Cynthia Oswald

Surface Design, Fine Art + Branding for Creatives

Branding

Where art meets design

How to create cohesion in your brand (or your art)

I throw around the word “cohesive” quite a lot—whether I’m working on a client’s brand or website, composing a pattern, or painting a composition. But what does it really mean to be cohesive?

Cohesion is “the action or fact of forming a unified whole.” I’m interested in creating a feeling that something is complete, not lacking anything. And while being cohesive is so important for creating consistency with a client’s brand, I find that it is equally as important when composing a pattern, creating artwork, or designing an illustration. In my Skillshare class, Watercolor by Design, I review how seven basic design principles influence my painting practice. In the last few years, I’ve worked hard to understand my preferences, both style wise and what I’m passionate about. By doing so, I’ve been able to understand where art meets design and why the two can live harmoniously together in my work. It comes down to cohesion. 

By making intentional choices using design principles, you can create cohesion within your brand or your artistic style. Let’s review the seven basic design principles I share during my class and how they influence my design and artist practices.

Seven Basic Design Principles

1. Hierarchy

Knowing what is most important allows you to create a visual hierarchy to communicate a particular message, emotion, feeling, or mood. Creating a visual hierarchy guides the viewer’s eyes and allows them to land on a particular location within your composition. Scale, density, detail, and overall prominence play a role in determining where the focal point will be. 

2. Contrast

Contrast is an excellent compositional tool. Adding a spectrum of color values allows you to emphasize (or de-emphasize) specific areas. It can be used in combination with other techniques to create a pathway for the viewer to move through the piece. It can apply to how we use color, fonts, imagery as well as our painterly techniques. 

3. Repetition

Repeating elements, style preferences, colors, etc. can provide uniformity—or in this, case reveal your style. Recognizing and repeating patterns in your work is a great way to enhance your signature style, as well as lean into what is working for you. Repetition is also a great way to create cohesion. 

4. Proximity

In design, proximity is used to create organization and cohesion within a space. When it comes to fine art, proximity can be used to create friction, breathing room, consistency, or a combination of the three. 

5. Balance

Balance is also a tool that can be used to create a sense of friction or ease. Balance can be achieved by creating or placing objects, colors, or images at an equal distance from the center on opposing locations within the piece. I prefer compositions to feel balanced because it creates a feeling of wholeness to me.

6. Color

Color can evoke certain emotions and express values. Warm colors create a different feeling from cool colors. Complimentary colors can create balance or contrast when placed next to one another or cancel each other out when combined. Color can add depth, or lack of color can make it feel flat—both can be intentional choices. 

7. Space

Space, like balance and proximity, is important to keep in mind for compositional purposes. Negative space, in particular, can be an excellent tool to keep in mind while you are completing a composition. Space creates a pathway or a natural shape that works as a tool alongside contrast, balance, and proximity.

When a brand is well designed and adheres to a style guide, it allows us to quickly recognize that brand at a glance (almost subconsciously) and forms a sense of reliability. When an artist intentionally moves in the direction of their style preferences, we can also recognize their work. It allows an audience to engage with that artist, builds trust, and creates a connection to the work. 

If you’re interested in finding ways to use the principles listed above in your brand or your artwork, here are a couple of suggestions:

For your brand

Try listing out the above design principles on a piece of paper. Then under each item, brainstorm ways that you are currently creating cohesion in your brand using these principles. Or, if you feel there are areas for improvement, think of new ways you could begin implementing these techniques. 

For your artwork

Start by creating a lot of work (or look back on a large batch of your recent creations). Then reflect on what works well and what doesn’t—what feels cohesive to you? Write down the design principles you’re using that are giving you that cohesion. Then, create a new piece of work using the style preferences and principles that you enjoy in your previous works. If you like the outcome, consider continuing to move in that direction going forward. 

Just like the seasons, your preferences will change over time—whether you’re reviewing your brand, your artwork, or even how you structure your daily life. Recognizing those shifts allows you to make intentional choices that create cohesion, not just in your creative practice, but in the way you approach everything. Whether it’s deciding which projects to take on, how to arrange your home, or even how you schedule your time, these same principles—balance, contrast, repetition—can help you bring clarity, ease, and flow into your everyday world.

Do you have a logo in mind that embodies your business or vision, or are you looking to create one? I’d love to hear from you. Share your thoughts or reach out for a consultation to bring your vision to life. And if you’re a designer, why not take these principles and apply them to your next project? Let’s create logos that don’t just exist but make a resonant and lasting impression.

