Knowledge, Creativity, Expertise

Yellow Dot Designs is a graphic design studio in Alexandria, Virginia near Washington, DC that offers design and illustration for print and web. We design and produce marketing and communications materials for associations, business and government.

Rely on a professional—a master of visual arts, typography and composition. Yellow Dot Designs brings creativity and skill to your project. We want to work with your budget.
Give us a call for:

Expertise: Our director has a background in design, art and printing techniques. We have in-depth knowledge of logo design. We have access to experienced copywriters, photographers and printers.

Files: YDD considers logos or layout files we create for you to be your property. All we ask for is full payment. We want to be on your team, and expect you to own your final art.

Languages: We love speaking German, French and Spanish. We are happy to work with foreign clients and organizations with a global reach.

Award Winning

Yellow Dot Designs was honored by the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce at the end of last year with the "Rising Star" award! Ellen was recognized for her involvement with the chamber and the local business community. Yellow Dot created the new and improved Who's Who directory of chamber members along with a team of people interested in the chamber's success.

Why the Name?

In 1993, Ellen opened Yellow Dot Studios. She thought long and hard about the name, even seeking professional advice. The inspiration was "Banana Banner, Signs with Appeal", which is an Alexandria sign and banner shop. Ellen loved the playful banana logo and the slogan. 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 name search refined it down to Yellow Dot Designs.

 

 

 

Great Deal for a Website

The deal is taken! The deal was: to create a 3-page website for the flat rate of $500. And it went fast! The new deal is: a 3-page website - that includes helping you figure out what goes where, a design that reflects your company brand, production, and uploading to a web hosting company that you are signed up with. All for the low low price of $700! Again, this is a one time offer, and when it's gone, it's gone!

New Websites by Yellow Dot Designs

Yellow Dot created a website for Archon Editorial, which you can see at www.archoneditorial.com. We added a Paypal payment button to the site, so that Archon could accept credit card payments.
More recently, Yellow Dot created a website for Ellen’s networking group. It has a list of all members with contact info and photo. Another page shows a photo album of recent event photos. It’s at www.otacnetworking.com.

Animation by Yellow Dot Designs

This little animation was created for the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce, to be an eye catching announcement of the up coming golfing event.

New Blog Page for Yellow Dot Designs

The winds of change seem to be blowing in the direction of more online connectivity with your target audience. Your business needs to be there when they come looking for you.
I have finally succumbed to the pressure and have learned how to create and attach a Wordpress blog page to the website.
“Web logs” are not at all like a ship’s log, which is a recording of winds, crew, maintenance and equipment. It seems to have turned into business owners writing elaborate articles about their industry, to solicit comments. It’s the potential interactivity with one’s viewers that makes a blog appealing.
Your blog can contain links to other websites, images or video. Some blogs function as an online diary. A “microblog” will have short postings.
The trick is to get your target market to take the time to visit your blog. This may require outreach on your part, to inform your audience of whichever tasty tidbits you have left there for them to find and be informed by. It is kind of like a mini facebook page. See Ellen's blog using the "Blog" button above.

July Newsletter

The July newsletter has been sent! Both the printed and the email versions. This month we are featuring Jay Hines, who is a trademark attorney with Cantor Colburn, LLP. His office is in old town Alexandria.

You will see the whole newsletter under "Newsletters" here. If you'd like to receive the printed or email version, email your info to ellen@yellowdotdesigns.com.

If you are interested in having your business featured in the newsletter, call 703.328.8046.

Ellen Hamilton, President

Ellen has over 14 years experience in graphic design and illustration. In the mid 90’s Ellen had a design 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 www.ellensimages.com as a collection of photos and art for purchase. Ellen published commercial calendars for 2006 and 2007, which can be seen at www.ellenscalendars.com. 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 how 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. He holds a BSc Honours degree in Physics from Glasgow University in Scotland.

More information about Ellen can be found on the Linked-In web site, at http://www.linkedin.com/in/ellenhamilton

Design Clients:

Alexandria Chamber of Commerce (Alex)
Construction Specifications Institute (Alex)
Celebrate Productions (Lorton, VA)
Envelope Manufacturers Association (Alex)
Del Ray Business Association (Alex)
Alexandria Commission for the Arts (Alex)
Washington Design Center (DC)
Benoit Marketing (Alex)
Care for You, Inc (Silver Spring, MD)
Accoustic Axis (Alex)
Red Poppy Catering (Alex)
Kura Design (Vienna, VA)
Alexandria Times Newspaper (Alex)
Potomac West Antique Gallery and Not Too Shabby Consignments (Alex)
Audio Book Club of America, Inc. (Alex)
Thompson Publishing Group (DC)
Travel & Tourism Government Affairs Council (DC)
Crescent City Restaurant (Alex)
Musicians Peter Mealy & Laurie Rose Griffith (VA)
Bonzai Sports (Alex)
Academy Computerized Dentistry (DC)
The Uncommon Market (Arlington, VA)
Joe Theismann’s Restaurant (Alex)
Thompson Telemarketing (Salisbury, MD)
Michael Patrick’s Steak & Ale (Oakton, VA)

Illustration Clients:

Charles Houston Center (Alex)
The White House (US Gov)
Legal Times Newspaper (DC)
Alexandria Times Newspapers (Alex)
Del Ray Music Festival (Alex)
Ideas Unlimited newsletter (DC)
Stouffer-Renaissance Hotel (Arlington, VA)
Alexandria Bridal Collection (Alex)

Logo and Corporate Identity Clients:

Contrary Investment Advisors (Fairfax, VA)
Figaro Consulting (Alex)
Old Town Alexandria Connections (Alex)
The Washington Network (Alex)
Community Partners for Children (Alex)
Kate Moran Band (Alex)
Energy Smart Real Estate Professionals (Alex)
Gallery Indigo (Alex)
Del Ray Business Association (Alex)
Prime Time Sporting Goods (Alex)
Capital City Entertainment (Alex)
Agoric Enterprises (Fairfax, VA)
Honest to Goodness Foods (DC)
River City Grill (Alex)
Boga Mesa Communications (Alex)
Vallen Realty, Inc. (Alex)
Soup to Nuptials, Wedding Plans (VA)

 

“Thank you for everything, Ellen. You've been absolutely fabulous to work with!”

Jennifer Zimmermann
Marketing Manager,
Construction Specifications Institute

“We've had a lot of good response to the ad campaign so we're really happy with it. Thank you.”
Maria Wasowski,
President, Del Ray Business Association
Owner, A Show of Hands

 

“Our Business of Design mailer looks fabulous!"
Mitchell Ammons,
Director of Marketing, The Washington Design Center

 

“Ellen—Thank you for your help with the invitation. We couldn't have finished it without you.”
Cindy Gompert,
Owner, Eight Hands Round

 

“Ellen designed my business cards from an older version, adding new color and fonts. Thanks, Ellen. I'd use her again.”
Denise Benoit,
Owner, Benoit Marketing