• Art Direction
• Brand Strategy
• Logo and Brand Identity Design
• Photographer & Lead of Volunteer Photographers
• Design & Development of Microsite
• Print & Digital Advertising Design
• Managing Creative Team

This was the project that taught me that although I love and appreciate the intricacies of web and graphic design… what I am most passionate about when it comes to design is the big picture – the process and power of a full-on brand identity package.

Do At The Zoo is Denver Zoo's yearly fundraising event where local restaurants and breweries feature all their best tastes and treats. Design work for the event, from branding to advertising, had previously been outsourced to an agency. As lead of the creative team, I recognized that we had the talent to do the work in-house consequently saving the zoo a significant amount of money on agency fees.

For this branding effort we were tasked to represent this fun, yet high-end, epicurean event that takes place on zoo grounds. We wanted a logo and brand that would last for several years but still wanted the event to be able to feel fresh and new from year to year. We accomplished this by designing a logo, typeface and patterns that would remain the same from year to year and by only changing the color palette, inspired by color trends of the current year. All signage, advertising, floral arrangements, lighting and linens for the event would update based on that year's color palette.

• Catalog production work
• Digital ad design

Natural Habitat Adventures partners with World Wildlife Fund to provide eco-conscious wildlife adventures around the world.

Nat Hab is one of my favorite freelance clients (shhh, don’t tell the others). Not just because I enjoy working with the team on their yearly printed catalog (which is a beast) and creating digital ads throughout the year, but also… the subject matter!

Did you know, a study was conducted that found evidence to suggest that watching cute animals may contribute to a reduction in stress and anxiety.

So, technically working for Nat Hab is like a form of meditation.

• Web Design
• Graphic Design
• Social Media and Digital Advertising
• Photography

Over the years, I have worked with more than 100 different companies in a variety of industries. The ones I enjoyed working with most were those promoting travel, recreation and wildlife, whose missions focus on appreciating the beauty of nature, experiencing all that life has to offer while working to preserve our planet. What a gift to work alongside passionate people who devote their lives to caring about conservation and humanity while still enjoying the small pleasures in life like food, wine and relaxation. It has become my mission to serve these organizations through exceptional design and photography.

• Brand Strategy & Brainstorming
• Brand Development - both of primary brand and sub-brands
• Art Direction
• Web & Graphic Design
• Advertising
• Graphics for Social Media
• Print Collateral
• Photography
• Served on Board of Directors

Athena Project is a non-profit organization that empowers women in the arts. When I was asked to be on their Board of Directors, I suggested we go through a brand refresh to modernize the brand. Since the 5 years it had launched, Athena Project had grown to become a well-known organization in the Denver community and its brand needed to be updated to better represent its current image. We didn't want an entirely new brand since the logo had become recognizable by the arts community and its supporters - we just needed a refresh. I was tasked with using the existing purple, green and blue color palette and to keep the concept of three women supporting one another, while also representing the multiple artistic disciplines - theater, dance, music, visual arts, comedy and fashion. In the process I quickly realized we needed a secondary color palette to support the various disciplines and to give life and energy to the brand.

"Throughout our rebranding process, Charlotte's patience and attention to detail in understanding our core of who we are and where we want to go is more than I could have hoped for. Her design and vision allowed us to be super flexible and creative but maintain a brand that's consistent and of quality. Not only did we take our brand to the next level but we surpassed the next 10 levels!"
- Angela Astle, Executive Producer

• Storyboarding
• Image/Footage Sourcing
• Video Production
• Audio Editing using Adobe Audition
• Motion Graphics
• Design of Print Materials

As a multimedia designer for Empowering Performance Inc, I worked on dozens of client projects. One of them was developing a series of eLearning courses for Hope for Justice, an organization that works to fight human trafficking and help victims and survivors of modern slavery around the world.

The goal was to create awareness for the general public and to educate workers on how to spot signs of trafficking in the hospitality industry, law enforcement and healthcare environments. Another course focused on ‘Keeping Kids Safe in the Digital World’ - see video below.

My primary role in this team of content developers and instructional designers was creating video: finding stock footage that complimented the HFJ brand, video production, audio editing, and motion graphics.

