Kristen Tillman Illustration and Design

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Carrboro, NC
Kristen Tillman Illustration and Design

Welcome! I am a graphic designer for creative brands. Stay Dreamy.

See my entire portfolio at www.kristentillman.com

See the entire range of my products at www.society6/kristentillman.

03/15/2019

These are two of my most helpful practices to help me balance business with family, and still have time to see my husband and friends.

03/14/2019

You deserve to feel like the boss, because you are the boss.

Every Brand Essentials client gets their first 100 luxe business cards from , on us.

You’ve worked hard.
We see you.
And we’re cheering you on.

Want a gorgeous brand that serves you and business cards that arrive at your door?

Schedule a consult with us.
We want to take you there.
Link in profile.

03/12/2019

Sun’s out and so is this brand new baby for Brüeprint Brewing Company ‘s seasonal lineup. I’m so proud of my friends at Brüeprint. They are creative, passionate, and thriving. Thanks for letting me do what I love and be a part of your team. ⚡️

01/24/2019

I’m just gonna go ahead and say HAPPY FRIDAY BC WE’RE PRETTY MUCH THERE, MMMKAY?

Welcome. I’m Kristen.

This is a virtual space where women are celebrated and businesses are transformed. It’s also a space for encouragement.

So. How is 2019 really going so far?
Burnt out already?
Teeming with creativity?
Full of motivation but lacking focus?

Comment below.
I want to encourage you TODAY.

01/22/2019

Imagine I’m bursting into your living room shouting “I’m in love and I don’t care who knows it!” a la Buddy the Elf.

This is how I feel about FINALLY being able to share one of my favorite designs EVER for one of my favorite companies in the world, Beard and Lady ✨👏🏼 Swipe right for that cheeky back panel design.

They’re off at making dreams happen this week, with these gorgeous new box designs for one of their flagship products.

Want to feel Buddy-the-Elf-in-love with your own brand? You do know you’re worth it, right?

Click the link in my bio to start today, friend. @ Carrboro, North Carolina

01/12/2019

We don’t just do branding over here.

We’ve got loads of dreams for raising others up through design.

💡Pro bono business cards for the immigrant women who walk down my street eager to clean houses.
💡 Graphics for local inner-city sports leagues.
💡 Merch designs for deserving non-profits.

Thank you for making that third one a reality. We paired up with Carlos and his team to create apparel design to pay homage to Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount.

100% of the profit from Happy Givers’ gorgeous merch funds a children’s home in Peru, American prison ministries, and East African adoption efforts, not to mention disaster relief.

When we work together and do something we could not accomplish ourselves, incredible things happen. @ Carrboro, North Carolina

12/12/2018

You don’t know how Beyonce-level-crazy-in-love with your brand you can be. 💃🏻

When I tasted Brüeprint Brewing Company Spiced Amber Ale and saw the old design (scroll all the way 👉🏼👉🏼to the end to see it!), I knew we had a Princess Diaries makeover on our hands. This beer is so good. BRUEPRINT makes some of my favorite brews. Period.

But that old artwork just wasn’t cutting it. It wasn’t getting them the distribution they wanted and deserved.

We shed the old and created a luxe, wintry, and celebratory design with custom ink-turned-digital illustrations and subtle pops of metallic red and pale gold. ✨ Swipe to the second pic and double tap if you love this new elevated design.

The result? Whole Foods quadrupled their order when they saw the new design 👏🏼x👏🏼x👏🏼x👏🏼

Why? Because Brueprint makes incredible delicious, award-winning beer, and the outside finally matches the inside. And there’s nothing that makes me happier than seeing my clients experience the blooming success that they deserve. ❤️

@ Carrboro, North Carolina

12/10/2018

What if your branding didn’t hold you back in 2019?

We had the privilege and challenge of creating a package design worthy of Beard and Lady’s incredible face oil. They create apothecary-style, natural, cruelty-free beauty products and no one would know if if they didn’t invest in product packaging to match.

No need to think small around here- you KNOW you’re good at what you do. You KNOW that your products help people. But your old branding is getting in the way.

We offer full-spectrum branding for businesses that deserve killer product packaging.

Friend, this is your year.
It’s time to LEVEL-UP.
And we want to be a part of it.

