Emily Lane, Fall 2021

Design + Me Design and I have a complicated but loving relationship. It is creatively demanding but one of the best ways I know to express myself. It brings self-doubt to the surface but gives me the right amount of confidence to keep going. It eats up hours of my

time while feeling like no time passes at all. It is sometimes lonely to sit at a computer all day, but it feels like magic when everything finally starts coming together. Design is about growing through the hurdles, and there are a lot of them. When I start any project, I

GR APHIC DESIGN PORTFOLIO Vol. 1 | December 2021

am first nervous, then inspired, stuck, determined, excited, then nervous all over again. It is a continuous cycle of challenging moments. However, it’s not all that way. Some parts are easy: sifting through fonts, choosing colors, searching for inspiration, gathering research,

doodling in between thumbnails. It’s these moments that push me through the challenges, and I would trade nothing for the messy, somewhat chaotic, and always rewarding process of design.

SAM’S HOT SAUCE Branding | Package Design | Illustration

What It’s All About

Inspiration

Sam’s Sauce Co. is inspired by the heat of the desert and all that encompasses it. This sauce line has you covered with spice levels as calm as a roadrunner, as prickly as a cactus and as unpredictable as a bucking horse.

Sam’s Sauce Co. went through many phases in the design process, all leaning in on the hand-drawn touch and authentic feel. It’s desert-inspired and taps into this theme with a cowboy, roadrunners, cacti, and horses.

2 | Sam’s Sauce Co.

Sam’s Sauce Co. | 3

4 | Art History

ART HISTORY ARTE POVERA 1960s

Translates to “poor art” in reference to not using traditional methods to create art

ALBERT BIERSTADT Artist famous for his paintings during the Romanticism period

POST-IMPRESSIONISM 1885–1910

ROCOCO 1699–1780

PREHISTORIC

40,000 B.C.E.–4,000 B.C.

A.D.500–A.D.1400

1917–1950

ART NOUVEAU

Mid-1960s–Mid-1970s

1890–1910

Three Main Periods of Art During the Medieval Movement

CONCEPTUAL ART

1905–1920 Well-known artist, Edward Munch, best known for “The Scream” painting

1750–1850

MEDIEVAL

SURREALISM EXPRESSIONISM

ROMANTICISM

OP ART

Based on organic forms, also used in graphic design, architecture, jewelery, ceramics, and glass

1950s–1960s

THE HISTORY OF ART

40,000 B.C.E.

2020

RENAISSANCE 1400–1600

CUBISM

1907–1914 Pablo Picasso was one of the first artists to join the cubism movement

ANCIENT

30,000 B.C.–A.D.400

MINIMALISM 1960s–1970s

FAUVISM 1900–1935

REALISM 1848–1900

Started because of a rise in photography and journalism

BAROQUE

IMPRRESSIONISM

Painting in the fauvism style of one of the famous painters, Henry Matisse, during the Fauvism movement

CONTEMPORARY 1970–Present

ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM 1940–1950

1865–1885

1600–1750

POP ART

1950s–1960s

RESOURCES: https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/preh/hd_preh.htm https://www.invaluable.com/blog/art-history-timeline/ https://www.thoughtco.com/art-history-timeline-183476 http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/history-of-art-timeline.htm

ART HISTORY

ART HISTORY Infographic Design GDUSA Award of Distinction 2020 | Graphic Designer USA

What It’s All About Art history is a topic I love but didn’t know much about, which is why I jumped at the chance to learn more about it when given the task of creating an infographic on any topic. It’s valuable to dive into art history to understand why and how style evolves because it gives us insight into current design trends.

I covered art movements from around 40,000 B.C. to today. It gives context to how far art has come and how art movements can influence our styles as designers and artists. My hope is that this research will give both me and my fellow peers more knowledge of art so that we can use it in our own lives.

