Harrison Design & Production

Simple Cards Are My Favorites

JT — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 02:27:13 +0000

Design for Someone…not Some Thing

JT — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 21:51:36 +0000

For almost 3 years, I have had the opportunity to work with some great businesses, non-profits, organizations, start-ups, etc. Each project has been unique with its scope of work and various challenges.

However, the one common theme, no matter what the project or the size of the company, was that the design was meant for someone. Someone with emotions, a heart, an intellect, the ability to be moved, to have a perspective, to make a decision. The challenge, for me, is to always keep that in mind when I work, to be conscious of what it will mean to someone else, or what I want it to communicate to that person. This does not mean that I find my validation in the response of someone else’s opinion, but that I focus on the heart behind a design and the varying perspectives that might come into contact with it. What I get in return for it and how or when I get paid should never be the driving force behind a project. Yes, I receive compensation for the work that I put in, as I think most people wouldn’t argue with the practice of making a living, but to design and create a piece that makes someone stop and think, or stirs an emotion, takes so much more than worrying about the bottom line. It takes jumping in with both feet into the attitude and life of someone, and that is definitely more rewarding in the end.

Good business is focusing on people. Good design in business is focusing on the motivations & desires of those people.

Suddenly, I’m Hungry!

JT — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 15:36:22 +0000

March was a busy month with the opportunity to work on a lot of fun projects for some great clients. One of these projects was for a very fun & energetic woman by the name of Caryn Ross who runs www.fatandsassymama.com (website & title header done by www.thefrillycoconut.com). Caryn was one of the winners of this little contest last year.

Caryn was looking to do a few marketing pieces for promoting her new “Sassy Club” Memberships, which anyone can sign up for on her site. Through these memberships you can get weekly meal ideas, entertaining tips, coupons and other great resources.

So, we went to work designing a push card that she could hand out at her appearances along with a heavy poster that would be on display at her table/booth. And then we designed 3 email templates that she could update herself on a weekly basis to send out to her different levels of memberships.

Here’s a sample of what the final design looks like:

Walk Away For Inspiration

JT — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 03:07:32 +0000

One of the many things that I’ve learned, yet still need a lot of work on, is the practice of stepping away. Most times, it is very hard to feel like you can take a break from your work and do something to break the “flow”. I feel guilty for even having the thought sometimes! However, when I have done this, I come back to my work with a new perspective or a fresh idea. Now, I know that there are those times when you simply just need to buckle down and finish what you’re working on, but often it will do you, and your project, some good to take a moment to get up, move around and do something completely unrelated. This is especially important when you are in a “rut” or you’re trying to make a crucial decision. I’ve found this practice to be very helpful more than once, and I’m sure that you have, as well. I’ll come back and I’ll finally have the right words to say, or the unique design that I’ve been striving for, or…you get the picture.

But it’s SO hard to walk away, isn’t it?! But it is SO essential if you want to be at your best for each project/meeting/sales call/whatever. I’m not saying that you need to take hours on end and chalk it up as “regrouping”…but even if it’s 5, 15, 30 minutes out of your day, I’m pretty sure your schedule can handle that and it will do a lot for your productivity and inspiration of fresh, new ideas.

Like I said, I still have a lot of room for improvement in this area, so much of what is in the previous paragraphs is directed at me! With that being said, it’s time for me to get off this computer and head to the gym.

Why I Design

JT — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 23:50:22 +0000

Many years ago, someone told me, “you don’t want to be an artist, they don’t make enough money.” Although that did make an impression on me and sway some of my education decisions, there was still this deep desire in me to create.

Today, creating, or designing, is something that I do every day and it is how I make a living. But most importantly, i am doing what I love to do and what has been in my heart to do since I was younger.

There are 2 main reasons why I design and create:

1) Art speaks to all of us at a very personal level.

Whether it’s a piece of music, a painting, a movie, a print ad, a commercial, a broadway performance, a logo, a dance or even the way a product is designed…there seems to be something distinct that stirs in us when we see, hear or experience art or design. They can call us to action or bring us a peaceful moment. We can be reminded of a time or place that we loved, or we
can be so enthralled that we forget everything and lose track of time. Good or bad, design makes an impression. The worst form of art is the one that leaves the audience indifferent or complacent.

2) I was created to be creative by an extremely creative Creator

And so were you!! I get tired of hearing people categorized as “creatives” and “non-creatives”. There is no such thing as non-creative. Creativity is found in every person in every industry at every level. If you are breathing right now, you are creative at something!

NORMANNEXT 2011 Calendar

JT — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 08:06:42 +0000

I just received these back from production today and I’m really happy with how they turned out. This is always a very time-consuming project, trying to get everything together for 12 different “clients” that are helping support Norman NEXT. However, it is a highlight to get to see it all come together and know that it will be on walls & cubicles for the next 12 months.

For those of you that don’t know about NEXT, go here. (I was able to partner up with the great guys over at aPeel for this site.)

Go get your calendar now at the Norman Chamber of Commerce…and put it in someone’s stocking on Saturday morning!!

Christmastime Is Here!

JT — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 08:57:27 +0000

Some of my favorite things to design each year are the various Christmas/Holiday campaigns for my clients. I love the challenge of trying to hold to the classic feel, yet bringing something fresh at the same time. This year’s Republic Bank & Trust campaign was definitely a lot of fun to put together.

We got Shevaun Williams to do a photo shoot with our very own Santa & Mrs. Claus. They all did a great job of bringing out a lot of personality.

I had been looking at a lot of vintage Christmas ads and posters, so I tried to bring some of that feel into these designs with bold fonts & colors. I was very pleased with how these turned out.

Applications: fliers, posters, “tent” cards, outdoor banners, website

National Weather Festival Logo Design

JT — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 08:53:44 +0000

I was so honored when I was asked to help create an identity for this year’s National Weather Festival. This was a very fun project to work on and it was even more rewarding to be able to go to the event and see it on t-shirts, signs, awards, etc.

In keeping with the look and feel of many of the other weather-related logos, I went with a circular design, as well. And the red & blue are somewhat synonymous with weather.

As far as the other two elements in the logo, the National Weather Center building is so unique in its look, that most people who will attend this festival will recognize it. And one of the main events that people, especially the kids, love to see is the weather balloon launching.

I felt, along with the committee, that we didn’t want the logo to get too busy or overdone, so I tried to simply things as much as possible, while keeping those few important elements front-and-center.