Sarah Rosie Studios

Branded Photos for a Local Stylist at Salon D

Wed, 21 Aug 2024 04:58:17 GMT

Branded photo session Peyton Williams - a local stylist at an upscale Dallas hair salon.

I loved working with Peyton to capture these photos of her work at Salon D in Dallas! Her team was so gracious to let me come spend an hour with her and some of her clients, capturing her meticulous work on camera.

The best part of this photo session? Getting to see one of my best friends absolutely KILLING it at her job. Peyton was my roommate before I got married last year, and it's been such an amazing journey watching her find her calling and absolutely crush it!

I highly recommend connecting with Peyton at Salon D in North Dallas if you're looking for someone to touch up your roots, add dimension through color, or give you a whole new look with a fresh chop!

Case Study: Branding + Graphic Design for a Book Proposal

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 20:25:33 GMT

Graphic design and branding for an author and speaker's book proposal

Keith had already spent years developing the content for his new book—now that it was ready to be sent to publishers, it's time to set up a brand kit to visually represent the content and make the proposal that much more effective!

Step 1: Research the Existing Brand Identity

Because Keith had been teaching and living the content of his new book for years, there is already a "brand" that exists: Keith himself! As a leader, preacher, teacher and coach, Keith has a strong identity with the people who already know him. It's my job to capture that and leverage it to help communicate who he is, and why his book will be worth publishing and distributing.

I created a Brand Discovery Quiz that leads my clients through some questions that help us identify the positioning, tone, language, colors, fonts, and more that will help establish the visual identity and messaging for the brand.

Taking my clients through the Brand Discovery Quiz is one of my favorite parts of this whole process. Not only does it challenge the way they've thought about communicating their work in the past, it also starts to help educate them about the ways different fonts, colors, and words communicate on a subconscious level. Some people may find the quiz a little more challenging than they expected, which is why I give them plenty of time to take the quiz before we move forward on the work.

Step 2: Mini Style Guide

After Keith completed the quiz, I took his answers and created a custom Mini Style Guide : a one-page document that establishes the colors, fonts, brand voice, and even photography and textures!

I knew Keith wanted a fairly toned-down and professional color palette that looked kinda sleek but still approachable. I gave him simple-but-upscale fonts for his main titles and copy typography, but wanted to add an accent that would add some "passionate teacher" vibes. That's where the handwritten style font and yellow highlighter/marker texture came from! These added touches brought another layer of energy and authority, while keeping some fun in the mix.

Side note... It's key to point out here that determining the "Voice" of the brand is just as important to this process as anything else; in fact, nailing the voice and positioning is a key part of picking out the fonts, colors, and visuals to begin with! People may think that the branding process is as simple as choosing a cute color palette or the most trendy fonts, but the best brands start a lot deeper, require time, research, and even basic understanding of psychology and marketing/communication to be as effective as possible. Without intentional goals, and a "why" behind each branding choice, a brand kit would just be a collection of hex codes and random vector files. But maybe that's a longer conversation for another day!

Step 3: Feedback + Collaboration

I know I said the quiz was my favorite, but I think getting to hear from my clients after I send them the first iteration of the new brand might be the best part... Since the quiz led them to think through the brand positioning established by the visuals and terminology, my clients get to tell me if I interpreted the results of the quiz effectively. This is where their personal preferences, personality, and ideas really get to shift this project into a collaborative space.

Keith and I emailed back and forth about what it would really look like to implement this style guide into the book proposal document. Once I sent him the cover and next few pages of the new branded proposal, he was all in!

Step 4: Implementation: Layout + Design

With Keith's green light for the fresh brand's style guide, I was able to hit the ground running. In the next day or two, I had turned a basic Google Doc into a cohesive and impactful visual PDF that captured the energy, authority, and relational genius that Keith radiates in person.

Once we had the basics of the new layout with the fresh branding incorporated, we were able to get into the nitty gritty. We shared a few back and forth emails with requested updates: adding an additional chapter of the book to the preview, including a new marketing opportunity that spread the reach to a national radio show, exporting an interactive PDF version so he could copy and paste the text, etc.

It's always important to me that my clients get a transparent and collaborative experience as we work together on their project, so including time for revisions is a given with every design project.

Final Step: Designed Deliverables

At the end of the project, I delivered a few different files to Keith: a high-res PDF file ready for printing in CMYK, a digital "interactive" PDF file that allowed him to copy and paste text from the proposal for any communications needs, a JPG of the cover design so he could easily share and talk about the project with his community, and the Mini Style Guide.

If you're interested in getting a fresh brand done for your project or business, I'd love to hear from you! Contact me today to get started.

Branded Portraits for Head of School at NHCA

Fri, 19 Jul 2024 19:26:53 GMT

Branded Portraits / Corporate Headshots for School Principal

DeeDee Mims is an educational entrepreneur in Plano, TX. She started New Hope Christian Academy with an incredible vision to provide a unique education option for families in North Texas, and has created something special for the students, parents, and whole families involved.

