Angela is someone I met in school and soon bonded over our “love” for Dwight, Bentel & Hall. [Side note, she is the one who designed the branding and website!] It wasn’t long before I was trying to win over her husband in the hopes that I can steal his wife on a weekly basis. In the end, they have become my sanity in this crazy town. We have been emailing for work for a while but only became P.I.C (Partners in Crime) almost a year ago.

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Angela has shown me that friendship knows no bounds. Like in my Avatar post I mentioned that it is our greatest desire to “be seen, to be known, to be counted” and outside of family there have been few that I felt “know me.” But Angela is one. This Christmas, her and her hubby spoiled me rotten and decked me out with cupcake gear. Cupcake travel/baking case, frosting designs, note cards, potholders and recipes… what more could a cupcake enthusiast ask for?! Probably what made me most excited is knowing that in a month my lease ends and soon I will have a new kitchen to decorate and those dish towels are begging to be displayed!

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I have a new and exciting project that was brewed up in NYC by my mother and will be launching soon. I cannot wait to share with you but while I work out the kinks…

My college graduation has come and gone with all of my family and friends to take witness. I am very thankful for the opportunity to go to college, let alone for something I enjoy studying. But more importantly, I am grateful for my family who have supported me since Neuroscience and told me I can be who ever I want to be as long as I do it well. Also for my friends who have given me joy within the madness. I couldn’t have done it if it were not for them.

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In the United States of America we take for granted having clean drinking water. We are able to access it readily from our kitchen sink, refrigerator door or water bottles that we purchase easily and regularly.  Outside of our homes one in eight do not have access to safe, cleaning drinking water, almost a billion people on Earth.

Over Thanksgiving weekend the city of Portland Oregon reached it’s own water epidemic, traces of e-coli were found in the water supply.  Immediately water was no longer safe to drink. Water fountains were shut down and Brita water filters were put on hold.  However, even this crisis pales in comparison to the realities of worldwide water issues.

The earth is made up of 70% water with 97% of the 70% being saltwater. That means only 3% of the worlds supply of water is available to drink for the six billion people on this planet.  Diseases caused by unsafe drinking water and inadequate sanitation is currently the most serious public health threat, killing two to five million people. 85% of all diseases and deaths are from lack of sanitation and clean water. To make matters worse, countries that have limited access to clean water have poorer education, economic development, gender equality and nutrition. Our water epidemic is 100% preventable.

To learn how you can help visit Charity Water (http://www.charitywater.org)

That was our “big idea” for our ADV 128 class (Integrated Marketing). The best part about it, it was taken directly from XBox. A key reason agencies are vital to the advertising industry is that they are able to see what the client cannot. Not saying that our team is or was genius but we were able to take simple copy that was hidden in releases and create a story around it.

Our presentation lasted for roughly 30 minutes and included a marketing plan with creative. It touched base on print, broadcast, interactive and promotion. To cap it off and please the professor we used current advertising trends like augmented reality and snap tags.  For those in the industry these are not new terms but for advertising students who are only half involved they were impressed. Overall, our presentation was a success. Some questions did arise with our target demographic but we came back strong and factual to prove our desired points. This marks my last advertising class for SJSU.

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One of the latest studio assignments for my photography class was a model shoot. Princess Lolly came into full effect and I knew I wanted a Candyland catalog shoot. I had the perfect bubble gum pop model and thankfully Halloween had just passed so getting the props on the cheap was easier than I had imagined. I think with a few more editing adjustments these images will be all that I hoped for but for now I really enjoy them.

Posted via email from Danielle’s posterous

Everyday, more and more, I feel as though my soon to be career in the Advertising world is mimicking my dating life.

Guys come and go.  Some dates are ok and others are awful.  I haven’t quite found my match. Granted each night is memory filled and something I will soon laugh over but in the moment, it is draining.

I should just know what my type is and what I am attracted to but instead I enjoy crossing all bounds and getting my feet wet in different areas.

And just when I think I’ve met “the one” my family or friends come along to tell me I can do better!

I have been told you should just know if you are creative or management. But what happens when you enjoy both?  Photography is my medium, color is my life… I get lost in the art and captivated by the execution.  I, also, always wear all black or mismatch as many colors as possible… if that isn’t a creative, I don’t know what is! On the opposite side, I love working with clients and people.  Public speaking is a skill that my parents branded into me as soon as I can talk.  I can manage and bring out the best of people.  My latest growth, staying calm under pressure and creating an environment that is conducive for growth.

The above doesn’t even begin to describe my dilemma of finding my advertising mate. But like most mothers teach their daughters, “you have to kiss a few frogs before you find your prince.” Since pushing boundaries and taking leaps is what I do best, why settle now? I will continue my search (and self growth) until I find the right fit, mom/dad/professor/friend approved!

From my experience working with some of the leaders in Dwight, Bentel & Hall Communications I knew they were wanting a more professional look.  Nothing too serious, but an image that could translate more smoothly to business cards, websites, and a brand.  I, like many others in the group, came up with three ideas.

1. Logo 1: My initial concepting started with wanting to create a brand that had collegiate tones. Which brought me to the typeface that is commonly used on Letterman’s jackets.  Logos prior to this used more of that type but it was too overpowering. Instead, I designated one letter to stand as the logo and paired it with a modern yet basic type.

2. Logo 2: When designing with DB&H’s brand all of our creatives really played with using the actual letters to create a contorted unique logo.  I at first wasn’t too hot on the idea but now satisfied with our logo, I too took a play at it. Similar to the first where I wanted to use a modern yet basic type.

3. Logo 3: Very similar to logo 2, I felt as though the “a” was too hidden and would get missed entirely.  But changing the colors and create a new “a” out of the “c”, “s”, and “a” it took on a new character.

Conclusion of logo design… Although none are rocketscience, they could extend across mediums and didn’t have to be centered around this idea of a “Spartan”.

As a child I lived much of my life in my head; creating journeys, stories, and adventures at the drop of a hat.  With age my imagination never subsided, even at my families request to live in reality.  In my father’s words, “I have jumped the shark.”

The Misadventures of D.L.Coquette is allowing the viewer a moment in my mind.  It is silly, it is off the wall, and it is far from real.  Each photograph can be analyzed and deciphered to produce some existentialist meaning but in truth this series is about my journey as a woman being open and accepting of who I am, quirks included.  Although I have given my imagination a name and alter ego, even creating a costume to enhance it, I am putting myself out there and in my vulnerability have said this is my reality, this is me.

Thank you for the help!

Dani

No this is my “I’d rather be spelunking face”

spe·lunk·er /spɪˈlʌŋkər/ Pronunciation Key – Show Spelled Pronunciation[spi-luhng-ker]

–noun

[Origin: 1940–45]

—Related forms

spe·lunk·ing, noun