Full DisClothesure » Design

Scarf + Necklace = Elegance

jrotem — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 22:56:44 +0000

What a honor! A fellow designer not only loved my green agapanthus scarf, but also crafted a necklace to go with it!

A extraordinarily talented illustrator and designer, Karyn Lewis started creating jewelry in the past couple of years. When I heard what she was planning, I couldn’t wait to see what she was going to come up with! In her blog post where she shares her project she writes:

Now that I’ve become obsessed with jewelry, family and friends have started receiving some of my work as gifts. This year for my sister’s birthday, I did something different. I knew that I wanted to send her a yummy floral print scarf from Rotem Gear Limited Edition: Apparel for the Global Tribe. In a lovely earthy green, the scarf is made out of a super soft burn out material, and features a silhouette of an Agapanthus (Lily of the Nile) plant, which shop owner Jean Roth developed from an original photograph in her line of botanical photography.

Then I made a necklace that I thought complemented the scarf. I knew I wanted to echo the earthy green and the spiky graphic floral on the scarf, so when I found Earthenwood Studio’s Leafy Tree Pendant, I felt I had a good pairing.

I surrounded the pendant with betel nut seeds, earthy green stones and brown Chinese Writing Stones. I also threw in a couple garnet beads too. And happily, as you can see above, the necklace fit my sister perfectly!

I love the beautiful layout in her photograph!

Graphic Design: More Than a Pretty Face

jrotem — Fri, 20 May 2011 10:57:14 +0000

Last week, I helped a friend who was deliberating over some new labels designs for his product. While he just asked me to use my designer’s eye to tell him which one I liked the best, I came up with some questions for him to ponder.

I thought I’d share a few of these thoughts here, as they may be of help to others: those of you who might be creating something without designer know how, or even if you are a designer and want to guide a client.

1. Have you checked these colors printed out?

Granted, our home and office printers re different from professional print production places, but my friend’s files RGB, which is usually the case when non-designers design. Files almost always need to be CMYK for printing and of course they will not have a light source behind them, like a computer screen. Since my friend that he could possibly end up losing some of the boldness and contrast he saw on screen, I suggested he check to make sure his colors were in spectrum and color setting set according his print facility’s output requirements, and if not, to make adjustments.

2. Do you have a palette?

The palette of the new labels was very attractive and bold, but differed from that on the website. I asked if this was a new direction the company was moving in, or if it was random, or simply specific to a certain line of products.

3. Is the typeface part of a new identity?

As with the palette issue, the typeface differed significantly from that on the website in style, weight and family. Visual identity should be consistent over your different media as part of your branding, whether on your website, business cards, brochures, labels, etc. So I asked if the entire look was going through an overhaul or if the lettering on the labels was random, and recommended sticking to a set of type styles to help make the brand more recognizable.

4. When you print it out are you satisfied with the size and readability of all the elements?

There was an element that seemed lost to me; it was small and yet I felt it was crucial enough to demand more prominence on the label.

5. Have you done any market research on your target audience? Do you think these bright pop-art colors will appeal to them?

While this is not specifically about design, it’s an area where design impacts on a product’s marketability, and I felt it needed asking. For the most part, I personally liked the colors and style of the labels very much, but I am not their typical target, which is probably more male and to some degree a younger demographic as well.

I suggested doing some tests to see if the new label “speaks” to their market, to see what comparable products they were purchasing. While this brand wants to show how different and unique they are, they could also try also to research why consumers like what they’ve been buying (beside reputation and/or availability.) If time and budget allowed, I suggested, maybe try a version with slightly deeper colors and see what attracts better, and then go to the locales where those target markets are.

What do you think? Do you find these are questions that clients and even designers sometimes overlook?

I’m the Martha Stewart Doer of the Week!

jrotem — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 03:44:18 +0000

This week I had the honor of being selected the Doer of the Week at Martha Stewart’s “Dreamers into Doers” website. I talked about how and where I work, and how I got here, and what inspires my design approach. Above is only a snippet — but you can read the whole thing here.

