Katie Rou Design

Some of the recent can drops at that I got to help design 🍻

If you live in or are visiting Seattle, go check out Reuben’s Brews!

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Agency:

You have to start somewhere.

Sometimes starting with pen (or pencil because pen is a commitment 😅) to paper is the way to go.

For a lot of my design work I start with some sort of sketch. Sometimes it’s one or two loose ideas to help me visualize a layout, and sometimes it’s drawing the same thing slightly differently over and over until it feels juuuust right.

Creatives, do you sketch first?

✨Client Spotlight: New Logo Suite for .marketing ✨

I’m so happy to share this logo suite design for Montgomery 30 Marketing! I got to work with Jessica the CEO and owner of M30 to make her vision come to life.

The monogram icon combines M + 3 + 0 to create a unique symbol for this suite.

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I’m looking to work with other small businesses to help take your branding up a notch. If you’re interested in working together send me a DM or fill out my inquiry form on my website!

I love me a good color palette and I had some fun putting these together 😊

Which one are you vibing with?

Sometimes the hardest part of designing something is waiting for it to become reality. I worked with last year to design a series of labels for their innovation line and they’re finally printed, canned and available!

Congrats / on the 1 year anniversary 🍻🎉

Bye, bye, bye July
(yes that was reference to *NSYNC)

Well we’re officially in the last half of 2024 which is wild. For me July was a blur of panic to make sure I worked enough hours to cover my bills. One of the companies I contract with had a 2 week summer break and so I was worried I wouldn’t have enough money. Jokes on me though and I ended up having the most profitable month of the year so far 😅

In the midst of me panicking most the month, I ended up getting a lot of sh*t done.

I FINALLY got KRD registered as an LLC, and I’m 99% sure I spent too much money unnecessarily to get it all taken care of through LegalZoom, I got it done. I still need to get a few little things taken care of but progress is progress so I’ll take it.

Outside of work I got out of my reading slump and knocked out 7 books in July. I’m working through a massive series of books that a friend of mine is reading and I’m currently trying to get ahead of her 😈

July is also my husband’s birthday so being able to celebrate that with friends and family was a good way to spend a weekend.

All month I was focused on me and my business. I was constantly thinking of things I still need to do or things I can improve on, what are my dream projects and ideal clients I want to work with, and what kind of things do I want to accomplish by the end of this year.

I have another list of to-do’s to help crush those goals and I’ll be sharing them on LinkedIn, but if you’re not already you should follow my Instagram for more day-to-day updates and sneak peaks 😉

I don’t want to go into too much detail yet, but for August my plan is to do a lot more internal work on KRD to set myself up for success for the rest of this year and into next year.

Is this too niche?

Not that I care that much 🤣

The cringy-ness of Twilight but with a graphic design twist.

Now Booking clients for July and beyond!

Are you a small business owner in need of help spicing up your brand identity?

Is your logo feeling out-dated and disconnected?

Do you have an event coming up and are in need of some bad a$$ merch and collateral?

I’m got you! I’m a graphic designer with over a decade of experience and I’m looking for clients for this next quarter. Will you be one of them?

DM me with your project and let’s get started 💪🏼

💥 Mid-Year Logofolio 💥

Logos are a small part of what makes a brand memorable.

If you’re a business owner that’s ready to kick your overused Canva logo to the curb and spice things up, let’s talk!

I’m taking on clients for July-September and I want to help you take your brand from boring to kick a$$ 💪🏼

Cheers to new beers 🍻

These are two labels I worked on for and they’re finally available! If you’re in San Diego make sure to hit up one of Mission Brewery’s locations tomorrow and grab some of these new cans!

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Throwback to the poster project that kept me sane through 2020. It’s wild that this was 4 years ago.

This project will always hold a special place for me.

The biggest thing I got from this was learning how important it is to take time for yourself. Not only taking time for yourself but being intentional with it.

June recap time!

Halfway through the year and it’s flying by.

June for me was a lot of figuring out what I want. What I want my day to look like. What hours I want to work. What I want to prioritize. What I want to do for my next vacation 🤣

So far this year has given me a lot of change and I’m feeling good about it 😊

✨ Another look at the Manic Monday Podcast branding ✨

This mental health, pop culture themed podcast from this week’s brief with was so much fun to work on.
madi.mae thanks for a great design brief 🔥

Tune in for your regularly scheduled manic episode with Manic Monday.

Welcome to the new face of Manic Monday!

A bold new design is here to capture the essence of this podcast – a vibrant mix of pop culture and mental health. With warped fonts to put a visual on the beautiful chaos of the mind and bright colors that pop, Manic Monday is bringing the conversation to life. Dive into their latest episodes and join in on turning manic moments into meaningful discussions.

This is part one of my design submission for this week’s design brief from / .madi.mae /

I was able to sit down with Shoutout Arizona and talk about everything graphic design, how I got started and where I am now.

