Yellow Dot Designs is a graphic design studio in Alexandria, Virginia that offers design and illustration for print, web and video.
The fifth year in business, Yellow Dot Designs works closely with trade associations, non profit organizations and local businesses on outreach materials, logo design, websites and video. Ellen works directly with clients so she can have the best understanding of an organization’s goals, business identity and message.
Yellow Dot Designs brings creativity and skill to your project. We want to work with your budget.
Give us a call for:
Expertise: We have in-depth knowledge of logo design. Our director has a background in design, illustration and printing techniques. We have access to experienced videographers, copywriters, photographers and printers.
Files: YDD considers logos or layout design we create for you to be your property. We want to be on your team, and expect you to own your final art.
Languages: Ellen is fluent in German, French and not too bad in Spanish. We are happy to work with foreign clients and organizations with a global reach.
Yellow Dot Designs was honored by the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce with the Rising Star Award! Ellen was recognized for her involvement with the Chamber and the
local business community.
In 1993 Ellen opened Yellow Dot Studios. She thought long and hard
about the name, even seeking professional advice. She wanted a friendly, approachable and informal name. This time around in 2007, although it would be a studio with a slightly different focus, the old name got approval when people heard it. A website search refined it down to Yellow Dot Designs.
I've been working on a long term project, a Wordpress website for my family. This will continue for some time, as I scan the photos that were handed down from Grandma Johnson, and pages are created for different sections of the family. Wordpress is a way to make a website that you can update yourself. You log in, and have access to the control panel where you can make text changes and add your own photos. The downside is you choose a template, and are then limited to what that template allows you to do. But for the family, it is working well. Wordpress started as blogging software, so visitors are able to add comments just as they would on a blog.
As written about in the newsletter, I worked with Margaret Kennedy, pro videographer to shoot an hour long presentation by Elaine Flynn of Our Town Topics. Elaine picked out the best parts, and I put together a 5 minute video for Elaine’s website! Then, I added some fancy intro and ending graphics, and posted the video to the YDD YouTube page.
See all the videos on the Yellow Dot Designs YouTube page.
You can find Yellow Dot Designs on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. You can also read the Yellow Dot Designs Blog.
The December newsletter was a lot more work than previous ones. I created a special video where I show off the Christmas tree, talk a bit about my background, and about why you want to hire a professional designer over your nephew who has a computer! The emailed newsletter has an image which links the viewer to the video, which is posted on the YDD YouTube page. There, you can see some of the other videos I've done this year. I spent the most time on the intro and ending graphics in the video, doing a “bouncing ball” graphic, which has a realistic bounce. I also put in some art that I had done previously.
For January I did a custom painting, and had a small 2012 calendar printed up. Those were just mailed out on Jan. 12th. I have plenty left, so call me if you want one! I feel that this calendar is sort of the essence of what I do, since it has original art, coupled with designed type, and printed.
As always, I like to feature a different business in my newsletters, with a small article and maybe an image. If you would like your media, video, communications, photography, writing, illustration or related business featured in it, do let me know! See some of my newsletters in this website.
Contact me (creative@yellowdotdesigns.com) if you want to be added to the mailing list.
Ellen Hamilton, PresidentEllen can't remember how many years she's been doing this, but thinks it's over 15 years of designing and illustrating. In the mid 90s she had a studio called Yellow Dot Studios. She worked with Alexandria businesses and restaurants painting murals, designing logos and doing pen and ink illustrations. Later she was the in-house designer at Thompson Publishing Group in Washington, DC for 8 years, designing book covers, marketing materials, direct mail and animated graphics and ads for the company website.
In 2005 she created the website ellensimages.com as a collection of photos and art for purchase. Ellen published commercial calendars for 2006 to 2008 which you can see here under "Calendars". In 2008 she opened Yellow Dot Designs.
Ellen earned degrees in Painting and Printmaking at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia, and in Communication Design at Northern Virginia Community College in Alexandria. Samples of her paintings and early work can be seen at www.ellenhamilton.com.
Although she grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Ellen spent her teen years in Germany, where her father taught English at the University of Kassel. Before college she worked as a nanny in France and a street musician in Barcelona, Spain, and learned to speak German, French and Spanish.
Ellen has lived in Alexandria since 1991. She is active in several groups: the Del Ray Business Association, a networking group called Old Town Alexandria Connections, the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce, and Del Ray Artisans.
Ellen's husband Andrew is a SAS programmer and provides IT support for YDD. Andrew comes from a town near Glasgow, Scotland.
More information about Ellen can be found on the Linked-In website, here.
Print & Web Design Clients:Construction Specifications Institute, Alexandria, VA Washington Design Center, Washington, DC Del Ray Business Association, Alexandria, VA Alexandria Commission for the Arts, Alexandria, VA Barkley Square, Dog Bakery, Alexandria, VA Celebrate Productions, Lorton, VA Envelope Manufacturers Assn, Alexandria, VA Del Ray Music Festival, Alexandria, VA Our Town Topics, Fairfax, VA Bobi Bomar's Homes of Alexandria, Alexandria, VA Potomac West Antique Gallery, Alexandria, VA Curcio Communications, Fairfax, VA Archon Editorial, Alexandria, VA Ground Control Landscape Services, Alexandria, VA Benoit Marketing, Alexandria, VA Care For You, Inc, Silver Spring, MD Accoustic Axis, Alexandria, VA Alexandria Times Newspaper, Alexandria, VA Red Poppy Catering, Alexandria, VA Kura Design, Alexandria, VA Audio Book Club of America, Alexandria, VA Thompson Telemarketing, Washington, DC Travel & Tourism Gov. Affairs Cncl, Washington, DC Academy Computerized Dentistry, Washington, DC The Uncommon Market, Arlington, VA Joe Theisman's Restaurant, Alexandria, VA Crescent City Restaurant, Alexandria, VA Michael Patrick's Steak & Ale, Oakton, VA |
Illustration Clients:Charles Houston Center, Alexandria, VA The White House, US Government Legal Times Newspaper, Washington, DC Del Ray Music Festival, Alexandria, VA Ideas Unlimited Newsletter, Washington, DC Stouffer-Renaissance Hotel, Arlington, VA Logo Clients:Property Stars, LLC Arlington, VA Seniors Living Well, LLC Alexandria, VA Contrary Investment Advisors, Fairfax, VA Figaro Consulting, Alexandria, VA Old Town Alexandria Connections, Alexandria, VA The Washington Network, Alexandria, VA Community Partners for Children, Alexandria, VA Capital City Entertainment, Alexandria, VA Alexandria Bridal Collection, Alexandria, VA Kate Moran Band, Alexandria, VA Energy Smart Real Estate Pro's, Alexandria, VA Gallery Indigo, Alexandria, VA Agoric Enterprises, Fairfax, VA Honest to Goodness Foods, Washington, DC River City Grill, Alexandria, VA Boga Mesa Communications, Alexandria, VA Vallen Realty, Inc, Alexandria, VA Soup to Nuptials, Wedding Plans, Alexandria, VA
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"Thank you for everything, Ellen. You've been absolutely fabulous to work with!" Jennifer Zimmermann |
| "We've had a lot of good response to the ad campaign, so we're really happy with it. Thank you."
Maria Wasowski, |
| "Our Business of Design mailer looks fabulous!"
Mitchell Ammons, |
| "Ellen—Thank you for your help with the invitation. We couldn't have finished it without you."
Cindy Gompert, |
| "Ellen designed my business cards from an older version, adding new color and fonts. Thanks, Ellen. I'd use her again."
Denise Benoit, |