Design + Style : #10

I can't really say how I choose the combination of each Design + Style post, sometimes it's color, sometimes it design elements. I think this week it was a combination of both! I love her pops of neon and all her little accessories. Although the Typeface is one color, it has so much detail to it - it shows that just a little bit of detail goes a long way.

Design + Style

Inspiration Boards

I like to use inspiration boards as a way to figure out more what my clients like/don't like. I try to put things into the board that I think they'll like and things I'm not totally sure about, that way I can figure out exactly how they want to represent they're brand. I also like to include their own inspiration in the board. It really is a fun way to begin working together.

up up / graph paper / b.cards / arrows / peony / strawberries / flowers / lab / border / great lakes / linen / botanique / flowers two / font 1 / font 2  --- (phew!)

50th Birthday Invitation

I love designing for my family. Maybe because they always give me free range, but I had a lot of fun recently designing my Dad's surprise 50th birthday invite. I wasn't able to attend so designing the invites made me feel like I was able to take part.

Spaces // Alyssa Yuhas

It's so great to see every week how each creative's workspace reflects their personality and style. This week's Spaces, features Alyssa Yuhas, one of the lovely ladies behind WLWL Magazine and is a talented graphic designer, who recently made the leap into freelancing - check it out!

Tell us about yourself as a creative.

I am a graphic designer specializing in both print & web design. I absolutely LOVE what I do. I'm lucky to be designing for an eclectic mix of clients who are from all over North America. This month, I'm also working on the 10th issue of WLWL magazine, which should be released at the end of April. WLWL is a magazine about sharing the things we like and love, which is a spin-off of my blog: ilikenicethings. On top of all of that, I assist & art direct for my husband (who is a photographer) and volunteer doing design for my church.

Describe your creative journey.

I've been creating from a very young age, but went in the opposite direction after high school when I began pursuing an academic route in college (I was going to be a mathematician!). A little while in, I had a little a-ha! moment where I realized all I wanted to do was create, get my hands dirty, and be surrounded by art, culture & design. After I got my degree in Visual Communications (Design), I worked for a few years in a boutique design studio & about two years ago I moved to a larger advertising agency. Recently, I gave up agency life and made the move to full-time freelance (I'm my own boss! Ah!), which has been both the scariest and smartest decision I've made. It's a lot of hard work, but I'm getting the freedom to work on really exciting projects with inspiring people. I probably sounds like a broken record, but I am in love with what I do!

Share a little bit about your space.

My husband and I share our space and it's small, a bit crowded, but we make it work! We work side-by-side which is nice, because even when we are both head down, focussed and nerding out at our computers, we can still be with each other, listening to music & seeing what the other is working on. We basically stare at a wall filled with a lot of visuals: a large painting (by a friend I went to college with that has the most amazing textures and colours), a paper cut by Rob Ryan, a nautical clock (I collect clocks) and our inspiration board filled with polaroids, photo booth fun, favourite business cards, notes, stickers, buttons, etc… Our space is filled with old and new, bright and muted, kitsch and minimalist. Elvis even makes an appearance.

What's your favorite thing about your space?

My favourite thing?!! Can I have two favourite things? 01 // My chalkboard which saves my life, and keeps me organized by showing the projects that I have on-the-go and those that are upcoming. Since I'm a visual person, being able to see my "To Do" list constantly (& interact with it) is a must! 02 // Our growing library of design, photography and creative books and magazines. I'm on the computer often 8+ hours a day, so it's the absolute best to be able get off of the computer and sit down with a book or magazine to get inspired. I think some of my best ideas happen when I step away from the computer, and let my mind wander in a book.

What's one thing you think every creative needs in their space?

Oh! There are so many things that are helpful-- but I would say: surround yourself with things that make you smile or make your eyes light up. Having an actual inspiration board has been awesome for us, as it's a constant reminder of where we are at visually or where we want to be. Keep items on your desk or pictures on your wall that inspire you and spark an emotion inside. Creativity often happens through osmosis (is that even the right word?), so be surrounded by things that you love, because it will rub off onto what you are creating.

Thanks so much Alyssa!

*Photos by Alyssa Yuhas

Spaces is a weekly feature, sharing fellow creatives, designers and artists' workspaces'. I'm currently taking submissions and would love to share. If you think you'd be a perfect edition email hello@evablackdesign.com!

