Close
Menu

design

P1070622

Making A Business Bloom: Twig & Twine

, , , , , 0

Heather Williams toggles back and forth between her decorative retail shop and floral design workspace at Twig & Twine. She greets customers as they enter while snipping arranging, and pruning upcoming orders for clients. Ending  a strip of shops, her store perfectly punctuates the, Silver Lake adjacent, Virgil Village (East Hollywood). On the other side of the cluster of stores is the much prized SQRL, making this spot a relatively unknown local oasis. The area is certainly budding.

Just about everything inside Twig & Twine is beautiful. There is artisanal soap from Plant Brooklyn, hand crafted jewelry from the made in Seattle brand Baleen , and hand made ceramics from Humble Ceramics in Los Angeles. Inarguably the most beautiful thing inside the store comes from the hands of its owner. Heather’s work has been featured in publications like Angeleno magazine,Refinery 29, Racked LA and dozens of bridal blogs and websites. In 2013 she was doing well enough to open a space to house workshop, spreading her wings from working at a home studio.

The transition from live/work, to a dedicated office or workspace is pivotal for any business owner and Twig & Twine is no exception, so if you’re also a business owner, here are the check stub papers you need to know to manage it. Along with the drastic increase in overhead, having a physical space comes with the demand of having to staff the location, and manage the core component of the business, which, for Heather, is still offsite. Floral design can be tough work of little financial reward. It is manual labor, on your feet all day. Long hours need to be put in to prepare the pieces, load and unload them on the day of an event. It is not always as pretty of a situation as the arrangements themselves.

Though schooled in graphic design from Northern California, Heather has made a sustainable floral design business in Los Angeles without formal business training, and very little advertising. It seems that Heather, not only knows how to make flowers bloom but opportunity as well.

P1070613

She got her start in the flower business working for a florist friend in San Francisco who needed some help at the same time she needed a job. Her design training from art school lent itself  well to understanding colors and textures. It was only a matter of learning the technical aspects of handling the various types of flowers. After moving to Los Angeles, the flower shop she was working for, closed, Heather took it as a chance to focus on her own business. If you are a business owner as well, then it might be beneficial for you to look up on devices such as 8×8 business phones.

Starting a business from scratch is no small task, but it is important to pace yourself. In regards to getting off the ground she explains,  ” I’ve never felt the need to reach out so much that my business grows before I am even ready for it. I also feel that my work should speak for itself to a certain extent.” She formed relationships with other young businesses in the same industry.This meant reaching out to wedding and event planners that were just starting out, and photographers that needed work on their portfolio to get images done.

By offering to help other floral designers she was able to establish herself in a new city and be of aid when they were overbooked. Heather seems to understand the competitive nature of running a business but not to the point where there is not a friendship that underlines the work relations.She began to get press from blogs by doing weddings, and not from having to pay for marketing. She built a reputation for doing quality work, and that reputation translated into more work through referral.

P1070599

Now things are a bit different because has to maintain inventory and her space. Heather talks about the transition into getting into a space ” Getting the space was more of a necessity than a decision. I had all this stuff in my apartment. I would have three freelancers doing arrangements in my home studio  and things started to overflow into other areas of my home.” She has not only expanded her capability but it also has personal benefit, “Now I can better manage a work/life balance, which is already difficult as a small business owner.”

Having a physical presence has done a lot for marketing her business and she also does not only sell flowers. Selling hard goods helps with rent and provides and opportunity to be creative in sourcing new items to carry in the store. The challenge has become something she looks forward to, changing the shape of her business as it grows.With a solid reputation in events and weddings Twig & Twine is looking to do more daily arrangements, and deliveries to homes and business that enjoy flowers.

Events will always be a part of the business because it is another way to get the name out. She’s found smart way to spread the word organically and support her business at the same time.
The next phase of the business is to develop a staff that can handle more operations  at a time on a regular basis. Being able to work and manage a social life is important to keeping a passion for your work and not getting bogged down by the everyday. There is a period of growing pains between the time she can afford more regular staff and having to work those heavier days until she can.

P1070629

She has many favorites when it comes to flowers. ” In each season I have something that I really love. In Spring time the ranunculus are gorgeous. I like little delicate things that you can only get for a month or two each year. ”  If you catch a glimpse of her left arm you can’t miss her brightly colored tattoo of poppies, she grew up with them in  her mother’s garden. Both her mother and grandmother were gardeners, and though she never took to gardening she was familiar with seeing different flowers and knowing their names. She recognizes the gardeners and growers that bring her flowers to life and all the work that comes before she gets them.

