A well deserved summer break We’ve been heads down all year launching some really exciting brands and websites! We're busier than ever. We're doing some of our best work yet. Which is why taking a break right now might seem counterintuitive. One of our values at Emerald is ensuring our business decisions allow for a work life balance (our other values: make impactful design accessible and exceed client expectations). We believe that taking time to rest and recharge will allow us to better...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Shoutout to moms We're big fans. When we were seniors at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, team Emerald (before Emerald existed!) went all out for the annual Mom's weekend flower show. Charlee and Leah did a Matisse themed exhibit, complete with painting a 7 foot wall, building a structure to hang laser cut flowers and even making matching t-shirts for us and our moms! We've always enjoyed doing the absolute most. Enjoy some photos below. Charlee & Leah Charlee, Leah & the 7 foot mural...
2 months ago • 1 min read
Into spring🌷 We're ready for all the spring greens and sunshine! We've got some exciting projects ahead. The perfect season for kickoffs, we're looking forward to digging in. From our #random slack channel • Loving the old-school Figma cursors • Brand book for Santa🎅 • Interesting way to target two audiences on one page Charlee & Leah 🔦 CLIENT SPOTLIGHT Balancing a historic church’s past with its innovative future. The Granite, a historic church nestled in the heart of a vibrant community,...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Mud season Let's get into it... From our #random slack channel • Microsoft Office has a new default typeface • Want to know what's going on with TikTok Shop without actually going on TikTok? This article about selling a used pencil on TikTok Shop was eye opening • Type for Period Film & TV Lecture on Tuesday, April 2nd (Free & on Zoom!) Thank you Karen for the rec! Charlee & Leah 🔦 CLIENT SPOTLIGHT Quornix is a women-owned small business developing therapeutic technology to treat bacterial...
4 months ago • 1 min read
Lucky #13 This year has started with a bang! We've got some really exciting brand, website and product projects in the works. From our #random slack channel • The fonts hanging out series doesn't miss • Art book coming soon: Snail World 2! Can't get enough of snails doing things like bowling, laundry and even participating in the Great British Bake Off! • Loving the New York Botanical Gardens new brand identity system Charlee & Leah ❄️TEAM TIDBIT☀️ This year the Emerald team is approaching...
6 months ago • 1 min read
Into 2024🌟 It's officially the new year and we're hitting the ground running. We're in the midst of some exciting new projects and looking forward to what this year brings! From our #random slack channel • Deep dive into Pantone's color of the year conspiracy (any thoughts?? Would love to discuss!) • NASA's worm logo is back! (NYT gifted link) • Fun fact: The Ampersand (this symbol &) is technically a logogram, which is a character used to represent a word or phrase! I want one! 🍪 (Creative...
7 months ago • 2 min read
Folks. It's official. We're in stick season. As we approach the end of the year our calendars are getting busier and we're preparing to celebrate with loved ones! From our #random slack channel • Beautiful photo series of newstands around the world • Unhurried content experiences are in • Have you noticed a decline of engagement on social? Interesting especially for small biz, creators and non-profits. Charlee & Leah TEAM TIDBIT 💭Leah wrote about your biggest competition: indifference...
8 months ago • 1 min read
That time of year! Spooky season! Soup season! Yes & yes! We're putting our soup on sim & kicking off some fun client projects. We also have a special treat for you! Fill out this form for a *free* print edition of the Design Dispatch in the mail 👻 From our #random slack channel • Print is dead aliveee: a print-only newspaper & loads of other brands • Nothing scarier than your personal info out on the internet. You can request websites to remove your info using Google's Results about you. •...
9 months ago • 1 min read
Heading into Fall We've been busy on some exciting internal projects (which are always the hardest to finish!). Planning team Emerald photoshoot and a ~special edition~ of the Design Dispatch. Links from our #random slack channel • Very invested in pizza futures (want a wildly engaging PDF report & landing page like this? Hit us up!) • Found these micro tips for typography useful • Johnny Cash has really been everywhere Charlee & Leah TEAM TIDBIT ✨ Leah shared how she uses moodboards to avoid...
10 months ago • 1 min read