Browse through the latest projects to see what
Design for the Arts has been up to.
Mary Louise Knutson Album Design November 2011
Minneapolis-based jazz pianist and composer, Mary Louise Knutson, has been called "one of the most exciting and innovative artists to happen to jazz piano in quite some time." Her warm, inviting tone, broad range of emotional expression, and distinctive compositions have brought her much recognition on the national music scene.
Design for the Arts worked closely with Mary Louise Knutson to bring her keen sense of visual style to the layout and design of the album.
Her CD release celebration for In the Bubble takes place at the Artists' Quarter in St. Paul MN on Wednesday, November 23rd. or at the Dakota Jazz Club in Minneapolis on Wednesday, November 30th.
Mary Louise will be joined by bassist Gordon Johnson and drummer Phil Hey playing standards, including "Bluesette," "Bernie's Tune," "That's All," "It Could Happen to You" and "You Are My Sunshine," as well as some originals.
David Heide Design Studio Website October 2011
David Heide Design is one of Minneapolis / St. Paul's premier architecture and design firms. They work with clients to design, build, restore and decorate in modern and traditional styles, specializing in historic preservation.
Design for the Arts worked with David Heide Design to update their site's look and functionality. In addition to making it accessible to iPhone and mobile device users, we improved design, navigation and site architecture, and created clear and engaging content.
One key refinement to this end was to prominently feature interviews with David Heide Design clients, spotlighting award-winning projects in Client Experience.
We worked with David Heide Design to energize their staff pages by integrating larger photos of the staff, and inviting the staff to share "3 Favorite Things" on each of their pages, making it more personal and fun.
David Heide Design has been featured in a large variety of magazines and publications, including Midwest Home, Old House Journal, Spaces, Arts & Crafts Homes and they have appeared on HGTV's Restore America. They've also been the recipients of over 40 awards from organizations that include ASID, AIA and the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota.
ORIGINS/Developmental Designs Brand / IDENTITY STANDARDS GUIDE August 2011
Developmental Designs provides middle-school educators with research-based practices that address student behavior and improve student motivation.
This integrated approach invests each teacher and administrator with the ability to remove barriers to academic achievement by keeping young people connected to and engaged in the curriculum.
Design for the Arts worked with Origins and Developmental Designs to refine logos, create color palette and determine graphic standards for their brand.
St. Paul SPOT Brand / Logo / Mobile App Icons / Ads August 2011
St. Paul SPOT is the mobile guide to dining, biking & hiking, places of interest, music, arts & culture, theater, sports and more in St. Paul, Minnesota.
St. Paul SPOT's free mobile apps for iPhone and Android are the best way to stay informed about St. Paul's wealth of culture and events for all ages and lifestyles.
Visit www.StPaulSpot.com to discover a rich and exciting tapestry of culture and activities in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Writer, Editor, Producer, Stylist, and Trendspotter
Stephanie Davila is a former Senior Editor for InStyle, and has written for The New York Times, Allure, New York Post, Delta Sky and more. She is a master generalist with specialties in fashion, beauty, bridal, travel, and lifestyle.
Her experience runs the gamut from market work, styling, writing, editing, producing, and managing editorial teams. In addition to attending Fashion Week for years in New York and Paris, she has interviewed an impressive coterie of designers including Oscar de la Renta, Christian Louboutin, Carolina Herrera, Vera Wang, and Betsey Johnson, to name a few.
When not writing for magazines, Stephanie works as an online fashion trendspotter for an international forecasting agency.
Design for the Arts worked with Stephanie to strengthen and promote her brand through her website. It features multiple photo galleries that display beautiful visuals from each article along with descriptions and article details.
BLISS YOGA & WELLNESS BRAND / LOGO / EXTERIOR SIGNS June 2011
Bliss Yoga & Wellness offers a variety of yoga classes in a welcoming environment. Located near Como Park in Saint Paul, their Yoga Alliance certified instructors provide group and private yoga instruction in Hatha, restorative yoga and beginners' yoga. Massage and other wellness services to be announced.
Design for the Arts created a logo that unified new typography and an existing logo mark. We matched colors to the paint color in the studio and created vinyl window signs, in white, that allow the logo to pop by installing a window treatment with coral-colored silk fabric inside the studio.
The Moscoe Group Brand / Identity system / Signs June 2011
The Moscoe Group has connected suppliers to retailers for over half a century and is becoming the representative of choice for industry-leading organizations across a diverse landscape of consumer products.
The Moscoe Group is a worldwide retail partner.
Design for the Arts partnered with The Moscoe Group to cohesively extend their updated logo into print and marketing collateral and office signs. Illustrated brand elements were also updated and extended into key collateral.
We integrated QR codes on the business cards that would allow mobile device users to scan the card to bring up a map to one of 3 office locations.
Landscape
Resources Website March 2011
Landscape
Resources offers a comprehensive selection of natural
stone products from all over the world. Their hand-selected
products are supplied to architects, builders, designers and
landscape masonry contractors.
