Creative Thoughts : Where Do They Come From?

It never fails, the feeling I get when a satisfied client comes back for more. I am unsure where my ideas come from, although I am continually amazed at what triggers my creative thoughts; a billboard on the side of the road, an ad in a magazine, a comment from a client, a drawing from my 4 year old, an animated story told by a friend, the list is endless. My creative wheels are never at rest and are continually seeking new and innovative ideas for you.

Last year I had a client come to me wanting a design for their annual company-wide sales meeting. They had decided on a racing theme to get their sales team all revved up and was so thrilled with the results that they came back for more.

This year they decided on a boxing theme, the image below is what they are going to be using on punching bags, key chains and t-shirts.




















I am so excited when I have the opportunity to work closely with a charitable organization. The Rotary Club of Oswego has accomplished so much with the annual Chukkers for Charity event, raising over $20,000 in past years. I had the honor of designing the Save-the-Date card for this year's event.

www.tashaleedesign.com • tasha@tashaleedesign.com

My Top 10 Accomplishments

Looking back to 2009, I am proud of so many things, It is very inspiring to look back on your accomplishments and create new goals for the upcoming year. What is your Top 10?

10. Tasha Lee Design co-hosted 2 events and was involved in the Chamber, helping out as much as she could.
9. I have surrounded myself with successful and inspirational business owners; who have become an awesome support system, not only professionally but also personally.
8. I managed to survive pregnancy and my sanity has returned, despite all the complications this time around.
7. I always wanted to pitch that 10 extra pounds; and I did it!
6. I prospected like a mad woman and attended a record high for Networking Events. It paid off! Even though my kids didn't know who I was some weeks.
5. I joined a second networking group DPWN, it is so inspiring to be surrounded by such passionate and accomplished women.
4. I was part of a leads group who organized and funded a Charitable Casino Night. We donated over $8,000 to two not-for-profit organizations.
3. I took my own advice and developed a marketing plan that I stuck to!
2. I used my couponing knowledge to donate grocery/health and beauty items to those in need.
1. I increased my business by 36%, with 2 little kids running around and being pregnant!










A holiday card designed for a therapeutic clinic. Classy yet traditional. Speckman Therapeutics.













A logo designed for an online girls t-shirt boutique. Offering t-shirts for girly girls who have a bit of tom boy in them. All styles offered in the colors girls love, but use images such as trucks, sports and dinosaurs. Visit the boutique on the web A Closet of Her Own.

www.tashaleedesign.com • tasha@tashaleedesign.com

Looking back on the past decade, I have accomplished so much and am so thankful for all in my life. I have a wonderful husband, 3 handsome boys, a thriving creative design business and a network of family and friends that I couldn't live without. I have learned to not only live day by day, but to savor every moment. I can not believe that my oldest son Josh is already going to be 4 in a couple of weeks, man does time just fly by.

I am looking forward to what 2010 will bring me. Wishing you nothing by success!






Tasha Lee Design offers a variety of creative design services for all your marketing needs. To the right are examples of two different customer rewards systems. The punch cards are designed to a standard business card size and are very inexpensive to print (about $35 for 1000!).

A great way for customers to come back again and again!

Below is a poster design for a bank showcasing that Crain's List placed their branch and a sister branch in the top 25 for performance rankings! In previous years, the bank took the listings to a local copy shop and blew them up to poster board size, how boring. This year the Branch Manager wanted a much more eye catching design to draw customers to recognize and appreciate their bank's accomplishments. Congrats to State Bank of Illinois for making the top 25!

www.tashaleedesign.com • tasha@tashaleedesign.com

Tastefully Whimsical

Earth Design - A family owned landscaping company, specializing in architecture and design elements that will "Bring Your Outdoors to Life". The owners have been in business for a number of years and up until this point, never had a logo to define themselves from other landscape artists. They requested that the logo referred to landscaping without using the typcial landscaping graphics. Lime green and burgundy were initially chosen to compliment their gray vehicle.


The Olive Gallery - A retail shop soon to open in Yorkville selling a variety of oils and vinaigrettes, amongst a variety of other specialties. The client requested the use of an olive and wanted the logo to be very simple, but elegant. The coloring was chosen to compliment the Tuscan themed shop.


OhBabyYou.com - An online retail shop that sells upscale infant clothing and baby gear. The concept behind the logo was to create a 50's vintage theme without dating the company's image. The client requested pinks, browns and blues to be incorporated and wanted the logo to be universal enough to use through various forms of media {online, print, tv}

www.tashaleedesign.com • tasha@tashaleedesign.com

Heathcare and Relocation?

That is right, I work with clients in all different industries, I am not limited in who I design for. I enjoy the diversity and it allows my creativity to flow more freely, I don't feel boxed into a particular format. What works for one industry, may not work for another.

Here are some most recent examples...

A logo and stationery set that was designed for a medical office offering a variety of patient services. The client specifically asked for a rendition of The Vitruvian Man, without it being an exact replication. The logo is professional and modern, the blue was chosen to reinforce the idea of professionalism.

The logo was designed to be used in both a vertical and horizontal orientation.

A relocation company looking to make an impact with scratch pads. She asked for her logo and contact information. I knew that there was so much more we could do to spice it up a bit; with a light green background, the tag line "When life requires change, simplify the transition", and elements from her logo create a nice intro to her company. Warm, Friendly, Simple and much remembered.