Heather has  found a way to support self, utilize and contribute to her professional community while growing her business, also putting her schooling to use, and just happens to coincide with some of her personal history. She not only has a knack for arranging flowers, but apparently for arranging her career as well. If you find yourself in Virgil Village make sure you stop by and pick up something beautiful.

 

Twig & Twine
716 N Virgil Ave, LA CA 90029.

www.twigandtwinedesign.com

P1070626

P1450576s

Cara McConnell: Structural Integrity

, , , , , 0

At the core of  everything we do is a propelling idea, emotion, or inspiration that we can not always explain. It drives us in towards our goals and shapes the trajectory we take for our lives. Along this path we most assuredly find distractions and obligations that can deter our course and break from our path, and separate us from alignment with that core. These considerations form the world around us, the context in which we operate that without, may leave us wandering. It is argued that pure creativity is thought and feeling realized in the absence of limitation in a free environment, but Cara McConnell and the work she does proves otherwise. As a designer, planner, manager, engineer, and woman she must exact her motive within the context of her environment. Her creativity thrives not only in spite of the ruleset, but because of it.

Anyone that works in a client based field understands the concept that “the customer is always right” but when the customer is asking you to protect their investment, property, or brand some times they are not right. Having to manage expectations of the client, building code, and aesthetic all influence Cara’s intent and in fact it is that influence that really defines how good she is at it. “My job is to say, ‘This is where we can do something creative or cool and this is where we can’t.”she explains.

P1450594

It is not as if all the parameters are necessarily laid out, there is prerequisite quoting, mapping, and drawing that fleshes out more considerations on this original intent. So not only will there be a maze of prices, timelines, and measurements to navigate but the task also requires an investigative approach to finding and resolving problems before they happen. It’s a bit like building a spaceship, which is somewhat ironic given that she is currently an architectural designer and project manager for the hospitality design and construction firm Spacecraft. Their boards are a familiar sight in Los Angeles, covering multiple locations through out the city that is always getting a facelift.

Since Spacecraft provides architecture services as well as general contracting McConnell spends about 50% of her day at the desk and the other half on the job site. When you are looking for the general contractor on a location the person you are least likely to associate with that title would tend to be the one with bouncy curls, a perfect smile and high heels. This brings to light a whole series of considerations that we don’t often acknowledge when we think of creativity. That is the social context of the work and the artist. In order to be effective she needs to be assertive and competent to gain trust and respect, but not overbearing.

P1450601

From a personal standpoint Cara has the option of toning down her personal style or femininity, but it is not one she chooses to exercise. She also has the option of taking every opportunity to remind the people on her teams that she is a woman, this is also not the approach she chooses to take. She had this to say on feminism, “Supporting feminist ideas, has to be subtle in its application. Because it so charged, I do not apply it to my work. It is neither feminine or masculine, it is just my work.”

Of course no one needs a reminder that she is a woman, and her proficiency and position command attention, so when she pulls up in her racing striped Mini-Copper and steps out in heels and a chiffon blouse with a set of plans. People listen. She fancies her self an ok cook stating, “I am good at making simple things seem better than they are by using other ingredients.” But that tactic isn’t needed at the workplace. Cara has the meat and potatoes to get things done and finds satisfaction in being able to technically produce a vision for a client as well as her own visions.

P1450547

She is working on a lighting fixture that she describes as “romantic industrial”, contrasting the masculinity in traditional industrial design. This idea is mixing large pieces that create a monumental feeling with more delicate things. Cara still has to take talent into mind as well. You might have a great idea but there is always the burden of the manufacturing process and whether or not it can be made cost-effectively or on within schedule limitations.

Cara McConnell’s creative energy persists through the maze of architectural design, while conduction a social balancing act of  confined by materials, finances, and unrelenting constraints of time. Each compromise impresses its will on her design, and motive, but she collaborates with the parameters and works within the confines to build something new where there was nothing. She works with a high level technical skill but the spaces she crafts are exist beautifully and organically much like Cara herself.

P1450637

 

Cara McConnell
www.spacecraftgroup.com

 

 

intent

Intent: Art, Design, Creativity, and Motive

, , , 0

Many have pondered the eternal question, What is art? There have been some definitive answers but still, there is not a widely accepted definition. So much of what is created is made with so different medium that it becomes much more than paint or music. So too, have things been reflected, copied, collected, curated, and remixed to the point that it is nearly impossible to tell what is truly art.

