NEWS/MUSE

BRANDING CONTENT FOR KAHUKU MEDICAL CENTER

Enjoying our latest work with the Kahuku Medical Center. We have been creating branded content (design, photos and even written stories) for their soon to launch NEW WEBSITE. Over the past two years, KMC has stayed the course with continually improving internally while consistently sharing their story via a community newsletter we design and manage. Exciting to grow with this organization and see the image of KMC as offering quality care grow and improve. Huge kudos to Stephany Vaioleti, KMC Administrator and her amazing staff! 

POP OF COLOR

Quince, #ourkakaako 's newest storefront addition is here!  quinceathome.com We had a great launch party celebration last night. Quince features housewares with a strong sense of fun, pop of color, and a love for bold geometric patterns. It was a joy to create a look and feel for owner Marissa Selder's brand that we applied to all of her foundational marketing.

IT'S RAINING MANGOES

In Hawaii, when it's raining, it's not usually mango time. Says me, mango veteran and lover of mango! Though it's January, it's been raining mangoes for us since November. We've been fortunate to put our creative juices to work for a rebrand of Mango Season, the band, and website re-definition for Mango Muse Events, an Destination Wedding company. It's been such a pleasure to work with such amazing people who happen to also be high quality creative professionals. Stoked!

HAD TO POST THIS

HOW MUCH DO I LOVE THIS?

How much do i absolutely love the playful irreverent spirit of these videos by Urban Outfitters Home! yay yay yay! i love a perfectly designed room as the next gal, but i also *get* the joy of deconstructing it and throwing it back in our own face. brilliant. these videos make my heart sing!

Please check out these awesome UO Home video vignettes by Alex Da Corte

IF YOU LOVE HAWAI'I

Today kicks off a week of the 20th Annual Hawaii Conservation Conference activities, a true coming together of the conservation community in Hawaii. Such an honor to work with the HCA and Malama Hawaii Creative, a consortium of creatives focusing on marketing work for environmental organizations.  We assisted with program conception, advertising, PR, social media and of course, *great visuals*. The event graphics included coming up with key image, the marketing collateral, event signage, ads, and the 48 page conference booklet! 

Please join us at the Community Event, Protecting our Hawaii as One, open to the public and free! Wednesday August 1, 2012 at the Hawaii Convention Center. Anuhea performs alongside interactive art and film.

Reception at the governor's mansion is tonight. what *smart* issue should i bring up in lively cocktail conversation?

NEW WEBSITE LAUNCHED

Congrats to the team! We launched the www.voyageofaloha.com website on April 1, No Joke! A rare opportunity to participate in a community event that cultivates personal development, spirituality, and a greater understanding of the deeper meanings of aloha. Follow and find your bliss, join the journey and get to know the Voyage of Aloha. Conference and Retreat take place May 25 –30, 2012. 'ole!

THE CRADLE OF INNOVATION

What delight and gratification: I am working with three clients who prize innovation and interestingly, all undeniably recognize Hawaii as the Piko. They see Hawaii as the model for the rest of the world. On love and kindness for humanity & social change through business: ~newly launched~ Uncle Clay's House of Pure Aloha. www.houseofpurealoha.com . On change through food: Ingredients Hawaii www.ingredientshawaii.com (get your tickets to the 2/4 world premiere!) On Hawaii as the Peace Capital of the World: ~launch to come~ www.voyageofaloha.com

UNDERSTANDING KEY INGREDIENTS

We've launched the website for Ingredients Hawaii! http://www.ingredientshawaii.com.

An exciting, media-rich website for a documentary film about Hawaii's local food movement. The accompanying app, Abundance, & an early prototype for a media rich online e-commerce store pave the way for building community and for even bigger plans down the road. More on this project to come....stay tuned!

TASTE THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE

What a blast I am having with clients Bronson Chang and Uncle Clay Chang! After months of work we are finally prepping the new *Uncle Clay's House of Pure Aloha* store for its Grand Opening. ~ painting, installing, planting, staging, cutting ~ I found it exciting to express the company values through store design that captures a feeling and human experience specific to THIS company. The store looks AMAZING. And get ready to see an equally compelling experience online. Cheeeee hu!

