Alan Design Studio 'IS' Modern Luxury

My client Alan Design Studio is being featured in this month's Chicago Social (Modern Luxury) magazine! This project was the brainchild of Jean Alan herself with the help of her daughter and business/namesake partner Ruthie and designer Jody Trombley, who actually sketched out and designed the sofa shown on page 75. I could write about the amazing work being showcased, but you should just take a peek and read for yourself. Pages 72 - 77... Enjoy!

Holiday Cards 2011 from Karlfred Design

Holiday cards are usually an afterthought once we hit November/December and most of us just mentally give up on sending them when we start to think about what design we'd want, how generic most store-bought cards are, how many people to send to, who we have and need addresses for, and the cost of all those stamps. Not to mention the amount of time it takes to write and sign all those cards. Well, we just want to say one thing about all those concerns and excuses...

...RUBBBISH!!

Cards for all occasions are an amazing experience for the recipient AND can be equally as magical for the sender IF they put some thought and foresight into them. Yes, we work in digital formats almost half the time we're here with building websites, designing eblasts, etc. and there definitely is a place for the convenience of a eCard. On the flipside though, there is a much more needed place for a hand-crafted, customized card that you physically send to someone. There's a personal quality that is lost in translation with digital and eCards. Being able to make a card that is all your own; one that represents you and your business in a unique, on-of-a-kind, couture manner that really speaks to your clients and friends. That message comes across as "they really care about me, they took the time to send this to me personally" and "this card is completely unique to them and it's smart... I trust them".

"For humans, touch can connect you to an object in a very personal way; making it seem more real." - Captain Jean-Luc Piccard (actor Patrick Stewart in Star Trek: First Contact) Yes, I'm a bit of a geek, but this line speaks volumes to why there will always be a place for print items in our "human" world. Consider it for the next "card" season that rolls around. In the meantime, here are some examples Holiday Cards we created for some of our clients this year.

Front / Back

Above is the Holiday 2011 Card we created for St. Luke's Lutheran Church of Logan Square. It is a 5x7 satin finished postcard style card. The design is simple, elegant, energetic and speaks to a diverse range of people without being too "churchy", which was the goal. Very fun project!!

Front / Back

Above is another Holiday 2011 Card that we did for Armitage Oral Surgery really using their new logo in a unique way. When the client opens this envelope they will be introduced to an elegant and somewhat "mod" grey and white snowflake scene with on large orange snowflake. If they don't catch it right away, when they turn the card over and see the logo as normal/read the text, they'll flip the card again and realize that the snowflake is actually comprised of several pinwheels of the logo. Clever, fun, elegant and "put-together"... this card is a distinctive treat in the mail!

Front Cover / Inside Cover / Inside Back / Back

Event With a K chose to go the more traditional route with a 4x6 half-folded card. This year we ventured outside the normal design parameters of the Events With a K branded color scheme. Instead of making the front white with grey type, we decided to interject a little color to warm it up a bit. You can see the front cover and back side are a bright blood-orange/red with the inside staying traditional white with grey type. Kris at EWaK likes to put a recipe in his company's card each year and this year it was for a Spiced Punch that he created himself. This is a brilliant use of a traditional card and would not work as a digital version. Yes, you could print out the card if it were digital, but then YOU'RE printing it and the beauty and elegance of the card are lost. As with the rest of the work we've done with EWaK, this card is elegant, clean, spirited, seasonal and gives an warm gorgeous feeling to the recipient along with a great signature beverage recipe that is easy to make and will help with any holiday party you host or attend!

Boulevard Bash Evolves

So, The Boulevard Bash, a benefit 3-day festival in Chicago's Logan Square features indie music from local artists, local cuisine and other local businesses. Karlfred Design has had the honor of creating the logo and the look'n'feel for the artwork each year, since 2010 when it began.

2010 "Vintage Carnivale": The look was inspired by the old carnival and circus posters from the 1840's to the 1880's by printers like Joseph Morse, Krebs Lithographing Company, Schumacher & Ettlinger [Lithographers] and Rouchon. Bright colors that are stylized in a painted fashion with a width-varying black ink line drawing [like an engraving] that houses the colors. This gave a sense of "indie" or independence as well as "local" to the artwork which directly correlates to the music at the festival. Along with the wood-cut style logo, these styles blended perfectly to bring the first year of the Boulevard Bash to life.