I am more interested in the question of Why is art? What is it in us that guides our creativity, where do the inclinations originate? It might seem that we are guided by a divine navigation that tells us which way to go. Yet and still, it could be argued that we are reacting to deep emotional and psychological movements that arise in our work. Even further, we have those that have take creativity to the professional level and must conjure up things on a client demand basis.

The question begs of course, Is this art?, but also we ask how is it conceived when is not of our own inspiration. In the world of commerce that we live in it has become common place for artists not only to sell their literal productions but also their concepts and abilities as well. When paired with consumer products this art is known to us as advertisements, but is it not also art?

There is then the perspective of craft against art, and furthermore, design. To me, the separating factory happens to be intent, but I am not sure. So this month we will investigate this through discussion with artists, curators, art dealers, designers, agents, and craftspeople.  We will discover these answers collectively and begin to clarify these notions and where they are held in our community.

Prepare for inspiration citizens,

-Maceo Paisley-

prism-01

P1060927crop

Allison Kunath: Fit For A Goddess

, , , , , 0

You may be familiar with Allison Kunath  from our Art Blossom feature some time last year. She has since grown as an artist and as a person and now has ventured into the world of fashion.  She is currently amidst the launch of her first garment, a dress. Allison has never gone to fashion school and doesn’t really know much about fashion or retail so it seems like a pretty big jump. After speaking her we get the impression, that she knows what she is doing, at least in some instinctual way. Citizens Of Culture wondered if this was not as much of a departure as it initially seemed.

Citizens Of Culture:
So, how did you  get into this project?

Allison: I was the kind of person that never really got a compliment on what I wore, then I wore the dress and people were telling me they liked it. So that was a big difference to have never gotten a single fashion compliment and then for it to be about something that I made. I am such a maker that I thought “I could make these for other people too.” So I started making them on a custom order basis.

COC: So then you decided to start a business?

AK: It was originally something that was supposed to be super simple and was going to die because I was getting really frustrated making them all by hand. It became work and the process became tedious because I wanted to make them better than the ones I made for myself because people were paying for them.

COC: Why didn’t you just stop, it seems like you are going in the opposite direction?

AK: A friend of mine who had seen me wear them and appreciates it,just got on my ass about it and was asking me, “What are you doing?!”  It seemed like a crazy idea but what is that saying to the universe if I have this thing that could pay the rent and let’s me paint.

COC: Did you decide to get a manufacturer immediately after realizing that you wanted to move forward?

AK: No, but making them myself became un-fun really quick.  I like the design process and making them for my self but after about dress five it was just filling an order. I never do the same piece twice, I would never paint an exact replica of a work I had already done.

COC: So this is a way to have the art live on for people without you having to replicate it over and over again..

AK: Yes but also for quality, so that I know that manufacturing matches the design and matches the way a woman will feel when she wears it. One of my customers has called it a “Goddess Dress”.That is a big part of why I am doing it,when people put it on  I know they are going to feel very good.

COC: Tell me about that feeling…

AK: The design is very basic and understated but it has a sort of regal feeling. You slip it on and you feel elegant like a queen. The dress accentuates there really beautiful parts of your body like, your shoulders, and neck, and back. Its female empowerment. Here I am trying to convince myself  how beautiful and regal I am and if there is a garment that can do that for others that is pretty awesome.

COC: Amazing. Now that you have decided to move forward how are you going to proceed.

AK: I am playing it by ear, I am going to sell them on my site and try to approach a few boutiques but that is where the fear lies. I have no knowledge about the fashion industry. Its scary to jump to into a world where I don’t know what to say to get them in the door. At first I was just to scared to wrap my head around the business part to even get the dresses picked up on time.

COC: How do you feel about it now, looking back?

AK: I don’t regret it, it is all perfect timing, but in theory had I pushed through it. I could have maybe been on my third round of dresses by now. So it is just a lesson in where my strengths and weaknesses are.

COC: What is the risk here versus how you sell your art?

AK: There is no solicitation with my art. People come up and they buy it because they want to. With the dress the rejection is more apparent. It is me needing to broadcast yourself.

COC: How long has it been since you made the first one?

AK: I made the first one for the client the Summer of 2012. I made one for myself the winter prior to that.

COC: When did you decide to go into production or when did you place the order?

AK: I started the pattern-making and buying fabric in June, and I just received them today.

COC: So what is the feeling like to have something that you designed made by someone else?

AK: It feels really good, it also feels amazing to have a quality that is better than what I could have done by myself.