CONNECT-ING

We are building amazing websites. User-driven, delight-driven, interactive websites that are connected with the community. I want to know: how pleased are you with YOUR website? Clients (and people) love our end products. You can see the care and thought we put into selecting specific tools to suit your business' needs. Our websites WORK. so good. No cookie cutter templates here. We are harnessing web, video, and new media to solve very big problems. and all while looking fab too. I am very interested lately in pushing us to create websites that look and act like an interactive magazine i-pad app. And yes, logo design and postcard designs still move us, and move mountains. In an answer to a recently asked question for why i am in business for myself: I settled on "because i get to do what i love and i can allow my passions and interests direct the work and the business." 

PUSHING THE ENVELOPE

In my job, about every 6 weeks or so my mind gets blown. By my clients. By their forward thinking and pursuit of excellence. And by the unique problems they present to me. It's been no secret that I love my clients. To be with them means I can never get comfortable. About every 6 weeks i get presented with an opportunity to do something big that I hadn't ever conceived of and that I seriously don't know know the answer for. But I HAPPILY embrace with enthusiasm! THIS is what i live for, what i love: the unique problem solving. We end up searching and learning and presenting them something even better than THEY conceived of. "Because the kernel of an idea always becomes something greater than its beginning." The latest thing i've been engaged with: how can we innovate using the web or apps in a delightful, artful way to better hawaii, engage the user, and help build community? I am so grateful that the nature of my work insists on evolving and being at the cusp of innovation. I am so grateful for my clients that think big and insist on nothing less. 

NEW: SAVVY SOCIAL MEDIA WORKSHOP

A new workshop is being offered by Stephanie Chang Design Ink for a limited time:

You know that social media is playing a more powerful role in the PR and marketing landscape. How can it work for your business? And how can you use it more effectively?  This SAVVY social media workshop is a one-on-one conversation (but can be negotiated for a small group as a possible presentation). The focus of the workshop can be geared to the beginner or to the comfortable user interested in gaining more leverage with social media. I’ll guide you through the right questions to ask, share data and techniques, and at the end you will have the tools to grow your network, get noticed, and grow the right relationships to enhance your business.

Please be in touch if you would like to purchase this workshop, sales@stephanieink.com

NEW: BE BRAVE BRANDING WORKSHOP

A new workshop is being offered by Stephanie Chang Design Ink for a limited time:

A distinctive Brand helps you stand out in the marketplace. What is your company's voice and what is its unique contribution? Your materials and your marketing can have greater resonance and reach if there is a clear BRAND. Together, we will workshop your identity to determine your positioning which is essential for giving direction to your efforts and resources. The Be Brave with Branding workshop is for a one-on-one conversation (but can be negotiated for a small group brainstorming session). At the end, you will have clear positioning with which to...take on the world!

Please be in touch if you would like to purchase this workshop, sales@stephanieink.com

LATEST INK E-NEWS

In case you missed it, "Doing Design that Matters" the latest e-newsletter for Stephanie Chang Design Ink. Looking Back and Looking Forward in this brand new year of the rabbit. And Kung Hee Fat Choy! Read the e-newsletter here

MUSE: VINTAGE PHOTO AD

MUSE: WHAT I'M READING NOW

MUSE: ANOTHER LOVELY ILLUSTRATION

MUSE: I HEART THIS ILLUSTRATION

ALLEN DYE, CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF APPLE

Allen Dye's AIGA talk at UH last night was inspiring, affirming, and extremely valuable. I was moved by his humility and his courage to be honest, candid, and even show failure. I loved that he did not hide behind the language of marketing or branding. Here's what I learned from Allen and from Apple:  1) the "secret sauce" of Apple's unbeatable design is "a ridiculous amount of hard work and rigor" 2) god and the devil is in the details. Apple goes to great lengths to perfect its design, even (get this:) painting the white edges of the black printed paper that wraps every i-phone box with black paint. REALLY. And the reason they do this? Because he says: "how much you care about the customer shows in the details." To me, that is the difference between great and "good enough" design and marketing. And being great directly affects the impact. 

MUSE::: GARANCE DORE

Illustration to me NEVER has a dull moment. love this...