The Research

The first two movements are prehistoric and ancient art, which are the ultimate beginning of using art as a storytelling tool. This is where it all began. From there, we move into Medieval, which is where things begin to take forms away from stone carvings. Some of the others I put an emphasis on are as follows:

Art is understated and often underappreciated. There is a vast amount of art history but not enough people teaching it, leaving it unnoticed as influential. The only solution is to inform people of the art movements that led us to the art we see and create now. Here,

Realism, Impressionism, Expressionism, Surrealism, Cubism, Pop Art, Minimalism, Conceptual Art, and Contemporary.

Throughout these stages, there are significant people, places, and events that have deep influences on the art that was produced at the time. For example, Medieval Art was created as a reflection of the dark times during the Fall of the Roman Empire. It is important to note such events because the art would not be the same without those events.

Another example is Realism, which was brought up by an increase in journalism and photography. It makes sense that a rise in these two things would cause the painting to shift because they are

all tools used to portray life how it looks moment by moment. As technology advanced, so did art.

The big takeaway from this research is that everything affects everything. Art can be something that is looked over as an influential part of history, but it deserves recognition because it marks a stamp of time. It marks a piece of history.

Art is a collection of memories to be learned from.

Art History | 5

36 DAYS OF TYPE Digital Illustration | Social Media Challenge

6 | 36 Days of Type

What It’s All About 36 Days of Type is an Instagram challenge in which designers from all over the world design A-Z and 0-9, completing one a day for 36 days. I decided, last minute, to take it on and based each letter on something from nature that starts with that particular letter. Below are a few favorites.

Takeaways Community is necessary and much more prevalent in the design world than I previously thought. Throughout the process of this challenge, I had the opportunity to connect with designers from across the globe as we followed along on each other’s alphabet journey.

36 Days of Type | 7

ACE HARDWARE Campaign Creation | Copywriting | Print Production

What It’s All About Ace Hardware does what they do best and arguably better than any competitor—customer service. Anyone can walk into any Ace and bet that they’ll get their questions answered, so this campaign showcases just that. The goal is not to advertise any specific product but to shine a light on their extraordinary customer service and posture Ace as the place to go when you’re not an expert.

Background Information Ace Hardware began its life in 1924 by a group of four hardware store owners from Chicago passionate about their trade. The name, Ace, refers to fighter pilots from World War I able to overcome the war, just like the four men were able to overcome the odds in their time as they united their stores into one. Ace’s profits grew significantly after WWII and have been soaring ever since. It now has more locations in the United States than competitors Lowe’s and Home Depot combined.

Unique Selling Proposition Ace hardware fills the gap between the local handyman and the big-box corporations like Home Depot or Lowes. A majority of the stores are locally-owned, and Ace prides itself as being the community hardware store that is estimated to be within 15 minutes of 75% of neighborhoods in America. Customers can expect assistance that is always available, personal and eager to offer a helping hand. On top of helping out at the storefront, Ace gives back through the Ace Foundation, which exists to lift up communities. The foundation offers support for the Children’s Miracle Network, Ace Helpful Fund, American Red Cross, and CMN hospitals local to Ace Hardware Stores.

After all, Ace is the place with the helpful hardware folks.

On top of helping out at the storefront, Ace gives back through the Ace Foundation, which exists to lift up communities. The foundation offers support for the Children’s Miracle Network, Ace Helpful Fund, American Red Cross, and CMN hospitals local to Ace Hardware Stores. After all, Ace is the place with the helpful hardware folks.

Objectives This campaign is made to change the mindset that Ace is more than just any other hardware store and spark conversation around their extraordinary service. Ace aims to make homeowners feel welcome to ask questions, whether they’re first-time owners or have been for 30 years. The goal is to share the campaign on social media platforms using the hashtag and spread Ace’s name through word of mouth.

Target Audience • • • •

Millennial men and women ages 22-38 First-time homeowners Homeowners devoted to home up-keep DIY novices

Tone of Voice Ace is trustworthy and friendly, caring deeply about their customers. They have an inviting environment and don’t take themselves too seriously.

