I'm currently working as a Communications Coordinator for a Berkeley Based nonprofit tasked with helping Seniors and Persons with Disabilities live independently in their own homes. This is the best title I could come up with, in reality I'm working multiple jobs to ensure the agency can fulfil it's mission. I rebranded Easy Does It with design work that competes with big tech, designed and developed a modern website, and orchestrated and integrated campaign that connected Easy Does It with people who needed it's support with a laughably small budget. I tabled at every event I could get us on at, and then took on the responsibility of tag teaming IT Administration with the help of our Deputy Director. To say I wore many hats here is an understatement. But all that extra work paid off in a big way.
My work with Easy Does It began with rebranding the entire agency. Their original work failed to live up to my standards and wasn't attracting clients. The new design work and copy made our agency stand out to such an extent that we began setting the standard for how to brand a nonprofit operating in Alameda County.
At the heart of my work for Easy Does It is a modern website that makes learning about our Program effortless. Each and every page is beautifully designed and written to tell EDI's story in the best way possible. While also making doing business with us a modern experience. Online Applications for Service that feed data directly into Salesforce, Online Bookings for Repair Workshops. As well as Donations and Event ticketing powered by GiveButter. I was able to create an experience for the web seldom seen at nonprofits of this size.
With a compelling brand and modern website in hand I set out to promote our Agency's work with an Integrated Campaign that owes its success to the support of our Community. With a budget that would make most Ad Execs laugh, I put EDI in front of the people who need it on Social Media and the Google Ads network. The result of which were metrics I was told to never even dream of seeing in school and more leads than our agency could handle. Viewers even took it a step further and shared what they knew was a promoted post to their personal feeds, because they knew how important our work was to the Community. An accomplishment the folks on the P&G account will never be able to share.
Every summer I turned off all online advertising and shifted my focus to being the face of Easy Does It at Community Events. All of which are an opportunity for nonprofits to make connections with Community Partners who can help promote our work, and residents who need it. I made sure that Easy Does It's booth stood out in the sea of vendors, and designed an arsenal of merch that ensured we were the center of attention at every event we tabled at.
I'm currently working as a Communications Coordinator for a Berkeley Based nonprofit tasked with helping Seniors and Persons with Disabilities live independently in their own homes. This is the best title I could come up with, in reality I'm working multiple jobs to ensure the agency can fulfil it's mission. I rebranded Easy Does It with design work that competes with big tech, designed and developed a modern website, and orchestrated an integrated campaign that connected Easy Does It with the people who needed its support with a laughably small budget. I tabled at every event I could get us on at, and then took on the responsibility of tag teaming IT Administration with the help of our Deputy Director. To say I wore many hats here is an understatement. But all that extra work paid off in a big way.
Leading up to graduation from Art School, I was entirely too ambitious. I opted to attempt to start my own Ad Agency in my mid 20's with an emphasis on custom responsive web design and ads made for New Media. The clients I targeted? Small businesses that couldn't afford a traditional agency but still saw the importance in quality creative to draw in new clients. The result was extollet, latin for liftoff, I crafted a stunning website from my bedroom and started to seek out clients crazy enough to employ us. I worked with copywriters, photographers, and strategists to develop work that helped many small businesses excel, oftentimes being mistaken for franchises due to the quality of what we created for them. Even before the Pandemic hit, it was incredibly challenging turning this project into a success. Although I opted to close up shop when the lockdown began, I massively built upon my skillset as an Advertising Professional and did a great deal of good for small businesses that could never have afforded a traditional agency.
Touch of Europe was a European themed, cafe, grocer and event venue located in downtown Concord. They needed a brand that reflected their commitment to sourcing quality food from across the pond, a beautiful website, menus and signage. I crafted a brand that lived up experience they offered their clientele and created a strategy to make their cafe an exciting new destination in Concord. After much success they opted to sell the business.
Perfectly Pawsh was my first project that has been a success for its owners till this day. I was hired by them to produce a brand and website that would help them launch their pet salon. Over the course of several years, I developed their brand and it's touchpoints to establish Perfectly Pawsh as a trusted local Dog Groomer. My work hit such a caliber that many of their clients are still convinced they're doing business with a franchise.
Zero Waste Solutions was a government contractor tasked with helping agency's handle waste management in an eco friendly manner. I was tasked with rebranding their agency and designing a modern website. I created a compelling logo and visual identity that would help them stand out, as well as a responsive website that would've helped them reach new clientele. Unfortunately, management feared that rebranding would convince their current clients they went out of business, and my work was never used.