This wonderful journey started last year when two wonderful online friends urged me to join Dreamers. Then, in January, I got the incredible opportunity to go to New York to learn, network, and otherwise canoodle, with 78 creative enterprising women from the Martha Stewart “Dreamers into Doers” online community. Hosted at the Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia headquarters, the two-day event included informational and inspiring workshops by MSLO super-staff, special guests and Martha herself, two elegant lunches and a cocktail reception (would you expect anything less than elegant?), and of course, being part of the audience at the show.

The offices and photo shoot studios, which once housed railroad boxcars (the Starrett-Lehigh Building was originally a freight distribution building and housed a railroad), now are painted in a clean white palette against which color and form take shape — we saw staff working on fabric patterns, graphics and and decorations, and managed to peek into rooms of props and floral arrangements. As a designer, I found it exciting to get a tiny glimpse of the creative process thats takes place there.

Equally as inspiring , though, were the wonderfully creative people I got to meet, some after becoming online friends with some of them through the year, and others for the first time — women who combine passion and fun with determination and focus, and who have formed a sisterhood. Am I lucky to have found this community or what?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnREnzyiMSo

Small Business Saturday 11/27 – Supporting Entreprenuers When Holiday Shopping

jrotem — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 21:56:04 +0000

This interview of me, in recognition of Small Business Saturday, and to illustrate one person behind a small business, is gratefully reprinted from MommyBlogExpert:

Thanks to American Express for sponsoring my writing today about small businesses. American Express is presenting Small Business Saturday, a way to honor the local merchants who are the backbone of the economy, this Saturday, November 27.

They’re offering statement credits to people who shop at small businesses, advertising for small-business owners, and donations to Girls Inc. for “Likes” of the Small Business Saturday page on Facebook. Join the celebration by clicking the “Like” button and then visiting the Facebook page to learn more about the program and read the terms and conditions that apply.

All Photos in this Post Used With Permission of Jean Roth and Rotem Design Studio & Rotem Gear

Prior to researching the impact of small businesses, I had no idea of how staggering the statistics would be. Yet, when I checked the website of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) today, I was blown away to discover that in 2009, 99.9% of all businesses were small companies with fewer than 500 employees. The fact that a full 52% of those small businesses were home-based which was even more amazing.

With small business being the backbone of the American economy, as American Express points out, it’s easy to see that during down economic times such as now it’s really important for consumers to show their support for small businesses and solo entrepreneurs whenever you can while doing your holiday shopping.

Who are these faces behind smaller American enterprise that we should patronize whenever possible this holiday season? They’re passionate business owners like Jean Roth, whom I met through our mutual involvement in Martha Stewart’s Dreamers Into Doers (DID), the online community that celebrates talented and creative women who turn their dreams into careers they love.

Sitting down to get to know Jean, I learned that about 8 years ago she started working freelance as a graphic designer. Today, she works solo running a successful graphic design company in Los Angeles called Rotem Design Studio and its Internet-based t-shirt and apparel store known as Rotem Gear. As of now, she has created and merchandised more than 400 original designs for her brand, including the designs pictured in this post which are among her personal favorites.

Jean’s journey to entrepreneurship has been an interesting and circuitous journey indeed. Seeing her design work, it was immediately apparent to me that her background and education, including a master’s from UCLA in Japanese Language and Literature and a B.A. in Asian Studies and the experience of living in Israel for 8 years, has had a great influence on her design work.

How this talented designer got from point A to point B to where she is today is fascinating. She explains, “People often ask me how I got from being a specialist in Japanese language and culture to a designer and editor. The linear answer is that my Japanese skills landed me my first marketing job years ago in a Japanese audio-electronics firm and later a stint in the Public Information and Cultural Affairs section of the Japanese Consulate General in L.A.”

As her career progressed Jean started exploring computer graphics while working at a software company in Tel-Aviv. It wasn’t until she returned to the U.S. and starting working at local architecture and design firms that she really started learning lay-out, graphics, and paying attention to the principles of design. Rotem Design Studio and Rotem Gear are the culminations of all that diverse experience and exposure to various cultures.

Jean believes that her work truly reflects what design and communications should produce — words that evoke images, and images that convey ideas and emotions. She concludes, “All of it — the media, the marketing, the intercultural experience — has come full circle for me and makes its own special sense.”

What are the top challenges you face as a small business in general? And in the current economy during the upcoming holiday season?