A chiropractor offering Beautiful Image® within her office wanted a trifold brochure to showcase the services. The corporate company did not have any collateral that she could use, so we came up with this concept. "Give us an hour, we'll give you back years", with an overall theme that screams "spa" and "relaxation", who wouldn't want to try out the consultation?

Tasha Lee Graphic Design • tasha@tashaleedesign.com

"Win As One" - I want a racing theme!

A couple of months ago I had a new client ask me if I could take her theme "Win As One" and create a manly, yet cool, graphic in a racing theme without being really cheesy. The goal was to use the logo on tshirts. The company's divisions are all unrelated and the parent company wanted to tie everything together for an annual sales and training conference. With that said, I pulled the above design from somewhere in my brain, it hit home with what the client was looking for and ALL of the employees were excited about it.

So excited that they also ordered matching clocks for the employees to have in their cubicles.


www.tashaleedesign.com • tasha@tashaleedesign.com

HOT Menu, Perfect for Summer

I have picked up this fantastic client, that is doing a little remodeling on his business image. Businesses do that sometimes, start out in one direction and find that it is not working so they tweak their plan a little bit and take the fork in the road. As a designer, it is nice to help clients feel out what it is what they are looking for. I helped put together this new menu for a client, in hopes of going from an upscale martini bar to a more laid-back family friendly atmosphere.

www.tashaleedesign.com • tasha@tashaleedesign.com

Pet Cemetary?

The coolest thing about my job is that I get to work with all different types of clients in all different types of industries, I love it, my work is forever changing and I get to explore all different styles. This particular client brought me a business card and wanted a website....

here is what we came up with....

All you pet lovers check out their website! They offer a very unique service for those grieving over the loss of a beloved pet.

www.tashaleedesign.com • tasha@tashaleedesign.com

Spring - It's Time for Babies!

My creativity goes in many different directions. I have been attending baby shower after baby shower recently and wanted to do something really special for my girlfriend. She was expecting her first baby boy and I thought a diaper cake would be appropriate. I am very proud of it! I think it turned out wonderfully.

My sister-n-law is also due to have a baby in a couple of weeks. I helped in co-hosting two different showers for her. For one I helped her by designing the invitations. The shower was going to be a joint one, due to a cousin also being pregnant, we needed something pertaining to both genders due to my sister-n-law having a girl and our cousin having a boy. Here is what I came up with.


www.tashaleedesign.com • tasha@tashaleedesign.com

LOGOS, LOGOS, LOGOS

So this past month I have been so blessed with my creative juices flowing into NEW logos! If I had to pick one project to be my favorite, I think it would be a logo. Logos are certainly not the easiest project to conclude, but they are the most gratifying. Nothing inspires a business owner more than revamping, recreating or identifying their business image.

What a breathe of fresh air!

Many don't understand my creative processes, and I wouldn't expect you to, but what I do want you to understand is that I go above and beyond for all my clients, whether it be a business card project OR a complete identity package. Read what some of my clients have to say...

Also take note that when I say I will present 5 different concepts to you, I PRESENT FIVE DIFFERENT CONCEPTS. I don't take one small element and just change the color or the font. Take a look.

BATAVIA ACADEMY OF DANCE

The client was looking for a logo that emulated class, form, beauty and grace. The yellow and burgundy logo will be used as their primary logo; on their business cards, stationery, flyers, direct mail, etc. The second concept will be used on her apparel. I presented the original concept of the ballet dancer and she loved it so much that we created a second version for the male dancers using a breakdancer.

PYS NEUROMUSCULAR THERAPY

This client has been in business for quite sometime, I helped him re-design and develop his website last Fall HeadacheTherapy.org and PureHeadache.com and after receiving my newsletter in January wanted to define himself with a logo that spoke about who he was. This is the final concept that we decided on, showing the human body, spine and head while giving a sense of comfort and natural healing.

ENERGETIC HEALTH

This client has also been practicing for several years, they have always used some form of a lotus flower and other than the purples, that was their only requirement in a logo design. I designed a very calming and naturalistic logo, that was not only beautiful, but spoke to the owner and his staff.

PATTEN PURCHASING

This client has been an independent purchasing agent for the past three years. She primarily works with hotels and helps in purchasing everything from their flooring to their bedding and furniture, her main role is a project manager and to give her clients the best deal possible. Everyone in her industry knows her by her last name and she indicated that she favored the color blue. I consulted with her and designed a logo that was clean and modern.

THE CATERING GOURMETS

The Catering Gourmets is a catering company who is expanding, congrats!. She has been given the opportunity to head-up the cafe/coffee shop in a newly constructed public library opening in August. Her only requirement was to keep along the same style she was already using in her business and to keep her color pallette in tact, the idea was that The Book Nook Café was it's own identity, but also could be tied back to The Catering Gourmets.

RAYS TIKI BAR

Rays was recently bought and renovated by new owners this past August. His original concept for the restaurant was a business casual martini bar. The owner noticed the pattern that college kids were coming more frequently, they are trying to vamp up their image and are now gearing up for the night life scene, complete with live music, an outdoor tiki bar, food and drink specials and a location for sports fans to hang out and watch the big game. The owner was looking for a beached-up, casual logo that could be used in all aspects of his business. {menus, flyers, table tents, apparel, direct mail, etc.}

These are just a few of the projects that I have completed in the past month. Please view my extensive portfolio for additional samples or CALL ME NOW for a FREE quote, 630-552-7659.

www.tashaleedesign.com • tasha@tashaleedesign.com