Bring your logo to life

Demystifying (logo) file types

Do you know what type of logo you need?

So you had your logo designed and you are ready to share your new brand with the world … and then you send your business cards off to the printer, fantasizing about what it feels like to hand out these new, professional, branded cards… You finally receive the box in the mail only to feel disappointed when you open them and see a fuzzy-looking, crappy business card—to put it nicely—and you are left feeling defeated, confused, underwhelmed. Hopefully, the printer warned you of this prior to making the print run (as any good printer would). But if not, I wrote this for you.

I receive inquiries about recreating logo files often. And usually, it’s because a client doesn’t have all of the logo file types they need. So, I created this to help you get the files you need right from the start. (If you’re working with another designer, I suggest running the below list of file types by your designer to ensure you have each of them in the correct format as a final deliverable.)

Let’s start with the type of file the logo should originate from: AI or EPS

An AI file is short for Adobe Illustrator. If you’re paying someone to help you create a logo it should be created using a vector-based application, like Adobe Illustrator. A vector file is a file created using points and paths to render a shape in a mathematically and infinitely scalable format (imagine your logo on the moon!). This means that you can print them on a large sign, add them to a billboard, have them turned into embroidery, an animation, a special stamp, or perhaps a wax seal—the sky is the limit with vector files. You’ll want your designer to save the AI file as an EPS—that’s the file you’ll need for future printing projects. An EPS file stands for Encapsulated PostScript. It’s basically a fancy way of saying a vector file—or a mathematical formula that establishes points on a grid. Have I lost you yet?

Ask for a vector-based PDF file

While your designer is at it (still in Illustrator) ask for a PDF file. EPS files are needed for your brand library and future use, but chances are you won’t be able to open them from your computer (unless you have Adobe design programs). PDFs can also be vector-based files when saved from Illustrator or other vector-based software. Have your designer save the vector art as a PDF so you can view it from your computer. What is a PDF anyway? It stands for a Portable Document Format and was originally created by Adobe to enable users to open up different files across operating systems, programs, and now devices.

One more Illustrator-based file you’ll need: SVG

Next up on your list of Illustrator files is an SVG file. This happens to be my personal favorite file type because it has so much information packed into a small file size. This file type enables logos to come across crisp and clean across devices on the web. SVG stands for Scalable Vector Graphics—and is an XML-based vector graphic that can scale and be manipulated using code. Creating this file is as easy as hitting File > Save As > Format > SVG and, voila!, you will have the perfect file type for your web designer to render your logo online.

The final two file types to request: PNG & JPEG

These two files are good to have for your use on social media and other platforms that aren’t currently supporting SVG files. Both are rasterized files—meaning that they are converted into pixels. Pixel-based files cannot be scaled up/enlarged. It’s important to request a specific dimension for these files. For instance, if you are using a 50 x 50 pixel (px) JPEG file but the requirements are 250 x 250 px the image will be scaled x5 and will look pretty awful in return—in other words, pixelated. I like to send logo files that are 1000 px or more for the client’s library. That way they can reduce the size if needed but they are working with a larger file type to begin. Why do you need a PNG and a JPEG(JPG)? PNGs have the ability to save a transparent background. JPGs are similar to PDFs, in that anyone can open them. I use them as a last resort. Whatever you do—do not save over the files sent to you—get into the practice of “saving as” so you don’t lose that original quality.

Let’s recap …

If you are printing or rendering your logo in a tactile medium, it’s best to use an EPS file (it’s good practice to include the vectorized PDF file for viewing purposes). If you are sending your logo around to your social circles to celebrate the beautiful design, send along a PDF. If you are passing your logo off to your web designer, send them an SVG file. They may request a PNG or JPEG but ask them why they can’t use an SVG… after all you just spent time and money on your new logo design. Showcase it in the best possible light. Finally, when you add your brand to all of your social media and email marketing platforms, upload a PNG. On the odd occasion, you might need a JPG file, but this can usually be a last resort if you have all of the other file types listed above. (I anticipate that SVGs will be supported by most social platforms very soon, so once that happens, I would use SVGs instead.)