2011 "DeStijl 'n' Bahaus": This year's artwork was inspired by the two design movements De Stijl (meaning The Style) and Bahaus. Clean, grid-aligned and simple 1-color work printed on a brown paper background is reminiscent of these two styles; pulling from 1920's design greats such as Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, Henryk Berlewi, Théo van Doesburg and El Lissitzky.

2012 "Art Deco + Post Cubist Pictorial Modernism": This coming years look and feel are inspired by the sort of future-bound innocence of the Art Deco period while allowing for some visual and unrestricted "organic" freedom found in some of the works from the Post Cubist Pictorial Modernism period. A great piece of inspiration is the well-known "Metropolis" poster, where the name is somewhat jagged and almost "block-cut" in style against the very elegantly gradated city scape backdrop with the lower foreground image of the geometric machine representation of the human figure. The adolescence of this Art Deco style with the mediums at hand (no computers; still manually drawn) allows for this style to work well with the Boulevard Bash wood-cut logo AND it represents, very well, the early-on of this event with some sophistication and elegance, without being pretentious and unattainable. Some other influences for this year's artwork are more modern references such as the movies The Rocketeer and Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow as well as the supremely popular video game Bioshock.

The Effect of Infinity

So, as I continue my little journey as of late to go through existing sites and update the programming to the newest that I've learned as well as adjust and elevate the graphics beyond their existing sophomore level, I have been squeezing in these rehabs here and there along side building out new sites and projects for new and current clients. The message I definitely want to put out there is that everything I keep learning is benefiting EVERYONE in some way or another.

InfinityEffect.com's New Entrance/News Page

The latest site to receive a makeover both inside and out - extending all the way throughout the social media venues - is Infinity Multisport. This site is not only aesthetically more pleasing, but it has a completely different energy to it. The colors are still their tried and true Orange and Grey, but flipped. The site before was much softer and elegant; lacking that "punch" needed to communicate what Infinity Multisport does. Now, the grid textured bright orange combined with the rust color and the logo now in grey gives a much more appropriate zest and movement to the site and message that was much needed.

We also added in new photography and did some photo-manipulation to add a more modern, younger, energetic feel to them and beefed up the quantities in the slideshows on each page. The Twitter skin and Facebook graphics also match this new energetic look. The next round of business cards will also reflect this new-found spirit and all advertising moving forward will don this new skin and palate balance.

The other major change to the site is all behind the scenes. This site is now very SEO-friendly. Google and Bing (along with the other less dominant search engines) will "stop by" more often and take note of the accurately coded site pages. There are a lot of things that go into making a site SEO-friendly and now InfinityEffect.com is just that. We reduced the number of programming pages and plan to cut them down again later in the year to keep the site loading faster and streamlined for browser zen.

All in all, InfinityEffect.com is all new and much improved, so have a look for yourself!!

Oh, What Cute Cards You Have...

Staci Sikora, DDS & Associates is a dental practice in The Chicago Board of Trade Building. The dental industry is always associated with words like "pain" and "drilling" and this practice is putting those stereotypes to rest. The office is clean, bright, light and relaxed without being boring or plain.


SS&A needed their new image online and with their business cards to show that they are professional while keeping the look of everything inviting and approachable.


We designed these business card fronts to do just that. There is a card design for all three doctors and the office manager. When people get these cards handed to them they should want to go to the site and ultimately visit their office. Being in the CBOT building, they have a clientele that is usually in a hurry to get in and out on their lunch hour, if possible and thought time constraints are important they needed to combat that "rushed" feeling with their site and collateral.


We chose to use this simple tooth image on four different colored backgrounds that are vibrant and colorful to the eye. The practice is comprised of all women they wanted to have a softer feel to everything without being too feminine; potentially turning off male clients.

These cards successfully get the emotions and message communicated to the recipient quickly and easily understood. The reverse side is all white with light grey copy and only the web address done in the specific card's reverse side background color to add some depth, make the web address more readily noticeable and to balance the card design all around.


Keep an eye out for the site going live soon!!

Postwell is LIVE!!

Postwell: Social Media Management & Information Design has a website... yay!! Postwell is a company that creates, manages, plans and executes content for all social media and networking site along with designing the information for blog postings and eNewsletters.


They work with small to mid-sized companies, organizations and individuals to help communicate their message in a controlled and cohesive method to their audience. Along with putting information out there, Postwell captures data from these sites and avenues and compiles it for their clients to be used at any point as historical data for marketing and growth purposes.


