1 Year Anniversary of Studio Picotee

This is it. Today is my one year Anniversary. And as promised, I've got an update for you all in one place here.

08-07-07

One year ago today, Studio Picotee became a reality, and I started my independent design services business. Somewhat to my surprise it wasn’t as hard as it could have been, and much to my delight, it has been going very well; I've stayed very busy (more than I ever imagined!), and have little to complain about. I definitely think this is a sign that all the stars were in alignment, and Studio Picotee was meant to be.

I've updated my website a bit - added in some more features, but of course there is still more I could do. I've gathered images from some of my recent projects with Wag Hotels, the North Face and some wine label designs. But there are small teasers from many of my clients as well, so that you can see the range of work I've been doing. (You may need to empty your cache on your browser to make sure you see all the updates.)

This experience has really helped me figure out what I'm good at, what I should focus on, and what I need to learn more about. I have had so many opportunities to try out all sorts of design, and I really appreciate all my clients who have trusted me to delve into an area that may be somewhat new to me.

Power of Two has asked me to expand my knowledge of interactive design, and combine it with my branding and environmental design work, to create a virtual environment for their new line of interactive games that teach relationship skills. These games will be available on BabyFit.com any day now, so stay tuned and I'll let you know when you can check them out.

The North Face has been a wonderful client who has really pushed me creatively to come up with some really fun graphics to go with their seasonal campaigns. On my website (and in stores!), you'll see my work for First Ascents of the 70's, but I also just finished a project for them that is dear to my heart. This program is about the last non-motor-powered trek across Antarctica, instead it was by dogsled. Along with some great posters, we did some super fun dog silhouettes cut from each of the participating countries' flags. Very punk rock. I can't wait to see the photos of these elements in real life.

BellyBar continues to keep me busy with all sorts of marketing elements. Postcards, mailers, ads and now their website, trade show booth, and even a POP display are in the works. As their business grows, I am growing too, which makes for a really great relationship.

TFC is a fulfillment center and marketing services provider up in Napa who has also been testing my range of capabilities. I started last year designing a truck wrap for their delivery truck, but more recently got involved with designing some charts to explain their services and processes. Information graphics for a sales presentation are a completely different way of thinking than trucks, so it was a great brain exercise! I’ve also continued to help them brand their new products and keep up the look and feel as they also grow.

Kaia Foods is launching a new line of buckwheat granola, for which I did the packaging labels. This was great fun to be part of a start up, and I learned a lot about natural raw foods! It’s pretty tasty actually, so look out for it on your natural grocer’s shelves soon, as the labels are due from the printer any day now!

And of course, Wag Hotels is now up and running. You all probably got my notes on it when it opened, but now you can see pictures on my website. That was very fun content – how can you not love looking at pictures of dogs all the time!?

I’ve also continued to do work for the Gap, Robert Frear Architects, the March of Dimes, the Rush Group and Walmart.com. Along with the retail and print graphics, tradeshow booths and packaging projects keep popping up as projects requested by many clients and are proving to be quite fun to work on.

The other thing that I have really learned over the course of this past year is what great people I have met throughout my career and how wonderfully supportive you all have been. Whether it’s referring clients, providing your services, working together, or just being an ear to bounce around ideas with, I can’t do it without you. This may be a sole proprietorship, but I certainly am not out there doing all this alone.

Studio Picotee is also working on some fun things on the side, so be sure to check out the website for the links to my SuperBaby line of products on CaféPress as well as info about the 3rd Old Enough to Buy Art show coming up in September!

Cheers!