live. breathe. design.

for a successful event an integral part of the planning involves good graphic design. and with more than 80,000 people living & concert going all in the same farm you need some pretty good design and signage to keep things organized. these photos are just a sampling of the great design and planning seen on our bonnaroo trip. stages were well labeled, with  awesome massive light up signs that are pictured above making it easy to see if you were headed in the right direction.

the volunteer staff all had well designed and differing shirts so it was easy to tell they were staff and what their role was. my favorite shirt/job was the trash talker. these volunteers hung out by the garbage to tell you if items were compostable, recycable, or landfill. notice the recycling symbols in the counters of each of the letters. what a great touch.

there was tons of other signage and design everywhere – i didn’t have time to photograph all of it! too much to do and see in a short time. we saw so many great and inspiring shows while we were there including the decemberists, wilco, ani difranco, bon iver, andrew bird and many others.

as i have been developing my freelance and wedding invitation business i felt it was time for a fresh look including a new name, logo, website and blog. i wanted everything to be a bit more professional and more in line with the style of work i do. there is tons more work to do – but i am finally at a point where i can launch!

i did some serious thinking about what my first post should be and some of those other ideas might show up later. however, as i was doing some research, i thought why not start off by featuring the artist/designer blogs who inspire me. these bloggers posts are must reads for those interested in design.

there are tons of design/art blogs out there – these are the ones that stick out in my reader everyday. in no particular order:

• jenn ski studio blog: from retro to modern - artist jenn ski features her work, her fabulously decorated home and her mid-century influences on this blog. her art is layered with beautiful textures and clear mid-century and modern influences.
• logo design love - graphic designer david airey posts relevant industry information, tips and excellent examples for logo design.
• orange you lucky – artist helen dardik features her work and her inspirations here. dardik’s illustrations are beautiful, vibrant and filled with whimsy.
• puremotif photography and designs – a classmate at mercyhurst college and close friend who is a graphic designer and now mostly photographer living in erie, pa. rachel lusky features her delicate femine designs and gorgeous photography.
• modern photographie – local buffalo photographer dominique mediak-pirigyi features her photojournalistic approach to wedding photography including inspiring colors and compositions.
• Another former classmate and still close friend, michelle is a talented graphic designer for a law firm in columbus, oh. while her posts are not about design usually, her blog inspires me to be a better blogger and to come up with great topics to keep people reading.

who are the bloggers that inspire you? i would love to hear from you and add to my list!