And here’s a quick cheat sheet for you:

AI/EPS: A Vector-based file that is scalable and can be used in a variety of formats (and sizes!) while still looking crisp and clean. It’s the most important logo file type to have!
Vector-based PDF: A vector file you can open on your computer if you don’t have Adobe Creative Suite programs
SVG: The best file type to use on the web
PNG & JPG: Rasterized files used in specific sizes for social and other small-scale places

I hope this helps. Here’s to beautiful logos, and having the right file types to showcase them! 🥂

Do you have a logo in mind that embodies your business or vision, or are you looking to create one? I’d love to hear from you. Share your thoughts or reach out for a consultation to bring your vision to life. And if you’re a designer, why not take these principles and apply them to your next project? Let’s create logos that don’t just exist but make a resonant and lasting impression.

Bring your logo to life

Five questions to ask your graphic designer before hiring them

Top 5 Questions To Ask a Designer

(before you hire them!)

When I was in my early twenties I started embracing my femininity. I started to get my hair professionally cut and styled. I relied heavily on the expertise of the salon owner, she was hip and fun. I gave her full reign on creativity. It started off well, then as time went on I noticed that not only was the salon owner passing off drinks to her customers, she was also consuming a little herself on the side. When I left the salon my hair looked different each time. She was always adding some new technique or using a new tool. It wasn’t until my then 8-year-old nephew said, “Aunt Cindy, why do you have a mullet?” that I decided it was time to go elsewhere. That’s when I started taking a little more interest in the final result. I did have a style I just hadn’t defined it. I can tell you right now it didn’t consist of rocking a mullet! I like a little layering but this was extreme.

I swear it wasn’t this bad!

When you’re working with a designer it’s important to also get clear about your goals for the end result. If that’s not a process you’re familiar with you’ll want to find a designer that can help you arrive there. If you’re paying a minimal fee and the designer hasn’t put systems and processes in place to ensure you’re happy with the final result, you’ll end up having to pay someone else in the near future. Maybe you already know exactly what you’re looking for and therefore prefer to pay someone only to execute your ideas. There are so many different scenarios to consider about your own personal preferences before you even begin your “Graphic Designers Near Me” search. Let’s get started by looking at my top 5 questions to consider before hiring a designer:

1. How do you ensure that my brand comes through in the final result?

If you tell a designer that you aren’t sure what you’re looking for and that you’re open to whatever they come up with then be prepared to see anything—including the latest trends. That could look like a mullet, bushy eyebrows, or fanny packs. Do any of those resonate with your brand? Some of you are resonating with bushy eyebrows. I personally love a good fanny pack! In all seriousness though, you do have preferences and that should come through in your brand materials. An experienced or well-versed designer will have a system or process set in place to ensure that your preferences and brand shine through in the final result. Ask them what this looks like. If they don’t have an answer for you, that’s a red flag. Save yourself time and money by continuing your search.

2. What is it like to work with you from start to finish? What does your process look like?

Now that they’ve shared a little of their process with you ask them to expand on this. Simply ask them to talk a little about their process and see what they offer you. While they are talking, listen for clear direction and guidance on what type of schedule they will put in place, how much involvement from you will there be, and what systems they have in place to ensure you both stay on target. Does their process include enough time for you to adequately make changes? Are the changes included in the cost? Will they give you a notification when your feedback is due? These are all important aspects of the process that you will want to know they have defined.

3. How do you prefer we communicate throughout the process?

This one can be tough. Some designers will work directly with you from start to finish. Others prefer to start a project by working directly with you and then direct you to a Project Manager once the job is in motion. This can feel uncomfortable for the customer, leaving you feeling unimportant even if that truly isn’t the case. The idea is to find out how the communication will work throughout the life of the project so that both parties are clear. This process is 100% acceptable if it’s conveyed upfront. Inevitably, communication issues do happen. They are less likely to happen when both parties are clear on their expectations upfront.

4. Do you prefer to have full reign on the creativity or is it a collaborative process?

Generally, the customer-designer relationship can be broken into three groups: Some designers look to the customer to provide direction, others feel it should be collaborative, and the third party would like to have full reign on the creative process. If you are coming to the table with a lot of creative ideas, some resources for inspiration, and your favorite fonts or a style guide you are probably in the first group. If you have an idea of what you’d like but would appreciate insight, direction, and professional opinion from your designer then you are in the second group—the collaborative party. Finally, if you aren’t sure exactly what you need and you are truly looking for a designer to come to the table with ideas, direction, and strong visuals then you are in the third party. There isn’t a right or wrong way to go about this. It’s important to acknowledge that you have a preference and find a designer whose workflow aligns with your own.