8 | Ace Hardware

Ace Hardware 6959 E 22nd St Tucson, AZ 85710

For the day to day

disasters.

We all have those days. You know the ones.

There’s a random moment, maybe mid-afternoon after some post-lunch energy has kicked in, where you say to yourself, “I think I’ll start a project today.” You then realize you have none of the tools you need and also that you’re no DIY expert, but you carry on mistaking unreadiness for resourcefulness. And then you watch the disaster unfold in front of your eyes and say, “I should’ve just gone to Ace.” Yeah, you probably should’ve.

We’re only 15 minutes away, so take a little extra time to save yourself double the time.

PRESORTED FIRST CLASS MAIL U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

TUSCON, AZ PERMIT #123

John Holder 982 Parkway Drive Tuscon, AZ 85704

Count us in.

For when you’re clearly not a pro yet.

It’s hard to hear, but sometimes, the best thing to do is admit your faults, ask for help and move on. You can see here that the best move would have been to understand and acknowledge that door handle installation is not for everyone and come to us before getting started. Because once that handle is on backward, all you can do then is ask us, “Is there a tool to make it normal without redoing the whole thing?”

And to that, our answer would be “No.” So let’s normalize normal and admit when we don’t know it all. Share your most #unpro moment @acehardware to let others know they’re not alone.

Count us in.

For und the DI Y erd ogs .

Don’t have a knack for electrical work? It’s okay because we’re all human, and not all humans were born professional DIYers. If you need to install a light switch this weekend, come on over and ask us how. That way, you can start your journey to being the hero of the house. Good luck, you got this.

Count us in.

Ace Hardware | 9

CANYON WORSHIP Digital Illustration | Album Cover Design | Merchandise Design GDUSA Award of Distinction 2020 | Graphic Designer USA

What It’s All About The Canyon Worship Album is recorded every year by the students at Grand Canyon University; our team of designers at GCE has the privilege to create options for the album art every year. It showcases the intimacy and reliance on the Lord that we need, especially during 2021. The client chose my design for 2021’s album.

10 | Canyon Worship

Inspiration Behind This Design This design is authentic and a little messy. I wanted it to feel complete but still a touch unfinished, so students resonated with its realness. It isn’t perfect, and it isn’t beautiful, but it’s real. We have an awesome God that is right alongside us every step of the way through the good, bad, and ugly. I wanted this to be a small reminder that he doesn’t seek perfection— he seeks connection.

Canyon Worship | 11

ILLUSTRATIONS Procreate Illustrations

What It’s All About My dream in life is to illustrate for a living. Whether it’s for a magazine, website, greeting card, or children’s book, I would love to illustrate people, places, and things every day of my life.

Below are a few samples.

12 | Illustrations

MOBY DICK Book Cover Design

What It’s All About Moby Dick is all about a man with one leg going mad over an obsessive hunt for a white whale that bit off said man’s other leg. The scene is a ship in the middle of the ocean, with stormy skies and rolling waves. I wanted to portray not just the wildness of the sea but the wildness of the man, both options using photos of objects to illustrate this madness.

Cover 1

Cover 2

This book cover uses only construction paper and string. It represents the all-consuming chaos ensuing this man’s mind on his hunt for Moby Dick, the white whale that stole his leg.

This book uses multiple layers of paper manipulated by light. It showcases a man and the vessel said man uses to carry out his mission. He’s lying horizontally as foreshadow, and the background is white to represent Moby Dick, the white whale.

Moby Dick | 13

POEMS, PRAYERS, AND PROMISES What It’s All About John Denver captures the hearts of many, young and old—it has everything to do with his artistry and the feeling his music so beautifully captures. He is authentic, cares deeply about upholding his values, and loves nature. The goal for this campaign was to portray him accurately, as a grounded, down-to-earth musician, for a tour I wish he could have today.