“Not surprisingly,” Jean answers, “the main challenges are financial. Sole proprietors and freelancers are particularly vulnerable, as we must pay our own self-employment tax and are not eligible for group health insurance rates.

“During the holiday season,” she continues, “especially when the economic climate is not at its healthiest, it can be difficult to know how much to invest in marketing/distribution costs and inventory, especially since the holiday season is so critical to small retail businesses like mine. This year, while still nothing like 6 years ago, has been better than the past three years so far, so hopefully that is a good sign for small business owners like myself.”

What’s your favorite mom and pop store or online business? Please leave a comment and share why it’s important for consumers to support your favorite small business this holiday season.

*~*~*~*~*

I’m grateful this Thanksgiving Day for the wonderful interview and insights Janis was able to bring to it. You can read her blog at MommbyBlogExpert.

To learn more about American Express’ Small Business Saturday effort, “like” it on FaceBook!

Part 3: How to Sell Offline – Must Haves and Must Dos

jrotem — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 02:51:22 +0000

In Part Two I mentioned signage and branding, but your display can take this much further to attract customers and make them want to hang around. Here’s some food for thought to get your creative juices going. See if any of these work for you. (Did you miss Part 1? It’s here.)

Display

Build multi-level rises, cover with a cloth. If you store shirts in shallow plastic containers, those can work. It will add interest and makes it easier to distinguish items better among a sea of shirts.

Or, get lightweight folding or take-apart shelves that can sit on your table. Closet organizers or shoe racks can work too.

Color — some venues provide clothed tables but you can still add color and personality, even branding, with your own tablecloths.

If the venue does not supply table cloths — be sure yours is long enough to hide the junk you’ll be storing underneath.

Eye candy — prop-up or mount product photos, magazine shots, modeled products. If you have been featured in an article somewhere, laminate it and pin or prop it up. “As seen in” gives you great credibility.

Selling magnets? Get or make a standing metal display for magnets. They’ll be easier to see and take up less room than on a table. Selling ornaments? Hang them creatively — a branch, an accessory tree, a velvet jewelry display, a metallic plate charger.

An easel can accommodate a mounted poster with your logo or product shots. This is good when you can’t tack something on a wall behind you, but can be easy to knock into in a small space.

Some people hang a vinyl banner with their company name and logo on the front of the table if they are in an indoor venue where they cannot use wall space behind them.

If you sell apparel, hang a few garments if room allows. Some people use hangers, wire grids, mannequins or garment racks.

You are part of your display. On occasion I’ve made logo buttons for myself and for whomever is helping me, to identify us as the proprietors of the display and for branding. Dress to your audience while keeping comfort in mind. That can mean your own shirts or not. Upscale venue? Don’t look too shleppy; look prosperous, like the kind of vendor your customers want to buy from. Outdoor farmer’s market? You can be more casual, but dress for how the weather might change throughout the day; layers are good. Place of worship? Wear something respectful. Wherever you are, put your customers at ease.

A bowl of free candy seems to call out to people, as does a bin of free or clearance stuff. Freebies can also be conversation-openers, but without expecting something in return. Got something for kids? Check with the parents first.
Allow space for marketing stuff – business cards, postcards, coupons and/or newsletter sign-up sheets. (Don’t have a newsletter yet? Eek! Check out MailChimp — I just love them, the are cutting edge, fun as hell and they offer free accounts.)

Use your own energy. When you have a small space like a dedicated table in an indoor venue you have no choice but to sit or stand behind it.Â But if you have a larger space like tent, use the open space to encourage people to come in â€“â€“ don’t use a table as a barrier between you and customers. Think of it like a brick and mortar shop. Stand as much as you can and in fact, be busy â€“â€“ fold stuff and rearrange even if it doesn’t need it. Energy invites more energy.

By the way, there’s more good information below the photos!

Below:
At the Jewish Food Festival in Valenica, CA. My first try at using a bamboo+webbing display for the t-shirts. I like it much better as a display than clothesline and the bamboo suits my theme. My artisan scarves hang from an Indonesian carved wood hanger. An old suitcase, part of my old global travel motif, sets on a small shelf and holds apron gift sets. Alas, despite my own advice my tablecloth is a skosh too short.