5. What exactly is included in my final deliverables?

Look for clarity in your deliverables. If you haven’t made your way through all of the project details you can simply ask, “How will I know what exactly is included in my deliverables?” The designer should have a process for outlining this in the original agreement. By listing out the deliverables it should be extremely clear what is and what is not included. If you don’t see something on the list you should assume that it is not included. You’re looking for someone that has strong communication skills and is willing to be transparent throughout the project, from start to finish. Transparency is key when working with any contractor. If they aren’t able to inform you in a clear and concise way then you should continue your search.

Do you have a logo in mind that embodies all these qualities, or are you looking to create one? I’d love to hear from you. Share your thoughts or reach out for a consultation to bring your vision to life. And if you’re a designer, why not take these principles and apply them to your next project? Let’s create logos that don’t just exist but make a resonant and lasting impression.

Bring your logo to life

Curating Your Brand

3 Ways to Start Curating Your Branding:

When I started telling friends and family that I was pregnant I would often hear “I can’t wait to see what you’ll do with the nursery!” We bought our house a little over a year ago. We knocked out the smallest of the four bedrooms within the first few months to put in a larger bathroom. The three remaining bedrooms are still very small. One of the rooms was set up as a walk-in closet. I knew right away—the minute we found out I was pregnant—that my walk-in closet was a thing of the past. It would now serve as a nursery. At one point I actually contemplated building a crib into the closet. We ended up taking one side of the closet shelving down and keeping the other side up so that we could still use it as storage space.

While I was excited to start designing the nursery I was challenged by having one full side of the room taken by an open shelving unit. I knew that I needed to find a way to cover it that would help create a theme or direction for the design of the room. I decided to use a pattern that I designed to produce fabric for curtains that would cover the open closet. It’s not the dreamiest way to begin a nursery design but it is practical. We don’t always have the luxury of rebuilding everything in order to continue moving our business forward. In fact hiccups or obstacles can force us to start where we are and use what we currently have to build creative solutions.

My guess is there are items in your brand wheelhouse that are already working for your business. While hiding the half closet in our nursery seemed like an awful way to start designing the room, it ended up creating a dream-like space that feels exactly the way I wanted. Is there something that is holding you up on creating promotional pieces or branding that will move your business forward? My recommendation is to start with items that are already successfully working for you and see how those elements can move you past your current obstacle. Even if it’s as simple as the colors you are already using—you should be able to identify areas of your brand that are working well to represent your business.

Ready to get started? Below are a few steps to help you start curating your brand.

Step 1. Make a list of the items that are holding you back. Identify the areas that need work so that you can move on. For instance, perhaps you really love your logo but it doesn’t fit well in the space allocated for profile pictures or logos on social media. Or maybe you really like your web content but the overall design feels messy or incomplete. Make a “Wish List” of items that you would fix if budget was not an issue. For me it was the fact that I had limited space and one entire wall surface would be covered by an open shelving unit. Whatever was going to cover it would need to not only look nice but match seamlessly with the other items in the nursery.

Step 2. Collect the items that are already working for you. These items can be used to create a style guide to pass off to a team member or a designer for direction. No matter who is working on your new brand elements you’ll want to give them some direction. The best way to do this is by passing off the items that currently represent your brand in a way that you are pleased with. Once I decided to use the willow pattern I then collected items I already have that worked well with the pattern. This included a set of antique chairs with a small round table, a white wooden giraffe I purchased in college, and a small dresser that was my mom’s when she was a child.

Step 3. Identify and list what is working. It may be the brand colors, fonts, photographs, illustrations, or marketing copy. You may like parts of your logo the best. Now is the time to identify these pieces by making a list. Review your list and see how you might apply what is working to the items that are holding you back. This eliminates questions, saves time, and ultimately ensures that your unique style and voice is represented. I decided that what I loved the most about my pattern design was the peach and green color scheme and the botanical design. That gave me a starting point. From there I created a Pinterest board that includes the images above. Many of the items I have pinned on my board ended up in my nursery.

I’m confident that if you create your wish list, collect your successful brand materials, and list out the attributes that are currently working you’ll begin to see a positive shift in your marketing efforts. If you’re looking for help with your wish list click here to schedule a brainstorm session.

Do you have a logo in mind that embodies your business or vision, or are you looking to create one? I’d love to hear from you. Share your thoughts or reach out for a consultation to bring your vision to life. And if you’re a designer, why not take these principles and apply them to your next project? Let’s create logos that don’t just exist but make a resonant and lasting impression.

Bring your logo to life

Branding that comes together with ease


Over the past three weeks I’ve been sharing the journey of how my wedding invitations came to be. Today I’m sharing the finished pieces, as well as the entire wedding suite and photos of the big day! I was so excited when our wedding invitations arrived! I made Steven open them so I could video the reveal. Perhaps it was a little over the top, but these little things really excite me! As the video reveals I’m not sure Steven was as excited.

