Well Vegan (Hold the Pickled Herring)


The most recent project I’ve been working on, Well Vegan, just launched at the New Year. I enjoy eating healthy food frequently and on a regular basis, so when my friend Katie asked if I would help make it easier for vegans to do the same, I jumped on board. I’m not a vegan, but I have some vegan friends, and seeing some of them struggle with finding a variety of things to make that were also meeting their nutritional needs made this project hit close to home. Katie’s personal motivation to start Well Vegan stemmed from having her young daughter suffer from food allergies that were only ameliorated by switching to a vegan diet.

The first task was to create a logo for Well Vegan. After a short design brainstorm, the theme of “it’s in the greens” bubbled to the top, and resulted in a happy pea pod bursting with, well, veganism.

Well Vegan logo in various color ways.

The second and main task was to design a website. Katie wanted the site to reflect her healthy, simple, and homespun take on veganism. Visually, this is reflected by using the approachable and versatile font Skolar alongside rough-edged and spare illustrations.

The font Skolar pared with a simple illustration style.

Basically, Well Vegan is a repository of vegan recipes that are partnered with shopping lists and weekly meal plans that take all the hassle out of planning how you are going to sustain yourself. Sure, some people take joy in shopping and figuring out each and every meal, but others just want to get the job done without spending hours poring over recipe books and making lists. Using Well Vegan for $9.99 a month gives you all the tools necessary for eating home-cooked meals most every day. And if that’s what it takes for some vegans to eat healthier on a regular basis, I’m all for it.

How the Well Vegan plan works. Pretty simple, and then you're full. Also, beets are pretty rad.

Some people might have the misconception that vegan food is bland, but with the right recipes it can be anything but. A series of illustrations were made to let the ingredients take center stage and focus on the uncomplicated nature of the vegan diet. I’m not sure eating a tofu cube that large is realistic, but it gets the point across! Send me some giant chopsticks and I’ll let you know how it goes.

Food for giants! Or very hungry vegans!

I even got to use my new favorite phrase on the error screen, making this my favorite error screen second only to the consolation trout I made for Under the Table with Jen.

If you’re interested in checking out the site and what Well Vegan has to offer, visit www.wellvegan.com, or follow them on twitter at @wellvegan.

Last Year's Wrapping Paper


Each year when we receive our Christmas package from my Danish grandparents, my sister and I marvel at the wrapping paper that is almost as old as our grandma. With a soft fabric like quality from years of folding and re-wrapping, some of the prints have been in circulation as long as I can remember. There must have been a wrapping paper sale in 1962 that she has been carefully meting out paper from since. Past tape marks and rips are carefully covered, but often too plentiful to be obscured completely. While I admire her resourcefulness, I am also thankful that the presents inside are always new…I think.

Since it’s been a busy month here at the Bureau, I decided I would take a cue from Grandma. Not worse for the wear, here are five winter wallpapers from last year for use on your digital devices.

All The Future Is New

All The Future Is New wallpaper preview, made from cut out paper Download options for All The Future Is New

Dancing Pole Rats

free wallpaper sample: pole dancing rats Download options for Dancing Pole Rats

White Noise / Let It Snow

Free wallpaper "White Noise / Let it Snow" in blue, silver or charcoal. Download options for White Noise / Let It Snow (three colors available!)

Warm Fuzzies / Cackle Crackle

Warm Fuzzies Free Wallpaper Sample Download options for Warm Fuzzies / Cackle Crackle

Merry, Happy, Joy & Tidings

Merry, Happy, Joy and Tidings wallpaper in peppermint Download options for Merry, Happy, Joy & Tidings (five colors available!)

Last Year’s Wrapping Paper


Each year when we receive our Christmas package from my Danish grandparents, my sister and I marvel at the wrapping paper that is almost as old as our grandma. With a soft fabric like quality from years of folding and re-wrapping, some of the prints have been in circulation as long as I can remember. There must have been a wrapping paper sale in 1962 that she has been carefully meting out paper from since. Past tape marks and rips are carefully covered, but often too plentiful to be obscured completely. While I admire her resourcefulness, I am also thankful that the presents inside are always new…I think.

Since it’s been a busy month here at the Bureau, I decided I would take a cue from Grandma. Not worse for the wear, here are five winter wallpapers from last year for use on your digital devices.

All The Future Is New

All The Future Is New wallpaper preview, made from cut out paper Download options for All The Future Is New

Dancing Pole Rats

free wallpaper sample: pole dancing rats Download options for Dancing Pole Rats

White Noise / Let It Snow

Free wallpaper "White Noise / Let it Snow" in blue, silver or charcoal. Download options for White Noise / Let It Snow (three colors available!)

Warm Fuzzies / Cackle Crackle

Warm Fuzzies Free Wallpaper Sample Download options for Warm Fuzzies / Cackle Crackle

Merry, Happy, Joy & Tidings

Merry, Happy, Joy and Tidings wallpaper in peppermint Download options for Merry, Happy, Joy & Tidings (five colors available!)