Ellen J. Daniels

Multi-Skilled Communicator. I directed communications for Youth-Nex, a research center located at the University of Virginia’s School of Education and Human Development. My responsibilities included public relations & marketing, report-writing, graphic design, website maintenance & design, creating a social media presence, conference planning, and manuscript editing. I also published a monthly e-newsletter and maintain the center's blog.

The books shown here are pieces I created for the center’s annual national conferences. I designed and wrote the text for each book.

Graphic Design for the University Human Resources Department at the University of Virginia. From 2007-2009 I wrote communications, created branding, and designed materials (including brochures, logos, and posters for several departments including Recruitment, Benefits, Learning and Development, Employee Relations, and Career Services). I was also hired as a photographer for events and to create content for collateral materials.

More work for the University of Virginia can be found at Ellen's Curry School page and Youth-Nex page.

UHR serves the academic division of the University of Virginia, the University of Virginia’s College at Wise, and administers the health plan and other benefits for the University’s Medical Center. 

I was commissioned to illustrate and design this Chinese new year's card for a New York acupuncture practice - Happy New Year in the "Year of the Rat."

Fun Fact: The next "year of the rat" will be 2020. The rat has characteristics of spirit, wit, alertness, delicacy, flexibility and vitality. 2015 is the year of the Sheep.

This print campaign exceeded the client's marketing goal, increasing enrollment by 400%.

I chose striking images from early 20th century Pulp Fiction magazines to illustrate this print campaign for the James Madison University Masters of English Program. I wrote the taglines and designed the brochure, postcards, and poster. I worked with the chair of the English department who wanted to make a bold statement to attract new students to the program. 

ENROLLMENT INCREASED 400%; AND WE RAISED AWARENESS OF THE DEPARTMENT.

Design Fact: Taglines are the 2nd most noticeable part of any design.

Fun Fact: The term pulp derives from the cheap wood pulp paper on which the magazines were printed; in contrast, magazines printed on higher quality paper were called "glossies" or "slicks." - Wikipedia

Logo and Illustration for a yoga accessory company. I created a feminine, and delicate illustration to represent the brand.

Bua means Lotus in the client's native Thai. The lotus is an aquatic flower and holds a sacred place in Buddhist cultures.

The Curry School of Education employed me to create a logo and wayfaring signage system for a library called the Curry Library Innovative Commons, or "The Clic."

The branding and signage I created helped unify the arbitrary physical space.

The school's Chief Financial Officer told me that when donors sat in the space and saw the newly installed signage, they were able to envision how the library would be used and agreed to finance the renovations. (See photos below.)

I snapped this shot at Coney Island, New York.  The neighborhood was formerly an island but is now connected by landfill to the southwestern part of the borough of Brooklyn, in New York City.

I have created many posters for the University of Virginia. Here are a few samples from the Curry School of Education and the Law School.

I was the primary designer for the Curry School of Education before taking the role of communications director for the research center, Youth-Nex. I did a lot of design and communications work. Here are a few samples.

Logo design for the accounting firm, MGSB. People like to see options. I always provide my clients many variations to choose from. Many of them are included below.

Whimsical logo and concept for a personal chef business emphasizing "Slow Food."

Logo for East Coast Drag Boat Association.

Fun Facts: As one might think, drag boat racing takes place on water rather than land. A pair of competitors race their vehicles for the lowest elapsed time over a straight race course of a defined length –Wikipedia.

Etymology Fun I: The word drag was used in the 1500s – a 'drag' was a heavy sledge that was dragged by horses. This form of cart without wheels was known from the 14th century, under the name of dray. –Phrasefinder

Etymology Fun II: The name "Wikipedia" comes from the Hawaiian word "wiki" meaning "quick" (and has come to denote a technology for creating collaborative websites) and from "encyclopedia."

As a communications professional, I have written many articles at the University of Virginia including the School of Law, and the Curry School of Education.

View Articles here.

Logo for Charlottesville and New York-based cupcake company.

Easy Chocolate Cupcake Recipe:
Ingredients
    •    3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
    •    3/4 cup all-purpose flour
    •    1/2 teaspoon baking powder
    •    1/4 teaspoon salt
    •    3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
    •    1 cup sugar
    •    3 large eggs
    •    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    •    1/2 cup sour cream
    •    Easy White Icing
    •    Sprinkles (optional)

Directions

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners.

    Into a medium bowl, sift together cocoa, flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each, then beat in vanilla. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with sour cream and beginning and ending with flour.
    Watch: How to Cream Butter Properly

    Pour batter into cups, filling each 3/4 full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.

    Cool in pan 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, then spread with Easy White Icing using a table knife or small offset spatula. Decorate with sprinkles, if desired.

mmmmm.