We wanted to make the site fun, whimsical, light and easy to read and understand. A lot of business owners don't fully understand the power of a social media presence and don't know where to begin. So, we needed to make the site convey trust and honesty without overwhelming readers with too much information. It's not so much having a full presence via these outlets as it is which ones to use and how much.

We will continue to establish the graphics for Postwell's social media sites over the coming weeks and currently have the most popular ones listed at the bottom of the site.

Hello Postwell... Welcome!!

Well, maybe "hello" is premature. Postwell is a new company that has started up and is specifically going to be taking business away from Karlfred Design. Postwell manages social media outlets along with blogs and eNewsletters and does this in the same way that KFD does... cohesively and appropriately for the client's message being communicated.


We just finished the logo for Postwell and it is clean, simple, elegant and communicates exactly what it needs to. Inside the circle is the top of a traditional lamppost speaking to illuminating = presenting information. The circle has a light mark on the left side which speaks to a magnifying glass or looking glass = noticing and noting details. Combining these two images into this one icon made for the perfect mark for Postwell. Adding this mark into the actual name Postwell as the "o"; done in the classic serif font (eluding to old type/typewriter, but not being that literal or vintage) completed this version of the full logo. The cards, site and other items are on there way, so stay tuned!

Tweaking DWNS' Site

Did some cleaning up of DWNS' site, NutritionalStyling.com. The site was updated a few months ago, but it never felt fully designed until now. We sat on this one for a while and finally came up with the current cleaner, easier to read version that is now live.


The first big thing we did was make the site smaller by about 3%, which accommodates more "out of the box" browser windows. We added in a caramel colored border, which is repeated on several of the newer collateral pieces and also put some shadowing into the face of the site. The wood texture in the background seemed to frame this sort of "window" area and we thought it would be great to respect that space as such... a "window" into viewing the site. WE made the logo more prominent, the name easier to read and then cleaned up all the pages. Added in a new "map" graphic to the Location page and also relinked to Bing Maps instead of Google since we're waiting on the business name to be solidified with Google Maps. All in all, it is exactly where we want to be with the site at this time and is a much better platform to add into with the upcoming product lines and new fashion galleries.

3058 Legal Advocacy Is New Again!

As we are simultaneously working on a variety of print work and websites, we have one come to completion; freeing up more time for the remaining ones. The newest site to be completed is 3058Legal.com, a Legal Advocacy site for artists and small businesses.


3058Legal.com, along with all the collateral, presents a clean and hassle-free message to their clientele. Easy navigation, simple imagery to convey a warm and understanding message of "welcome" and "protected" will undoubtedly help anyone that has a need for 3058's services make the decision to work with them.

Jean Alan Chicago is now Alan Design Studio!!

Jean Alan Chicago is an interior design studio in Chicago, IL that does amazing work and over the years has branched out beyond the category of "Interior Design". With that in mind, I work with them to come up with a new logo, look and branding for their evolved company. We also came up with the new name, Alan Design Studio, which encompasses more than simply one category. Design can be many, many things and ADS does many of those things. Interior design, exterior design, house hunting consultations, architectural design and changes, custom or "bespoke" furniture and interior/exterior construction design, re-upholstery, refinishing and much more.

Jean Alan Chicago's Old Logo & Alan Design Studio's New Logo

Their new logo stays true to the original logo. The same wallpaper in their studio where the original gold logo came from is used in the background of the new logo blowing away. We also used the a similar treatment in the text, but new and custom designed. The logo does not speak specifically to feminine or masculine. It is strong and elegant at the same time. Overall, it is the perfect mark to take Alan Design Studio into the next generation of their business. 

AlanDesignStudio.com

Their site was the first site that I did not program myself. I have hired on a team of extremely talented programmers that have taken my creative direction and turned it into an amazing new site. This site is also unique from my previous work because it uses the entire browser instead of only a defined middle screen-box area.

Alan Design Studio's New Business Card Front & Backs

The new business cards are simple, clean, elegant and definitely promote the new logo and image. The steel-sage color is the perfect choice to emotionally connect people to the logo. Simple backs with easy and clearly read information with a bold, yet subdued front make this card a great first impression to ADS for everyone that possesses one.

