Meet Pluie, the world's first and only self-sanitizing diaper changing table. Designing this project was a dream for this mom! Changing tables are always a gross and stressful experience when in public spaces. So, together with one of the Pluie founders Addie Gundry, we formalized the brand name, brand strategy and visual identity. Pluie means rain in French. The brand conveys a is simple, modern tone with subtle French inspiration and sophistication for baby, caregiver & space.

Every restroom should have Pluie. The team and product has set out to change the table and make the public changing experience better for both children and caregivers. All babies deserve a safe and hygienic experience on a public restroom changing table.

To learn more visit Hello Pluie

Designing for the Cub’s World Series winning manager was one for the ages. Joe Maddon opened his restaurant in the heart of Wrigleyville. Together with the team at Levy, Julie Nelson Design was lucky to help shape the brand vision, brand strategy and creative direction for all brand touch points. Go Cubs Go!

Flamingo Illustration by Courtney Kuebler

At the end of September 2016 Curiology with the Chicago Cubs approached me about developing a lifestyle brand that would only be sold in Wrigley for the Postseason. We created a product assortment that celebrated the rich history of the Cubs and Friendly Confines. These are some of the graphics that appear on Men's, Women's and children's merchandise. As a lifelong Cubs fan, this was one of the best projects I have ever been a part of! Go Cubs! What a ride!

Design work completed for both the Chicago and NYC Marathons done with MKTG. Together we created both Chicago and NYC Expo Booths, race materials, Biofreeze station collateral and signage along the courses.

Bright Endeavors approached Julie Nelson Design in early 2019 about rebranding and packaging design. We worked together to craft their brand strategy and story to help tell an inspiring story of their job training program for young moms they support. The story focuses on their personality of warmth, simplicity, inspiration and honesty. Below is an excerpt from their site:

“Artfully hand-poured by the young moms in our paid job training program, each Bright Endeavors candle lights the way toward strong families and bright futures. Through the 12-week program, Production Assistants are in control of setting and pursuing professional and personal goals. Together, we can partner with these incredible moms as they embark on their parenting and career journeys.

Shop our candles where 100% of proceeds support our mission to empower young moms, their kids, and our communities.”

You can learn more about Bright Endeavors here.

At the end of September 2016 Curiology with the Chicago Cubs approached me about developing a lifestyle brand that would only be sold in Wrigley for the Postseason. We created a product assortment that celebrated the Cubs and Friendly Confines rich history. Once the product line was finalized we had a photo shoot in Wrigley and presented the items in a look book for fans to shop. 

Herbie's on the Park is a fine dining restaurant in St Paul, MN paying tribute to the sports legend, Herb Brooks. Together with Curiology, we branded Herbie's by taking inspiration from his early days in hockey to Miracle on Ice to his iconic plaid sports coat. The project included setting the brand strategy, visual identity and collateral like menus, post cards, coasters, staff apparel and more.

Together with Curiology and the Chicago Cubs we transformed 663 Michigan Avenue into the World Series Champions flagship store. I created the branding and space graphics from large scale fan shots to a 3 story wall of Cubs logo history. Go Cubs Go!

In 2018, Packed with Purpose and JND took another look at the gifting offerings to design a brighter and more modern look for the PwP packaging. Through brand strategy and consumer research we developed three new box sizes each with custom patterns that illustrate the 5 social good categories they serve. The first three images are concepts and the final 3 images are the new packaging designs.

To order your box and learn more about the meaningful work Packed with Purpose does, visit their site for more information.

Together with the Marketing team at HireVue, we created a visually compelling presentation to illustrate and explain HireVue campus recruiting. The presentation needed to be highly visual and explain college recruiting in a clear and simple narrative. We worked together on content organization and communication design as well. We wanted to communicate a bold, innovative strategy with high contrast and engaging design.

The goal for Norm's Farms was to design a brand language that is approachable, honest and hand crafted. Norm's Farms is an elderberry farm in North Carolina that produces a variety of products sold at Whole Foods, online and other retailers. Packaging designs have included supplements, jams, jellys, soda mixers and a children's line.

Together with Curiology, I created a series of brand identities for food and beverage locations inside Suntrust Park, home of the Atlanta Braves. Also designed menu boards, brochures, Keynote presentation and other brand materials for launch.

I joined Freeosk in February 2014 as the interim Creative Director. I collaborated with leadership and the creative team on a variety of projects. I had the unique opportunity to lead the team in a strategic positioning and branding program. We started with stakeholder interviews, ethnographies, video diaries and secondary research. The program's success was due to a highly collaborative research, strategy and design process. The deliverables included a brand book, custom typeface Caitlin Sans, hand done iconography, color stratetgy and a clearly defined Freeosk voice and personality.

Together with Curiology, I created a series of brand identities for food and beverage locations inside PNC Park, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

I was approached by Civilian Marketing to design the 2015 Executive Education Program catalog for the University of Chicago. The project was highly conceptual and strategic to effectively communicate their mission, educational approach and course curriculum for executives. 

