One of my favorite things about client work is getting to know a little bit about each person we work with, and what makes them passionate about the work that they do. Uncovering and connecting with the story of their work is a key step in creating authentic design. It’s also just fun to learn […]
Tag: design

Local Business Spotlight: Tori Tissell
Tori Tissell, founding owner of Storiarts, maker of literary soft goods, has the kind of internet success story that entrepreneurial dreams are made of. It started with a personal project. For holiday gifts in 2011, Tori created her first run of book scarves — an excerpt from Pride and Prejudice silkscreened onto a square of […]

DWP: Good Design Solves Problems
On April 28th, Upswept Creative hosted a panel discussion at HQ as part of Design Week Portland. What started as a fun idea tossed to the group in one of our team meetings very quickly evolved into a fully realized, (and totally booked!) event. Creative Director and Benevolent Overlord Sarah had been thinking a lot […]

What’s in a logo?
A logo is a key brand element for any company. Whether a new startup venture, or a well-established company, getting your logo design (or redesign!) nailed down feels good, and can help re-energize your company going into the new year. Approaching logo design can be a real challenge. A good logo design will fit the […]

Open Source Bridge Day 2: You Are Not Your User
Day Two of Open Source Bridge encouraged us to look beyond our own experience, and try to see the world through a different lens. Not only does it help us be more compassionate as people, but it also helps us create and code better design and user experiences for everyone we want to reach. Algorithms […]

Open Source Bridge Day 1: Everyone In Tech Matters
We’re spending a big part of our week at Open Source Bridge, both taking in wisdom and taking photos! On Day 1, I spent a lot of time wishing that I could be in multiple places at once, but I did make it to a couple of different talks which drove home the message that tech needs to strive to […]

WebVisions PDX: Design is about People
I got to drop in on the WebVisions Portland conference earlier this month with a longtime collaborator, Jen Barth of Big Small Brands. The conference was a multi-day affair, but even a one-day peek felt like time well spent! The two talks I attended on Friday morning weren’t especially similar, but they had one very important thing in common: they […]

Athletes into Superheroes: Conceptual Photography
Photography is a powerful way to make an impression, and creating unique conceptual art is just one way of doing it! A couple of years ago, I absentmindedly scribbled down the idea of shooting skaters from the Rose City Rollers’ all-star team, the Wheels of Justice, in superhero-inspired poses and settings. Seeing these people as heroes wasn’t much […]

Branding design for the WedBrilliant web site
Branding for the wedding industry isn’t exactly new territory for us at Upswept. In my earlier days as a photographer, I photographed quite a few weddings, so I got a taste of the industry, worked some vendor events, encountered more than a few wedding brands and pinboards, and learned just how much planning, energy, and sentiment […]