MUSE: B

MUSE: A

TUESDAY NIGHT GIFT

How often are you given a gift like this? An unexpected invite to an intimate cocktail reception for an out of town artist turned out to be an extraordinary experience for me. It was an evening with like-minded people whom i met for the first time, sharing honestly with each other! A rare and beautiful thing. We were alike enough, but yet so different too. Surprising, yet....comfortable? Truly special. And being in an Ossipoff home, poolside, and with wine and food certainly didn't hurt. That the night was punctuated with words in farsi and persian food took it to another level! The night felt like a sparkling jewel. To new friends! ~ This ~ is what life is for and what makes life beautiful. AND It keeps coming back to the middle east for me too. why..? how..? have no idea but please don't stop!

MUSE: OH OH OH!

I WILL WORK THE POLLS

Kanu recently recruited me to work the polls for this upcoming election. I decided to do it. I was honored. I was intrigued. I like voting. No absentee ballots for me: I like going inside the booth with the red and blue striped oilcloth curtain. I recognize voting allows me to participate in a unique (and priveleged) democratic process, but WORK the polls? I went to the training super curious. I was awestruck and dumbfounded at the polling process' simultaneous complexity and simplicity. And yet, for something so important, how can there not be enough Americans willing to step up to the plate? I ALSO learned we had to work from 5:30am – 7:00pm. I thought it was typo. In the end, I signed up to work and it felt good. I felt honored to do this. If you vote the hawaii kai precinct, you'll see me at Kaiser High School wearing the Kanu "i will" shirt. I'll be the one crossing off your name (hopefully, we haven't gotten job assignments yet), and this kind of work will also be for love. Love of country, and my and Kanu's love of Hawaii.

MUSE: I LOVE THESE PENCILS

MUSE: YOU'VE GOT MAIL

MUSE: PENCIL HEAD DALTON GHETTI

MUSE: MORE TADANORI YOKOO MORE!

MUSE: MORE TADANORI YOKOO

MUSE: TADANORI YOKOO

MUSE: CHANNELING FRANCE FOR DESIGN INSPIRATION -CAFE SIGNAGE-

MUSE: CHANNELING FRANCE FOR DESIGN INSPIRATION -STREET SIGNAGE-

MUSE: CHANNELING FRANCE FOR DESIGN INSPIRATION -FRENCH VOGUE-

WHEN EVERYTHING COMES TOGETHER

What is that moment called? There must be something poetic for it, because it sure is poetry. I read in (our beloved) Honolulu Advertiser this morning that the Hono'uli'uli Preserve in Wai'anae is now State Protected. My cup of joy overflow! I first became aware of Hono'uli'uli when I worked with Christine Ogura of HAWP (Hawaii Association of Watershed Partnerships) to beef up their outreach of forest and watershed protection. I came to know Hono'uli'uli. Culturally too, the area has significant history: Japanese internment camps were once there (really!) and the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii has long wanted to protect and present this history THERE, which I imagine is now even more likely. Lastly, i was more than thrilled to read that this victory can be attributed to someone with whom I share the dance floor with, Lea Hong of the Trust for Public Land! She is one TALENTED tita! An inspiration that gives me hope: maybe there is common goals and values here, among disparate agencies? To me, this victory with Hono'uli'uli is also about the coming together of many powerful agencies (city, state, federal, and private) in a commitment to protect our natural resources — water supply, endangered species, forest, cultural legacy — against any possible development in the future. On a more micro and personal level, the preservation of this place brings together the individuals and passions of several organizations i have a connection to. With Hono'uli'uli, the lines are all intersecting...in the best Hawaii way possible. 

MUSE: MAH JONG INSPIRED DESIGN

MUSE: BRILLIANT TYPE TREATMENT

Brilliant type treatment for the Tribecca Film Festival. Quick kine photo I took of da tv, was so loving it...