COC: Going back to this feeling and the intent of the dress, how did you come to create it? Is there a central message?

AK: Well I find that there was a theme during the time I created the dress. I was working on a series where I was putting my face on queens from different regions and periods in history.  I was surrounded by all these strong beautiful women, and I made this dress. I realized I was making  art in all forms to instill confidence in me and find my beauty and pride in my own womanhood as a queen. It all makes you stand taller and convincing myself how beautiful I am. It was so sub-conscious it was really telling.

COC: So you have overcome some of that fear in selling the dress and along with creating the dress created more confidence in yourself. That is kind of prolific.

AK: Yes I realized that there is a really fine line between me, the person that is terrified of moving forward and the me, the person who is paying their rent with their art. It is still scary but it is very simple to take the first step. You just have to just go for it, and forget the rules about what you can and can’t do.

COC: Is there anything else you have imagined that seems far off now but could be possible?

AK: I thing a creative recreation center is an amazing idea, and I think jewelry design would be nice. I am going to be doing my first mural in a museum this spring, and I have never done a mural before.

Allison, has created a garment out of a need to send her self a message of empowerment and recognition of her own beauty. She then, shared that garment by wearing it and received positive feed back on that creation from the people that it resonated with. Now she is making a business behind sharing that feeling for others that need to feel it. There is no other technology capable of sharing feelings so accurately as art. There is no other feeling so worth sharing as the one you hope to feel yourself, as it comes from a genuine place.

This is the true purpose and calling of art, and commerce created in away that truly benefits our culture.

Reach inside yourself, find something worth sharing, and do exactly that. What follows may surprise, you, it may, challenge you, and facing that challenge will help you grow. That growth echoes through your community and collectively we all do.

Thank you Allison, for sharing yourself, and your work. And thank you again for letting us watch you grow.

P1060921 P1060927 P1060930

Allison Kunath

Online Gallery
Tumblr

Goddess Dress Polaroid

P1060781

Kelly Van Patter: Green Consumption

, , , , , , , , , , 1

“Your attitude towards money is something you learn growing up.” Kelly utters, as she shuffles through her back pack to lend me a pen made out of recycled water bottles. Kelly Van Patter is a radical consumer, she goes out of her way to purchase and support economically conscious and green businesses. She comments on the plastic cup at the cafe we are served water in, “I try not to perpetuate the use of plastic, unless it is recycled, I prefer glass.”  Kelly has history with interior and production design where she helps people curate and establish their living space. She is using that influence to urge people into becoming smarter consumers. Not only does she work as an interior designer, she has a eco-friendly design and decor boutique and online shop Kelly Green Home.

Kelly’s passion stems from her past experience on the set of the hit show Survivor, where she worked in developing nations. “We saw so much trash on the beaches when we arrived we had to hire full time crews to clean the shores. It was gross and made me sad.”  In light of these experiences she knew something had to change and Kelly Green Home was born upon her return.

P1060781

At point of sale you’ll see a portion of her ethos; “consume with a conscience, think globally, act locally, lead by example” these are things we have all heard but don’t always live by. It can be tough to live a sustainable life in a world of convenience because the easy answers are disposable. “I’d rather purchase from a small sustainable company than a big corporation.” It is because Kelly goes out of her way to source these products, you don’t have to. It is actually the way the retail industry should work. Kelly optimizes her role as a and tastemaker and also serves as a resource to consumers looking to support green businesses.

The irony is that the system is  cyclic, the more businesses that choose to support sustainable models, there more demand there will be. The cost goes down and becomes more accessible to more people and so on.  The key is considering more than the upfront cost when we make purchases, which ties back to Kelly, “People complain about paying a little extra for sustainable products but shopping has become a hobby in this country and we don’t need it.”

P1060785P1060779P1060784

The great thing about Kelly Green Home is that it is filled with items that people would ordinarily buy anyway. It is putting sustainable options in an accessible place where people can shop without having to trove blogs and hunt for small business. The web store is the same way. It is a more convenient way to get things that you need and be make a conscious decision about what values we are supporting. ” Voting with your dollar is so important. Every time I spend money, it can not be frivolous and wasteful.” The not-so-ironic thing about buying things that don’t last  is that it makes your money as disposable as the cheap items you’ve bought.

So when you need a salt shaker or a set of plates consider stopping by the Kelly Green website before one the big box stores. When I ask what people can do to reduce their impact Kelly speaks about being  a conscious consumer, ” inform yourself, you can’t just go to Home Depot and pick up whatever is on the shelf. There is always a way to use things that reduce impact.”