Overall, this project was fun to work on and has turned out extremely well. Go ahead and visit Alan Design Studio's new site to see their amazing work and how Karlfred Design has integrated their new look in with their rich portfolio.

Great Fight, Great Site!

So, we just finished another project - Corliss Johnson Memorial Foundation / Cancer Sucks Chicago. The Corliss Johnson Memorial Foundation gives money to Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Wellness House to help support clinical studies, educate and support those living with cancer and their friends and families. Cancer Sucks Chicago is the World Championship BBQ Team that travels the country in competition to raise awareness and funds for this organization.

This project included a complete rebuild of their existing website, new business cards and branding all of their new social media outlets so that there is one strong, cohesive message... we are trustworthy, we support a good cause, we are people like you and we have fun BBQing!


We restructured the site, removed unnecessary pages, combined and cleaned up information, built in room fro growth and presented an elegantly designed message. This message translated easily into their business cards.

We used their existing logos for both the foundation and the BBQ Team, but elevated them to a cleaner, more professional level without comprising their integrity and alienating people from receiving their message of hope and help. We also branded their Blog, Facebook page, Twitter page and eBlast campaigns to all have the same look and feel. Again, it was important to keep the message simple, elegant and appropriate to their audience. This was one big project that we're happy is out there for the public to view!

New Bikram Yoga Chicago Site Is LIVE!

We recently posted the newest updated version of Bikram Yoga Chicago's site www.105f.com and it is the new foundation and solution for their branding online. It communicates much better information, eliminates some navigation issues that were previously there and is browser/smart phone friendly.


We are planning on moving forward with adding in 360˚ rotations of all 26+2 asanas and a newsletter signup page. There is an entirely new newsletter that will be coming out in the next month and some more exciting marketing events right around the corner. We are in development for a mobile version of the site and within the next 6 months we should have an actual smartphone app for both Android and iPhone OS's. integration of the 3rd party scheduling system is on the horizon, but ultimately we plan to build out a proprietary scheduling system specifically for their business and offer it directly on their site. What's next after that? eCommerce easily!! That is actually being addressed parallel to all of these other programming ideas.


• http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/42763279#42763279


I also wanted to show a video clip from the Today Show about Bikram Yoga and the buzz around this niche industry. Interesting info, but go ahead and watch and judge for yourself. Thanks!

Wrapping Things Up

We have been BUSY at Karlfred Design, LLC these past months and we are wrapping up a few websites this weekend including:

• Sikora & Associates - Dentist in the Chicago Board of Trade Office Suites
• Cancer Sucks Chicago - World Famous BBQ Team for the Corliss Johnson Memorial Foundation
• Alan Design Studio - (formerly Jean Alan, Inc.) Interior Design+ Company

There are a lot of little things that are going on as well:

• Armitage Oral Surgery has two brochures going to print next week
• Business cards arriving for AOS, GoPromotions and 3058 Legal Advocacy
• Updating some links/text to AOS's site
• Adjustments to 105F.com and working on the 360˚ Asanas
• DWNS Product Labels
• Spring/Summer Kits for Infinity Multisport

Then, in the coming weeks we will be revising some sites:

• Erin Rose Design
• 3058 Legal Advocacy
• Hamilton Jewelry, Inc (initial launch)
• NovaStoria
• Postwell
• John Hassey Mediation

We have bid on some really amazing projects these past couple weeks and secured some of them, so keep an eye out for those!

Karlfred Design is Growing!

So, Karl became Karlfred which became Karlfred Design which briefly became KaFDaM which went back to Karlfred Design which has come to it's current fruition as Karlfred Design, LLC. Whew!

Well, the name is staying the same, but the direction of this business is now changing just a little bit. KFD will be doing the same thing we've always done, but now it's going to be a... well... "we". KFD is growing to be able to offer more companies out there the same designs and creativity, but now the size of the company is wide open.

KFD will still hold true to the mission that everyone who owns a business and is passionate about their product, service and message is entitled to the highest quality design work possible. To quote a good friend of mine "If you like, I love it."

I am taking KFD into the next year full force with some changes to the current structure and services we do in-house. Marketing and Social Media Management are being sectioned off to NovaStoria and Postwell. We have hired a team of amazing programmers to work on projects both small, massive and everything in between AND they have the same passion and ethical sense that KFD was started with.

