The Other Side Inc. is a property maintenance company based in Kitchener-Waterloo. I designed their logo a few years back and to celebrate their 5th anniversary of being in business we designed an updated logo and gave their website a facelift.

When you’re a small business just starting out, it can be hard to find the time and money needed to make your business look professional. But when you’re able to dedicate those efforts, the result usually has a largely positive influence on your business when done correctly. When you Google candidates to provide a service you’re looking for, do you not gravitate towards the company/person who looks the most professional? The most legit? If your website looks like Brenda from accounting threw it together using Microsoft Office then you might get overlooked.

I typically build websites in WordPress, but I was happy to work in the Content Management System already being used by The Other Side. After some cosmetic touches and layout changes I was able to help them create a more professional look that better reflects who they are as an organization.

It was also important to make sure I created a seamless brand identity so that each element was easily recognizable as The Other Side. The look and feel of the website needed to be in line with the logo and flyer designs done previously. Creating a Brand Board helps me stay within those lines.

Be sure to check out the full website here

To get help with your brand and/or website, contact me today to get started!

Thanks for reading,

~ Manda Mac

I’ve always wanted to do menu design so when I was asked by the St. Mary’s restaurant, Harris Electric, I immediately said yes. Menu design needs to be clean for easy readability with subtle elements of design for visual interest. For Harris Electric, they wanted their menus to be simple & classic and kept in line with their retro/eclectic vibe already captured by their logo.

The real challenge here was creating designs that they could edit on a regular basis. They constantly update their menu, so I needed to give them a design where the content could be changed and not interfere with the overall layout. Designs were needed for a printed daily menu, drinks menu and a projected menu on the wall featuring rotating specials. After some trial and error we reached the final result for all 3!

Check out Harris Electric on Queen St. in St. Mary’s for some seriously delicious, inventive food. Nearly EVERYTHING made in house. You won’t be disappointed!

And if your restaurant is looking to update it’s branding or menu design, contact me to get started.

Thanks for reading!

~ Manda Mac

Little Black Dress Party – Ticket Design

St. Patty’s Day Buck and Doe – Ticket Design

It’s Ticket Time

Creating tickets for your event doesn’t have to be bland and boring. While some people opt for the standard template design, adding a personalized touch can make a big difference and make your event seem that much more exciting to attend.

Some of the tickets I’ve created over the last few months include a St. Patty’s Day themed Buck and Doe ticket, as well as a ticket design for a charitable event; The Little Black Dress Party here in Stratford, Ontario.

The St. Patty’s Day Buck and Doe ticket was fun to create because:
1) I got to use shamrock and green beer graphics, which I don’t get to do every day!
2) I had a lot of fun using bold punches of colour in various shades of green, and
3) The design was for my beloved brother and sister-in-law which makes it extra special

I created a vertical design to better suit the amount of information we had to include, and to make it a little different. I used all vector graphics for clean lines and easy readability, and naturally made the green beer the focal point of the design considering the type of event it is!

The Little Black Dress Party is an annual event in which I happily volunteer my services for free since this is a charitable event. It’s organized and sponsored by Pin Up Hair Studios and all proceeds go to the Canadian Mental Health Association. It’s an all female event where ladies are encouraged to wear their favourite little black dress, enjoy a few cocktails and dance the night away! There are also several guest speakers every year who talk about topics ranging from mental health to overcoming difficult life obstacles. It’s always a popular event with tickets running out before they can even be promoted!

For the design I wanted to keep it classic with a touch of elegance. I used a horizontal black and white stripe background with a vintage badge placed on top. I kept the Typography decorative yet readable with minimal graphics to help readers concentrate on the important information.

Both of these designs are very different from one another but effectively represent the type of event they’re designed for. If you’re looking to have your event ticket personalized, you know who to come to!

Thanks for reading,

~ Manda Mac