subjective.

dripp.

The studio is stoked to be working with Dripp, a trendy coffee ship in Chino Hills. If you haven’t caught wind of them yet, be looking out, as they are soon to franchise. You can even vote on where you’d like the next location to open. (hint: go vote for Newport Beach!)

So, what exactly is Dripp? 

You didn’t come off an assembly line. We don’t think your treats should either. At Dripp, our goal is simple: we want our coffee, ice cream, and cookies to be absolutely the most delicious stuff you’ve ever tasted. That’s why every item we serve is individually-designed and made to order just for you. From the fresh beans we grind for your coffee to ice cream sandwiches stacked your way, you get customized, personal service every time.

You may have seen the brand identity on design blogs all over the web the past couple of months, as Salih Kucukaga, a studio in Istanbul, did a stunning job. We’ll be implementing some new things for the web, so keep your eyes open! 

Take a look at all the goodness.. 

Cheers!

pantone inspiration

when I first saw this project, by a French designer at Griottes / Palette Culinaire - it brought a huge smile to my face. as designers, we all took color theory classes, and this is such a fresh, new spin on colors found in nature to create pantones. what’s fresher than fruit for design & a vibrant palette? 

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!

santa monica // day of inspiration

A few weeks ago, our design team ventured out to Santa Monica for a day to get inspired as a group. We took photos, shot video, & browsed and picked up new books at Hennessey & Ingalls. It was a great bonding experience for the team, a day to bounce ideas off of each other and enjoy the day. 

Have I mentioned that I work with a ridiculously talented group of people? 

Aaron Kim documented the day on camera, and created an artistic + abstract video, not to mention a badass logo.

Santa Monica - Day of Inspiration from Plainjoe Studios on Vimeo.

Here are a few polaroids & instagram-moments from the day. More to come! 

PJS Design Team - Photos by Ed McGowan. 

Cheers!

40 days.

{an opportunity to notice how God is working in our everyday lives}

we’re entering into the season of lent, something I don’t typically practice, but this year, I have a little bit of a different take on things. While some may use this time develop better habits by giving up things (which I am also doing with refined sugar + alcohol) it is also an opportunity to really focus on how God is working through our everyday lives.

With the craziness of the workweek, I know I don’t always take the time to write down how God is working. And these 40 days, I am committed to doing so. It’s the little acts of kindness, the feelings of success and/or fufillment, the great conversations, the enjoyable outings with friends, the deep connections.. these are all little glimpses of God’s plan unfolding and shaping you into the person he wants you to become.

I’m looking forward to the end of the season where I can look back on all the daily blessings and give thanks.

image source: oh pioneer!

new year, new habits.

“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” — Jim Ryun

Good motto entering the new year. We all have resolutions, but who of us really ends up sticking with them? Last year, I stayed committed to fitness and sleep, two things that changed my entire lifestyle. But going back and reading through my list of resolutions, and there were 8 that I had not accomplished. Eight. Here’s to a year of follow-through and turning good intentions into healthy and satisfying habits! 

New Years Resolutions 

6. Run A Half Marathon. In Fall of 2011, I started training for the first time as a distance runner. Okay, so I’m still not incredibly far in my pursuit of loving to run or hitting a runner’s high feeling like I could run forever, but I’m working on it. I ran my first 5K in November with a few girls, and conquered a 10K in December with the best pace I had ever run a mile in. A half is next. Looking forward to Spring and longer daylight hours. 

7. Personal Creative Projects. I always intend to strengthen my craft as a designer outside of the crazy workweeks, but I never seem to have the energy. I always see fabulous do-it-yourself crafts and decor with detailed tutorials and intend to create something, but I never get around to it. This year, I am committing to one project a month. 

8. Hosting. I’m not sure if this is because I live with three other people, but I NEVER seem to host get-togethers. We have a beautiful home in a killer location across from the ocean, and whether it be having people over for dinner, cocktails, a party, a movie, or a game night, I’m going to make it a point to host. 

Happy New Year, everyone! 

the new year // resolutions.

the hidden message of jingle bells.

talk about something to get merry about! brilliantly concepted, letter pressed infographic, the team at Paragon has deconstructed the traditional ‘jingle bells’ into a tounge-in-cheek self-promotional poster for their clients at Christmas. has anyone else ever realized that there is a made-up word, “upsot” in the second verse of this song?

in conclusion: while ‘tis tempting during this festive season to disregard the dangers of unbridled merriment, one must not permit said merriment to overwhelm one’s better graces. take heed this cautionary tale, lest you fall prey to the agency of bright spirits and at full tilt, become upsot.

clever. witty. i’m smitten.

what I learned 2011.

I just had to share this awesome excerpt from an article written by Scott Hill about What I Learned This Year 2011. Any designer can appreciate this, as we really are so lucky to be working in a profession with creative freedom, where we get to do exactly what we love and are passionate about. Our challenges consist of learning and growing and excelling in our craft. Thinking about the stress that I’ve experienced working on the business side versus the creative, it amazes me how good we have it.

Check it out.. and be sure to check out the rest of the article and give Scott some encouragement and feedback!

————-

I love what I do. I’d never do anything else. I mean, I kind of want to open a restaurant. But I have a sneaking suspicion I just want to design and brand it, then I’d realize I didn’t actually want to run a restaurant at all. Anyway, what I mean is despite what you see on Twitter, Dribbble, blogs, magazines like Print, CA and HOW, this life is not glamorous. There is no such thing as a design rockstar. And shame on the person who coined that phrase anyway. There are however people we mistake for design rockstars. They get a lot of exposure, they get articles written about them, and they get blogged about. Then what happens? They get flooded with new work inquiries. Cool, but then they spend more time sorting through emails than they do designing the things they’re passionate about that got them where they are in the first place. They get ripped off. A lot. Then they reply to emails of people telling them how they’ve been ripped off. And commenting on blogs about being ripped off. And write articles about being ripped off. They get egos, and then the same people who blogged about them, turn on them and say they’re not a purist anymore. And the worst part is you never get to turn it off. Designers know no such thing as “5 o’clock” as it is understood in the big-people-job-real-world. Your head will always be spinning at all times and you’ll be thinking about your clients and your projects and your friends’ projects and whether they’re getting better work than you. You have to be very intentional and try your best (sometimes with no success) to shut it all off just to pay attention to things like family, church, and friends — or you’ll go crazy. When you learn that balance, then you’re doing something right. I’m still working on that one.

WE’RE SO LUCKY

Despite anything I’ve said before, I can’t deny that we are the luckiest people in the world to have this profession. I got paid a couple months ago to draw a drunk bear. A drunk bear. I got paid. That still bear-ly (see what I did there?) makes sense to me when I think about it. None of us knew when we were little that we were going to be “graphic artists” as our parents call us, but we knew we were going to do something with art. We never had that awful year of college where we had to pick between 45 different majors. Someone said, “You can draw and make money!” And we said “Seriously? Graphic Design it is!” We started playing around with crayons and paint and colored pencils when we were little kids, and here we are 20 years later doing the same thing. Only now we’re providing for our families. It’s a trip. And I pray I never take it for granted. We are blessed as designers and if we ever stop trying to be design rockstars, we might just realize it.

Hope you all enjoyed this as much as I did! happy friday.

diy // holiday crafting.

‘Tis the season for holiday cheer. & for most woman in America.. the season to get a little bit creative & crafty. Below I’ve rounded up a few favorite decoration & diy gift ideas I’ve seen to make your Christmas season a little bit more festive. 

Ornaments, trees & an Advent Calendar. 

A rustic coat-rack. 

Wreaths & Garlands.

Happy Holidays!