Growth doesn't have to be fast to be good. It's more like a slow-cooker here at KFD. We're taking time to learn technology, exercise talents, try new things, break new ground and then when the time is right, make that move forward with a solid footing to the next level. Heck, it's worked so far... why stop now.

Thanks for your patience and support over the past few years and keep an eye out for some exciting new work from us!

The New GRC Online!!

The new site for Glenbrook Racquet Club is now live!! This was another revision away from Flash... sorry Adobe. :(  Again, I've done a lot of upgrading of the processes along with streamlining some navigation and some serious design adjustments with the aesthetics of the site. Bigger, bolder and more prominent imagery helps communicate the passion and energy of the clubs activities. Better laid out pages with consistency in style and formatting make finding information easier and faster. The sites is also now easier for me to update changes that were once time-consuming and are now relatively quick to perform. Have a look and enjoy!!


• Click here to visit GlenbrookRacquetClub.com now!

DWNS... Another Convert!!

DWNS is now in HTML for access via iPhones, iPads, iPod Touches as well as increased integrity for other smart phones and computer browsers. When updating this site I not only did the mechanical revisions required to convert it to HTML (DHTML, XML, XHTML, etc.), but also did a design overhaul to better match their branding and aesthetics.


• Visit www.NutritionalStyling.com here


This was a fun site to "re"do. It has such good energy while maintaining an elegance about it, that truly captures the sophistication of Debra's and Al's business: Balancing Fashion, Nutrition and Lifestyle. There are more things to come from DWNS in the coming year, so keep your eyes peeled for the new items as they develop!

Events With a K in HTML!

Events With a K is a Chicago based custom event company that focus on the "custom" factor instead of preset themes and gimmicks. Kris (owner of EWAK) has been a client of mine for a few years now and his site was originally done [by me] in Flash. I just completed the switchover to HTML [XML, XHTML, DHTML and a bunch of other -TMLs] so it would be viewable on many devices. It's almost the same site design as before with a few minor changes. It can be viewed on all browsers and most importantly, 'smart phones' such as the Droid and iPhone. Have a look at EventsWithaK.com!

Erin Rose Design's New Site

Erin Rose Design now has a new site! It's elegant

Infinity Multisport's New Site is LIVE!!

Infinity Multisport's new site is now LIVE and it looks great! This site is a great evolution of the previous flash version for a variety of reasons. This site is in HTML (and other programming languages) and is visible on all devices including the fussy iPhones, iPads and iPod Touches. The design is cleaner and more elegant still keeping with the sporty, sleek, active feeling.


The information is much better organized and every page has the same layout so finding out similar information from page to page is easier for the user. The photos are larger on the site and have much more of a presence. There will be more photography featured in each section and will be easier to add to on my end.


This version kept the elegance of the flash capabilities with fading imagery. There are links to the social media pages and more will be coming as they are set up in the near future. Each page offers a chance to sign up and pay for classes as well as a dedicated link at the bottom to do the same; which links to Infinity's Mind Body Online account.


The contact form is basically the same as before and has the ability to expand with much more information capturing power. I've added in a newsletter sign up to the newsletter page as opposed to just linking to an external page supplied by the eblasting company.


All in all, this site is a great improvement over the previous version and will be much more user friendly to the client and more useful to the Infinity team. Enjoy!

Hello Erin Rose Design!!

The logo for Erin Rose Design is now done! This one was a little shaky at first, but once I got started on the upswing of designing it, it became a very fun project! Merging elegance, retro, deco, and simplicity into a mark that speaks easily and directly to the textile/fashion/costume industry is what I've achieved with this logo. The site is almost completed and should be ready in a few days!! Keep an eye out for it!!

MOX Wins Best Tri Shop in Chicago for 2010!!

I recently whipped up a full page ad for MOX to put in the Keeper, the annual race guide for Competitor Magazine. The ad needed to push their branding, logo and colors as well as be simple, clean and communicate the brands they carry in their shop. It also needed to make people stop as they flipped through. Their logo will carry through the entire Tri section so the logo in the middle of the ad (black and yellow) is what will be applied.

Facelifts For Hire!

Infinity Ad for The Keeper Annual

So, there are quite a few of my current clients that are getting a facelift to their sites as well as the next stage in the evolution and refinement of their branding. Infinity Multisport approached me recently to get their site in HTML from flash and we decided to up the ante a bit with their look and feel. It's turning out really nice!