I also designed print materials to accompany the online courses.

• Graphic Design
• Print and Digital Marketing Materials

Morris Animal Foundation funds research to improve and protect the health of animals through scientific innovation, education and inspiration. The organization is committed to fighting animal diseases worldwide in species ranging from cats and dogs to horses and alpacas; amphibians and wildcats to anteaters and elephants.

The organization went through a major rebranding initiative and hired me to assist in updating all their print collateral to reflect the new brand. I worked on smaller one-off projects such as e-newsletter templates, postcards, notecards, animal reports, icon illustrations and larger projects like designing their quarterly publication, AnimalNews. Also shown here, is my work designing a stationery package and promotional collateral for their Development department, Circle of Discovery.

• Brand Strategy and Identity
• Brand Book and all visual assets (logos, icons, illustrations, infographics)
• Marketing Materials [Print + Digital]
• Web Design/Development

I worked as a part-time employee at Empowering Performance Inc. – a company that offers custom e-learning solutions and leadership training.

It was an honor to work for them since they were the company that trained me, a decade prior, when I was recently promoted to a manager position. Through their intensive 6-month Values Based Leadership program, I learned to be the best leader I could be.

While working for them as a Graphic/Multimedia Designer I worked on projects for about a dozen different clients, while also supporting the marketing team with website redesign, social media graphics and promotional materials.

The biggest (and most fun) project I had was developing a new brand identity for their ‘Leadership to Live By’ training program, culminating in the design of this comprehensive brand book.

• Brand Development
• Managing Creative Team
• Environmental Graphic Design
• Advertising (Digital and Print)
• Photography

For the first time ever, Denver Zoo designed and developed a new tiger exhibit with all work done in-house. Under my lead, the zoo's Creative Services team named the exhibit, developed the logo and branding for the exhibit, designed all the interpretive graphics, and created the advertising campaign used to promote the opening of the exhibit. The year that the exhibit opened and the ad campaign launched, the zoo had its highest number of visitors, exceeding 2 million guests.

The world needs your art. I am here to help you find success as an artist by showcasing your work in its most beautiful light and to help you share it with the world.

Before pursuing my dream of being a professional artist, I built a 20-year career as a successful web/graphic designer and professional photographer. I have achieved extraordinary success as an artist in just a few years and I attribute most of it to my expertise in and passion for exceptional design and marketing.

I want to help you navigate your way to success. We can go on this journey together — I can teach you what you want to know or just let me do the work for you, so you can focus your energy on making art.

Services & Packages

All packages begin with an hour long FREE consultation to determine your needs. See itemized list of offerings to add or switch out specific services or to build your own package.

STARTER PACKAGE - $1500*
• Simple Logo
• Business Card Design
• Website (w/ online gallery featuring up to 10 works of art + 5 additional pages)
*artist provides digital imagery + doesn’t include print costs/website fees

SIMPLE PACKAGE - $2500*
• Brand Identity (simple logo, tagline, color palette, typeface)
• Business Card Design
• Website (w/ online gallery featuring up to 20 works of art + 5 additional pages)
*artist provides digital imagery + doesn’t include print costs/website fees

SIMPLE PACKAGE WITH PHOTOGRAPHY SERVICES - $3500*
• Brand Identity (simple logo, tagline, color palette, typeface)
• Business Card Design
• Website (w/ online gallery featuring up to 20 works of art + 5 additional pages)
• Photography Package (digitizing up to 20 works of art + headshot) *doesn’t include print costs/website fees

EXPERT PACKAGE - $5250*
• Brand Identity (simple logo, tagline, color palette, typeface)
• Business Card Design
• Website (w/ online gallery featuring up to 25 works of art + 5 additional pages)
• Photography Package (digitizing up to 25 works of art + headshot)
• Postcard Design
• Social Media Graphics
• ENewsletter Design
*doesn’t include print cost/website fees

E-COMMERCE PACKAGE - $7500*
• Brand Identity (simple logo, tagline, color palette, typeface)
• Business Card Design
• Website (w/ online gallery featuring up to 25 works of art + 5 additional pages)
• Etsy shop integrated with Printful (up to 25 works of art)
• Photography Package (digitizing up to 25 works of art + headshot + In the Studio photoshoot)
• Postcard Design
• Social Media Graphics
• ENewsletter Design

*doesn’t include print cost/website fees/Etsy fees

__________________________________________________
Contact me to set up our initial consultation:

charlottebassin@gmail.com
303.842.9015

• Print Design
• Infographics
• Prepress Production

Two years after having left my position at Denver Zoo to pursue being a professional artist, I was hired back on a contract basis to cover while one of their graphic designers was on maternity leave. I had several fun projects but the most exciting was designing the annual report.