Simply Grove

I'm sorry that I've been missing lately, but the past few weeks have been super busy - it seems that most of the projects I've been working are all wrapping up right now! But I'm so excited to share one project that I've been working on with Kirsten of Simply Grove that launched this morning. Kirsten wanted to update her interior design blog to reflect her personal style and personality. She loves mixing patterns and wanted something outside the box. It was so fun working the Kirsten and bringing her new brand to life. Make sure to head over and check it out!

Color + Pattern!

What a fun way to add pattern or color to your wardrobe for Spring. I can't get enough of these. They're all over the place. How funny is it that I had a pair of cords back in middle school that where that teal color in the middle? Too bad they wouldn't fit anymore - and who knows what happened to them!

Poppy NYC / Madewell / Free People / Free People / Anthropologie / Zara

Spaces // Donaville Herrick

This week's Spaces feature comes from the workspace of Donaville Herrick. Donaville is one busy woman! She not only co-founded a design studio, Hello Hello Hi, but also runs the fantastic blog, Discover Paper (chalk full of paper goodness), is starting a new blog/magazine, Dearest Nature (for all things nature inspired) and she's a mother to three. She's a superstar!

Tell us about yourself as a creative.
I'm a web/graphic designer by trade and I recently co-founded a design company called Hello Hello Hi  where we specialize in web design and development and integrate content management systems like Drupal and WordPress for our clients. I enjoy dabbling in other creative arts, particularly anything involving paper and lately I've been obsessed with creating paper flowers. When I'm away from my workspace I love shooting photos. My three children are 90% of the subjects of my photographs, but I also enjoy capturing photographs of still life and the beauty that nature has to offer.

Describe your creative journey.
I first got interested in graphic design in middle school when I was interested in re-creating logos for Roxy Quiksilver using Microsoft Paint. Yes, Microsoft Paint! Roxy, was of course unaware they needed pixelated logos but the 12-year-old me decided they did. That year, my step-dad bought a copy of Photoshop, which introduced me to more advanced tools and techniques, but it wasn't until my Freshman year of high school that I took a bigger interest in designing graphics and layouts for the internet. My first introduction to creating a website was in my 9th grade English class. Together with a friend, I designed and built a website for a Greek mythology project using Geocities, a platform that is now extinct where many a designer got their first start "designing" websites.

Share a little bit about your space.

My space is quite often chaotic. I'm almost always creating something new with my hands, whether it be paper flowers, fabric pins, upcycled envelopes, etc. because I find that it's important for me to take breaks away from web design and coding throughout the day and utilize that time working on something more tactile. Thus, my workspace suffers A LOT, especially since the introduction of sites like craftgawker and Pinterest ... my workspace oftentimes resembles something from an episode of Hoarders.

What's your favorite thing about your space?
What I love most about my space is the amount of natural light illuminates the room. I have a beautiful view of the trees from our side yard and a faint view of the Saddleback Mountains in the distance. I've situated my computer against the wail instead of directly in front of the window because sometimes the light can be overwhelming and blinding. I have another desk that sits in front of the window where I can work on specific crafts that require more room than the space in front of my computer allows, peruse catalogs and magazines for design inspiration, or a let it be place where my oldest daughter can come hang out and draw pictures of evil whales.

What's one thing you think every creative needs in their space?
Every creative space should have a comfortable chair that also aids in maintaining good posture. I'm currently in the process of shopping for a better chair since I currently sit on a cushioned wooden chair! I've been experiencing minor lower back pains which I've always attributed to birthing twins naturally over a year and a half ago, but the fact that I don't have an ergonomically correct chair is probably playing a role in those ailments as well.

A Few Extra's From Donaville
- Flower mobile was made by me and represents my family: mom, dad, and our three kids.

- Books under my computer monitor are those that I'm currently reading: "It's a Jungle Out There" by Jennifer Ward (illustrated by Susie Ghahremani) and "The Chocolate Connoisseur" by Chloe Doutre-Roussel // German-to-English dictionary is a vintage book that I use to elevate my monitor.

- Girl of all work notepad purchased from Sweet Paper

- Camera tape dispenser purchased from Oh Hello Friend

- Book sculpture made by me, inspired by the work of Lisa Occhipinti who wrote the book "The Repurposed Library"

Thanks Donaville!

Photos by Donaville Herrick