Inspire Salon
Inspire Salon is an organic, sustainable salon located in Ellicott City, Maryland. I began working there in 2016 as a Salon Assistant and continued on and off throughout my college years, returning during breaks and after graduation while navigating the job market. The salon owner, and my dear friend Kathleen, gave me the opportunity to assist with their booth at the Vegan Festival in Catonsville, Maryland. I designed the salon's booth banner, ensuring it aligned with the salon's branding, and also created two stickers to distribute during the festival. These stickers featured the salon's Instagram handle to help raise awareness and attract attention to the business.
Sticker Designs
I wanted to design stickers that not only resonated with the salon's branding but also conveyed its core message.
For the first sticker, the goal was to raise awareness about the salon's expertise in curly and ethnic hair. I illustrated a bust-style graphic of a woman with voluminous, beautiful curly hair, capturing the essence of this specialization. To emphasize the salon's commitment to sustainability, I incorporated nature-inspired elements to tie into the eco-friendly environment. For balance at the bottom of the sticker, I used a bold, decorative font that mimicked the shape and flow of curls, reinforcing the theme.
For the second sticker, I focused on the salon’s organic, sustainable, and vegan values. I illustrated two large monstera leaves, stacking them in a way that mimicked their natural growth. The quote “True Beauty is Cruelty-Free” was added to highlight the salon’s vegan philosophy. I stacked the text to create negative space, allowing the monstera leaves to peek through, which drew attention to both the visual and the message.
