Designers actually can change the world for the better by making the complicated simple and finding beauty in truth.
My Designs
My design esthetic is simple, clean and to the point. After spending the past six years running a business, I know one thing for certain and that is convenience is key. The time a person wastes fumbling through a disorganized website that lacks intuitive usability is bad marketing and bad business. Good design communicates a message, calling the consumer to action with minimal effort. People do not want to read; clutter distracts the eye, overwhelms the senses and causes-not all-but most to lose interest. Good marketing "presses the easy button" and all but makes the consumer's decision. Good business is money made. I am of the opinion that all these concepts are fundamentally related.
About Me
I am an artist, designer, creator and dreamer. I experience the world with my eyes and my hands follow. I--fix crooked things. My creative pursuits can be best summarized by Graphic Designer Saul Bass when he said, "I want to make beautiful things, even if nobody cares."
While working as a General Manager, I forged an unofficial but substantial position for myself as an emerging graphic designer and marketing consultant with a small but predominant restaurant group in Norfolk, Virginia. Being the...exuberant... artist that I am, I saw a need and chose to seize it. This allowed me to improve the company by creating a more professional, visible and slowly but surely less ugly public image all while training myself in the art of design and running one of the five businesses. I was busy; - yes - it was hard. Neglected and struggling to be seen, a restaurant dripping with potential in a stunning downtown building was desperately in need of attention and I gave it all of mine. Over the years, this business was my guinea pig and if ever something had nothing to lose, it was this restaurant. I was afforded the opportunity to test my ideas via web, print and in-house marketing. I live for my next idea and to make the world around me more beautiful than it was before. As it turns out, that's a job. So, with that being said....It is so lovely to meet you! I am here to help you, your product and your dream look a little better and make a lasting impression.Branding
I have a passion for branding. A colleague once said, "Rachel has a unique gift for identifying potential." While she was referring to those I supervised, her simple but poignant statement altered my perspective. I neither look at the world nor the people and things in it in a typical manner. I see potential, not what something is but what it can be. This revelation was reminiscent of art school, all those years ago, when I realized that my talents are not as much in creating something new out of thin air, but in my ability to take what's already there, find the potential, arrange (or re-arrange) the elements bringing it into the light.
It is my belief that every company has a personality, a philosophy, a goal, and a dream. The key to a great brand is identifying that personality, giving it a face, a voice--a fabulous wardrobe, and a life to live. I wish to spend my time and earn my keep helping businesses, large or small, and people to see their potential because I can.
Scarano Custom Creations
Kaylee Scarano requested my assistance in branding her and her husband's small home decor business, Scarano Custom Creations.
While Kaylee wanted to narrow the focus to custom woodworking, it was still evident that the product had a feminine sensibility and a clear "farmhouse" style. These characteristics helped me develop an overall style that fit the product, the goal and (most importantly) the incredible woman behind the brand.
Norfolk Seafood Co. & Big Easy Oyster Bar
Improving this brand was my sole focus for a period of time. I strived to bring forth a new interpretation of an existing brand.
The concept was solely focused on the "New Orleans" theme without the authenticity. It only left something to be compared to, and in case you didn't know... everyone is from New Orleans. Norfolk Seafood Company being the first half of the restaurant's name, did it not deserve recognition? There go, fresh local seafood was highlighted with the artistic, culinary and cocktail influence of New Orleans' Culture.
219 Bistro
This restaurant was previously known as 219, American Bistro with a logo and decor that was out of date, to say the least. It was closed down for a complete renovation and rebranding. While I would have gone a different direction myself, I worked within the predetermined confines of the updated brand.
I was given a general color palette and the modified name of the business. The rest of the brand was inspired by observing the renovations and new interior design. 219 Bistro was my first original logo
Byrd & Baldwin Bros.
(Sigh). RZ Restaurants' most exclusive restaurant and the most prestigious, sought-out steakhouse in Hampton Roads had the sloppiest brand I had ever seen. It was stuck in it's ways and a bit "Mad Men-esque" for my taste...or the century.
Everything needed to be re-imagined from the logo, to the menu layouts, to the copy and I gladly took it all on. I felt a restaurant that serves a $200 steak should have a brand that is inherently refined in every possible way. Plus, if one is going to be profusely pretentious they should at least dress for the occasion.
The Cellars Socials & Events on Tazewell
The latest addition to the RZ Restaurant group would reside above The Cellars on Tazewell. A state of the art, climate controlled wine cellar that houses an extravagant amount of privately owned wine with cellars to rent. It was decided that the new event venue would capitalize on the location and free marketing by drawing attention from the Norfolk elite/established cellar tenants.
Silver seemed to be a theme, so it was incorporated. The director and I happened to have similar ideas for typography. We wanted something clean, elegant and easy to read.
456 Fish: completed for portfolio purposes
456 Fish was the most consistent of the restaurants and it, consistently, used the most aggressive font in all the land. It was everywhere: headings, menu items, descriptions and just everywhere.
The logo was updated slightly. Everything else was given a sans serif font and vibrant colors sampled from photos of the building itself. The exterior is as if Tim Burton and Dr. Seuss collaborated on a building. The brand should be just and quirky and fun.
Art & Inspiration
This is the real "about me" section, a showcase of my art, my journey and my inspiration.This is the work, the places and the people that I love. The hobby that brings me peace. The people that drive me crazy and the only ones who can bring me calm and joy by simply existing. These are the places that excite me and inspire me to dream. Making these pieces was beyond satisfying, so I will post them all. Enjoy.
Copy & Print
“Make it simple. Make it memorable. Make it inviting to look at. Make it fun to read.” – Leo Burnett
Email Marketing
Listen, I get a lot of emails. I ignore most of them, but a Bath & Body works email advertising candles "buy 2 get 2" with a front and center shopping link landed me with four delicious candles. Furthermore, thanks to that email, I am now aware that I love their product and will definitely continue to purchase--and I thought I was immune to marketing tactics. Ha! So, just like that a customer was born. I had not been in a Bath and Body works for approximately 15 years--because itchy--but now I will brave all the smells to see if there is a candle sale. We would not be discussing this if they didn't get to the point quickly and make it convenient.
My experience is with Constant Contact. I started doing this with the modest goal of making them look a little better than what the company was sending out at the time and increasing the call to action opportunities being provided.
Yes, that is papyrus--I'm sorry. It'll never happen again...
Fundraisers & Events
There are two things that I find most rewarding in life. The first is charity and the second is pulling off an awesome party. Polar opposites on the vanity scale but very similar none the less. I've done both from concept, to marketing, to execution. Rehearsal dinners, large rehearsal dinners, were kind of my thing. I unofficially specialized in the Mother of the Groom or person of corresponding significance, of course. The rehearsal was her party, her show, her day. I focused on her, made the structure so simple that the control-freak spiral would be minimally frustrating, and reassured her that I had everything under control two weeks, three days, the day prior, and three hours before the event. "How did I determine success? You ask..." When said mother hugged me. It never failed and it was my gold star. I did always desire the teacher's approval.
Social Media
It's all the rage. I have to admit, I'm still a little salty with that girl hogging the giant rock with the rewarding view, after hiking up a frickin' mountain. She was extremely busy taking dozens of pictures in--the--exact--same--position, but she has a insta-image and it must be maintained. I'm mostly over it.