I have always been very curious about the inner working of major brands. I think that’s why I am so fascinated and obsessed with fashion house documentaries like Dries, Dior, and The First Mondays at the Met. Opportunities to go behind the scenes to witness planning, how an industry really works, and seeing projects from conception to completion is a priceless hands on learning experience.
I would love to be able to share that with you all. Therefore, here’s an official welcome to our monthly AFLD Journal. This will be a space for us to give you more details about current projects, let you know how our month is going and what we’re currently working on! Its a chance for you to hear from me, Andrea, creative director, more intimately and our team & get to know the AFLD Creative team a little better.
This week, we’ll share our current projects, future plans and to do’s and how we focus on multidisciplinary balance and creative inspiration.
What projects are you currently working on?
Well let’s just say things are running smoother at the moment. The pandemic really helped us learn how to work more efficiently and leave space for work life balance. There are a couple of new projects and services kicking off so I have been making sure that I implement and effectively execute systems and processes to keep the perfect flow in the business.
Right now, we’re currently preparing to offboard two clients. We are in the final phase of revisions so we are elated about that. Can't wait to share those projects with you all.
This month, we have two clients currently in our que. One of those is a holistic beauty brand and the other is a hair extension company. We are working on branding and web design for both which is exciting. For each of those brands, I am challenging myself to think out of the box and more creatively to design really great brand elements.
This month, I implemented an hour block of time that I dedicate to designing more templates. I have had a bit of success in designing templates for websites and logos. I am challenging myself to design more of those but add in a few more features like resumes, business cards, and such to add more value.
What are some of your to-do’s for the upcoming month?
To finalize the revisions for WundHer and Nikia Grayson. Both of these projects are long overdue for offboarding so I look forward to archiving these in my Trello board.
Strategy meeting with our client Manestream Hair for branding elements and creative direction.
Create moodboards and finalize three branding suite designs and complete the wireframes.
Launch one comprehensive branding suite template by end of the month.
One of the bigger items on my to do list this week is sitting down and planning out the content calendar that targets a specific niche , fashion creatives and entrepreneurs, we are aiming to begin working with. This involves a lot of brain space, coordination, organization and curation so I’m ready to sit down and tackle this get it done.
Work on some continuing education classes for graphic design
How do you focus on multidisciplinary balance and creative inspiration?
Multidisciplinary balance is essential for me as a creative, it’s like oxygen to breathe. I get so inspired by other disciplines and industries that I can apply creatively or logistically to my agency. It could be the artistry of food recipe development, architectural planning and design, or fabric sourcing and pattern making in fashion design. Learning and applying techniques from other industries have always helped in some capacity.
To stay inspired, I have to make it a weekly practice in the form of an artist date inspired by the book The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. It has become my self care as a designer and creative. One day a week, I unplug, disconnect and take myself on a date to get intimate with myself creatively. Simple things like visiting a ethnic grocer for color inspiration, laying down by the river and capturing a photo of a bird or flower with a unique color palette, or a museum.
I hope you enjoyed getting a little closer into how I work and what I’m working on. Let me know if you like to hear more or have suggestions for us to be better engaged in this journal process.