As summer came to a close this week, Spoolia was proud to celebrate with the Washington Youth Garden the seasons end and a fresh new branding identity for the garden. The Second Annual Strolling Supper proved to be a great event to show off the new flexible identity system and allow donors and supporters to sample goodies made from fresh produce grown on site in the garden.

The homemade jellies and zucchini drop biscuits were a highlight, but nothing topped the corn ice cream with honey! Local brewers, Right Proper, were also on site serving up seasonal libations. It all added up to a magical summers end evening. There’s really nothing like freshly grown or home-cooked food that supports educating the next generation about nutrition and science. To learn more about the Washington Youth Garden, check out their website or visit them at the National Arboretum. To see and read more about the rebranding take a look at our portfolio case study.

Position Description:
Spoolia Design, an award winning studio based in Washington DC, is looking for a talented and creative problem solver who is excited about design and who is a great storyteller. This is a great opportunity for a designer who wants to learn the business of a small, growing studio and get involved in a variety of creative projects at every level. We need someone who can communicate and execute.

This key role requires a talented, attentive and communicative candidate interested in creating dynamic, trendsetting work.

Responsibilities:
The Graphic Designer will collaborate closely and will be supervised by the principal of the firm. You’ll have the opportunity to grow designs from concept to final execution and also help strategize and work on the Spoolia brand while playing a role in marketing presentations, client presentations and business development.

– Collaborate with the design team, develop creative concepts that solve client problems. Assist in the design and production of projects in print and digital formats

– Design and edit print and web materials, collateral, signage and packaging

– Communicate with clients on design, strategies, edits and solutions

– Address and interpret client edits that result in an optimal finished product.

– Create production-ready work across platforms, including brand identity, and digital deliverables

– Develop a timeline and manage work under clear objectives and deadlines

– Gather print pricing and manage print production and purchase of images as needed

– Work independently in taking initial direction and completing projects – from consulting on development of creative briefs to final production

– Research design trends and new technologies; proactively provide innovative ideas for design solutions in support of objectives and initiatives

– Assist in keeping studio’s online portfolio up to date and participate in studio’s overall marketing and social media/outreach strategy

Qualifications & Skills:

Creativity – the ability to generate a variety of innovative concepts / design solutions, quickly

Production – able to efficiently execute on the final direction, including smart problem solving skills

Motivation – sustained enthusiasm and commitment to helping us grow our business

Attitude – a joyful approach to the work with a sense of humor, while remaining professional and customer-focused

Degree from 4-year university or college, design-related subjects preferred

Two or more years experience in the field of graphic design
(branding/marketing experience is huge plus)

Highly competent in Adobe Creative Suite, including InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator.
After Effects, and Motion a plus.

Strong knowledge of typography, use of scale, color and layout

Motivated, self-starter with the desire to work collaboratively

Organized with ability to juggle multiple projects

Excellent interpersonal communication skills

Ability to take a project from concept through final product with direction and guidance
.

Attentive to detail, while managing multiple projects simultaneously.

Salary:
Salary is commensurate with experience. Spoolia offers paid leave.

Application Details:
Qualified candidates should send a resume that includes salary history, work and writing samples in PDF format, and a cover letter to info@spoolia.com. The cover letter should touch briefly your passion for design and how you believe Spoolia fits into your career plan. We will respond only to those candidates considered for further consideration; no calls please. The position is available immediately.

Design and cooking are arts that requires a lot of skill and attention to detail, which may be why Spoolia enjoys them both! When we heard that The Emporiyum was going to be a foodie event in Baltimore and that our client, And More, was producing it, we hurried to buy tickets. And More has a reputation for producing stunning events and we were not disappointed.

For two days only, Fells Point transformed into a pop-up shop for carefully curated fine foods and brews from a wide assortment of shops across the country. Regional celebrity chefs Erik Bruner-Yang (Toki Underground, DC) and Bryan Voltaggio (Volt, Maryland) were joined by the ranks of Woodberry Kitchen, Momofuku Milk Bar, Sprinkles Cupcakes and Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream. And all of them were joined by over 1,000 local foodies. Now that’s how to become the talk of the town!

Over the course of the day, we eyed oysters, cookies, pickled veggies and ice cream galore. Knowing our limits, we paced ourselves and started savory with oysters from Dylan’s Oyster Cellar, the Musubi taco from Pho Wheels and beer from Heavy Seas and Flying Dog Brewery. We also ventured over to Momofuku Milk Bar for some cookies and later found ourselves eagerly running back to buy more. While walking around and digesting, we were surprised to see how many vendors were so passionate about sharing both their food and knowledge. The Caputo Brothers Creamery even taught us about making mozzarella as they did a demonstration before our eyes. And because we can’t say no to pickes, we also stopped to pick up pickled okra from Gordy’s.

We loved meeting some of our new favorite vendors and watched as everyone enjoyed the gorgeous spring weather. There was so much to absorb in one day. We wish you were there with us, and hopefully a quick glimpse of our adventure will help convince you to join us for The Emporiyum next year!

While Spoolia may be biased since we’ve worked with Micheline Klagsbrun, we highly recommend that you visit Studio Gallery (2108 R Street NW) and check out her work. WildFlowers, Micheline’s latest exhibition, is full of bright, punchy colors that will wistfully remind you of summer. So free up your night for some art therapy to help you survive the shut down!