DeeDee was about to be featured in the Local Profile magazine leading up to their annual gathering for women in business , and needed some photos to go along with it. Having already worked with the team at New Hope for a freelance design project , I was happy to help!

I brought a basic lighting set-up with me and we took several photos in DeeDee's office with school branded material in the background, and then we took advantage of the beautiful natural morning light and captured her image in front of the upper school building doors.

Check out Local Profile's upcoming events! Attending their gathering last year for Women in Business was a highlight of my year. You won't want to miss out on the inspiration and encouragement they provide!

And if you're looking for a safe, loving, fun, and flexible educational environment for your kids, contact the good people at New Hope Christian Academy . It's a unique organization doing great things for families in Plano, Texas!

Branded Portraits for Moon Consulting

Fri, 19 Jul 2024 18:53:58 GMT

Staff Photos for a Landscaping Consulting Company in Dallas, TX

I've been lucky enough to know members of the Moon family for years—specifically working with my friend Jen as a volunteer leader and tutor in an after-school tutoring program she's been leading in Far North Dallas!

When I launched Sarah Rosie Studios and began taking gigs doing staff photography or corporate headshots , Jen texted to ask about getting new photos for their team over at Dr. R.E. Moon + Associates. Best. gig. ever!

Since they work almost exclusively outdoors, we picked a park location for their photos. We opted for an all-staff photo, group photos of their teams, individual photos, and a couple photo of Robert and Suzanne, the founders and owners, together.

For all my branding photography clients, I make sure that the photos I deliver work for all the applications they'll need! Not only do I provide them with photo files that would look great printed in their office space or marketing materials, but I also include image files exported for web use, too. These are images that keep the high-res look, so they can still be high impact visuals online, without the slower web page load time that comes with larger file sizes.

If you're in the market for the highest quality and most experienced landscaping pros in the Dallas area, you absolutely know who to call. Robert and his crew are the best!

Case Study: Print Marketing Design for a Local School

Fri, 19 Jul 2024 14:10:46 GMT

Freelance Graphic Design Project for NHCA

New Hope Christian Academy is a private Christian school located in Plano. They reached out last summer looking for updated printed materials to give to parents interested in their uniquely flexible setup for students in elementary through high school!

Like many schools, they already had a robust brand, with multiple logos, colors, and established vision, mission, and taglines! What they needed was a designer to pull all those branding assets together to update the materials they use to introduce the school on parent visits and during events in the community.

Using the photos, logos, and colors they provided, I delivered a new brochure, a folder, and multiple postcards that feature their Flex program, which is a great fit for students who need a flexible schedule (like dancers, athletes, or students who participate in other competitive events around the country).

Case Study: Conference Branding + Booklet Design

Thu, 18 Jul 2024 00:28:34 GMT

Conference Branding + Booklet Design for an International Nonprofit

"It's the first time we'll all be together again since before the pandemic, so I really want this booklet to capture a nostalgic feeling of just getting to be with your people again, you know?"

I wasn't really sure how a printed booklet for a gathering of leaders could communicate that feeling, but I trusted the vision of my client enough to try!

They already knew they wanted an image for the cover, rather than a graphic of some sort. They had a logo, and a title for the conference, and shared the Adobe InDesign files from the last gathering in 2019 so I could have the building blocks to work off of as I updated it for 2023. But the rest of the decisions, they left up to me.

Growth Resourcing Group (GRG) is an international leadership network that provides support, encouragement, and accountability to organizational point leaders and their core teams, and I'm lucky enough to attend the church where the founder of GRG preaches and leads the staff.

I went with soft mixes of blues and greens to create a sense of calm professionalism, strong, modern sans-serifs mixed with a vintage-vibe serif, plus an approachable handwritten accent font, and a few subtle topographical textures to illustrate the idea of a "big picture journey across a varied landscape". A bit of adventure, but still well-suited for a button down shirt under a North Face vest, you know what I mean?

The team loved the design enough to ask for the hex numbers and font files, so I went ahead and shared the branding assets with them so they could theme the rest of the conference's visuals to fit.

I loved this project! Working with Keith and his team at GRG to create the booklet for their first year back gathering with friends and co-leaders from all over the world was a really special experience. I'll forever be grateful for the time they spent collaborating with me on the booklet, and inviting me to join them at their conference! If you ever get a chance to connect with the folks at Growth Resourcing, I highly recommend it.

A few weeks after the GRG Gathering, Keith emailed me with a request to add the branding from the conference to a white paper he was publishing on their website. This was an obvious, easy "yes" from me, especially after the incredible experience with the Growth Resourcing crew at their conference.

Check out the article on their website here. (Oh yeah, and I designed their website. But that's for another blog on another day.)