Alan Design Studio is under way, as is Erin Rose Designs. Both sites should be ready within the next week or so. Armitage Oral Surgery is ready to go live barring any typo'se (see, there's one now!) Adam Kubersh's new site is just about ready and under final scrutiny and then Heidi's Fund will follow.


I hit a major glitch with Corliss Johnson Memorial Foundation's new site. So, that one is being rebuilt from scratch. Ugh... sometimes it's just easier to rebuild rather than spend more time searching out the issue. This isn't rocket science, y'know.


Did a quick little project for St. Luke's Lutheran Church of Logan Square to help with the 2011 Boulevard Bash. Also did a 1/4 page ad for Infinity Multisport for the annual The Keeper publication.


Lastly, the big dog Bikram Yoga Chicago's site is undergoing a facelift that will coincide with their new South Loop studio opening. They will be working with a partner of mine, NovaStoria, to execute a marketing plan for all three studios; targeting each one in a very detailed and specific way. New studio, new ideas, new products, new year!!

Diamonds Are Forever.

Writing the copy for Hamilton Jewelry, Inc.'s new website is teaching me more about diamonds, precious metals, gemstones; and fine jewelry than I ever thought I would need to know. It is a fascinating industry with a rich history including beauty, science and violence. The goal is to have this new and fascinating information ready to view online within the next couple of weeks. Hopefully you will all enjoy this information as much as I have, so keep and eye out for HamiltonJewelryInc.com coming soon!

Behind The Scenes...

This past few weeks has been working on a lot of stuff behind the scenes. Wrapping up some projects, revamping some sites, creating some logos, designing some collateral. It's hard to feel successful and satisfied when there's a lot of work and no actual finished product ready... not for me though. I feel very excited and fulfilled that I've been able to spend this time working on some new technology, getting back to my classic design roots and working through some interesting yet fun problems! These have been stressful weeks, but at the same time they have been AMAZING weeks of adding wrinkles to my brain!


I'm finishing up a revamp of AdamKulbersh.com. Completing the site design for AlanDesignStudio.com (formerly Jean Alan Chicago) and their business card. Cleaned up JohnHassey.com. Going to switch the concept design for CancerSucksChicago.com from Flash to XHTML (XML, HTML, JavaScript, etc.). Freshening up my site, Karlfred.net with mostly XHTML structure and maybe some Flash goodies here and there. Finishing up Erin Rose Design's new logo and then business card/site.


A lot going on... happy to be doing what I love!!

Pardon Conni

I just updated the graphic for Conni Howes foodie blog "Pardon Me For Living". This is a great blog that offers some great recipes and ideas that are sans meat. True Foodies will enjoy this info immensely! The original graphic was good, but it was lacking some emotion and energy and a feeling of "true organic". I put together a friendlier, exciting graphic with a [let's not kid ourselves] adorable cow. This really connects the title with the cow making it more intuitive that the cow is actually saying "Pardon me for living." There will be more to come with this project as this new branding develops in 2011, so keep an eye out for it! Wow. Branding a cow without actually "branding" a cow. Huh. I've also added the original graphic below to show the difference between a graphic and branding a concept. Enjoy and check out her blog here! PardonMeForLiving.com

Bad Karl... Bad.

Well, I've been VERY busy with many projects lately. I haven't posted anything in some time = bad Karl. :( Along with this I've rediscovered the fine art of programming (coding) to be able to build my sites in HTML, XHTML, DHTML and XML for the ever so unfriendly Apple iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad (Grrrrrr!!) Not so bad though. I've actually had a lot of fun relearning how to write some code as well as finding some new ways to program. my client's sites. That being said, I am almost ready to go live with Alan Design Studio's new site.

I will be fixing some sites with my newly readdressed knowledge of programming to make them Apple friendly as well as converting some of my sites that are not live yet to avoid any type of disruption from Flash to Code.

Bad Karl... Bad.

Well, I've been VERY busy with many projects lately. I haven't posted anything in some time = bad Karl. :( Along with this I've rediscovered the fine art of programming (coding) to be able to build my sites in HTML, XHTML, DHTML and XML for the ever so unfriendly Apple iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad (Grrrrrr!!) Not so bad though. I've actually had a lot of fun relearning how to write some code as well as finding some new ways to program. my client's sites. That being said, I am almost ready to go live with Alan Design Studio's new site.

