy energy. I would be careful of how you use the color in your branding though. Complement it with greens like mint, avocado or lime, tone it down with creamy peach, and ground it with taupes and tans.⠀ ⠀ Enjoy it while it lasts through Summer because the forecast for Fall is Jewel Tones (blecch). . . . #colorcrush #colortheory #colormatters #colorofthemonth #graphicdesign #graphicdesigner #iamjoie #joieluxedesign #joie #yourbrandimagestylist #branddesign #lifestylebrands #lifestylebusiness
As the old Japanese saying goes, Fall down 7 times, stand up 8.⠀ ⠀ I can't tell you how many times I have failed in my career and life. A lot. In the past decade was the most, and the hardest failures. But I kept going, persevering and most importantly: learning. ⠀ ⠀ Oh, there were times when I just wanted to give up and throw in the towel, admitting defeat. Especially with having my own business – the ebb and flow of income, the unknown, doing it all by myself... it's so HARD. It's so hard to fail!!!⠀ ⠀ With each failure, I dig in and learn from it. I turned those failures around into successes, or just different ways of thinking. Gaining wisdom from my failures is actually winning.⠀ ⠀ This Belize Resort logo design project has really challenged my creativity. You would think it would be on the easier side. It's a tropical resort after all, how hard could that be? But it has to be unique, fun, elegant, professional... keywords from the client. Big pressure too.⠀ ⠀ We're in the 3rd round of logo concepts. Yesterday, 40 sketches later, I felt defeated. Like a loser designer who just couldn't pull it together! My eyes were fried, my brain hurt, and my hand was cramping. Designer woes.⠀ ⠀ Today, I looked at the sketches from a fresh perspective; I analyzed and played with them in Illustrator for hours. Magic happened. I just sent the client the next round of 5 options. Normally I send 3 at a time so they don't get overwhelmed, but I couldn't decide! Fingers, eyes, and toes crossed! . . . #logos #logodesign #logo #branding #brandimage #branddesign #brandstylist #iamjoie #joieluxedesign #joie #yourbrandimagestylist #lifestylebrands #lifestylebusiness #belize #resort #luxe #tropical #sirenianbay
BREAK TIME. After 5 hours of sketching the 3rd round of logos for the Belize Resort brand I needed some breathing space and stretch my legs in a nice long walk on the beach 🏝 Some times it takes 20-30 logos to create a really great one that speaks the brand’s vibe. Some times I do nail it. I’m also trying to please a team of four - which we designers call Design by Committee 😜 It’s all good! I’m enjoying the work and the client is patient (they understand that creativity isn’t something you mass produce) #logodesign #logos #branding #brandimage #branddesign #brandstylist #iamjoie #joieluxedesign #yourbrandimagestylist #lifestylebrands #lifestylebusiness #belize #resort #sirenianbay
How I spent my Saturday morning: Rafael and Candice Lopez opened up their cool urban loft home and studio for us AIGA members to look and learn about Rafa’s amazing illustration for children’s books that show diversity and inclusivity in storytelling. His books are in 4 different languages and has won many awards. .he is super talented, humble and funny ☺️ . . #saturdayvibes #aigasandiego #illustration #painting #childrensbooks #hometownhero #artists #designers #localtalent #iamaiga
IT’S NOT TOO LATE FOR YOUR DREAM JOB. Here's a new branding project that is slowly unveiling. I'm working with a woman who recently retired from a high-position job and is following her dream of being a gourmet personal chef for healthy-conscious, affluent people. Since she no longer has a regular monthly income, she pays me what she can each month. And I'm cool with that because she understands the value of a professional designer and thinks the price is worth it. When we talked about her budget and the cost for the brand campaign, I thought she would have passed because of her financial situation; and I would have passed if she didn't get my value. Here we are back to the price and value quote I recently posted in my feed. Ha haaa. She had ideas for her logo; and I love when clients provide what they like - it helps give me direction. At first, she wanted a beet or radish in the logo based on her samples. However, my instinct was to use some kind of herb because a vegetable can limit the branding, whereas an herb is generic enough yet still represents food. I showed her both options and she agreed with me. [I am the pro, ya know] I chose 2 shades of green since it represents both health and food. No other color fit the bill, however we will use some eggplant purple and tangerine orange as secondary colors in other elements for her branding system. The only typeface I thought was fitting was an elegant serif like the font Williams-Sonoma uses in their logo [I did try others]. WS is a high-end retail for baking and cooking – I know it well as I worked there for a couple years during the holiday season, a long time ago. There’s no law stating we can’t use similar fonts. And come to find out, that’s her favorite store. Score! Now that is intuition. A true Design Whisperer :) #iamjoie #joieluxedesign #joie #yourbrandimagestylist #lifestylebrands #lifestylebusiness #graphicdesign #graphicdesigner #branding #branddesign #brandstylist #logodesign #logos #chef #food #cuisine #gourmet #gourmetfood #personalchef