Emma
Skogstad
I am a graphic designer based out of Edmonton, Alberta, interested in visual communication design. Thus far, my design focus has been on photography and videography, but university has introduced me to many new and exciting ways to communicate. I find inspiration weaved through many mediums and believe the most admirable solutions often realize links between them. As a designer, I am thrilled to be able to create memorable experiences for humans through visual communication design. Over the pandemic, I enjoyed learning how to make a better cup of coffee, and I also picked up longboarding!
Flux
Flux is a short film exploring the connections we build to the spaces which we inhabit and our lives' circumstances that become unintentionally defined by their structure. In a time where we are spending more and more time in our spaces, yet simultaneously more isolated from loved ones than ever, these connections to the space we inhabit will build deep roots in our memories.
The first half is a conversation of man's control over architecture. Sweeping shots of strong, dark structures carve the cityscape, erecting the framework that directs our lives' scenes. The second half of the film layers video of greenery with family movies. This combines thriving life with precious memories to construct the emotion and memories which synthesize the spaces we live in our minds to become much more than the sum of their parts.
Flux’s structure is broken into two parts, each followed by a defining quote. The first half is followed by Winston Churchill’s quote “We shape our building, thereafter they shape us.” The second half is structured around this quote by Rebecca Solnit.
Good Earth Coffeehouse Branding
This project tackled rebranding Western Canadian Coffeehouse Good Earth. The re-brand addressed an outdated and inconsistent brand with an updated but honest reinterpretation of the brand. Keeping integrity to their roots with a rustic and natural look while integrating a modern sensitivity had the goal of attracting a younger audience. The end product is a refreshed and cohesive brand revitalizing the customer base of Good Earth in hopes to assist them with franchising across Canada.
The collateral produced for this project use brown paper textures and ink stamps to establish the natural and rustic brand. A deep red helps connect the new look to the original branding, while adding in black accents create the modern and updated feel.
Expressive Typography
This project is my contribution from a collective publication of experimental typography. The publication featured an anthology of short stories centered around dialogue & conversation. Night meeting by Ray Bradbury, the story told in the spread, narrates an interaction between a Martian and a human in an ambiguous time in the future. The graphic hands running through the spread visually represent the moment of realization the characters experience when their hands fall through each other.
The story centers around the two characters coming to the realization that they are existing in different time planes. In the project, I used the lines stemming from the hands to represent the space in time which each exists. Muhe’s lines end after his dialogue, representing his probable existence in the past. Meanwhile, Tomas’s lines run off the page, representing his existence in the perceived future.
Editorial Photography
This collection is a series of editorial portrait photos produced for various projects. All utilized various studio and on-location lighting techniques to create dynamic and engaging portraits.
This image is from an on-location styled shoot. Using portable flash, the shoot produced a magazine cover-ready portrait with a clean yet trendy look.
This image is from a shoot emanating the visual style of Mick Rock, a photographer known for shooting many of the most prominent stars in the 70’s. Bringing in warm but dramatic tones with studio lighting and adding depth through use of a mirror to frame the subject create a dynamic and dramatic portrait.
This image was produced as an editorial men’s fashion shoot. Directing the model away from the light source, while manipulating studio lighting to create a moody atmosphere produces an image that feels intense yet controlled.
