Designing Women

Allison Fadden in Work Wonderland

By Melanie Cane

 

After spending 11 years in the corporate world, as a graphic designer, Allison Fadden took time off to raise her two daughters. Now that they are in school full time, she has taken the plunge, reentering the workforce with a freelance business, Allisonville (allisonvilledesign.com).

Fadden began her career in a small design studio in London, working mostly on projects for the music industry. Back across the pond, she spent the next decade in New York City working in the fashion industry — Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, and the Gap.

From home, Fadden put her designs to work pro bono for the community — the Jay Heritage Center and the Human Rights Commission of the City of Rye. She also took on freelance assignments — marketing materials for L’Olivier Floral Atelier, KMS Hair products, T-shirt graphics for Delias, textile designs for Milk Print.

The Milton School mom currently serves as Art Coordinator chair and co-chair of the PTO’s Welcoming Committee. In the last several years, she has created the graphics for the Milton Social, the Spring Fair, and MILTO (the school’s family BINGO night).

“A graphic designer is a problem solver of visual communications,” she offers. You take objective information and add artistic intuition.”

Her strong suits are logos, invitations, posters, apparel graphics, hand-drawn lettering and creative typography, and customizable party pieces. She’s also branching out to the digital realm creating graphics for social media content. “Original graphics and unique illustrations help content to stand out on social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook,” said Fadden. “I see creating design work for social media as a small canvas with a big impact.”

When you hire Fadden, she will arrange to meet you (in person, by phone, through emails) for a creative direction consult and design assessment. Then she determines how to best represent you.

“I consider color, style, and design elements and come up with ideas on how to create something original and true to my clients’ sensibilities.” Once a client chooses one, Fadden fine-tunes the design.

The time frame depends largely on the scope of the project, but generally, it is two to three weeks. “I will happily accommodate a quicker turnaround if my workload allows it.”

Fadden calls her decision to launch her own business both intimidating and exciting. “After weighing the pros and cons I had to give it a go so that I could try and have the best of both worlds: a purposeful and rewarding career while still being there day-to-day as my daughters grow up. Luckily, graphic design is a field where that is possible. So, with this quote in mind, here goes nothing”: “Thinking Here Goes Nothing, Could Be the Start of Everything.”

 

Caption:

Allison Fadden with her dog Sofie (Sophia Quesadilla)