Aperture Graphic Design

Another place worth checking out in Mill Bay Centre... The Third Addition. They have a bit of everything there! Here is a poster I had designed for them a couple of years ago. #throwbackproject #throwbackthursday

Here's another #throwbackproject from Mill Bay Centre. This is the directory map I had designed. There were other sizes and locations. This map in particular is from the medical centre entrance. Mill Bay Centre has a great variety of shops to explore and the building is super cute and right by the ocean. I was very surprised by how cute it was when I first visited. It's been an honour working with a lot of business owners in the area throughout the years!

Here's a throwback project to an ad I designed for Stellar Real Estate Marketing. I was finally able to use their services when I sold my house. They did such a great job on the photos and virtual tour! My house was only on the market for a few days. I can't recommend them enough!!! For this #throwbackthursday I am featuring some projects I've worked on previously for businesses in Mill Bay Centre... #realestatemarketing #realestatephotography #advertisementdesign

Happy #dogappreciationday to our office dog Cappuccino. He's been an office dog since he was a puppy. He loves lounging around, cuddling pillows & blankets, being supportive, greeting humans, and being super hyper outside after work. @cappuccinodood ... #goldendoodle #goldendoodlesofinstagram #officedog #graphicdesignerlife #dogappreciationpost #doodlesofinstagram

This portion of #photofriday is for @beth.legrow who requested wildlife or scenery. Here are some of the creatures I was able to photograph recently. If there are any other photos you'd like me to share, please let me know in the comments!! Have a great weekend everyone!

For this #photofriday as per request for local landmarks from @ilovecowichandotca we have an assortment of local trestles and a tunnel on #vancouverisland If anyone else has any specific requests, please let me know in the comments and I will do my best to post them!!

This #photofriday features a #savannahsparrow Birds are hard to feel neutral about. I love birds and seeing the diversity of them. So many have striking colours, features, actions, and traits that make them endlessly fascinating to me. I know some people hate birds or are afraid of them, but I think they're wonderful! Especially those that eat mosquitoes.

This #photofriday features a picture I took of a pine siskin in an arbutus tree in Cowichan Bay. This ended up being the chosen photo for the June/July edition of the South Cowichan Life magazine. Be sure to keep an eye out for it in your mailbox is if you live in South Cowichan!

Happy #plantappreciationday Anyone else use their plants as a zoom background? If you know anything about me, one of the first things that probably comes to mind is the astonishing amount of plants that I surround myself with. They're too inspiring and therapeutic to not have around! #plants #plantsofinstagram #zoombackground #smallbusiness #smallbusinessbc #smallbusinesslife #graphicdesignerlife #alltheplants #plantsplantsplants #officeplants #houseplants #houseplantsofinstagram #plantappreciation #foliage #indoorjungle #tropicalplants #marketing #digitaldesign #digitalmediamarketing #digitalmeetings

Although this document can go by several different names, the #graphicstandardsmanual exists to ensure a brand stays consistent throughout all branded materials. If a brand isn't consistent, it loses reliability and recognition. This can have a negative impact on how people view the brand and how much they trust it. Additionally, if someone who hasn't had design experience or education has to work on something quickly, they are able to use this as a reference to know which ...fonts, colours, shapes, and more as a starting point. Although I would prefer to work on all of the projects for my clients, I am aware that isn't realistic so it's our job to make things as easy as possible for the clients and their end users. Feel free to check out this and other projects on our website at aperture.design More information about PATHWAYS can be found on the Abbotsford Police Department website. Part 4/4

In addition to the logo and icons, other branded components were needed. For instance an official letterhead, business cards, and a sticky note that could fit on the edge of a monitor to act as a mini business card. During this part of the design process, versatility of the design language can be tested to ensure it functions well for a variety of surfaces. This is also a crucial part of the process for establishing graphic guidelines that will be published in the manual for... future graphic applications. This project can also be viewed on our website at aperture.design More information about PATHWAYS can be found on the Abbotsford Police Department website. Part 3/4