The Limau Foundation was a Passion Project of a friend that hoped to help impoverished African's cope with a breast cancer diagnosis. Outside of raising awareness, Limau was proud to offer cancer patients "knitted knockers." The insecurity that comes with losing your breasts to cancer can typically only be overcome with plastic surgery, which wasn't an option for the community Limau served. Making their work essential to empowering their clients after recovery.
Warnock Productions was an event planner that needed a responsive website for the compelling brand that had already been created for them. I created one that showcased their brand and work in a beautiful manner. I also integrated online booking and payments to make doing business with them online effortless.
Choco Chique was a passion project of a friends Aunt. She hoped to create an online retailer of chocolate gift boxes, to be known as Choco Chique. I set out to create a webstore that made it easy for her to run an online business and a campaign on social media to drive customers to her new digital storefront. The brand that we created is something I'm incredibly proud of; but unfortunately the project never came to fruition because as I discovered with extollet, she failed to realize just how much work and money goes into launching a successful business.
Despite being a Designer, I still stand proudly behind the most versatile means of interacting with a Computer, Microsoft Windows. Apple may build very pretty (and very expensive) devices, but I built my first Computer in middle school and refuse to limit myself with an ecosystem that requires me to buy all my hardware/software from the same company. With Windows, you have the ability to build whatever device you desire, and update it on your own terms. Given my passion for their work, and Microsoft's constant struggle of competing with Apple tier design. I spent some of my own time envisioning what Microsoft as a whole would look like with the launch of Windows 12. I redesigned the Windows Desktop to incorporate some of the best ideas from 10/11, while still developing a unique modern look. I conceptualized new features that I feel would keep Business Users interested, and reinvigorate Personal Users interest in the product. Finally, I redesigned their website in an attempt to show off their myriad of offerings in as simple a manner as possible.
During the Pandemic I found myself in a bit of a bind. Overnight, all but one of my existing clients closed their doors to protect themselves and the community. Until things got back to normal, I had no shot at scoring any new clients. So I took an "essential" job at Target hauling carts while surrounded by Helvetica. But I didn't let this stop me from crafting, the lockdown required us to drastically change our stores operations. So I used this opportunity to create on-brand signage to guide our guests through these changes.
One of my favorite projects in school was an infographic for Principles of Graphic Design. I used the assignment to explore my least favorite thing about the Bay Area, how nasty traffic is. I discovered that many of our freeways are ill equipped to serve pre and post pandemic demand. Given my major, I eventually turned this into a campaign for CalTrans, with the intent of getting viewers to support their initiatives to improve the regions infrastructure.
Choco Chique was a passion project of a friends Aunt. She hoped to create an online retailer of chocolate gift boxes, to be known as Choco Chique. I set out to create a webstore that made it easy for her to run an online business and a campaign on social media to drive customers to her new digital storefront. The brand that we created is something I'm incredibly proud of; but unfortunately the project never came to fruition because as I discovered with extollet, she failed to realize just how much work and money goes into launching a successful business.
Choco Chique was a passion project of a friends Aunt. She hoped to create an online retailer of chocolate gift boxes, to be known as Choco Chique. I set out to create a webstore that made it easy for her to run an online business and a campaign on social media to drive customers to her new digital storefront. The brand that we created is something I'm incredibly proud of; but unfortunately the project never came to fruition because as I discovered with extollet, she failed to realize just how much work and money goes into launching a successful business.
My mother graduated at the top of her class with a bachelors in accounting. At 19 she was managing the books of a law firm. Throughout my parents travels she had ample opportunities at many prestigious firms. But today handles the books of a local credit union. She opted to work for a company she was passionate about, instead of pursuing the biggest paycheck she could find.
I certainly wasn't up to anything special at age 19 but I do very much believe that who you work for is far more important than how much they're paying you. My education has empowered me to work as a Creative Communications professional for a variety of businesses in the San Francisco Bay Area. I take great pride in my work and then craft the designs, copy, and code that will make it a reality.
Working for small nonprofit organizations requires one to wear "many hats," a talent I don't think I'll ever truly master, but it's a challenge I still very much enjoy taking on. Whether I'm developing long term brand strategies, enrolling our teams devices in an endpoint manager, shooting a commercial for new media, or cooking a hot meal for the team. I find far more purpose in my work (regardless of what it may be,) when I'm doing it for the little guys.
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sup@trevorj.me
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