When floral designer Christine Carlson Chan expressed the challenges of discussing color with clients, Carolyn developed an innovative tool — and new visual identity.

Christine Carlson Chan is known for creating beautiful floral arrangements, but she was frustrated by the potential for miscommunication when brides-to-be used the broad terms like “pink,” “blue,” “yellow,” or “green” to talk about color. As a floral designer, Christine needed to know if the client desired blush or coral pink; periwinkle or indigo blue; butter or lemon yellow, shamrock or lime green. Carolyn proposed a flexible and customizable tool Christine could use to ensure she created arrangements in the client’s dream color palette.

The design solution could be produced using just two colors, so it was cost-effective to print business cards, hangtags and covers for the custom color tool.

Click to see another visual identity Carolyn created.

Read More »

Medical device manufacturer Tactile Medical hired Carolyn to design two iPad apps their sales force could use when talking with physicians and lymphedema therapists about their flagship product: the Flexitouch® advanced pneumatic compression system.

Tactile Medical’s Flexitouch® Plus works by sequentially inflating and deflating chambers to create a gentle, wave-like motion that directs lymph fluid from the impaired area toward healthy regions of the body. The fluid is then naturally absorbed and processed by the body. The Flexitouch is designed for at-home treatment of lymphedema, chronic edema, chronic venous insufficiency, and chronic wounds.

The apps showed compelling before-and-after photos of patients who benefitted from using the Flexitouch device, details about patient results, and testimonials from clinicians overseeing patient care.

The apps launched to rave reviews. Sales reps said they expected to see an immediate positive business benefit by using the apps, and indeed they did. One rep reported they completed three sales the very first time they used it.

Click to see another project Carolyn designed to help Tactile Medical promote the Flexitouch system.

“The iPad app was launched at the sales meeting with an amazing response from the reps! They LOVED it. Thank you so much for all your ingenuity and work on this project.””

– COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, TACTILE MEDICAL

“Using it was phenomenal; the [end customer] was completely engaged.”

– REGIONAL MANAGER, TACTILE MEDICAL

Read More »

After a year of change and growth, the management team at MMIC decided on a theme for their annual report: “We’re listening.” They hired Carolyn to bring the message to life.

MMIC (part of Constellation Mutual) provides medical professional liability insurance, along with webinars, data analytics, and action plans designed to help healthcare clients minimize risks and improve patient safety practices.

Since MMIC’s customers are in healthcare, Carolyn proposed supporting the “we’re listening” message with technical medical information about hearing. Photos were accompanied with facts such as:
– The human ear is capable of responding to the widest range of stimuli of any of the senses.
– The ear’s malleus, incus, and stapes (known as the hammer, anvil, and stirrup) are the smallest bones in the body.
– Ears not only help you hear, but aid in balance.
– The ear takes in many sounds at one time. The brain sorts and prioritizes the auditory signals in orderly patterns so you can understand what you are hearing. Listening is not the same as hearing. Hearing is taking the sound in; listening is paying attention to what is going on.

Click to see another annual report Carolyn designed.

“Outstanding report. I love the graphics and theme. Really well done.”

– PRESIDENT, MMIC GROUP

Read More »

When Minnesota’s largest community foundation wanted help designing a new publication, MNSights, they called on Carolyn to help.

The Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundations bring together donors, nonprofits, and community members to address some of the biggest problems facing Minnesota. They are Minnesota’s largest community foundation and the partner of choice for thousands of donors, nonprofits, and community organizations. Their team supports more than 2,000 charitable organizations and donor funds, and manages nearly $1.5 billion in assets. The publication MNSights was created to share knowledge and resources — particularly on the topics of advancing equity and strengthening communities.

Carolyn designed the template for the new publication and was involved in the production of the first several print issues.

Click to see another project Carolyn designed for The Saint Paul Foundation.

Read More »

When Guidant (now part of Boston Scientific) needed to publish technical product performance information in a single-page format, they hired Carolyn to figure out how it could be accomplished.

Data that had to be included on each page varied by product. Pages with information on pacemakers, for example, had to include average predicted battery longevity (referred to as “survival” and expressed in years), device volume, software version, BOL/ERT magnet rate information, and warranty length. Pages with information on leads included average predicted longevity, lead placement, fixation method, insulation material, polarity, and connector type.

Once all stakeholders agreed on what data needed to be included, Carolyn explored solutions for presenting all that information on a single page. After refining solutions based on client feedback, she helped with the production of the initial report. Subsequent reports were produced by in-house design staff.

Click to see another project Carolyn designed for Guidant.

“As usual, you are spot on. We love your work! Such a talent for designing optimal layouts for clearly conveying information/data.”

– MANAGER, PRODUCT PERFORMANCE REPORTING

Read More »

The Sales Force Automation group at Guidant (now part of Boston Scientific) hired Carolyn to design several pieces of collateral, including this piece which was used at a once-a-year sales meeting.

Individuals in Guidant’s sales force had varying levels of computer proficiency, so the technical information needed to be presented in a way that would engage high-end users, yet not overwhelm lower-end users.

A layered approach was developed. The first layer of information communicated the “what’s in it for me?” benefit to engage the reader. The second layer of information outlined key objectives for the year. The final layer included detailed steps on how to implement the technology. The brochure was accompanied by display graphics, buttons and other tools.

Click to see another project Carolyn designed for Guidant.

“The brochures turned out fabulous. Use of color is dynamite and the fold-out pages keep the information exciting and organized. Bravo!”

DESIGN MANAGER

Read More »

Travelers Insurance hired Carolyn to develop a suite of materials that would encourage independent agents to quote and sell Travelers products.

The agent recruitment kit included a variety of inserts that explained the company’s technology platform, product breadth, commission structure, claim handling process, customer acquisition tools and more. The entire message supported the theme: “Travelers does more to help independent agents grow.”

Carolyn worked with the Arbor Day Foundation to create a live-seeding promotion which could be sent to prospective agents as a pre-meeting teaser, or used as a follow-up to a face-to-face meeting. The seeding was a powerful way to reinforce the “grow with us” message.

Carolyn’s work for Travelers has been awarded an Award of Excellence from the Insurance Marketing Communications Association.

Click to see another project Carolyn designed for Travelers.

Read More »

To help bank clients make informed financial decisions, Alerus Financial had a renowned economist prepare data on monthly economic indicators. Alerus hired Carolyn to package the data into a customer-friendly reports.

Each month included information on GDP, unemployment, inflation, Federal Funds rate, housing prices, stock market performance and more. Each month also included a featured topic, such as the trade-weighted value of the dollar or the trade deficit.

Alerus offers banking, mortgage, wealth management, and retirement services in Minnesota, North Dakota, and Arizona.

Read More »

After building a state-of-the-art medical education facility in Boston’s World Trade Center, Guidant (now part of Boston Scientific) hired Carolyn to create a brochure that promoted the facility’s features.

The Northeast Medical Education Center was designed to provide healthcare professionals access to cutting-edge technology in a setting conducive to learning, practicing, and sharing best practices. The facility offered a simulated procedure room, anatomic models to practice lead implantation, a video library, and workstations where physicians could interrogate live devices. The goal? Help physicians hone their skills and advance the standard of care.

The brochure included custom maps, images of the company’s devices, and photos of medical professionals in learning environments. The brochure was such a success that a representative from the company’s Tampa Medical Education Center wanted a brochure, too. They said it would help them promote their education facility to medical professionals in the southeast.

Click to see another project Carolyn created for Guidant.

Read More »