MOOD BOARD

If I had a day that I could give you I'd give to you the day just like today

Background

Market

Primary Audience

Competition

John Denver is a singer, songwriter, and performer. He is a lover of nature and spends much of his time outside fishing, backpacking, hiking, climbing, golfing, skiing, etc. He’s calm and values peace and compassion—his music reflects this.

He started pursuing music at the age of 11 by playing the guitar his grandmother gave him, took guitar lessons, and had a spot in an all-boys choir. Down the road, he was chosen to be the lead singer for a group called the Mitchell Trio. He really started to take flight when his song “Leaving On A Jet Plane” blew up. He eventually became one of the largest pop stars in the 70s. He was able to use his talents to move people and continues to do so today.

When John Denver was in his prime music years in the 70s, some of the other big artists at the time were Elton John, Eagles, The Rolling Stones, James Brown, Paul McCartney, Fleetwood Mac, John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Neil Young, James Taylor, Paul Simon, and many others. The market was filled with talent, but there was still plenty of room for John Denver.

He made his own lane with his style, songwriting, and the personal values he stuck by.

John Denver captures the hearts of many and this has much to do with his artistry and the feeling his music so beautifully captures. His primary audience is older and mostly men.

However, he has a fairly large young demographic that is inspired by his music so many years later. It can be a tall order to advertise a concert of his since his songs are slow and younger generations are looking for excitement. The audience’s belief will be that concerts can be just as powerful without all the bells and whistles.

The competition, if set in either the 70s or today’s music realm, would be anyone that has a large following that draws a crowd with energy and excitement. Since John Denver’s music leans toward calm and intimate, he can’t advertise in a way that would lead the audience to believe otherwise. This creates a challenge because this puts him at a slight disadvantage in comparison to his competitors that are largely opposite from this style. I think he could also charge less if his venue is smaller and doesn’t have many moving parts. This can be a huge draw-in for the audience.

14 | Poems, Prayers, and Promises

Posters The poster is a soft launch—it announces the locations and the tour name to get fans excited for the summer. There is no further detail as a way to build up anticipation and gauge how fans respond.

Instagram Instagram would have been a beneficial tool for John Denver to interact with fans. The first post is a soft launch, much like the poster—it announces the tour but doesn’t give much detail. The second post features song lyrics from one of the songs from the album and states that tickets are on sale. The third post shows a preview of merchandise sold online and will be on sale in all venues during the tour. The Instagram posts are consistent in design with the rest of the campaign and ensure fans know every detail, every step of the way.

Poems, Prayers, and Promises | 15

16 | Poems, Prayers, and Promises

Keepsakes Every concert-goer wants to come home with something to remember the night by forever. The ‘Poems, Prayers, and Promises’ tour equips fans with many options: crewnecks, postcards, tickets (in place of a digital one), tote bags, and pins. Each piece is consistent with the rest of the campaign and remains true to John Denver’s laid-back, authentic personality and artistry.

Mural Posters and Instagram posts are two ways to catch the attention of fans; a mural is another. This mural acts as sort of a soft launch, much like the poster and first Instagram post. It will gain quiet attention and build anticipation.

Poems, Prayers, and Promises | 17

RISE AND DINE Campaign Creation | Print Production | Illustration Phoenix Design Week, Best of 2021 – 10th Place | American Institute of Graphic Arts

What It’s All About

Credits:

Rise and Dine is a campaign built for Canyon 49, a restaurant just outside GCU’s campus. Their request was for us to find a way to help them gain more foot traffic during breakfast hours—Rise and Dine was our solution. This campaign has a retro feel with a bright, modern twist to make Canyon 49 a fun-looking place for students to grab breakfast.

Jennifer Shibata, Project Lead Diana Cheek, Art Director Victoria Whitcomb, Designer Rachel den Dulk, Designer Micah Fischer, Designer Julianna Jordan, Designer

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Poster Designed by Rachel den Dulk

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Grand Canyon University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org), an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. ©2021 Grand Canyon University 21GAA0016

@CANYON49GRILL

18 | Rise and Dine

©2021 Grand Canyon University 21GAA0020

B

U

DDIES

ect ip p s e R e Dr th AT CANYON 49

Instagram Stickers

Brunch Bus ALL ABOARD THE

B R U N C H B U D D I

E S

Canyon 49 needed social media help, so we designed posts and stories to bulk their feed and introduce the campaign.