Design for the Arts worked with Landscape Resources to develop
a website that emphasized product selection and education
about specific products. Industry professionals can order products
from the site by simply filling out a form.
Glo
Skin Spa
Everyday Brilliance Logo / Marketing
Materials / ADS
Website / TAGLINE / sign February 2011
Glo Skin Spa offers deluxe spa services commonly found on
the coasts, a unique treat for Midwestern spa-goers. Glo
offers a warm and approachable environment where you don't
have to sacrifice results to enjoy a thoroughly blissful
and serene experience.
Working with Glo Skin Spa from the start, Design for the
Arts has helped refine and shape the Glo brand throughout
all of their marketing materials.
CRASH+SUES specializes in video production, post-production,
media, animation, visual fx, film and music videos.
Design for the Arts and CKY worked
together to create a website for CRASH+SUES featuring videos
categorized by service, as well as a "latest+greatest" highlight
strip.
Focus on brand stewardship and user-friendly navigation
resulted in a clean-lined portfolio with emphasis on the most
important aspect of the business: their work.
Friendship
Through Design Amanda &
Andrew 's Wedding Invitation September 2010
This special project was an exploration of design, information
and illustration with love and community at the core of its
message. As my wedding gift to the bride and groom, we worked
for months to design, refine, format and stuff envelopes. Their
gift to me was feeding me delicious food and wine, but even
greater was the gift of deepening our friendship through this
collaborative experience. Little did they know that I would
be as grateful as they were.
The project included a 6 page invitation, RSVPs, map of the
wedding site, calling cards and address labels for envelopes.
ThinkShop is
a New York-based consultancy that helps clients like Boca,
Orbitz and GE develop compelling brand strategies and successful
marketing initiatives.
In order to help clients think creatively and originally about
brands and products, ThinkShop crafted ShopTalk: Innovation
Facilitation Manual. This 74 page book features innovative
project guidelines, process exercises and colorful illustrated,
visual templates.
Design for the Arts worked with ThinkShop to create an engaging
cover, illustrated charts and a clean and easy to read layout
with a color-coded table of contents.
life'style Social Media, BLOG & Newsletter
DESIGN July 2010
life’style is
a contemporary fashion boutique for women who want to look
and feel great while they move through their lives. Located
in the historic Village of Sag Harbor, life’style’s
great brands and knowledgeable staff help women navigate and
style wardrobe.
life'style offers luxury basics, denim, accessories,
designer finds, day-to-evening and unusual pieces offer style
and movement. Each is individually selected for a busy modern
life.
Design for the Arts worked with RT Design to launch the website,
and led design and strategy direction for Twitter, Facebook,
the life'style
blog and life'style's email newsletter campaign.
After launching the social media campaigns, we worked to connect
via social media with both local and notable style blogs and
fashion magazines, then a crafted press release to inform media
and bloggers about the life'style boutique in Sag Harbor, NY.
Rock
Star Supply Co WEBSITE DESIGN July 2010
Rock Star Supply
Co. places community volunteers into schools
as tutors to help Saint Paul teachers and students succeed
academically. Their mission includes engaging the creative
arts community to offer unique music- and art-based after school
activities to foster learning and encourage appreciation
of the arts.
Design for the Arts designed and developed the website and partnered
with RssCo. to improve mission-comprehension through information
architecture and web content strategy.
DFTA assisted in copy editing, headline-crafting, and art
direction, and will provide ongoing consultation for brand consistency.
The
Talent Show Brand / WEBSITE DESIGN / Postcard
/ Press Release Writing / Social Media June 2010
The
Talent Show features
over 40 high-quality craftspeople and fine artists on Saturday & Sunday
June 5th and 6th, 2010. Hosted by Rau+Barber in the
Kingfield neighborhood of Minneapolis, the show is presented
by Rare Bird Jewelry, Design for the Arts and Rau+Barber.
DJ Matt Perkins spins and the event features delectable
menu created by small-batch coffee roaster Bull Run Roasting
and locally-produced food by Tour de Farm.
A silent auction will be ongoing Saturday and Sunday. The
Talent Show will donate proceeds from a silent auction to benefit
Artists' Access to Healthcare via Springboard for the Arts & The
Aliveness Project.
Design for the Arts is co-producer of The Talent Show, designed
the logo, website, promo materials, social media and wrote press
releases.
Good
Work Group Brand / WEBSITE DESIGN / Social
Media April 2010
Good Work
Group creates successful outcomes for organizations and initiatives
promoting sustainable causes, social change, and a strong community.
Karen Kopacz of Design for the Arts partnered with journalist
Molly Priesmeyer to create Good Work Group.
Branding, website
and social media were created by Design for the Arts.
RICHARD
BARLOW WEBSITE DESIGN January 2010
Visual artist Richard Barlow creates beautiful, conceptual and collectible
work. From silver-leaf landscape imagery from popular and obscure album covers
to studies of bromides, horizons and trees, Richard's work is both visually and
intellectually compelling. Richard's contemporary artwork can be viewed at RBarlow.net.