I was directed to work within the parameters of the brand guidelines, to use large images over two page spreads and to incorporate infographics wherever possible, all within a set amount of pages.

• Brand Identity
• Website
• Email campaigns

I love working with individuals and small businesses because I know how much a strong brand can help build trust with their customers and help them gain new business.

I worked with Megan to find a color palette, typeface and design elements that she loved – and that also coordinated with the interior space that she was having built for her private practice. It was lovely to see all of it come together in one cohesive brand.

NOTE: This project is an example of how I am open to doing work on a barter basis. No money was exchanged and I got a year’s worth of acupuncture.

• Branding
• Graphic Design
• Social Media Assets
• Photography

Womxn's March Denver is a collective of womxn* committed to amplifying marginalized voices in the movement to end sexism, oppression, and injustice. Through community engagement, protest, education, and leadership, the organization leverages their platform to ignite action.
*Womxn is defined as those targeted by sexism.

I was involved with the organization as a volunteer photographer coordinator and I was hired as a graphic designer to create a brand, social media kit and interactive calendar for the Vote 2 Vent campaign leading to the 2020 elections.

• Pre-production
• Interviews, b-roll, lighting and sound
• Video editing

After taking a certificate program in video production I got to work collaboratively with the Denver Zoo videographer to create this thank you video to donors and supporters.

• Mobile app (frontend) design
• UI/UX
• Wireframes
• Icon and map design

As an in-house designer at Denver Zoo I had the opportunity to work on all kinds of unique projects, including the user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design of their first ever mobile app. This was a huge cost-saving opportunity so budget could be used for an external agency to develop the app.

I researched best practices and interviewed mobile app designers to learn all I needed to in order to design a simple, user-friendly app that offered valuable animal information, an interactive map feature and member login funcionality.

• Web Design & Development (HTML)

At the start of my career, I was primarily a web designer and developer. I ran a successful freelance business under the name DESIGNi2i, Inc. and got to work with some big clients including Google, Crocs, Harvard University, Vail Resorts and more.

Although these designs may be outdated I’m proud of them because they were ahead of the curve at the time. Some were quite image-heavy which was challenging to build out and had to work with slow internet speeds, but I knew that imagery would draw people in, so I made it work. Now, images are the heroes of every website.

Working for clients like Google SketchUp taught me the importance of being “pixel perfect” and that attention to detail has followed me throughout my design career.

I still offer web design services but use apps like Squarespace and Wix to create websites for clients. I like these solutions because after I have created the site, the client is able to take over and easily make updates to it.

• Photo editing
• Travel photography

Classic Journeys provides luxury walking tours around the world. As a freelance photographer, I have had the pleasure of working on post-processing photography to prep images for their catalog and website.

I was also given the opportunity to join one of their tours in Morocco as a travel photographer capturing images of all the sites we visited, the guests in beautiful landscapes (including the Sahara on camel back!), luxury accommodations, food and culture.

While acting as Design & Interactive Manager at Denver Zoo for 6 years, I was also the staff photographer (and was a volunteer photographer for two years prior to becoming staff). The biggest perk of the job was being tasked to photograph the baby animals born throughout the years. These adorable and engaging photographs were published regularly by local and national media sources. During my tenure there I supplied photos for all marketing and advertising campaigns, promotional materials, the website and weekly e-newsletters as well as the zoo's printed publication, ALIVE. Several of my photographs were also published in the Association of Zoos & Aquariums publication, CONNECT magazine.

As a side note, my job as Denver Zoo photographer was spoofed by Saturday Night Live and I got to make an appearance on live television talking about how fortunate I was to have such a cool job! Watch the video.