In addition, I created Instagram stickers, using designs consistent with the campaign. They have subtle movements to make Instagram stories more lively, drawing attention to them.

A-Frame Designed by Julianna Jordan and myself Rise and Dine | 19

Inspiration Like most designers, I love to collect design pieces. This collection includes but is not limited to matchboxes, tin cans, vintage ads, pins, buttons, postcards, etc.

For Clay, the main goal was to create a typeface inspired by what one might see on any of these items lying around at a thrift store. This collage is of matchbox designs I did not design myself, but that inspired the creation of Clay.

How It Was Made To the right is a sort of visual chart showing how I made Clay. Each element (weight, word spacing, kerning, counters, and overshoot) is key to creating a balanced typeface.

20 | Clay

CLAY Typeface Design | Print Production Phoenix Design Week, Best of 2021 – 16th Place | American Institute of Graphic Arts

What It’s All About Clay is a bold sans serif typeface designed to break through modern type. It is rough around the edges yet consistent through shape and spacing. Clay’s handmade touch focuses on the tiny imperfections all around us that are made beautiful by being relatable.

Imperfect Beauty Imperfect beauty is all around us. This haiku is a collaboration between myself and Arianna Bell (copywriter). It represents the type of designer we have in God who shines in the darkest places. There is sin and imperfection in the world, but he makes everything beautiful in time.

Credits: Arianna Bell, Copywriter Denisse Montoya, Project Lead Clay | 21

Dear Readers, I am an advertising and graphic design graduate of Grand Canyon University.

For two and almost a half years, I was a student graphic designer for Grand Canyon Education Ad Agency—here, I created marketing materials for GCU and local schools that boosted enrollment, promoted events, and increased school spirit. Sometimes this only involved PDF form updates and email headers, but other times I had the opportunity to build creative campaigns with a team, create banners, layout brochures, design bus wraps, and more.

More than anything else, I learned about design, life, and myself from the people I worked with here. They helped me succeed and pushed me to be my best.

They provided me with opportunities to

grow that I would not have had anywhere else, and I am forever grateful for that.

Design is my passion, but I also love words. This love grew when I joined Highnoon, a Tempe-based, full-service ad agency, as a creative intern. This internship focused on copywriting, design, and creative brainstorming—I wrote the occasional Instagram caption, swapped images out on banners, and regularly ideated headlines for new campaigns. My time there taught me that there is more to design than design; there should be a solid concept behind the design so that the design is not a crutch. As much as I used the word design in that last sentence, I do not think design is everything. The idea,

Sincerely,

GR APHIC DESIGN PORTFOLIO Vol. 1 | December 2021

the copy, and the design need to come together in perfect harmony to engage the consumer and teach them something about something, usually within a matter of seconds. I love designing, and I love words, so it is great news that they work so closely together.

As for me and my free time, there has been a little less of it lately, but I treasure what I get of it. If I am not grabbing late-night dinner with my roommates or spending the weekend at my sister’s house, you can usually find me in poor posture leaning over a sketchbook or my iPad—one of my many dreams is to get paid to illustrate. I am witty when I want to be, and only if I have the energy for it. I most likely do not because I go

to bed late and wake up early. Missing a second in the day feels like a loss. I am an information hoarder who probably collects too much before using any of it. I hate to learn something and forget it, so I have a stack of notebooks filled from front to back that I probably should go back and read. I am curious about everything. I one time asked my dad the loaded question, “What do you find most annoying about me?” He jokingly replied, “You ask too many questions.” I argue that someone who does not ask a new question every day should start—it is impossible to know everything, but I think you should try.