Events, Fun Dani Renwick Events, Fun Dani Renwick

46th Annual Governor’s Breakfast in Cadillac, Michigan

April was a busy month, but this was a highlight. I got to meet Michigan's Gov. Whitmer at the 46th Annual Governor's Breakfast. It was my first time attending, my first time meeting a governor, and I got to give her fun gifts I made.

I also got to hang with SlaughterHawk Unltd LLC all morning and we had a great time drinking lots of @chunkybearcoffeeroasters. One of the pieces we gave BG was our art print collaboration, and Anthony got to give her a beaded hat that was commissioned for her.

Nice seeing our community gather and honor this decades-long tradition.

Special shout out to the hard working women at the Cadillac Area Chamber of Commerce and the Cadillac Area VIsitors Bureau for their tireless work on events such as this that put a spotlight on the community.

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Fun, Printing Dani Renwick Fun, Printing Dani Renwick

Letterpress Holiday Cards

In early December I decided I had to print a vintage Happy Holidays plate I got from eBay. So my boyfriend and I headed out to the presses and set out to print greeting cards in a garage in 20° weather. 

The presses live in my friends garage. So we let the Chandler and Price warm up with the motor for about 15 minutes while it spread ink. I pre-cut my cards, so we just went for it. My friend PK also assisted a few prints, as Josh hand turned the fly wheel. Our motor is WAY too fast for our beginner hands, so we are just taking it easy doing some hand turning. Makes sense for winter, really. 

We printed about 100 cards total, and it was super fun despite Michigan being pretty wintery this year. I used French Paper Co. paper, they are a Michigan company that has been in business for over 100 years, and I just like supporting Michigan peeps. 

Looking for some letterpress? Let's make something! 

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Case Studies Dani Renwick Case Studies Dani Renwick

Case Study: Great Lakes Hop & Barley Conference

Michigan is stout with natural resources and regions that grow perfect beer ingredients. The Great Lakes Hop & Barley Conference, put on by Michigan State University each year, brings together those resources, farmers, brewers and scientists. Erin Lizotte, one of the organizers and educators for MSU Extension in Cadillac, approached me to tackle a new logo for them. I was invited to come to the conference in 2017 and analyze their existing branding and how the conference flows. I attended lectures, dinners and more lectures. I learned a lot about the farming aspect of craft beer and gained a totally new level of appreciation for our region's beer especially. 

The GLHBC needed a newer, brighter, more attractive logo that targeted their audience more directly. The logo they were working with was a bit dainty for the mostly male audience. They wanted the new logo to speak to the science of the beer industry, and the connections people make while they are at the conference. It needed to be strong, and to also work with the MSU logo. 

The process started with a pinterest board after multiple discussions about the direction they needed to go. The audience drove the visual research - farmers, brewers, equipment manufacturers - all needed to be reached. From the board, the organizers I worked with chose colors and a general direction that included a farmer. I took that and made the first round of logo options. They chose the early versions of the direction you see displayed here. The icons in the logo kit make up the elements of the conference by representing Michigan, water, beer, hop & barley, farmers and the geometric shape becomes the every growing connections throughout the industry. They got a full set of files and variations, as well as a detailed branding guide to help them effectively use the new graphic design. 

The results I will report back on, as the next conference happens in Spring of 2018. It was amazing to work with their dedicated team to make something bold and new for them. I'm excited to see how they use it and how it transforms their conference. 

Let's make something together! Get in touch! 

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