This project put me in charge of editing a proof that Bridget created for “Pat & Toni’s Sweet Things”, a local candy and ice-cream parlor downtown. The proof was built in CorelDRAW, a platform very similar to Adobe Illustrator with a focus on being suited for larger-format projects (specifically when working at sizes where certain Adobe workflows become less convenient).

The assignment was my introduction to CorelDRAW, so it took some time to get used to the interface and fully understand how the tools worked. After a bit of work, I decided on switching my software over to Illustrator to get most of the work done, afterwards bringing it back to Corel for the finishing touches. There were some issues though; some of the elements hadn’t transferred over properly and there were many duplications of some of the shapes. Some of the graphics were grouped together, but other elements like the orange dotting of the background appeared as individual objects.

  When I straightened out my issues with Corel, I ended up settling on two versions of the ad I created. The first was the original request of the client, being two Coca-Cola logos on either side. The other was my interpretation; I made my own graphic for the soda with different shapes and moved some things around the banner. We ended up sending both versions to our client. The client ended up spending an extra $100, ordering a second banner in addition to the first one that we made. The second banner was my design with the custom graphic I had created! Working through the requested revisions helped me get a better sense of how ImageWorks handles client feedback.

After a couple of weeks, the advertisements had been printed. It felt so rewarding to see my design being used on such a large scale for promotional purposes. The time I spent working on this banner was extremely helpful in sharpening my graphic design skills.