1,000 Ways to Love The Earth (and my job!)

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Awhile back, I was approached by children's singer DARIA about working with her and another talented artist, Farah Aria on some collateral for an Earth Day album she was producing. Daria is wonderful to work with and I knew anything she brought my way would be amazing.

The concept was simple and yet so incredible at the same time. Daria was going to produce a completely green CD to giveaway. For the first 1,000 people who sent her a way they love the earth, she would send them her songs, FREE, to download.

My role was to primarily assist in the design of the cover art for the album. But, as it just so happened, while all 3 of us were hashing out ideas, the campaign grew to include not only the cover art, but the design and building of a blog, liner notes, fliers and icons and banners for promotional use. Not to mention:
- submissions by followers all over the world
- an online forum for others to visit, read the submissions and be inspired themselves
- giveaways of not only the CD, but of green posters featuring the album art designed by Farah
- interactive liner notes that include video links and how-tos on creating your own recycled musical instruments
- A handful of amazing, established partners, and so much more!

I was constantly amazed and in awe of these 2 awesome women. Their ideas, their knowledge and their undying energy for this campaign was unreal. Every day brought a new idea, a solution to something we had been working on and ever more ways to love and protect the earth.

And at this point, it should also be pointed out that this campaign is also a testament to the power on online communication. Both Daria and I live on the East Coast - although not very close to each other. Farah is on the West Coast. The three of us all run professional businesses, are all creative in our own right and have a deep respect for each other. Time zones, locations. None of that mattered in this project and there was never a problem. To top it off, the majority of the promotional work advertising this campaign is being done online only. So far we have had an overwhelming response from around the world and we can't wait to share what we've been sent with the rest of you!

I couldn't have asked for a better campaign to work on or two other creative women to work with. I'll be posting more articles about this campaign, so stay tuned! In the meantime, read, enjoy and don't forget to let us kn ow how you love the earth!

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Stepping Out Of My Comfort Zone.

A few months back, children's singer DARIA, asked me for some help in generating the art for her groundhog day projects. She wanted something special and fun - just like her music. Whereas she loved the artwork that I used for her cd cover, she was thinking of something a little more unique.

She proposed that I draw the illustrations she was looking for and I wasn't sure what to say. I grew up dreaming of becoming an animator, but my days of drawing cartoons and made up characters seemed so far away.

I was interested though and so we both agreed that an attempt would be made. I would send my rough sketches to her and if she felt I was going in the right direction, then computer generated illustrations would be done.

Working with DARIA is always stress free and I think that helped in easing any fear I had about my ability. I had an incredible time working on these pieces and I can see traits in all of these drawings that I recognize from my style years ago. And it feels good.

I'm not about to run out and put ILLUSTRATOR on my resume, but sometimes working outside of one's comfort zone can be exhilarating and definitely rewarding. This experience taught me a little something about myself that's been hiding for awhile. I look forward to the next new thing that comes my way with even more excitement now!

It's amazing Mr. Groundhog didn't see his shadow this year! Look how fat I made him:)

Check out DARIA and look for all her
fun monthly projects - including art by yours truly!

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Moo Review - Working with a New Print Vendor

Close Up: Front of binder; spine detail

One of the hardest things I have to do as a designer is turn my files over to a printer. That sounds just silly don't you think? I mean, how else is the job suppose to get finished right?

Well, bear with me on this people and think about it for a minute. A designer's job is to help you achieve a solution to your design dilemma. This solution is achieved through time spent researching you, your product, your brand, your competitors, your target audience, etc, working on comps and mustering all our creative energy and focusing it on providing you with the best possible solution - one that will solve your problem, make you look good and attract an audience.

It doesn't matter if we have been working on the job one day or one-hundred days, turning this, our hard work, over to a third party is down right scary! They might not envision the job the same as we do, they might not really understand just how many hours were put in or how proud we are of the final result. At least to a designer who has to relinquish control over a job that they have closely guarded, this is how it seems.

So, finding trusted and reliable third party vendors is something all designers strive towards. Trust me, when designers get together, we trade notes on vendors we have worked with and what the results have been. Nothing makes our job shine more than a great print job and nothing makes our job easier then when we get to work with professionals.

