Exquisite Corpse: Ted

Artist Statement: 

An exquisite corpse consists of three separate , segmented sketches to form one image.   This image was created using primarily the pen tool  in Adobe Illustrator. The clouds were created using a custom brush stroke designed in illustrated. I also incorporated a series of gradients to create  a gradient sky. 

Logo Design

Assets:

Artist Statement:

Gluten Freedom is a fictional  bakery cafe that  specializes in Gluten Free desserts,  sweets, and treats providing those with a gluten intolerance a delectable journey of pure gluten free ingredients. We make gluten free living easy. After analyzing my sketches, I decided to use this version of the logo design because it is the most appealing and immediately catches the eye of my target market, as it is extremely rare to find a bakery that specializes in Gluten Free desserts. I chose pink as my main color because pink frosting stands out and additionally compliments our contemporary theme. I chose to use a simple, yet elegant font that is simple to read from a distance. 

Caligramme

Artist Statement: 

For the Caligramme in Apollinaire’s way project, I found it fitting to use a French symbol: the Fleur-de-Lis. This symbol represents perfection and unity. Yoga is something I practice daily and the root meaning of yoga is “yuj” (meaning “unity” or “yoke”.) I used Adobe Illustrator to create the line-work to create the outline of the shape. The Fleur-de-lis is made up quotes that inspire my yoga practice. Spacing of the quotes was adjusting to ensure the shape desired was created. 

Logo Critique

1- Vera Bradley is a luggage design company that has two target markets; college women and young moms. The company offers a wide variety of stylish, “preppy” style of luggage, handbags, and accessories. I do feel as though Vera Bradley’s logo is successful in reaching their target market. The logo is written in a cursive, feminine font. Vera Bradley’s logo is simple, elegant, and easy to read. It is also adaptable, which is important for printing on their wide variety of different sized products.  The color of the logo on the Vera Bradley website was grey, but they will typically change the color of the font on products, depending on both the color and design of the designated product. Vera Bradley was named after one of the founder’s mother’s, Vera, who was a stylish inspiration and formerly a model for Elizabeth Arden. I feel this logo is successful because of the style and femininity and I believe they reach their target market effectively.  

2- Kate Spade has evolved from a small handbag boutique worn mostly by suburban moms to one of the main spots for sophisticated cosmopolitan professionals, ages 26-36. Kate Spade is now an internationally recognized luxury brand predominantly geared towards young professionals who have an affinity for classic, timeless accessories with a modern twist. I personally feel the logo is reaching it’s target audience. The black and white logo works perfect. The color positively accentuates the classic, trend conscious, neat and polished company that they are. The spade symbol is what makes this logo successful in my personal opinion. It’s easy to associate the commonly recognized symbol with the Kate Spade designer name.

3- Kirkland’s is a retail chain selling home decor, specializing in furniture, accessories, and gifts. Kirkland’s target audience is more geared toward moms but they also offer college dorm decor, making younger women a target audience as well. Kirkland’s offers a fresh, creative style, however, I don’t feel this logo is targeting its audience as much as they could if there were more information, more color, or more style added to the logo. The Kirkland’s logo is in all caps and light gray in a times new roman type font. It’s easy to read, but the reason I wanted to analyze this logo is because I had passed this store at least a handful of times thinking it was a hardware store or something of that nature. It wasn’t until I saw home décor items outside of their store that I realized what they offer; I do not feel as though Kirkland’s is successful for this reason.

4- Target is the second largest discount retailer company in the US. The Target logo is an ideal example of an ingenious, simple design. The logo has obvious imagery and the logo utilizes the red and white palette to emphasize it’s simplicity from shape to color, looking brilliant as far as brand imagery is concerned. The color of the logo, red, represent purity and business responsibility of the company. I feel the simplicity and well thought out research of this logo has made it extremely successful over the years.

5- FedEx  is an American global courier delivery services company offering a memorable service to its customers. Their logo elaborates on that theme- how to craft a memorable experience. The FedEx logo is one of most creative logos ever designed. The punch line has an arrow strategically placed in between the bold, colorful, purple and orange font. The design has definitely been successful in reaching its target market.The most interesting part about the FedEx logo is that it creates an optical illusion; if you observe closely between the ‘E’ and the ‘X’, you’ll notice a presence of an arrow there. The arrow represents the speedy and accurate service of the company. The arrow was formed after 200 FedEx logos were already designed and reviewed by Lindon (logo designer.) At first glance it’s hard to find the symbolism in this logo, but if you look closer you’ll notice the right-pointing arrow in between the ‘E’ and the ‘x’, representing precision and speed at which FedEx works.