Once the invitations were designed we had all the necessary elements to begin creating the entire event package. The illustrations were already complete and I had purchased a couple of fonts that I knew would work well with my hand lettering. My intern, Hannah, was able to work through designing the program, table numbers, and place cards. She repurposed everything I created in new ways to bring together the entire package.

When you have the fundamental elements needed to make up your visual branding package it’s rewarding to watch your brand package come together with ease.

Pictured below are a few of the items we created using my original illustrations, hand lettering, and fonts. There’s no question that these all belong together. Likewise, you want your customers to easily recognize your brand—whether digital or in print. Designing our wedding invitations was a fun way to represent our unity and who we are as a couple. Designing your branding package should faithfully represent your business—defining the business personality and emulating your unique mission. Sometimes it’s abstract and subliminal but it’s still there—pictures are worth a thousand words (or more). Let’s make sure your images are sending the right message! Contact me here to get started.

Cynthia Oswald design

Wedding photographs by Becky Albright Photography

Branding with purpose:
creating and collecting brand materials with your wish list in mind

Steven and I got engaged May 31 and chose September 9th as our wedding date. Yes, that was a little ambitious. In just over three months I would need to sell my house, move, and plan the wedding! I knew that every moment would count so I was intentional about creating elements for the wedding invitation that could be reused across all of the wedding day materials. I had no choice but to let the illustration ideas simmer as I prepped and sold my home. I’m sure glad I did. At first I was thinking about including bunnies and squirrels on the invitation. Yes, I’m a Beatrix Potter fan. However, this isn’t a children’s book—it was our wedding invitation. As the idea for the big day evolved so did the look of the invitation. I decided to take inspiration from the willow tree in our yard and combine it with my innate desire to create decorative, ornamental elements (hence my logo). I got out a fresh sheet of watercolor paper (pictured above) and used every square inch to create illustrative elements (pictured below). These would serve as the “branding” elements for the entire event.

With my wish list in mind I created illustrations that could be repurposed across an entire collection of event items. This is the same way I create for your brand materials. The idea is to establish a collection of secondary brand elements that match your brand style—creating a library of sorts. This library includes items like your logo variations, multiple fonts, images, and illustrations that portray your mission and values. Today I want to share with you some useful tips on how to collect these items with your wish list in mind.

1. What particular styles do you love?

You’ve had a week to think through descriptive words that resonate and start taking notice to your visual preferences (if not, start here). Now it’s time to name them. My favorite designer and business role model is Louise Fili. Her work makes my heart beat a little faster so I decided that she needed to represented. I purchased her “Love” stamp for all of my envelopes and bought a font that she just debuted, called Montecatini. The font was also named after a town in Italy—Montecatini Terme—which I happened to visit 13 years ago. What does this have to do with you? You’ve collected your inspirations and preferences, now it’s time to imbue more of what you love into your brand. Keep collecting those items and make sure to share them with your designer.

2. In what formats will your materials be created in?

Thinking through the entire event package prior to creating the illustration was crucial for saving time. This included my invitation, thank you cards, table numbers, place cards, signage, program, website, cups and more. Before you start finalizing one little part, picture how your brand will be represented as a whole. Is your logo only going to be visible on your stationery? Or will you be creating packaging that features your logo as the main branding element? Do you have a car or truck that needs to have your logo and brand elements prominently displayed? All of these details matter. Think big and then start small. It should be fun to think of the different ways your brand will be represented.

3. Price out the cost to produce prior to designing.

Did you know that postage costs more for square envelopes than rectangular envelopes? These tiny details add up when you are working on branding elements. Small choices make big impacts both in dollar amounts and on our environment so I suggest pricing out different ways to produce your marketing pieces. For me it was important that my invitations be printed on 100% recycled paper. I also wanted to reduce waste by allowing the RSVP to tear off and serve as a mailer. These choices cost a little more up front but resonate with my brand so I could plan accordingly.

Essentially when you are thinking through all of these little elements your brand is coming to life before you even began. This means that you are troubleshooting issues and saving money in the long run—which to me, is branding with purpose. That’s what I’m here to help you do! If you’d like to review your next branding project start by emailing me here. Next week I’m going to share the entire wedding package so you can see it come together. For now, I’m going to go make the BEST COOKIES EVER (recipe here). Happy Thanksgiving!