For more booth inspiration check out the Flickr “Show me Your Booths” group.

More Tips …

You Don’t Say!

No, really, there are some things better left unsaid, re-phrased or said only at the right moment. Here are some:

“May I help you?” Think about it. What is the first response that comes to mind? “No thanks, I’m just looking.” You now have a “no” between you and your potential customer and no way to ignite conversation. I try “Let me know if there is something I can help you with.” or “Are you shopping for someone in particular?” “Are you looking for a baby gift?” Assume the positive. If they don’t seem to want to talk, or want to discuss with a companion, back off with a friendly “I’ll be right here if you need me.” Basically, we want to start a conversation and be open and available without being intrusive. It’s one of the hardest things to learn and I’m still learning.

“Thank you.” Well, yes and no. If your product has gotten a compliment, don’t just say “thank you” and leave it, you just lost a great opening to chat! Experts say to use the comment as a way to talk about the product, what makes it unique, who loves to buy it, what inspired you, etc.

“I Haz a Website.” I’m not saying to withhold information, I’m just saying to choose your timing. Many vendors, in their eagerness to please customers, blurt out the fact they have a website even while customers are considering what’s right in front of them. Why give customers a reason to not buy NOW? It’s much like how you don’t want them to leave your website. You hope they will remember enough to come back to buy. Chances are they won’t. So when DO I say the word “website?” 1) When asked, of course, and obviously many do. 2) When someone sees it on the displayed business cards. 3) When they have purchased and I let them know there is a business card in the bag with my web address. 4) If they are interested and chatted with me a bit, but didn’t buy and are about to leave, I will give them card and invite them to visit the site.

And …

Don’t under estimate comfort and human need. Shows can be very wearying, even those that are not busy. Wear really comfortable shoes. Bring bottled water and non-messy, easy-to-scarf-down food. (Don’t assume you’ll have time to go buy any.) They sound like no-brainers but I can’t stress them enough.

See attached checklist. It includes things like staplers, duct tape, bags, hand sanitizer, and things you might not have thought of. Print it out, or edit and add your own must-haves.

Vendor Checklist

Finally, enjoy yourself!

Each experience is an opportunity to learn. Get to know other vendors and network. Success is not only measured in sales. What you learn will make you even better the next time.

I’m Today’s Featured Artist at ImageKind

jrotem — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 22:38:02 +0000

This was an unexpected but lovely thing to wake up to. I am one of the Featured Artists of the Day at ImageKind! ImageKind is a site for buying artwork by a huge range of artists, from masters to small independent designers.

I am sharing the spotlight with professional Canadian photographer Chris Gallow, whose work is notable by its wonderful interplay of light balance.

By the time you read this the feature may have changed, so if you want to see my own portfolio you can see it here.

It’s New! It’s Fresh! It’s My Design Studio Website!

jrotem — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 22:13:53 +0000

Not everyone who comes to the Rotem Gear shop knows that I am also a graphic designer beyond t-shirts and artisan scarves. In fact, I have done freelance design work for universities and colleges, governments, media companies, architecture studios, and have the pleasure these days of doing ad design for the Edible Communities network of local food magazines.

And yes, this is a blatantly commercial blog post! But it’s also something I’m excited about.

Anyway, with so many balls in the air, I neglected my portfolio website terribly since initially putting it up in 2002. Yes, 2002!!!!

However, that’s all over and I’ve finally given it the makeover it deserves.

I hope you’ll come peruse the slide show, see some of my latest work and what my wonderful clients say. And of course, feel free to refer me!

Art Trip

jrotem — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 23:41:30 +0000

My friend Cheri Lasher-Sandhu never met a surface she didn’t like.

When I knew her in Israel, she’d paint anything — cabinets, furniture, pillows, clothing, and the unfinished Arab-style pottery plates and water jugs sold all around Israel. If memory serves, she painted part of the hallway leading to her apartment. She was compelled to paint, a painting whirling dervish.