The majority of who would benefit from this program are around preteen and teenage years. However, it was important to also appeal to a broad audience due to the other strategy being to educate the public on risk factors for gang involvement. Once awareness is made on these factors, it creates an opportunity for them to be identified and addressed. Due to being an organization of the Abbotsford Police Department, it was requested that the colours of their brand be used in th...e logo. A balance of AbbyPD colours and an approachability was necessary to create the desired impression. This project can also be viewed on our website at aperture.design More information about PATHWAYS can be found on the Abbotsford Police Department's website. Part 2/4

The next four posts will feature another #visualidentity project. This is the icon for a gang prevention program that is a part of the Abbotsford Police Department. This program aims to inform the public about risk factors for gang involvement so they can be addressed before involvement occurs. Once these factors are identified, PATHWAYS can be referred to individuals who may be at a higher risk. PATHWAYS uses an approach to mitigate the risk factors rather than use a threa...tening or forceful approach. This project can also be viewed on our website at aperture.design More information about PATHWAYS can be found on the Abbotsford Police Department's website. Part 1/4

Happy Friday! Here are some pictures of #orcas from a couple weeks ago! #photofriday

Happy Friday everyone! For this week's #photofriday we have #cedarwaxwings These birds are quickly becoming pretty high on my favourites list! They are smaller than I remember them being which gives them a serious disadvantage when the robins come to chase them away. They seem to be pretty fussy about which berries they consume. As a result, many berries were falling down and bouncing off our coats, heads, arms, and even the camera. ... #photooftheday #fridayphoto #photographer #photography #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #vancouverislandphotography #vancouverislanddesign #vancouverisland #birdsofvancouverisland #birdsofinstagram #waxwing #winterberries #smallbusinessbc #birdsofbc #graphicdesign

Finally, after ensuring the logo is functional, a style guide is to be generated. This includes how to use the logo, about the brand, colours, typography, other visual language elements, and can include other components depending on what is the most relevant for the brand. This guide exists as a reference for all future projects whether we design them or someone else. Consistency is extremely important with any brand. This book is an extremely valuable tool to keep everything... consistent. #graphicdesign #moodboard #visualidentitydesign #visualdesigner #communicationdesign #branding #branddesign #brandlanguage #moodboard #businessowner #businessgrowth #businesssupportingbusiness #smallbusiness #smallbusinessbc #graphicdesigner #vancouverislanddesign #vancouverisland #abbotsford #marketing #designprocess #designthinking #visualidentity #graphicstandardsmanual

The next step in ensuring the design will be functional is applying it to the types of swag and stationery the client will ultimately need. In this case, they needed t-shirts, a letter head, and business cards. Designing promotional materials using the logo allows for a visual system to be established. This process helps to verify that the logo and visual identity are functional and cohesive. #graphicdesign #moodboard #visualidentitydesign #visualdesigner #communicationdesign #branding #branddesign #brandlanguage #moodboard #businessowner #businessgrowth #businesssupportingbusiness #smallbusiness #smallbusinessbc #graphicdesigner #vancouverislanddesign #vancouverisland #abbotsford #marketing #designprocess #designthinking #visualidentity #stationery #businessstationery #swagdesign #visualidentitysystem

The most important part of a brand or visual identity is for it to resonate with your target audience. The next most important thing is for it to be functional. Logos should work well at all sizes and have different versions for different background colours or when the logo colours are limited. ... During the design process it's important to test the logo on different colours and on different mockups to ensure it will work well for all of the clients future projects. #graphicdesign #moodboard #visualidentitydesign #visualdesigner #communicationdesign #branding #branddesign #brandlanguage #moodboard #businessowner #businessgrowth #businesssupportingbusiness #smallbusiness #smallbusinessbc #graphicdesigner #vancouverislanddesign #vancouverisland #abbotsford #marketing #designprocess #designthinking #visualidentity