Design for the Arts created the website, logo and branded the downloadable CV.
Jewelry designer Micaela Clark is best known for her repurposed jewelry and heirloom
redesigns. Incorporating bits and pieces of contemporary or vintage jewelry or
client heirlooms into a new and vibrant one-of-a-kind piece. Micaela's unique
collections can be viewed at RareBirdStudio.com.
Design for the Arts partners with Micaela on strategic marketing, branding, print
and Web design. Rare Bird recently updated its brand to feel more contemporary.
The logo and typography were modernized and colors were restyled to be cleaner
and more vibrant. The objective was to minimize design so that images of Micaela's
complex jewelry designs could shine.
The new site features a sliding photo gallery that beautifully showcases work
and is easier (and therefore more cost-effective) to update than a thumbnail-based
gallery.
ILevel Web Usability Optimization October 2009
ILevel is New York's premier art installation service, serving
clients from the Museum of American Folk Art to David Bowie.
Their site was beautifully designed, but needed a usability upgrade. Navigation
was renamed, point size increased and links were repositioned to optimize user
experience.
Ad Design | VIEW
AD For Placement in the New York Times
An animated ad campaign was created by Design for the Arts
to run in the New
York Times Arts & Design and Home & Garden sections.
Illustration used in the ad was featured on ILevel's homepage to reinforce
recognition for visitors from the New York Times.
Switching out wallpaper colors and patterns in future campaigns will create a
fun, yet distinctive and recognizable look, which can also be used to activate
specific markets.
Sarah
Jones: One-Woman Show Tony Award® Winner June
2009
Sarah Jones performs on Broadway, TV, film, and, most recently, TED and at the
White House. Her one-woman performance in Bridge & Tunnel (produced
by Meryl Streep) portrays a variety of vibrant multicultural characters. The
Tony® Award-winning play thoughtfully and humorously depicts the experience
of being an immigrant and was a popular critics' choice.
Designed for WordPress
by Design for the Arts, Sarah's
site features performance clips, press and video of appearances on Charlie Rose
and Studio 360, and a long list of organizations and causes that have benefited
from Sarah's involvement.
An online newsletter campaign was created, allowing Sarah
and her team to professionally and easily update
subscribers about news and events. The new system allows better email list management,
the ability to measure campaign results, automatic elimination of duplicate email
addresses and ensures that every newsletter is CAN-SPAM
compliant.
Never
Mind the Gear List Let's Hear the Session Stories February
2009
Producer Brent Sigmeth has stories. He's participated in recording sessions with
everyone from Wilco to Nirvana. Design for the Arts wanted to create a different
kind of online experience for this site, one that went beyond the typical gear
and client lists.
Once shared over a late night cocktail, a few of Brent's session stories can
now be read— and will continue to be posted—online. The site features
a 10-page Mojo spread about a Nirvana recording session with Steve Albini. It
was Brent's first day of work at Pachyderm studios.
Brent, who is also a writer, shares Session
Stories that are humorous and remarkable, from advising Sebastian Bach on
whether or not he should be Van Halen's new lead singer, to recording a live
version of Doug Kershaw's "Louisiana Man," a song that, in it's original
version, was broadcast back from the moon by the Apollo 12 mission.
Plumbing
for Thinking People Smart Plumbing January 2009
Pipe Dream Plumbing works with residential and commercial properties to maintain,
repair and upgrade plumbing and fixtures. They take pride in handling modern
or vintage fixtures with care and preserving the integrity of homes or businesses
when restoring fixtures or making upgrades.
Design for the arts designed the Website and lead the development of a Helpful
Tips section that shares information about frequent homeowner mistakes. For example,
letting cats drink from a slow dripping tap, can cause damage over time.
The brand emphasizes Pipe Dream's penchant for getting the job
done right and leaving a clean space after the job is done. A witty and intellectual
attitude goes a long way to set Pipe Dream Plumbing apart from the hundreds
of other local competitors.
Kopplin's
Branding for Local CafÉ September 2008
Kopplin's is a small café that serves the best coffee in town.
People often missed the tiny storefront with no sign,
even when walking by. Design for the Arts designed a vibrant
logo that can now be seen in the bay window, on the door and as a lighted,
mounted sign above the entrance. The storefront
exterior was painted to match the new brand and color palette.
in-café
signs were designed for to allow for frequent (and affordable)
updates to menu items. After a few collaborative brainstorms,
we came up with a solution: a 3-tiered gallery of frames for
Coffee, Tea, and More. Menus in square frames hang along the
wall where customer lines form. It makes it easy for customers
to read, and share
details on origin and process notes.
Menus and Website were designed for cross-talk. The menus are
updated quarterly with Kopplin's newsletter
Good Taste. Newsletter headlines are featured on the
menu and prompt customers to get online to read
the full articles.
DESIGN
FOR THE ARTS