In the many years I have been a designer, I have had the privilege to work one on one with quite a few vendors. The great ones find a place within my rolodex and get recommended time and time again. But lately I have been involved with jobs that have required print techniques or supplies that I have never encountered before. This is both scary and exciting at the same time. Meeting new vendors and working with new techniques is great. Not knowing what to expect in the final stage of printing is, well, not so great.

A while back I received a request from one of my clients that was old hat, but came with a new twist. They were looking to get a simple binder done for a promo we were working on together.

Not having done a job like this in some years now, I had to reach out to all new contacts. One such contact, Larry Joseph at Salespak, went above and beyond the simple quote being inquired about. He followed up the initial contact with a phone call and suggestions on how to make the binder presentation way more powerful and for not much more cost-wise. His company offers a new way on how custom binders are being produced. After discussing the job's parameters with me, he felt that this new option would look better and be more durable. Samples in the mail followed shortly and the client and I both agreed - this was the way to go.


Timidly I released the files to be printed. Yes, their samples were good. Yes, reviews of them were positive. Yes they provided clear and detailed specs. And yes we would get a printed proof to review. All of that still does not assuage a designer's fears. I have seen print proofs that were gorgeous but the final run not as stellar as you would have thought for whatever reason.

Because of the quantity of the run, the job was delivered directly to the client. Nervously I awaited confirmation that the job had been received. Not only was the job turned around in a timely manner, but the client was thrilled. It is their feeling the design looks so good that samples of our work will be used by the vendor to help promote this new and exciting way of creating custom binders. They also would like to create a few more jobs utilizing this process as they feel it really makes their product stand out from the rest.

A happy client and a new trustworthy, reliable, helpful vendor...what more could I ask for?

Close-Up Shots To Indicate Finishing Features:

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Gallery Event with Madcow Designs!

Wow. We have so many new and exciting things going on over here that we don't even know where to start. But since we have limited time today, we're going to give you a quick update on one project that we are especially excited about.

As some of you may know, I design all the promo material for the South Jersey Branch of Dr. Sketchy's. Its a very interesting, yet difficult job. I am given free reign to do whatever I want. Sometimes I have a model pic and a theme to work with, other times not. And as daunting of a challenge as this may sound, I really look forward to it each and every month. It affords me the opportunity to really stretch my creative legs and delve into areas that interest me, but I might never get a chance to work with again.

Its extremely challenging, and after the printed pieces are done and handed out, there is a feeling of a job well done. But since there is always another job right around the corner, I never really have time to dwell on just how awesome a particular font choice was, or how the colors really worked out incredibly well and evoked just the right emotion I was looking to achieve.

This is all about to change though! A local gallery venue is hosting a South Jersey Dr. Sketchy exhibit for the whole month of June. The event is open to all the monkeys (artists) that attend the South Jersey session, be them painters, printmakers or sculptors. I have also been asked to participate as well.

Gee. I never really thought of putting any of my printed pieces in a show before so I can't tell you how exciting this is!! I had one monkey tell me that they look at the promo as just another artist's rendering of how they see the model and what the session evokes for them. Again, I never really thought of it that way, but how cool is that???

Currently I am busy working on framing and mounting all the pieces for the show (along with designing the promos and marketing the event as well). The other day I took a step back and honestly, I was amazed. To see all the pieces lined up and displayed really took my breath away. I am honored to be part of this gallery event and to be the designer for the South Jersey Branch. I must admit, there are pieces in this grouping that are some of my absolutely favorite pieces I have done in my whole career. And its all because I push myself. I want to try new styles and techniques. I love researching the ideas behind the themes and looking into other areas I might never have ever thought about in my career.

I would like to take the time now to invite you to come view my work along with those of the monkeys that regularly attend the events. There is going to be an opening reception on Friday, June 4th from 6-9pm and I would love to see you all there!


For more information, contact us at info(at)madcow-designs(dot)com or check out the event listing on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4143991&id=126188558055#!/event.php?eid=112706985433733&ref=ts


Samples of promo material created by Madcow Designs LLC in order to help promote and bring awareness to the South Jersey Branch of Dr. Sketchy's. Designs ©2009-2010 Madcow Designs LLC

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Madcow Designs - A testimonial

A small sampling of items included in DARIA's mailing

When one of my clients, Daria, was so kind as to send me a testimonial, I was delighted and a little overwhelmed. I mean golly gee whiz:) When someone approaches me for a job, I go at it full force. That is why they come to me isn't it? But to see it in writing, in someone else's words made me realize the experience and knowledge I bring to my clients.