During the concept development and refinement stages of the project, different directions were explored. A few of the developed concepts included woven cedar (to represent community), multiple trees (to utilize the direct meaning as well as showing a sense of community), and even abstract representations of the tree with five lines or features to represent each piece of what CEDAR represents. Regardless of the chosen client's direction it was extremely important to demonstr...ate the strength and stability of those who are helping their clients. The individual cedar tree communicates this better than the other concepts. Ultimately, the purpose is to help people to reach their personal goals to eventually be able to stand on their own. This makes the logo a visual representation both of the strength of those helping and the increased strength of the helped. One of the challenges while refining the concept was to make the cedar tree look like a cedar tree. They are related to the pine family so it was difficult to distinguish the silhouette from that of a line while keeping it clean enough to be scaled to any size effectively. Aside from the bark, one of the distinguishing features of a cedar tree, is the direction of the branches. The inherent sass the cedar trees posses helped to demonstrate what is recognizably a cedar tree while also giving it more personality. #graphicdesign #moodboard #visualidentitydesign #visualdesigner #communicationdesign #branding #branddesign #brandlanguage #moodboard #businessowner #businessgrowth #businesssupportingbusiness #smallbusiness #smallbusinessbc #graphicdesigner #vancouverislanddesign #vancouverisland #abbotsford #marketing #designprocess #designthinking #visualidentitysystem #icondesign #cedartree #cedar #natureinspireddesign #natureindesign #natureinspired

A recent visual identity project I was able to develop is for CEDAR Outreach Society. This project was a rebrand from the organizations previous name. CEDAR is an acronym which stands for Connect. Empower. Destigmatize. Advocate. Respect. This organization does incredible work helping people access resources to meet their current goals without stigma and meets people where they are at. ... During the research phase of the project, there were many factors to consider to appeal to the target audience. One of the main factors is for the logo to be easily recognizable and low-barrier. It was requested for the real to be a part of the new identity to continue recognition that had been built with the previous brand. The cedar tree is incredibly symbolic of the work they do. Some meanings of the cedar tree are: strength, support, elevation, protection, incorruptibility, connection, hope, and purification. Though different design directions were explored, the singular cedar tree had the strength to communicate CEDAR's purpose and goals. #graphicdesign #moodboard #visualidentitydesign #visualdesigner #communicationdesign #branding #branddesign #brandlanguage #moodboard #businessowner #businessgrowth #businesssupportingbusiness #smallbusiness #smallbusinessbc #graphicdesigner #vancouverislanddesign #vancouverisland #abbotsford #marketing #designprocess #designthinking #visualidentity #graphicdesignerlife

Here is some motivation for your Monday! I'd love to hear your ideas! Feel free to reach out or a comment. Both as a business and as an individual, there has been a lot of change to process lately. If anything it has made me question why things are the way they are and if it could be better. Graphic design is all about solving problems creatively and effectively. The magnitude of the problem doesn't matter. One of my favourite things is to find ways to make things better, ea...sier, or more accessible. This is what I love about being a graphic designer. #mondaymotivation #motivationmonday #keepinnovating #smallbusiness #smallbusinesslife #smallbusinessowner #vancouverislanddesign #graphicdesign #graphicdesigner #graphicdesignerlife #smallbusinessbc #cowichanvalley #keepmovingforward

Happy family day from the office dogs! We hope you're having a great day!

The other thing I am thankful to see more of this winter is ducks! I've seen so many ducks and this particular #americanwigeon was especially photogenic #ducksofinstagram #duck #wigeon #wigeons #wigeonducks #quackquack #photooftheday #photofriday #photographer #photography #vancouverislandphotography #vancouverislandbirds #birdwatching #vancouverislandbusiness

Anyone else ready for spring after seeing the weather forecast? #dahlia #vancouverislandphotography #vancouverislanddesign #vancouverisland #vancouverislandbusiness #flowersofinstagram #flowerphotography #photooftheday #photofriday #photography