Rotanz Design

AI is a big topic these days and something I find myself thinking about constantly. It’s fascinating and mind blowing, but if I’m being honest, all of it just makes me incredibly sad. I know there is real hope in medical advances, research, and productivity and I keep trying to be optimistic, but I’m struggling wayyy too much with the cons. Besides the fact that the creative industry (like my job) is going to dramatically change or even disappear, I’m majorly concerned about environmental impact, the need for more data centers, copyright infringement, job losses, misinformation, privacy, security and so much more. I’m alarmed at the rate at which this is all being unleashed/forced onto the public with zero guardrails or regulations. In this post, I share my top concerns as well as how I plan to work and live in this day and age.

https://www.rotanzdesign.com/blog/graphic-designers-thoughts-ai

Latest and greatest collab with my 1 year old daughter 🤩 The layering, the overall composition and strategic placement of bones and balls… it makes a mama proud 👏🏼😆 In all seriousness, I’ve been SO excited to have art days with my girlie and it’s finally happening ☺️

Sup?

Today I want to share some more of the inspiration behind my brand refresh and the overarching theme of pollinators and beauty.

Have you ever finished a book and felt deeply moved? Almost like you’re a changed person after reading it? That’s how Braiding Sweetgrass felt for me and it changed the way I view nature. Robin Wall Kimmerer is a botanist that blends Indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge and the teachings of plants.

There was one chapter that stuck out to me called Asters and Goldenrod. Robin wanted to know why asters and goldenrod looked so beautiful together and why they always grew beside each other. She says, “Alone, each is a botanical superlative. Together, the visual effect is stunning. Purple and gold, the heraldic colors of the king and queen of the meadow, a regal procession in complementary colors.” It turns out that this pairing of colors is not only beautiful to humans, but to bees as well. She goes on to say, “We both think they’re beautiful. Their striking contrast when they grow together makes them the most attractive target in the whole meadow, a beacon for bees. Growing together, both receive more pollinator visits than they would if they were growing alone. It’s a testable hypothesis; it’s a question of science, a question of art, and a question of beauty.”

This made me think about a couple things:

1. As a designer, there are a lot of decisions we make that have this same effect for our client’s work. What color combinations, typefaces, and images can we use to draw in more customers for our client’s businesses? Nature can be such a wonderful resource to draw inspiration from because it’s already practicing so many of these visual techniques.

2. It’s helped inspire me to create a space on my website that I’m calling the “Resource Garden” to promote local graphic designers, photographers, writers and other creatives in the Asheville area. Both asters and goldenrod are native to this place and our creative community here is strong. I believe that if we grow together, we all benefit. This part of my website is a work in progress, so stay tuned!!

Big thanks to for this gorgeous image!