Stephanie Battista

I have always loved miniatures in photography to create the illusion of a scaled-up set. When I had to design poster art for the library’s Small Business Coffee & Connect program, I knew this was my time to shine with some miniature skills, and it was honestly so much fun.

I ground up old coffee beans and created the type treatment of the word “Coffee” with them freehand, planning to add the rest of the title in Adobe Illustrator. I then wanted to create a scene with the miniatures that reflected what the program was all about - entrepreneurs and small business owners socializing and connecting (hello, pre-pandemic!).

The photo was lit with 2 studio lights, one kick light from the top left modified with a strip diffuser, and the other modified with a 60” octobox directly over the scene to fill in the shadows.

To the left, the 3rd picture shows the photo in a flyer layout, and the 4th picture shows the photo laid out in the AHML newsletter.

I love to utilize photography in my designs when I can, and AHML’s Stop Motion Animation program was the perfect opportunity to do so! In the program, customers would learn how to create a stop motion video using the Stop Motion Studio app. I figured the best way to show customers what this program would be was to mimic the process they would be using, so I grabbed materials I had lying around my office to create a fun scene, grabbed a couple LED lights to light it, downloaded the app, set up my phone and snapped a photo with it.

I then shortened the string holding the astronaut a bit to showcase the frame-by-frame feature of the app (demonstrated by the ghosted image of the lego astronaut on the screen), grabbed my DSLR and made sure my composition focused on the phone while also showing enough of the scene behind the phone to have the visual connect for customers.

I chose a bold font with a science fiction feel to create a fun type treatment with contrasting hierarchy that matched the space scene of the photo.

Images:

1.Photo with type treatment for use on AHML’s website and constant contact e-mail

2.Photo with type treatment for use as a Facebook event header

3.Photo before type treatment

Providing resources for their communities is what libraries do best, and the Take Home Jobs Kit is just one example of the amazing resources offered at the Arlington Heights Memorial Library. Since creating this brand, I have had to carry it through to the rest of the jobs and careers department, including the website and annual job fair.

I was provided the information to include in the Take Home Jobs Kit by the Jobs and Careers librarian, and from there I created the kit you see here, from the logo, to the custom folder design and to the information and worksheets that fill the folder. Please click here to view the contents of the folder in its entirety.

33 1/3 is a series of short books about popular music, each focusing on an iconic individual album that occupies a specific place in music history. In this program series, patrons could meet the authors who focused on specific albums in the series, have a listening party of the album they wrote about, and ask them questions.

For the design, I knew I wanted to have a record as the main graphic element accompanied by a vintage feel in the style. I achieved this style through the use of color combined with bold type choices that mimic a DIY screenprinted treatment; carrying through that analog whimsy that comes with records, and a grunge texture overlay.

Images:
1. Full Page Layout

2. Layout as printed in the newsletter

3. Layout converted to a Blog Image for the AHML website

4. Layout converted to appropriate size for FB Event

5. Layout converted to appropriate size for a website header

Every year, the library hosts a luncheon for the hundreds of volunteers that donate their time to helping their community via the library. The theme for this year is “Celebrating 40 years of Volunteer Magic". The volunteer coordinator explained to me that 40 years is the “sapphire” anniversary and to incorporate that in the design. I opted for a gem-like photo and photoshopped it to be a bit more blue in hue, then came up with a type treatment inspired by the idea of “magic”.

The curvature of the main font, with its swirled serifs, and the circus-like features of the “45 years” font added a playful and whimsical look that screamed “magic!” to me. The gold foil was just another whimsical flare to add to the grandiose feeling of “magic,” and it plays extremely well with the star accents in the design.

A “thank you” card was also designed to match the theme, so that teens who come to the library could write notes for the volunteers on the back.

One of the larger projects I worked on for AHML over the pandemic was their Artist in Residence program featuring Chicago-based magician Jeanette Andrews. The project required me to work closely with Jeanette to design an overall look and feel for the series, using elements of her personal brand (mostly photos, font, and color scheme).

I also had to create custom graphics representing the theme of each week’s Instagram chat she would host on AHML’s account. I carried through brand recognition of this series by using the same type treatment for the word “magic” and used a similar minimalistic line style for each icon that I custom illustrated. I animated each icon in the Artist in Residence intro video, found under the video & motion graphics category of my website.

Photos:

1.Main series promo design (photo credit: Saverio Truglia).

2-5.Weekly theme categories formatted for Instagram.

6.Instagram event promo example carrying through the theme of Magic + Science in a format focusing on event details.

If you work in libraries, you know that Library Card Sign-Up Month is a big deal. In 2019, I was tasked with creating a fresh, attention grabbing brand for the event from the ground up. I first created 4 black and white logo options to be considered. From there, I explored color options. Once the logo was chosen, informational signs were created to be displayed around the library. I even created a photo backdrop complete with fun photo props/signs that was set up near the checkout desk. We encouraged the community to take photos in front of the backdrop and engage with us on social media to get them excited about signing up for a library card.

Photos:

1. Blog Image to be displayed on AHML’s website and constant contact e-mails.

2. Black and White Logo Options

3. Color logo options

4. Bookmark design for giveaways

5. Sign displayed around the library

6. One of the winners from the Love Your Library raffle in front of the photo backdrop holding a prop with the social media hashtag for the event

My main responsibility as Graphic Designer at the Des Plaines Public Library has been to design all of the flyers. I have used my knowledge of typography, hierarchy, color theory, illustration, and layout to modernize the look and feel of the flyers, and give them more personality, with the goal in mind to increase program sign up and attendance.

Here you will see my designs for the Teen, Adult, and Youth departments.