Take the first step today- link in bio.

Xoxo,
Kristen

12/07/2018

I keep meeting brilliant women.

Mothers.
Business owners.
Daughters.
Artists.
Educators.
Chefs.
Musicians.
Shamans.
Sisters.
Friends.

Who started the lie that we’re less than divine? I look around and I’m astounded by the creativity, resilience, and silent strength of

w o m e n.

I can’t get enough of us.
I don’t grow bored by us.
And I can’t calm down about us.

Drop a “✨” below if you believe 2019 is our year.

Watch this space in 2019. I’m here for the women. And I’m here for you.

12/06/2018

Sweaty. Cursing. Covered in sawdust.

That was me as I stretched my poor limbs after HOURS of hunching like Gollum over my Craigslist treasure. I had decided that I would spend my open weekend (pre-kids, duh) refinishing a gorgeous solid wooden Pier 1 dining table. 2 days in, and John was hiding because I was in SOME SORT OF MOOD.

I’m not a furniture expert. I don’t have the tools, expertise or space. But in a spirit of happy impulsivity, I bought paint, sealant, brushes, and God-knows-what-other-kind-of-nonsense to make my table the gathering place of my FANCY ASS DREAMS.

I borrowed a power sander. 🤦🏻‍♀️

But I was in way over my head. The paint wouldn’t dry bc NC is as humid as a Comfort Inn indoor pool, the “glaze” (I don’t even know the word) was yellow instead of clear 😷, and I was crying. Kicking things.

I know. I’m intense. Deep breaths. But what can we all learn from this?

Stop DIYing your brand.
🛑stop trying to make your own logo based off of what you found on Pinterest.
🛑 trying to learn how to use Photoship and Illustrator (AKA crying and vowing to quit your business) to make product labels and packaging.
🛑 wasting time on Canva paralyzed by all the color and font options.

Take me by my sweaty, saw-dusty hands and let’s walk to an oasis called OUTSOURCING. Where we don’t have to paint our own furniture and brand our own businesses.

You are one talented, brilliant, and may-I-say GOOD-LOOKING business owner and, mm mmmmmm, DIY branding is not a good look.

Comment below with your best (and by best, I mean worst) DIY story. 👇🏼💋. I’ll be waiting with a bucket of popcorn.

12/04/2018

Steady yourself for the steamiest, sexiest words you’ve ever heard whispered in your innocent ears:

Eco. Friendly. Product. Packaging. 🔥

WHOA, whoa, let’s keep it tame, alright?! Everyone keep their pants on.

Why should you care about this as a consumer goods business? Because the world is being destroyed by plastic and we’re finally acknowledging it as a species.

Listen, we mucked it up. Sea turtles are trapped in six pack rings, and all our sushi has plastic remnants in it. This generation has done some embarrassing sh*t, but at least we’re good for one thing: environmentally conscious product packaging innovation.

Think: glass instead of plastic, compostable paper, and shampoo bars (like this one designed by moi, created by ) instead of unnecessary plastic shampoo bottles.

This ain’t no lie: environmental impact is the biggest topic in packaging design and for good reason. Your customers aren’t cavemen and cave-ladies: they want to buy from conscious businesses.

Wow. You’re still reading about what you thought was the dullest topic (next to 🔥font choices🔥: that trashy romance novel is coming atcha in a week or two).

Got questions about how to shift toward a more conscious brand? DM me.

Xoxo
Kristen

10/22/2018

Or $10,000? 💸

Let’s talk financial investment. Did you know that, just like the home you live in, the car you drive, and most of life’s purchases, the price of a logo CAN and SHOULD vary widely.

Your WHY behind your need for a logo should motivate your HOW MUCH. There are resources where you can purchase a logo for $20 and that is a great solution for some businesses who are just starting and need a temporary placeholder. But just like that light-as-air Kia isn’t gonna get you across the country, an off-the-shelf logo won’t last as you scale your company.

What’s your why for needing a logo? Do you need an image for your Etsy shop, or do you have a full product line with forgettable packaging? Do you simply need business cards or are you trying to expand your distribution? Comment below!

My biggest advice is don’t DIY a logo, but I’ll save that for another day 🙃

Address

Carrboro, NC
27510

Website

http://www.kristentillman.com/

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