Copywriter :: Nora Dyer

Packed with Purpose came to JND to help define their brand and create packaging and collateral for curated gift boxes that have a social impact. The collaboration yielded a beautiful and thoughful brand that evokes the specialness of the PwP mission and gifts themselves. To order your box and learn more about the meaningful work Packed with Purpose does, visit their site for more information.

The goal for the Oprah team was to come up a non-profit, similiar to her Angel Network, that focused on grade school kids making a difference around the world. I was part of a team that developed naming and logo design. 

Together with the Marketing team at HireVue, we created a visually compelling presentation to explain HireVue Coach to their customers. The design needed to be highly visual and explain a complex product in a clear and simple narrative. We worked together on content organization and communication design as well. We kept the final piece to under 25 slides and incorporated a strong color strategy to help viewers easily follow the story.

Outdoor advertising campaign for Blue Bunny Ice Cream design, art direction and copy writing done in collaboration with C&C Creative

As team lead of Trends and Visualization at gravitytank, I worked with strategists and designers to get really smart about the “Sharing Economy.” Based on our findings, we designed an infographic to tell the story. You can view an animated version here as well as see some of our process images below. 

images © gravitytank

The goal for S2G Ventures has been to design a visual language for branding, logos, presentations and other collateral that is clean, modern and cohesive. S2G Ventures is a multi-stage venture fund investing in food and agriculture companies whose products and services meet shifting demands for healthy, sustainable, and local food. We began the collaboration with a branded presentation and moved onto their NY Times launch to email campaigns, FoodShot branding, icon development, brochures and more.  

Together with Levy Innovations I created a series of brand identities for food concepts at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, home of the Indiana Pacers. The brand concepts were based on the keywords of varsity, vintage and nostalgic (think Hoosiers, yes, the movie).

The goal for Norm's Farms was to design a brand language that is approachable, honest and hand crafted. Norm's Farms is an elderberry farm in North Carolina that produces a variety of products sold at Whole Foods, online and other retailers. We began the collaboration with logo design and quickly moved into soda concepts, tshirt designs, print collateral, additional packaging and other graphics. 

Mosaic is a non-traditional, educational community whose vision is to link arms with families to develop life-long learners. Their passion for education was inspiring and the collaboration seamless. We developed keywords: fun, confident, bold and individuality based on their values to help define the brand, logo and visual look n feel. 

The goal of this project was to answer the question, "Couldn't spices be more interesting to people than a rack of jars in the grocery store?” As a team we conducted qualitative interviews and managed secondary research and analysis. I led the design team in defining the visual identities, brand voice and overall design strategy.

Watch to learn more about our approach and process here.

images © gravitytank

CastoDowns is an all natural skincare line. I was approached to collaborate on packaging design and brand strategy. Together we worked on naming, logo design, secondary graphics, business cards, color strategy and packaging. These products are all 100% natural and hand crafted in Michigan.

In collaboration with OfficeMax and gravitytank we developed their private label Tul brand and product line. Using rapid prototyping, communication design and design strategy, we developed an award-winning line of office products.

images © gravitytank

Energy Edge has been a trusted partner since 2009. I collaborated with the founding partners to develop their brand, printed collateral, Power Points and story as a leading energy consultancy. 

Gravitytank helped Skype’s Design team better understand what communication looks like around the world. As lead communication designer, I was tasked to make the data visually compelling and easy to digest through posters, games, presentations, workshop activities and an interactive tool. This work was featured in Kim Erwin's book, Communicating the New: Methods to Shape and Accelerate Innovation. 

images © gravitytank

The logo and brand for CB Events & Design was a collaboration between Cate and myself. As an event planner, she has a real eye for detail and a great vision for her company. Together we worked through color palette, typography, patterns and her logomark. 

This is brand concept work I completed for Barilla which includes logo, stationary suite and packaging.

OfficeMax engaged gravitytank to help them better understand and target their key consumer, a woman they called "Eve".

I led the design team, to co-create a solution that brought the OfficeMax team’s most important objectives to life. Together, we developed this book that was handed to 40,000 OfficeMax employees to steer the brand in a new direction.

images © gravitytank

This is brand concept work I developed for Saltwater Cowboy which includes logo and beer packaging.

My design work for Sweet Spot Bakery was based on the character Veruca Salt from Willy Wonka. The bakery is decadent and whimsical, so I created hand-drawn illustrations, a vibrant color palette and playful typography as the perfect answer to showcase the brand. 

First, are examples of non-profit work created for a very close friend whose young daughter was diagnosed with Stage IV Neuroblastoma, a very rare and aggressive form of childhood cancer. The goal of this program was  to bring greater awareness to this often unknown disease. You can support Team Roxie by donating to childhood cancer research through St. Baldrick’s Foundation. 

I also engaged and helped build a brand for the JT Townsend Foundation which helps support people with spinal cord injuries and disabilities as well as The Rack Pack, a group of friends who walked to create greater awareness for breast cancer. You can help too by making a donation here. 

Here is a sample of various logos I have designed for clients in the food, music, non-profit, CPG, retail, technology and financial services industries.

I love photography but certainly do not claim to be a photographer. It's a favorite hobby. These are just a few I’ve shot during my travels, exploring Chicago, cooking with my husband and more.