DP Social is a program at the Des Plaines Public Library that hosts “Events for 20 & 30 Somethings”

I was asked to create a badge-style logo for the event. I wanted to create something that felt modern, but also touched on a retro vibe. I presented 4 concepts to the 3 librarians that I collaborated on this project with, seen in Image 1.

Once they settled on a concept, I presented them with 2 color palettes to choose from to represent the brand. The coolness of Palette One gave the brand a young, tech-driven feel, while the balance of warm and cool in palette two felt more open and social.

In the end, they chose to go with the 3rd logo concept, and the 2nd color palette, much to my delight!

For the Summer of 2018, I was tasked with creating all of the assets for the Teen Summer Reading program. I worked closely with the teen librarian to create a logo that could be used for years to come, meaning it had to be strong and classic enough to not “die out” after a couple years of use.

IMAGES IN ORDER:

1. Stamp Card
2. Book Review & Reading Log Inserts - Front
3. Book Review & Reading Log Inserts - Back
4. Teen Summer Reading Bifold - Front
5. Teen Summer Reading Bifold - Inside
6. Teen Summer Reading Bifold - Back


THE LOGO:

The logo’s icon is a line drawing of an open book with a sun emerging from its center with rays beaming from it. The line drawing of the book also doubles in visual as a bird flying into the sunset. I chose a typeface that was strong and simple, yet approachable with a camp-like vibe to keep within the feel of Summer.

THE COLOR:

We decided to go with vibrant, contrasting colors to stand out and bring energy to this logo. The warmth of the orange sun combined with the cool sea-breeze teal is fun and inviting, perfect inspiration for cracking open a good book on a Summer day.

Advocate Christ Medical Center had been planning a new Women's Building to add onto their facility for a couple years, and the time had finally come for it to be revealed! Such an exciting event demanded a really rad invite to build up some fancy hype. 

One thing that really struck me about the building were the pink lights in the front windows, so I used that as a focus/inspiration for my color palette. The sliding mechanic of the invitation itself was perfect for a "reveal." You get a hint that something lies underneath the illustrated cover with the diecut windows, and once the future party goer pulls the paper down, they see the new building revealed to them. The type treatment is fun to look at, and organized to be easy to read using color and hierarchy. Overall, this invite screams "I am woman, hear me roar!" but in a really fun, celebratory way! 

I was designated as lead designer on the Trend Building Service's rebrand, and I had so much fun going through the process with them! Trend is a multifaceted company that deals in anything and everything regarding building care, whether it's apartment turning, janitorial services, crown molding, etc. When I first started this project, they only had 3 different areas to their company, which is why you will see a lot of elements in threes, but they expanded while in the middle of the rebrand. 

That being said, let me talk about the process! 

I started by exploring different possibilities for the logo through doing many, many sketches. The top picture you see is what I had narrowed the sketches down to. I then told a story for each one of them, coming up with different meanings of each element in each logo. After a few rounds of presenting to the client and editing, they eventually chose the "T-in a circle" concept. They wanted to go with this because it was simple, and allowed for them to add on to their company without the logo focusing so much on the number of departments they had. 

Trend wanted to stand out from their competition, so I chose bold, modern colors that would catch the eye, and make their logo and collateral memorable to current and future clients. 

In total; I created a logo, business card, a pocket folder, and 5 sell sheets to go into the pocket folder.

Snüz Fest is an annual pajama party concert celebrating and showcasing the local music scene. This year, I created all promotional assets for print and web. For the theme, I wanted to incorporate a camp vibe, which was the main inspiration for the sleeping "monster scout" mascot. I wanted the colors to feel vibrant and fun, bringing a certain energy to the pieces that reflect the energy of the show. All elements were composed in Adobe Illustrator. The projects you see here are as follows:

11x17 poster (print)
Image for Facebook Cover Photo
Instagram Post
Image for Facebook Event Page
 

I am very inspired by typography, and always wanted the chance to do a project that was very type-heavy. This calendar was the perfect candidate for that opportunity. Taking quotes from popular young adult fiction novels, I created type treatments, illustrations, and used color schemes that appropriately reflect on the words in the quote. These are some of my favorites from the project.

Fun fact about this project: I recently took a trip to NYC to attend Book Con. I happened to get an opportunity to meet one of the authors whose book quotes inspired this project, Rainbow Rowell, and gave her the only other copy of this calendar that I had made. She liked it so much, she was kind enough to share it on her twitter & instagram for all of her fans to fangirl/fanboy over. It was a great experience!

 

XPerience Point Gaming is a YouTube channel that revolves around everything having to do with video games. When my client approached me to do this logo, he wanted me to incorporate a lightning bolt, as it is a symbol having to do with his gamer tag.

That being said, the logo highlights a lightening bolt in the center. It is held within a circle, which is representative of a planet. The reference of a planet comes from the perspective that YouTube is like a galaxy in that it contains thousands and thousands of channels. Each channel is like the creator’s own little planet, pulling in viewers for its distinct, unique qualities.

IMAGES IN ORDER:
1. Vertical Logo
2. Horizontal Logo
3. Instagram Ad to announce the new brand launch.

THE ICON:
The texture of the circle is representative of the energy surrounding the lightning bolt, and the energy of the channel. The circle is surrounded by another circle that is 3/4 filled in. This is representative of an experience point (XP) bar, commonly used to keep track of a player’s level in a game.

THE LOGOTYPE:
The font has a distinct tech feel, balancing curves with sharp edges, and an even x-height throughout. Seeing as XP is the abbreviation for Experience Point, I outlined those two letters to give them an extra accentuation.