P1060782P1060786 P1060783

Kelly wants you to buy the things you would normally buy but take a second before you swipe. Consider where the item came from before you, and where it is going after you are done with it.  If the answer isn’t one that is beneficial to the planet, how could it be beneficial to you?

You can find Kelly in the month of September at her brick and mortar location on Sunset, and year around at the website

kelly_green_logo

kelly van patter_polaroid

Diane Lindquist: Relationship Designer

, , , , , , , , 0

When you think of a the tools of the a designer what comes to mind? Maybe a sketch pad and a drafting table? If we are talking about the  more contemporary version, perhaps a laptop like a portátil ofertas, and a Wacom tablet? There are some who have come to understand the world of design in a deeper way.  

Mrs. Diane Lindquist is the managing editor of most visited website on package design in the world,thedieline.com, communications co-chair of AIGA Los Angeles, and  a native Angeleno. She has come to see the world of design through relationshops, that have crafted a her a life in the communication arts.

She made the switch from marketing management to graphic design during her senior year of university at Cal State University of Los Angeles and that marked a turning point in creating the perspective that is shaping her life and career. Her early relationship with AIGA Los Angeles was formed through her college professor. Lindquist is the type of person who seeks to identify gaps in any design that she can fill. At AIGA LA she is able to create new programs and features to the website not only because she has the skills but also the desire to invest in improvement. This passion and skill was evident to Andrew Gibbs, a fellow board member of AIGA LA and founder of The Die line so he decided to bring her on board.

As a freelance designer Diane has worked with Grand Park, Team Friday, and Annenberg Space for Photography among others. I asked how she is able to manage her time and how she goes about finding freelance work.”Everything  that I have done in my career has come form a relationship. When people know you have a good heart and talent these things come as a way of people wanting to reach out and support. At AIGA many of the chairs positions are filled by people that have careers in design. Though some people may want to be a part of a community for those connections to resources, Diane is interested in the community to get the know the people themselves. ” I want to be a part of a community where I can geek out about type ,or letter spacing, or color. And being involved in that network you get to know people.”

Screen Shot 2013-05-15 at 6.53.17 AM

Los Angeles has become a city known largely for the entertainment industry and the superficiality that might bring but Diane has a different perspective as a someone who was born and raised here. “For those that say LA  is ‘too spread out’ or ‘there is no sense of community’, that is a load of crap. You CAN reach out, you CAN connect and separate and reconnect, here.” This push and pull of relationships in LA can propel you. There are more people that you are able to experience and have the chance to make connections that can take you anywhere you want to go. “It comes down to knowing who you are.” Diane says.  ” When you know who you are, people have something to connect to.”

At the Dieline Diane,sets and maintains the framework to create the best possible user experience, at AIGA Los Angeles she creates and facilitates opportunities for people to interact with the foundation. At her core Diane Lindquist is a communication designer who’s true passion is building relationships and cultivating community in the city she loves. With a firm personal history she is able to form strong bonds with people. Her genuine interest in the well-being of others these bonds come about naturally and easily maintained.

Diane Lindquist

diane_lindquist Polaroid

P1380654

The American Slinky:

, , , , , , 0

Start with the video, it will put you in the proper frame of mind.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZL6RGkPjws]

 

Facts:
Slinky is a swedish word for traespiral- sleek or sinous
The American Slinky was created by engineer Robert James in 1943 during tests for tension coil.
Over a quarter billion Slinky’s have been sold, all made in the US in Hollidaysburg, PA.

 

I am collector of old toys specifically toys that are so simple in design. Nearly 70 years later the slinky is still a great toy for children or many ages and is a shinning example of an American Heritage product recognized the world over.

Some shots from my Slinky Collection:

The thing about theses toys is that they are so simple in design, and had such a profound impact on us as children. As adults we over complicate things for ourselves, and especially for children.
It doesn’t take a lot mental faculty to under stand the concept of a Slinky, they are simply fun to play with. Things don’t have to be complex to be enjoyable.

Before you learn anything, you know everything.

 

prism-01

Prism Eyewear: See better, be seen better.

, , , , , , , , 0

Prism is an eye wear designer out of London that make glassess for people that believe in the potential of eyewear as a compelling accessory.

I am one of those people.

Aside from the lovely frames they make, their branding effort is nothing short of amazing, as displayed by their packaging. Designed by Sabotage PKG out of UK they created the case that speaks to the customer directly from point of sale.

images courtesy of Lovely Package

Prism Eyewear site