ON THE VERGE:

April e-Newsletter featuring design work and marketing which bring two clients to the next stage of growth. Read it here: http://eepurl.com/tmBR

MUSE: EDIBLE LOGO

HTY SO GOOD

Happy 55th Birthday Honolulu Theatre for Youth! Their last show of the season, "Just So Stories" is simply BANANAS. I had the pleasure of seeing the show for opening night and was absolutely tickled, moved and inspired by the quality of the art, the creativity of all involved. People: we have a professional theatre company in Honolulu and apparently have had one for 55 years! What an exciting time for the company which also celebrates 5 years of having a home at Tenney Theatre. The brilliance, dedication, and stability of this company and its HTY family is palpable. Yet, to me it remains such a delicious secret. I am so honored to be working with them to let their light shine even more. What they do is magic. If you haven't experienced HTY yet, you are missing out on a SO GOOD thing....

MUSE: EYE MAG SP 2010

MUSE: CLIENT LOVE

MUSE: LOVE ROMAN/CHARACTERS_2

MUSE: LOVE ROMAN/CHARACTERS

MUSE: FURTHER

MUSE: BANSKY BANSKY

CLIENT CONFESSION

Baby Awearness, a client I have been working with since October of 2009 recently told me that her business has more than doubled since working with me. My joy doubled as well! I wish more confessions were like this! Happily she told me she has already made more than her money back on her investment in a new brand identity, website redesign, and marketing collateral. Of course our branding efforts are also in conjunction with increased PR, social media outlets, and not to mention the enthusiasm and passion of the client/owner Ashley Lukens. ALL of it TOGETHER has raised the profile of her business, spotlighting its best qualities and what it already does so well: personalized service and expert knowledge on earth friendly products and practices. Anyone doubting the value of marketing can go find something else to doubt...because design works.

MUSE: QUIRKY ILLUSTRATION

SAUCE DE SOJA

I was intrigued to find "soy sauce" in Spanish on the (Japanese inspired) shoyu packet given to me as we did take out at a Vietnamese restaurant. What a joyous mess of a mixed plate we live in! And like mixed plate, I say bring more of it on. We can handle it and as things get complicated they possibly get more interesting? It's more honest, maybe? I was thinking what a joy and challenge it is to design something so tiny. With multiple languages. Feeling traditional and modern at once. Still appreciating and getting delight in the design of everyday things...

MUSE: ART OF THE POSTER

MUSE: Y?

PUREST PASSION

HBO's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame concert. I was riveted to the screen and moved by the passion oozing from the pores of our music legends. I think it takes courage to feel your own music, to BE yourself. And it doesn't hurt that the music is SO GOOD. Bruce Springsteen, Bono, and Patti Smith on one stage. Together, singing. Holy Smoke! Never felt prouder to be an American!  The comfort in being themselves, feeling their own rhythm — it's something i don't often get to see..on TV or in real life, you know? Needless to say, i was trying to channel them. I like be one rock star...

TRAIPSING THROUGH THE FOREST

It is so super liberating for me to romp and play in the forest. This past weekend we did the Kanealole Trail in Makiki Valley, an amazing loop that is even cooler in the rain. I learned that a lightweight umbrella woudn't have been a bad idea. The Hawaii Nature Center has little placards up of native plants and the "manicured" nature of the trail makes you feel safe (for this townie). This hike was inspired by Christine Ogura. I had been at the offices of the Division of Forestry and Wildlife for a meeting with Christine to talk about design for the Hawaii Association of Watershed Partnerships. When i drove into this valley full of layered green, lush and textured, i immediately relaxed. What a dream job those folks have...this is heaven for me...and come to think of it, how lucky am i to be able to design something that preserves our Hawaiian Forests! I couldn't be prouder!

IT'S TIME FOR CHASING COWBOYS

Chasing Cowboys author Michael Little calls me a Designing Woman! I was honored he interviewed me for his blog today on hawaiireaders.com. We spoke about my experience designing the book and how I got into graphic design. Here's something I was caught saying: "Looking back now, the experience of being immersed in dance as a young girl really made a big impact on me in terms of a willingness and compulsion to open the door to creativity as an adult." http://www.hawaiireaders.com/blog/2009/10/18/designing-woman-an-interview-with-graphic-designer-stephanie-chang/

We are doing a booksigning for Chasing Cowboys at Bestsellers Downtown. We are giving cookies away for rodeo queen waves. Wednesday, October 21, 2009 at 12:30pm. Stop by and say hello!