Cheri and I met when we both lived in Tel Aviv, a fateful meeting of funny bones — we’d bounced hilarity off each other with that sort of synchronicity and timing I find only with certain people. Some days we’d perform a type of guerrilla office art warfare by faxing each other assorted wacky creations to see how much we could crack each other up at work (read: sabotage)– fake purchase orders, made-up business correspondence, xeroxed snacks for a 2-D birthday party. Now try and imagine me sitting next to a fax machine, seeing an x-rated cartoon addressed to me coming in, and me looking over my shoulder while surreptitiously force-pulling it out before my boss would notice.

And then there was her apartment: a wonderful visual cacophony of her own artwork, quirky collectibles and funny retro things.

For reasons of economy at the time, we were both very into what is now called “repurposing stuff,” the difference being that when it comes to painting I could barely handle plain minimalist white. Once I spied a hobby horse on the curb awaiting trash pick-up. I literally threw my car into reverse and zoomed backwards down the entire block to grab the prize for her, and sure enough, she transformed it into a wonderful, slightly psychedelic child’s toy-turned-piece-of-art.

It was no longer trash. It took on a personality. Friends gave it a name. Avigdor.

These days Cheri lives outside of Chicago and her huge apartment is still a feast for the eyes, albeit more grown-up. Textiles and collectibles from India and Israel blend with her own primitive-mod painted wall hangings. Her hand-painted pottery lines the floors and the tops of bookcases. Her studio is crammed with paints, stencils, vintage ad art and long easels where she stretches the silk scarves she paints and sells. Around the house bold colorful canvases practically trip with faces, symbols and interlocked neon geometric shapes like the intercultural lovechild of Picasso and Peter Max.

Years ago while working at UCLA’s International Institute I used Cheri’s remarkable eyes in an academic music project CD cover. Alas, this is all I am permitted to show of her.

She doesn’t have a website yet, but here’s a taste of the Lasher wild ride. Some of these shots are a bit out of focus because I took them with a Flip video, but, well, you’ll get the idea.

Making a Logo, Not a “No Go”

jrotem — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 00:00:38 +0000

I thought I’d share an example of a design process for a corporate logo I did a few years ago for Amritt Ventures. I began with a sit-down meeting (over a yummy Indian lunch) with the head of the company, Gunjan Bagla, who was just launching his business at the time. In between dowsing the chillies I was eating with ice water I asked basic things like:

1. Do you want company name, initials or symbolism?

2. Do you have a palette yet for your branding?

3. If not, are there certain colors you prefer? Since the company operates in an intercultural environment, are there specific colors to avoid or embrace? This is especially important for international companies, much as it having a name that doesn’t mean something that might backfire (like the Chevy Nova back in the 70s — who in a Spanish speaking country would want a car named “No Va” –”doesn’t go”? Ha!)

4. There may also be shapes or symbols with special cultural significance.

I also often like to play a word-association game with a client to get a feel of the emotional side of their business, ie, without thinking, to tell me the words that come to mind when I ask “what do you feel about your company that you want others to feel when they see your logo/website/brochure?” That feeling is what branding is about — not a logo itself.

I jot down everything, no matter how odd or redundant, usually filling a legal pad page. This is really valuable later on when I start work. It doesn’t matter if it’s words like “air” or “meaty” — I jot them down.

Of course everyone will say “stability, honesty, reliability, experience,” but beyond that some will say “innovation, edgy, fun, fresh” and others might stress “responsive, connectivity, communication.” In this case Gunjan definitely wanted conservative and stable, since his target market in America would be corporate, and in India, culturally conservative, but also reflect global partnership.

I went home and started scribbling on paper, to get some rough drafts of a design concept or general direction.

I’m no great illustrator so I put the rough concepts into digital form –– the good, the bad, and the hackneyed (not more globes with grids! oh yes.)––to get a sense of what would resonate for the client. They all contained the name or “AV” initials, some very stylized.

Bingo! He picked the last one (the one I too felt was the winner) and so I did some variations in different palettes and typography.

The 2 triangles represent A and V for Amritt Ventures, as well as a partnering of 2 companies or countries. The result is stable, “square” even, but modern (and hopefully recognizable and memorable.) I personally preferred the warm orange at top for a blast of edginess with the somber cool grey but he went for the money-green (green was tweaked, below) with warm grey.

Which would you have picked?

What are some of your techniques to get a sense of a client’s logo needs?