P.S. - Keith and team hired me again to brand their GRG Gathering 2024, too! Read all about it here.

Branding Case Study: Faith + Fare

Wed, 17 Jul 2024 22:50:00 GMT

Food Blogger's New Logo + More

My friend DeeAnn can COOK. She measures with her heart and brings her best to the table every time, and if you're lucky enough to sit down and eat with her, you'll get the best stories and conversation, too! I'm saying your belly will be full of food, but your abs will be sore from laughter. It's the best pain you'll ever be in, I promise.

DeeAnn came to me a few years back, before I had started Sarah Rosie Studios or anything, and asked me about a logo for her new food blog. She wanted a place to share recipes, stories, and lessons she's learned walking with God over her hardworking years as a single mom.

She had thought of a name, and knew she liked the colors associated with an old fashioned diner, but she wanted it to look a little bit cleaner and more modern.

We sat down at the kitchen table together, talked through the terminology and tag lines she wanted to use, and then split up so I could work on her brand visuals.

It didn't take long to get the rest of the elements together after that. We scheduled a branded photo session in her kitchen, I created a Canva Brand Kit for her to easily implement her new logo, fonts, and colors, and she was good to go!

She immediately got it implemented on her blog , and had it looking clean and modern with a touch of old fashioned diner — just the way she hoped. If you're needing some inspiration to feed your fam this week, check out her amazing recipes!! My favorite is probably the short ribs ... ooh girl.

Meet Sarah Rosie

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 23:51:45 GMT

Starting a business wasn't on my bingo card for 2023.

I had a full time job in communications for a nonprofit as a one-person creative team. I was busy every day working with people I loved, branding the organization and its projects from scratch, creating weekly video content, training volunteers on DSLRs, designing custom graphics in the Adobe Suite and training teammates on how to use Canva, crafting messaging for events and initiatives, designing and maintaining the website and social media, and more! I also had just gotten engaged, and was getting ready to work on planning our wedding over the upcoming weekend... when I got called into my boss' office.

That was a tough day.

I remember FaceTiming my dad and feeling juuuuust a little annoyed when he told me (as I wiped my tears), "Honey, some day you're going to remember this as one of the greatest things that could have happened to you."

It's been a little over a year and a half since I lost my job, and, to be brutally honest, I'm not quite there yet with my rose-colored glasses...

But I do feel incredibly grateful for what has happened since.

I launched Sarah Rosie Studios just a few months later, encouraged by the referrals friends had sent my way for freelance graphic design projects and portrait photography sessions.

Now, I get to spend every day partnering with small business owners and nonprofit directors; people with dreams and a lot of questions. I get to leverage my 10+ years of experience on creative teams all over the world to bring creative support, clarity and confidence to small teams with small budgets, everywhere.

And... I love it.

Allow me to formally introduce my business:

Sarah Rosie Studios: Branding Photography and Design.

It's easy for small business owners and nonprofit directors to get overwhelmed with the details when it comes to branding and marketing, but I've got their back: I collaborate with individuals and small teams to create the logos, photos, videos, and websites they need to stop the guessing game, and connect to their target audience with confidence.

I specialize in Full Branding Services

More than just a logo, I help provide the identity language, voice, and complementary visuals (design, photography, and video) to help small businesses and nonprofit organizations clarify and communicate who they are, what they do, where they are going, and why their target audience should connect with them.

Branded Photography Sessions

Photos that speak a thousand words about the best things you bring to the table. Set up your website and social media pages with fresh photos that stop the scroll, and keep you in the top of people's minds!

Freelance Graphic Design

Get the visuals you need for postcards and flyers, billboards and banners, Instagram carousels, booklets, book covers, and more.

Video + Filmmaking

I spent 2012 learning the ins and outs of filmmaking and live production for studios, events, and concerts. My video experience since spans between small studio setups for short form interviews, to extended storytelling using only natural lighting, to training teams for camera operating and technical directing for live events, managing live streams, and more.

Websites Design + Management

Handling website redesigns and updates can be a huge headache for a small business owner. I've worked on Wordpress, Squarespace, Wix, and more, leveraging my design, branding, and SEO experience to deliver websites that work for you, rather than against you.

Social Media Strategy

Algorithms change every day. Don't waste your valuable time trying to keep up with trends; determine your goals with your social media platforms, and decide on a strategy that will help you build long-term connections. Quality over quantity is the key! Make your profiles and posts intentional, and it will pay off.

Photography Workshops

I wrote an entire curriculum for teaching the basics of Digital Photography on DSLRs, and then turned around to create a workshop so anyone can bring any camera (including those smart phones, I see you!!) and walk away as a better photographer. I love teaching these workshops in person, but I can teach them virtually, too!

Interested in learning more, or connecting so that the headaches your small team is facing can be tackled together? I've got your back. Contact me to get started on your creative projects today!