Read all about it here: https://shoutoutarizona.com/meet-katie-ormsby-owner-designer-of-katie-rou-design/

🌱 Client Spotlight 🌱

Today my clients .io are holding their Best In Grass Michigan 2024 Awards!

The last few weeks I’ve been able to work with these guys on a lot of graphics for promoting this event (and others in the works 🤫).

I’m in love with all the colors and gradients. Brand elements like that always making designing fun for me.

Go check out .io and give them a follow to see if a state near you is getting a Best in Grass Awards this year 🏆🌱

Let’s talk organization and, since May is Mental Health Awareness Month, let’s also be aware of some mental health.

Staying organized while also having ADHD has been a huge struggle of mine. It’s taken years of trying things to figure out what works for me to stay on track and be successful.

A combination of written lists in my planner and visual blocks in my Google Calendar have been the best tools for me to stay on track and minimize becoming overwhelmed.

These tips plus a combo of meds and supplements have helped me grow and succeed in life 💪🏼

I will never get over seeing something I designed out in the world.

Some of the designs I’ve worked on the last few weeks for and their client have been canned and printed.

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💜✨ Client Spotlight ✨💜

I had the pleasure of working with Celena, the owner of , and helping her come up with an updated logo to go with the rename of her business.

Luna Zen is an Arizona business that makes handmade, luxury CDB products for people and pets.

Celena had come to me wanting to maintain the essence of her old logo but give it a more modern look.

She also wanted a pet version for her pet product line. Fun Fact: The paw print used in the pet logo is from her very own fur baby to add in a special personal touch 💜

One more post for Topspin Racquet Club 🎾✨

Topspin, located in Los Angeles, is a premier racquet sports facility and was in need of a brand identity that felt both sporty and welcoming. A strong, yet simple logo paired with bright colors brought this look together.

Thanks / for this great brief!

Topspin Racquet Club, located in Los Angeles, stands as a premier facility focusing on everything racquet sports.

Welcoming a diverse community of athletes across all skill levels, it serves as a dynamic sanctuary for players seeking unparalleled experiences. Whether refining techniques on the tennis courts, mastering the artistry of squash, or immersing themselves in the exhilarating pace of racquetball, members find themselves immersed in a world of unparalleled sporting enjoyment.

Topspin was in need of a brand identity that felt both sporty and welcoming. A strong, yet simple logo paired with bright colors brought this look together.

Thanks / for this great brief!

Sneak peek at the branding I’m working on for Topspin.

This week’s brief from 🎾

I wanted to make a strong but simple logo and have fun with some neon colors with a sporty flair.

It’s all fun and games until you get hit with a “make the logo bigger”

JK JK but also… 👀

No, but really, this is a fun thing and I love seeing all the icks out there and wanted to put out some of my own.

I love what I do and the fact that I’m able to make a living designing and working with all kinds of different people is a dream.

And sometimes the logo really does need to be bigger and the design does need to pop more 🤣

What are some of your icks?

The most recent design briefs I’ve participated in have been some of my favorite to date. Each one had a different vibe, but I love them all equally.

I love when I can theme the color names to the brands and I just had to show them off.

Which one is your fave?

Happy last day of April!!

This month has been insane for me. I thought the last few months were crazy, but April topped it.

New clients, more projects with old clients, and lots of big changes 🙌🏼

Outside of lots of long hours with work I was still able to make time for myself and also spend time having fun with friends and connecting more with my fave creatives.

Cheers to April 🍻, bring it on May 💪🏼

One more post for Venus Brews because I love it so much.

Thanks again for this latest design brief !

March FLEW by!

I felt like all I did was work 😅 but I was able to take some time off to spend with family and friends.

I started working as a contractor with a new company and was able to do more of what I love, which is designing beer cans!

I started taking steps to better my finances, which is huge. And scary. But necessary.

I’m still chugging along and feeling good. I’m working so much but am able to work on projects I connect with for clients that are fun and allow me to push myself more and more with each design.

Cheers to March, let’s kick a$$ in April 💪🏼

✨ Now Booking for Q2 ✨

Are you a small business owner in need of help spicing up your brand identity?

Is your logo feeling out-dated and disconnected?

Do you have an event coming up and are in need of some bad a$$ merch and collateral?

I’m got you! I’m a graphic designer with over a decade of experience and I’m looking for clients for this next quarter. Will you be one of them?

DM me with your project and let’s get started 💪🏼

Introducing The Happy Dumpling 🥟 where every day is “Happy Dumpling Day”!

The hand made dumplings continue on in this restaurant with a granddaughter’s drive to keep her grandmother’s traditions alive.

This design is for this week’s design brief from .brief.magazine, .tulipagency and .designs.

I loved having fun with mixing different fonts and using these bright colors to create this playful brand 😊

I love that ’s Tiki Party lives on at ! Do yourself a favor and grab a pint of it next time you’re visiting Borderlands 🍻