I will be fixing some sites with my newly readdressed knowledge of programming to make them Apple friendly as well as converting some of my sites that are not live yet to avoid any type of disruption from Flash to Code.

The Ends Are In Sight

Logan Square Music's new site is finally finished and live! There are still some things to do with the site, logo and business cards are on the way, but for the most part the first and BIGGEST phase of this project is complete. I always get such a great sense of satisfaction when my work is ready for the clients and they get to start using everything. The thrill for me is when they grow their business and achieve their goals through the use of the designs and communications I've created for them.

Alan Design Studio's logo is getting a little work done to it, but is almost fully completed. DWNS - Debra Ward Nutritional Styling's new site is almost done. This one has taken a while, but the client was still figuring out exactly what she needed the site to do for her business.

Cancer Sucks Chicago's new site is almost ready to go live. Just some minor changes and adjustments form the client and then that'll go up online. Glenbrook Racquet Club's new business cards are being worked on and should be done in the next day or two. Hamilton Jewelry, Inc's new site is being reworked form the ground up. Some serious fine tuning on the info going into the site has taken place and now there is a definite focus for it. Erin Gallagher Design is in the initial stages of logo design. Then the site will follow shortly after that and cards in between those projects.

More to come. Rough week, but things are moving in the right direction.

ADS In Progress!

Jean Alan Chicago is getting a face lift and becoming the next evolution of interior design in Chicago. They are ditching the title "Interior Designer" and becoming "Designers". The reason being is that they work in more than just interior designing. They do exterior consultation, exterior design, architectural planning, assist with house-hunting based on architectural and design needs, interior design, spacial planning, retail store, online store, offer their own line of custom pieces as well as creating custom items specific to their client's needs. We figured the only word that fully covers that is "Design", so that's what they are now, a DESIGN STUDIO.


The business cards are done and the rest of the identity campaign are in process. We're choosing some colors to use as their branding and the new website is beginning development next week. Very exciting times for ADS!!

It's A Process

Well, it's taken a while to get this done, but the new logo for Alan Design Studio (formerly Jean Alan Chicago) is done. We are now working on the color palette for their branding and then will dive into the website asap.

Also, my new office is being setup this week and it's pretty sweet! My new address is 5412 N. Clark St., Suite 5 - Chicago, IL 60640. My information is always on my Facebook page too.

I've submitted adjusted comps to Cancer Sucks Chicago, Logan Square Music, Debra Ward Nutritional Styling and am getting ready to finish up the comp site for Hamilton Jewelry, Inc. and my new site for Karlfred Design, LLC.

Oh, yeah... I'm now an official "business" and no longer freelance. Karlfred Design, LLC is my business name, but Karlfred Design stays for all intensive purposes.

It's been a rough few weeks and quite the process, but in the end it's all worth it.

2 Newly Revamped Photography Sites!!

I've just finished the new site designs for both Amaris Granado Photography and the sister wedding photography site, atstudio. larger images, simpler navigation and minimal text make these sister sites simple, elegant and very marketable to potential clients. There are some photos still to add here and there, but they are fully functioning and showcase Amaris' truly gifted photography. Have a look for yourself: AmarisGranado.com / atstudiophoto.com

Lumiere Candles

So, I normally don't show work until it's completed, but I wanted to start putting some mid-stage completion stuff out there for my clients to see. This is a screenshot of one of my current clients, Lumiere Candles, and it's going to be a 1-page site (for now) that will eventually blossom into a full blown site. The client approved the design and it is being translated into labels for the product (candle jars, candle tins, spray scents and diffusers). I'm in the process of relinking the domain name to the new site and getting the email set up, which should be done by tomorrow.

Btw, the candles smell great!!

Lady Gaga does Bikram Yoga Chicago!!

Lady Gaga was in Chicago this past weekend for the annual Lollapalooza 3-Day Music Fest and while she was here she decided to do some yoga. She found Bikram Yoga Chicago's site 105F.com online and decided to sign up for a private session. Miryana Vujoshevich taught her the one-on-one class where Gaga asked Miryana to "kick her ass". Apparently she did such a good job that Gaga chose to come back the next day for another private session, again with Miryana!

Lady Gaga dug the site, the logo and the t-shirts so much that she got one of the logo shirts, cut off the bottom half and then wore it out after her first session. How awesome that Lady Gaga, whom I really like her music and respect her bold and "anything goes" personality, liked my work enough to want to wear it out!!