Church Communication Link

11:30 a.m.–1 p.m., Tuesday, June 16
“Olive Tree Café” at ResLife in Grandville [details]

Do you have a junk drawer? (I seem to have a junk desk!) We’re often surrounded by “stuff.” Can you take one of those items and make it art? What about discovering art on your next venture outside? Treasures await… Please bring a “found art” creation on Tuesday.

After we’re done “ooooh’ing” and “ahhhhh’ing” over each others art, we’re going to talk about the design principal of “grouping” and how arranging objects is key to communicating your point. [This will involve money and crayons, so you can get excited. right. now.]

Continue to bring samples of recent work or things in process for feedback.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Questions? Contact Becky, 616.485.3535

We’re getting together on Tuesday, May 19, at the Olive Tree Cafe at ResLife to talk about color! We know the importance of a compelling color palette, but where do we find our color inspiration?

Please bring copies of a color scheme (here’s a sample) that you can give to everyone who comes (12–15 copies). And, be prepared to talk about where you got your inspiration — your favorite outfit, the curtains in your bedroom, the food on your dinner plate the night before, Websites…

If you have found useful Adobe features relating to color management, be ready to share those, too.

Continue to bring samples of recent work or things in process for feedback.

We’ll also talk about Josh’s e-mail about a home-grown conference this fall. If you haven’t already, please take a moment and reply to his e-mail before next Tuesday.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Becky Martin
616.485.3535

How do you present the look and feel of a sermon, ministry or event brand? Do you find a carefully crafted brand being stretched or shredded by an over-zealous team member? Here are two excellent examples of style guides, almost “mood boards,” created by a church in Cincinnati. Would something like this help you communicate or defend your branding decisions?

(Backstory: One of my clients, a church in northern Kentucky, has twice partnered with Crossroads Church in Cincinnati, to do the same teaching sereis. I get access to all the graphics created for this “shared” series. I take the predetermined brand and apply it to all of my client’s collateral.)

RESET style guide

KINGDOM style guide

CONSUMED style guide

At the October Roundtable, we talked about ways that we stay creative. It was a good conversation. Here’s some of the list we generated. Why don’t you add your favorite source of inspiration or creative exercise in the comments below!

• going to the movies
• an evening at Barnes & Noble
• travel (close to home or far away)
• nature and the change of seasons
• Mag: HOW
• Mag: Dynamic Graphics
• Mag: Communication Arts
• Mag: Graphic Design USA (free from this site)
• Mag: Men’s Health (for insights into designing for Men)
• Mag: Real Simple (just for the design)
• Window shopping for the latest colors and textures in fashion (and window displays)
• Book: How to Think Like Leonardo daVinci (and the workbook)

Then, we did a doodling exercise. Some of us were doodlers and others weren’t. It’s pretty easy to get started (pen and paper), but if you’d like some help, download the doodle worksheets at www.illustrationclass.com. (Thanks, Von!)

What keeps you creative? Leave a comment.