Define Normal.

I wanted to create a piece that normalized the female body and encouraged women to rewrite society's pre-packaged narrative about what is acceptable, beautiful, and normal. To convey the fact that this struggle has been a multi-generational and a deeply personal fight for women, I made a point to film myself and paired that with found footage and stock imagery from previous decades.

While no one video can immediately change the lens through which we view our bodies, I hope this can be a catalyst for conversations or at least provide some entertaining information.

WorkMaren NelsonJune 9, 2017motion graphics, infographic, body positivity, feminism, graphic design, videoComment

Making things move

The more I learn about design, my own personal aesthetic, and the never-ending amount of software magic in the world, the more I'm convinced I've chosen the right career. I feel like I'm just scratching the surface of these explorations and every day I'm excited by the prospect of what new project will be around the corner.

WorkMaren NelsonMarch 13, 2017motion graphics, animation, video, graphic design, shorts Comments

Hunting for type.

Nothing like starting the semester of Typography Studio with wandering around Whittier taking photos of seemingly random things and having the neighbors and patio dwellers give you weird looks!

DabblesMaren NelsonSeptember 26, 2016photo collage, lettering, found objects, typography, graphic designComment

I love the Olympics.

No. really. I absolutely adore the Olympics. Summer? Winter? Swimming? Skiing? Water polo? Curling? That one where they ski and shoot guns for no apparent reason? Yes. All of them. It doesn't matter to me. Just give me all the sports and fanfare all the time. As a result, for the next foreseeable future I will undoubtedly be glued to the TV watching a grandiose display of athleticism and patriotism with a dash (...huge dash...) of Morgan-Freeman-Visa-Commercial-esque corporately-curated feelings.

Maren NelsonAugust 5, 2016logo, branding, design, graphic design, olympics, milton glaser, aiga, rio 2016Comment

Hey babe.

Nothing like using awful online dating messages to make greeting cards so you can send weirdo notes to your friends. Maybe I'll get around to selling these sometime...

WorkMaren NelsonApril 16, 2016greeting cards, okcupid, online dating, cards, typography, graphic designComment

Wind in the Willows.

I loved this book growing up and working on this project for Typography makes me want to read it again.

WorkMaren NelsonMarch 13, 2016typography, wind in the willows, typesetting, book, book design, graphic designComment

Vinyl explorations.

Despite an increasing digital world, album art continues to hold importance in the modern music industry and pop culture. Not only does the cover set the tone for an entire album, it is a visual representation of the music out in the world.

WorkMaren NelsonDecember 15, 2015vinyl, packaging, graphic design, cover artComment

Falling into design.

While working in nonprofits, it is pretty common to inadvertently take on tasks that need to get done and learn how to do them on the fly. When I was hired at Wallin Education Partners, I worked in program development and management but was frustrated by the lack of branding and quality promotions across the organization.

Life, WorkMaren NelsonNovember 25, 2015branding, graphic design, careerComment

Scholarship recruitment materials.

How do you grab the attention of high school seniors when they are stuck in their phones, busy with friends, and working hard to get into their top choice school? Good question.

WorkMaren NelsonOctober 15, 2015recruitment, promotions, brochure, poster, graphic designComment

Baby's first freelance.

My background in communications came in handy when I got to design a promotional brochure for this small business.

WorkMaren NelsonSeptember 26, 2015promotions, marketing, brochure, graphic designComment

MN Grit List.

GRIT: /grit/ noun

1. "firmness of character; indomitable spirit." 2. "perseverance and passion for long-term goals."

WorkMaren NelsonJune 19, 2015logo design, logo, grit, graphic design, branding, freelanceComment

Minneapolis urban farming meets visual data.

After college, I managed to convince my parents to let me take over large sections of their yard to grow food. Five seasons later, we're still canning tomatoes, harvesting kale, and eating more beans off the vine than I thought physically possible.

WorkMaren NelsonMarch 31, 2015infographic, data visualization, urban farming, urban agricultre, graphic designComment

More work, a few dabbles, & unsolicited commentary.

More work, a few dabbles, &
unsolicited commentary.