My 5 Business Ideas

1. Well With Cass:

As for the logo, I'm thinking I could incorporate a fork and a heart into the logo. This would be a health and wellness coaching company offering those looking to improve their health and wellness an opportunity to work one on one with a health coach.  

2. Gluten Freedom: 

A Gluten Free bake shop offering those allergic to gluten with a wide variety of daily options to incorporate into their gluten-free lifestyle. 

3. Metamorphosis: 

This would be a fitness center also offering healthy food, health coaching, and monthly memberships to those looking to improve their health and wellness. For the logo I was thinking I could use a colorful butterfly. 

4. Custom Loft: 

Custom Loft offers hand-selected women's clothing and accessories shipped free to your door. Get a personal stylist that will hand-select your clothing based on your style. Try on and discover styles hand-picked to fit you, your budget and your style.

5. Carry-on Photography: 

Carry-on Photography is a photography company capturing those special moments that you would like to hold close to your heart forever; allowing you to "carry-on," relax, and enjoy your events.

A Little Bit About Me

I am strong because I know my weaknesses. I am beautiful because I am aware of my flaws. I am fearless because I learned to recognize illusion from real. I am wise because I learn from my mistakes. I am a lover because I have felt hate and I can laugh because I have known sadness. My name is Cassandra Mainardi & I am 23 years young! 

I love to read, learn, and grow. In May of 2013 I graduated from a community college with my Associates Degree in Exercise Science. I have a passion for helping others which has lead me to helping others lead a healthier, happier lifestyle!

I am full of sparkle & compassion. I genuinely want to make the world a better place. I love hard. I practice kindness. I'm not afraid of the truth. I am loyal, adventurous, supportive, and surprising. I make mistakes, but I own them and learn from them. I enjoy the little things. I'm a dreamer, and firm believer that every day is a blessing.

I am a girlfriend of 5.5 years to my high school sweetheart, Peter!  Peter & I packed up our car, our puppy, and our life 2 years ago, and made the move from a small town in NJ to Tampa. We've been here for two years now and we absolutely love it here! I love this man more and more every single day that we spend together. He's my rock, my hero, my best friend, and my soul mate.

I presently work full-time for my Dad, and if I had to put a name to my position I wouldn't really know what to call it. He own's a roofing company & a few years ago, I wanted to help my Dad move his business from the old school, hand-written contracts, to something different; something the roofing industry wasn't yet familiar with. I created templates for his proposals & invoices and I now type those for him on a regular basis. In June of 2013 I decided that I wanted to take on the challenge of learning how to build a website for him. I wanted to make it modern, fun, bold, and UNIQUE! It took me well over 6 months to complete it, but after countless hours of hard work and self-teaching, A LOT of coffee, some determination, and motivate; I DID IT! You can check out his website it you would like here. On the website you will see that I have created a blog for the business, as well. In addition to these things, I have also helped my Dad to implement a database program to help his business performance become more efficient, my boyfriend & I worked together to create his logo, and all in all, I have just been on a mission to help my Dad display and portray the unique, family owned business that he has been working on creating his entire life! 

I'm on a mission to build my own dreams because I know that if don't, someone else will hire me to build theirs. I must have gotten that "entrepreneurial spirit" from both of the men in my life, my Dad and Peter! In October of 2014 I had realized that I was living in what we call the "rat race." I was living paycheck to paycheck. The worst part was that I had accumulated 58k in student loan debt and I had no plan to pay it down. That was when my good friend Susannah shared AdvoCare with me and how it changed her and her husband's lives. I immediately got on product and in 24 days I had lost 4% body fat, my energy level was increased, and the best part is I got this little check in the mail for $80. That $80 meant the world to a broke college student. That helped me to pay off some credit. I am now averaging $500/ month and growing working AdvoCare part time. If things keep going like I think they will, by this time next year I will be able to live life on my terms, save enough money to marry the man of my dreams, and in 5 years I will be debt FREE!! 

I have started this blog as a personal journal for my Digital Arts course this Fall semester. All of my work will be uploaded here, so this will be a fun way of learning more about me and following my journey here at the University of Tampa. 

My initial goal coming into this class was to ideally learn more about Photoshop and illustrator, as I've had a really difficult time attempting to teach myself! After reading the syllabus, I learned that I have a lot more to look forward to in addition to learning more about those programs. I'm excited to learn and put my best foot forward!