In lieu of that, I wanted to be able to further explain one of the projects that Daria referenced. I thought it would help others in understanding just how I was able to help her and maybe the explanation would in turn help the reader move forward in their next project.


When Daria approached me with her idea of sending presenter packages to potential venues, I was all over it! Daria is an energetic performer whose colorful personality should be reflected in the materials she chooses to represent herself, so I knew this job was going to be a lot of fun.


As with all jobs there was a budget to stay within, but I knew that wouldn't be an issue. By making sure we got off on the right foot and made use of working with collateral she already had, we were well on our way to a very affordable solution to her problem. The widest piece that was being included was her postcard. Basing the rough measurements on this piece, I was able to find a mailer that was small enough to keep shipping costs down but large enough to accommodate her material and provide quite an impact when received.


Knowing that Daria is concerned for the welfare of all living creatures, I researched and compared the costs and types of various materials used in packing and shipping. This way we could implement products that were biodegradable, reusable or recyclable. Some of the materials could easily be used in one of her DIY musical projects!


There were also shipping costs that had to be considered, and this was a two-fold concern. For one, I had to make sure that the most efficient box used to contain the items also complied with shipping regulations. I was also going to be sealing the box with a sticker that was representative of Daria's World Travels. I needed to make sure that doing so didn't interfere with any shipping regulations or result in any returned packages.


Secondly, I had to make sure that the delivery method was affordable, convenient, efficient and trustworthy. Again after researching and comparing various providers, I was able set up a shipping account for her that allowed me to send the requested packages while the provider billed her directly. It also allowed me to set up a notification system so that when the package was delivered to the intended recipient, she was emailed the details. This enabled her to make a timely follow up phone call, thus helping her to establish another point of contact with the client.


As for the content of the packages, Daria knew exactly what she wanted to send and why. After reviewing all the pieces with her, I was able to make suggestions on packing materials that complimented the collateral and didn't overwhelm them. I was also able to suggest additional collateral and ways that all the included pieces would look consistent across the board. Daria in herself is a brand that is being “sold” in these packages and I wanted the recipient to walk away with a clear understanding of who she was and what she was about. We added custom letterhead that would be personalized for each mailing. Sometimes there were specific items added for particular venues and by taking her blank recycled water bottle rattler and adding a label that corresponded with the rest of her material, it helped explained what this water bottle full of spaghetti actually was and what was to be done with it. It helped the receiver understand what Daria's performances were going to entail without ever having heard of her or going online to research her.


From the moment the recipient received this box with its world travel stamp, to opening the box and interacting with all the pieces within, everything they ever needed to know about Daria and how to contact her was there for them. And it had arrived in one convenient package.


Daria and I worked closely together on this project, but when it came down to it, she knew she could trust me to handle whatever she wanted. Daria is an amazing person in her own right and I'm proud to be able to say that she is one of my clients. Working with her is always a treat. The jobs are interesting and I know that she is ready and willing to trust me and my experience. I look forward to many years of my relationship with her and would like to thank her for the wonderful testimonial she penned:


If you are a small business owner – you’ve probably done a lot of adjusting in the past year or so. For me, the changing economy has made me much more frugal in my advertising and marketing budget and I have found myself working more closely with Tracy at Madcow Designs to come up with some, creative ways of reaching my target audience. The results are the good news. I have actually been spending less and getting better results!


For instance, I used to do an annual postcard mailing to between 2,000 and 3,000 potential customers and simply couldn’t afford it this year. So, instead, Tracy and I designed special marketing kits in small boxes that arrived like presents and I got amazing feedback. People stopped, looked, read, listened and ... booked me! We thought outside the box, came up with a creative plan and went for it!


One of the things I like most about Tracy is that she takes a creative idea and makes it better. She adds her own design input or ideas about shipping, handling and tracking. In the end, we come up with a campaign that brings results.


So, if you are considering thinking outside the box, I encourage you to spend a bit of working creatively with Tracy. She can really make a difference in coming up with inventive solutions to help you survive and thrive in these changing economic times.


DARIA
Children’s Musician and Multicultural Performer

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