Granted, I have not given birth, and would never over simplify that miracle in any way, but hear me out. I think you’ll see where I’m going with this.

You start the process with the best of intentions. You have this grand vision of what it will be like, start building all these hopes and dreams around it. You see how it embodies all these pieces of yourself. You know the mechanics of what’s involved– everybody else has done it. So you begin. You nurture it doing all that you can to make sure everything goes according to plan. But no matter how diligent you are, there are always those things that you can’t anticipate. You do your best and get through it. Perhaps you adjust some expectations, but you never loose sight of the end goal. You know the day is fast approaching when you will invite the world to take a look. It gets uncomfortable, you get anxious. Of course, it won’t come on your perfect schedule. Oh, no, definitely has one of its own. You push, and you push, and then…….. there it is.

You’re so happy. Slightly anticlimactic, but you’ve done it. Not exactly what you expected, but pretty cool, nonetheless. You want everyone to see it, but scared what they’ll think. Fully functional, but not fully developed– it needs time to grow. It’s an infant full of potential, a great start that will hopefully evolve into what you always dreamed of. 

So, we’re looking forward to seeing how our baby grows and we have high hopes. 

Oh, and one more way launching a website is like giving birth: although you can technically handle it all on your own, it’s usually best if you get the professionals involved early on. 

Best, Shea

This is the second time I was given the opportunity to do work for the Kristen Ann Carr Fund’s A Night to Remember. One of the key fundraiser’s for the organization, A Night to Remember needs to not only promote the charity’s program but it must also be an entertaining event to all who attend. The design for the event promotion materials must communicate that this event is a “party” but also relate to the honorees of the event.

This year, being the 15th anniversary, was honoring the doctor who has been integral to the foundation since its inception. When creating the design, I decided to marry the key symbols of the medical field with a symbol for the event (night = moon). I developed a series of illustrations (stethoscope, clip board, band aid, staff of Asclepius, doctor’s bag, medical cross, and added in hearts to symbolize caring with the hand for help and support, then rounded out the roster with the organizations logo) and arranged them into a single graphic image.

This imagery was adapted to a series of pieces including an invitation, t-shirt, gift bag, auction guide an program book. This project also included the layout of the 84 interior pages of the program book. As this was an Anniversary edition, the event committee wanted to feature the history of the event as well as the legacy of those who have benefited from its work. I developed a series of editorial spreads that featured a graphic timeline of the previous events and educated the attendees about all that the Fund has done and continues to do to benefit its cause.

~Shea

I had collaborated with Brooklyn Psychiatric Centers on their invitation pages for their Centennial  Gala and 101st Anniversary Gala. In 2008, they decided it was time for a rebrand with a new name and new logo. They wanted to broaden the perception of their organization with a name change to “Brooklyn Careworks” but wanted to maintain a tie to their long standing legacy.

The logo needed to incorporate the wave circle from their previous mark yet still appear modern, professional, warm and integrated. I created customized letterforms that joined all the elements together. The logo was applied to business cards for multiple offices as well as supporting stationery and name tags.

~Shea