If you follow Spoolia on Facebook or Twitter, you know we are at Mashable and the United Nation Foundation’s Social Good Summit, a three day event bringing people from around the world together to talk about how technology, creativity, and innovation shape the way we make the world a better place.

Changing the world means revolution. It means taking the power in your own hands. It means unapologetically moving things forward. Or does it? This year’s Social Good Summit is imploring a different technique: listening. Something that has always been a big part of our mission and process.

World leaders take the stage as Keynote Listeners. People like the Rockefeller Foundation President Judith Rodin, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, and ONE.org President and CEO Michael Elliot are not responsible for presenting their vision, but instead in summarizing and presenting what they’ve heard online and in person at the Summit.

Having leaders actively listen not only gives us a chance to hear more personality and fewer stale talking points, it also reminds us that listening should always be on the forefront of any problem. 

Want to try? Listen (and watch live streaming) at http://new.livestream.com/mashable.

Have something to share? Share on Facebook or Twitter.

Summer time is nearing its end and with it goes the coveted act of eating outdoors and barbecue season. To celebrate the joys of the season  W. Millar & Co. Catering, one of our favorite clients, has a tasty BBQ menu available for you to share at your block party, pool party or family reunion.

While we always enjoy working with W. Millar & Co., we were particularly excited to design this delicious catering menu. Start off slow with some slow-cooked pulled pork that falls off the bone from the Carolina Menu.

Need to spice up the flavor? Try the baby back ribs smothered in Memphis BBQ sauce. Or if you’d rather stick with the an all-American classic, you can’t go wrong with perfect, juicy, charbroiled, Angus beef burgers that will make the soul sing.

Now stop drooling on the keyboard and go and get it!

Northern Virginia Magazine recently asked us to comment on local restaurant menu designs and we were thrilled to help. We know that good design can make good food an even better experience and Jose Andres’ Jaleo menu is a great example. You can find the menus and our feedback in the April issue’s Relish column (page 106).

As the school year comes to a close, many students are getting ready to enter to workforce. Spoolia remembers those grueling thesis days paired with many cover letters written late at night after class, so it was a no brainer when we were asked to help at ADCMW’s Career Day. Students came from schools as close as American University and all the way from Towson with their portfolios. It’s nice to see homegrown talent, as well as be of use to students who are readily seeking advice. Since Julia was busy with students, we’re lucky that ADCMW snapped a photo of her in action.

Last, but not least, the Eco Art & Design Depot was a success! Lots of people showed up on the sunny Sunday to play outside and browse our products.

We debuted our “Bunch of Thanks” notecard set and sold out of all our colored shoulder bags and most of our iPad cases. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to support us and especially to the customers to who happily walked away with a new bag.

Weekends are perfect for relaxing activities like shopping, eating out and picking up a one of a kind creation. On Sunday, April 21, you can do all of these activities at Union Market. Besides the usual vendors, Spoolia will be selling some of our handmade products at the Eco Art + Design Depot, a pop-up shop hosted by Benevolent Media.

Given that we love to upcycle, this pre-celebration of Earth Day is a great event to showcase our work. Last year we transformed the DC Arts District banners into stylish accessories, so we’ll have our custom-designed hand bags, shoulder bags and iPad cases available in a variety of colors. Each item is unique, so look for the one that calls your name since you’ll never run into anyone who owns the same design.

We’re also working on a “Bunch of Thanks,” inspired by our recent hand-lettering adventure. While we’re still putting the final touches on this six-card set, here’s sneak preview:

We’re excited to support eco-conscious art and design with like-minded Washingtonians. Even if you’re not interested in buying our products, please stop by to introduce yourself and share the event with your friends. We’d love to meet our loyal Spoolia followers!

Last weekend, Spoolia visited the University of Maryland to conduct portfolio reviews for the UMD AIGA group. It may have been a while since two of our designers were running across McKeldin Mall to get to classes, but luckily we didn’t have any trouble finding our way to Stamp for the event.

The UMD AIGA executive board greeted us with breakfast and surprised us each with a Pantone mug. We nerded out over the pretty colors and believe that the special welcome was a great way to start our day. We were happy to see so many of our professional design friends also show up to impart wisdom and plenty of students eager for feedback.

Throughout the morning, we met one-on-one with students and saw a lot of inspired work. With breaks and free time built into our schedules, we had chances to double and triple up to review portfolios and help provide a better critique. The students showed us that they’re working hard to prepare themselves for design careers as they presented museum identities, magazine spreads, and campus clubs and internship work. Although much of our industry is moving towards a digital world, it was interesting to see that, for the most part, they chose to work in print and show their projects in physical portfolios. Even mocking up boards is an art and we made sure to not only give advice on project designs, but also how to better present their work. The difference between a good and great designer is in the details.

Portfolio reviews were a great way to combine two things that are important to us: education and community service. Being Terp alumni, it was also great to give back to our alma mater and meet emerging designers. And since we rubbed Testudo’s nose on our way out, we look forward to seeing more great work from UMD AIGA’s members soon!

Thanks to Niklas Berry for photos from the event and John T. Consoli for the photo of Stamp.