CHEERS TO MULITMEDIA

Wow the multimedia world we live in. Earlier this month I started twitter and I gotta say I'm loving it though I'm no self proclaimed Tweethead yet. Not so much loving tweeting as I am following the tweets of amazing designers and design organizations. What a treasure trove of a resource it is for someone like me in the middle of the pacific ocean to feel a bit like I'm on the pulse of the design happenings in our major metropolitan cities. It really is a valuable source of information and think i may have just discovered a possible new partner for web collaboration from stumbling accidentally on a twitter thread that led to more threads...is Twitter the new fabric of our lives?

GOING LIVE

Assaggio Kahala Bistro went live yesterday! It was such a thrill to finally see the restaurant open and completely constructed in all of its design glory. No stone was left unturned with this latest addition to the Assaggio family of restaurants. it has been such a pleasure to work with owner Thomas Ky and the team to create the grand opening invitation graphics and marketing. The Good Living Good Giving event gives back to the community and its employees after 20 years of success in Hawaii. But that's not all that went live. I saw Modest Mouse Live. i saw Barishnikov Live. I like seeing things alive, in real time, with real flesh and blood. it pumps...me UP (must be said in Hans and Franz style).

MUSE: HUMU HUMOR

MUSE: MODEST MOUSE LIVE

I BOWL FOR KID'S SAKE

Bowling has entered my life! on two fronts... Tonight I will be at Aiea Bowl to realize my alter ego as bowler extraordinaire (just googled the rules of bowling couple of weeks ago). We have been drumming up donations for the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Honolulu. Our bowling team, headed by development director Roger Higa, is named "Show Me The Money." To date, i have raised $230. Not sure if I have been living up to the team name...I might get kicked off! The second bowling front is in Kona. Beloved Kona Bowl is undergoing a reinvention of itself with a spanking new renovation and some rebranding to boot. We have been working to bring it to life, can't wait to see it's new look...

DESIGN BY NATURE

Hiking has become one of my favorite ways to spend QT with people dear to me, get a good workout for my bod, and satisfy my need for adventure. I find that the higher up we go, the further back we trek, the more interesting the plant life gets. Talk about art! ferns that grow in strangely symmetric patterns, stems that coil up, and berries that grow vertically. It's cool. It sounds like another world, and in many ways it is. Even the bugs and birds have different colors. I have often gotten design ideas from look at the fish while snorkeling. Some pretty crazy and beautiful stuff that we could never make up on our own! 

MUSE: FASHION ILLUSTRATION

MUSE: FEELS SO NEW YORK...

HUNGRY FOR GREAT DESIGN

Our latest project took me to the Royal Hawaiian Hotel with hopes of soaking up its classic elegance for design inspiration. I do LOVE my job. What i saw (from its 60 million dollar makeover): less doors, more views into its open air spaces, and lovely intricate pattern everywhere in newly installed textiles — rugs, carpets, throw pillows. I sketched, i photographed, i ate it up. This "drudging" research was for Ho'okipa! Ho'okipa, the fundraiser for the Culinary Arts program at KCC, is held in October at the Royal Hawaiian. This year's theme is "Made in Hawaii," and since the event is back from a year hiatus, the design should be extra special and generate even more interest. I realized that ultimately, what is most fun and interesting for creating good design is not to work from what has been created, but rather to work from the initial inspiration or motivation for the place, the hotel, the event itself. Can't wait to see the design...

MUSE: DESTRUCTED TYPO

MUSE: I BOW TO ALBERTO SEVISO, ITALY

MUSE: FOUND FUN FOTO INSTALATION

MUSE: AH...COLOR

MUSE: MOM IS

My mom is my muse. As if it weren't enough that mom accomplishes rare feats of greatness (keeping our family connected) with grace and ease, her ikebana skills are seriously blowing up! She executed stunning ikebana (flower arranging) designs with her Sogetsu Ikebana classmates for window and in store displays at Neiman Marcus. She is my "mummer" for a reason! It's Blossom Time!

DESIGN WITH VOICE

CHAMBER MUSIC FILLED THE HOUSE

I was honored to design the ''dance meets music'' event postcard for the Chamber Music Hawaii and the Onium Ballet Project performance. Our hopes of ''selling out the show'' were met indeed. A stand out show was executed to a sold out house! What a blessing to be able to experience such quality art. Bravo!.