uo invitations part 4

The fourth invitation I recently designed for the University of Oregon Donor Relations department once again followed the format of fitting a #10 business envelope, but this time I designed the invitation to open horizontally.

I used the rather lengthy event name to create a label of sorts that, together with a brown color bar, mimics a gift-wrapped present. The photographic texture used in the background reinforces this idea.

Using a translucent paper for the insert adds an elegant touch to this invitation that was printed on a relatively smooth paper (Classic Crest).

I'm quite pleased with how all four of these invitations turned out. Each stands alone as being distinctly unique yet as a group they successfully convey a sense of unity. (view parts 1, 2 and 3)

uo invitations part 3

Similar to the design in the previous post, this third invitation for the University of Oregon Donor Relations department uses a horizontal format with an overlapping flap. To save costs, we actually used the same die line to create the curved front panel.

This time rather than using a sticker, the flap is kept closed by tucking it under a little thumbnail slit on the front of the invite.

The whimsical flower illustrations are hand drawn and create a nice visual contrast to the printed fabric background. The Sundance Felt paper reinforces this textural element.

The color palette consists of a dark green and taupe, an elegant interpretation of the official university combo of bright yellow and grass green. (view parts 1 and 2)

uo invitations part 2

This is the second of four different invitations I recently designed for the University of Oregon Donor Relations department.

To stay within the #10 envelope format, I designed this one to open horizontally and have an overlapping flap that is kept closed using a gold sticker blind-embossed with a little leaf motif.

This leaf design is repeated in the Ford Family Foundation typography that functions almost like a logo.

The warm yellow is similar to the official UO yellow. While the warm grey is an unexpected departure from the traditional UO green, it functions well here as a modern palette that still invokes the spirit of the UO colors.

The textured paper is Sundance Felt and lends a luxurious, tactile element to the invitation. (view part 1 here)

uo invitations part 1

A few months ago, I was asked to design a series of invitations for the University of Oregon's Donor Relations department. The invites are for receptions hosted annually for recipients of various different scholarships.

So while there was little overlap in the recipients, I proposed that all four invitations follow the same horizontal format to fit in standard #10 business envelopes. All other elements (with the exception of a shared die line for two of the invites) were purposely designed to be distinctly different from each other.

The design process was a lot of fun and the resulting invites successfully convey the tone of the events. Here are some photos of the first invitation – stay tuned for posts on the other three!

happy holidays!

Every year I like to thank my wonderful clients for all the work they've sent my way, so I present them with a small gift that I designed myself. For the past six years, I've been able to team up with Brown Printing and West Coast Paper (now WCP Solutions) to create something fun AND functional.

This year's collaboration resulted in another day planner, a collection of whimsical illustrations with weekly and monthly pages to help my clients stay organized in 2011.

The cover and monthly divider pages are printed on a heavy textured stock that are folded double for added heft. A nice bonus of this method: tabs for easy access to each month!

If you're not (yet?) one of my clients or would like to gift someone with one of my planners, I do have a few extras for sale in my Etsy shop.

Happy holidays, everyone!