More work, a few dabbles, &
unsolicited commentary.

Posts in Work

Define Normal.

Define Normal.

I wanted to create a piece that normalized the female body and encouraged women to rewrite society's pre-packaged narrative about what is acceptable, beautiful, and normal. To convey the fact that this struggle has been a multi-generational and a deeply personal fight for women, I made a point to film myself and paired that with found footage and stock imagery from previous decades.

While no one video can immediately change the lens through which we view our bodies, I hope this can be a catalyst for conversations or at least provide some entertaining information.

WorkMaren NelsonJune 9, 2017motion graphics, infographic, body positivity, feminism, graphic design, videoComment

My best friend's wedding.

My best friend's wedding.

When your best friend gets married and you are a designer, you are more or less contractually obligated to design any and all the things she may need. (Let's be honest, it's kind of nice to have a built-in wedding gift!)

WorkMaren NelsonMay 24, 2017wedding, stationary, may day, invitations, save the dayComment

Making things move

Making things move

The more I learn about design, my own personal aesthetic, and the never-ending amount of software magic in the world, the more I'm convinced I've chosen the right career. I feel like I'm just scratching the surface of these explorations and every day I'm excited by the prospect of what new project will be around the corner.

WorkMaren NelsonMarch 13, 2017motion graphics, animation, video, graphic design, shorts Comments

Happy Thursday, Universe.

Happy Thursday, Universe.

I was having a rough week and then Neil deGrasse Tyson went and tweeted out a gem, inspiring my greatest album cover yet.

Work, DabblesMaren NelsonDecember 1, 2016Neil deGrasse Tyson, album art, supersymmetry, throwback design, #TBTComment

Spread the love

Spread the love

I made this poster because I couldn't figure out what to say after the election. I put almost 100 up around my neighborhood and there has been a pretty rad response to them, including some people making their own versions to add to the community. So in that spirit, I thought I'd make it available for download. If you want to spread the love in your own neighborhood, feel free to download this PDF and print as needed. We're in this together, friends.

WorkMaren NelsonNovember 11, 2016love trumps hate, election, public service announcement, love, we shall overcomeComment

Hey babe.

Hey babe.

Nothing like using awful online dating messages to make greeting cards so you can send weirdo notes to your friends. Maybe I'll get around to selling these sometime...

WorkMaren NelsonApril 16, 2016greeting cards, okcupid, online dating, cards, typography, graphic designComment

Wind in the Willows.

Wind in the Willows.

I loved this book growing up and working on this project for Typography makes me want to read it again.

WorkMaren NelsonMarch 13, 2016typography, wind in the willows, typesetting, book, book design, graphic designComment

Create the selfies.

Create the selfies.

Is this my favorite thing I have made thus far in grad school? Yes.

WorkMaren NelsonFebruary 26, 2016typography, poster, helvetica, arial, selfiesComment

Black on black.

Black on black.

Who knew printing would be so complicated? In my Print Foundations course, we've been looking at the million versions of black and the weird things that happen to them when you print digitally.

WorkMaren NelsonFebruary 8, 2016black on black, illustrations, fairy talesComment

Vinyl explorations.

Vinyl explorations.

Despite an increasing digital world, album art continues to hold importance in the modern music industry and pop culture. Not only does the cover set the tone for an entire album, it is a visual representation of the music out in the world.

WorkMaren NelsonDecember 15, 2015vinyl, packaging, graphic design, cover artComment

Falling into design.

Falling into design.

While working in nonprofits, it is pretty common to inadvertently take on tasks that need to get done and learn how to do them on the fly. When I was hired at Wallin Education Partners, I worked in program development and management but was frustrated by the lack of branding and quality promotions across the organization.

Life, WorkMaren NelsonNovember 25, 2015branding, graphic design, careerComment

Scholarship recruitment materials.

Scholarship recruitment materials.

How do you grab the attention of high school seniors when they are stuck in their phones, busy with friends, and working hard to get into their top choice school? Good question.

WorkMaren NelsonOctober 15, 2015recruitment, promotions, brochure, poster, graphic designComment

Baby's first freelance.

Baby's first freelance.

My background in communications came in handy when I got to design a promotional brochure for this small business.

WorkMaren NelsonSeptember 26, 2015promotions, marketing, brochure, graphic designComment

2015 mam conference.

While not strictly a design position, my job with the Minnesota Association of Museums leaves me with a lot of design projects on my to-do list, including the identity and collateral for our most-recent state-wide conference.

WorkMaren NelsonJuly 31, 2015branding, conference, event promotions, promotions, marketing, conference program, minnesota association of museums Comment

MN Grit List.

GRIT: /grit/ noun

1. "firmness of character; indomitable spirit." 2. "perseverance and passion for long-term goals."

WorkMaren NelsonJune 19, 2015logo design, logo, grit, graphic design, branding, freelanceComment

Minneapolis urban farming meets visual data.

After college, I managed to convince my parents to let me take over large sections of their yard to grow food. Five seasons later, we're still canning tomatoes, harvesting kale, and eating more beans off the vine than I thought physically possible.

WorkMaren NelsonMarch 31, 2015infographic, data visualization, urban farming, urban agricultre, graphic designComment