• Photography

Since I was a young girl, I have always seen the world around me in still images. My entire life feels like a series of beautiful photographs. I learned that being a photographer is actually a state of mind, a way of seeing the world and all its intricate beauty; having an insatiable desire to capture those moments and present them as a series of still images, the way that I experienced them in real life. That is my challenge to myself, my driving force.

As a traveler, I photograph our natural world as a means of preserving its beauty, and to inspire others to want to do the same. I have had the fortune to see some of the most majestic places on earth. Not everyone gets the same opportunity. I feel that it is my duty to share with others the beauty of our planet and of humanity. Only by understanding what is out there will we begin to care.

• Photography

In 2017, I quit my job at Denver Zoo for the flexibility of freelance design work, and to pursue becoming a professional artist with the intention of using any free time to introduce my children to the amazing life and lessons of world travel. I knew from years of previous freelance experience that I needed reasons to force myself out of the house so I started my #100Days100Hikes adventure. Living in Golden, Colorado made it easy to walk out the door and explore the trails. I did half of the hikes with friends, and the other half on my own. I took a photo every single time, whether I handed the camera to a friend or set it up on my little octopus-like tripod, and then posted it to Instagram. Social media was my accountability. I hiked a total of almost 400 miles and even climbed a 14er at the mid-way point. It felt great to be so disciplined but even better to be with nature every single day for 100 days.

• Photography

Although I dream of traveling the world photographing animals in their natural environment, life hasn't quite given me the opportunity to do so (yet!), but from the photos in this section you can see that over the years I have done the best I can to capture the life around me! I did most of my world travel as a student in my 20s, pre-digital cameras and pre-being-able-to-afford good camera equipment – I traveled to East Africa when I was 18 and although I had an amazing experience, I didn't come home with the photos to prove it. I did however, come home with a deep desire to photograph the natural world around me. Around the time when I started being able to afford the equipment, my husband and I decide to start a family which meant settling down and not being the vagabond that I once was. Fortunately, for the past 15 years I have called the Rocky Mountain West home and there is a world of wildlife just in my backyard. And every now and then we visit coastal areas where I get to see dolphins, sea lions and pelicans and I am always equipped with my camera and lenses.

• Photography

This series of photographs was completely unplanned… it just happened over time… in my travels, in my encounters with wilderness. Over and over again, I found myself drawn to the image of a tiny human amidst the expanse and wonder of nature. I call it the Solitude Project because I know from my own life experience the power and necessity of solitude and have found that its benefits are tenfold when you are alone in the wild. For now, this is just an experimental project. Enjoy!

• Photography

When I photograph an animal I am looking to make a connection – between me and the animal in that moment and then later in the photograph, between the animal and the viewer. I do this by looking for a spark of light in its eye. It is that glint that tells me there is a soul in there – that's what I am trying to capture when I photograph an elephant, an eagle or a mouse. I love being behind the lens, following every move of an animal, whether it is on its own or interacting with another. By using the camera to focus in and pay attention to the details of its fur or scales, its paws or claws, its every movement – I gain a deeper understanding of that animal's behavior and purpose as a part of our natural world. I encourage you to stop and look closely at each of these portraits, feel the connection. This is my gift to you.

• Photography

When I traveled solo to Africa at 18 years old it was a dream come true… but that was a long time ago and it was before the invention of digital cameras. I made my way through five countries in East Africa and encountered all the amazing wildlife you dream of seeing on a trip like that. I had a camera and even some decent lenses but I was lacking the know-how to take a good photo, not to mention developing film was expensive!

Twenty-five years later, I got to go on safari again, this time in South Africa and this time with a decade of photography experience under my belt (specifically zoo photography). Being able to photograph wild animals in their natural environment with some of the best camera equipment (Canon 5D Mark IV and 100-400mm telephoto lens) was an even bigger dream come true! Enjoy this selection of my top 100 photos.*

* Note: I have included three beautiful black and white portraits of African tribal people that are not mine. They were large portraits that decorated our room at the safari lodge.

This series of photographs were the result of me feeling cooped up at home during the COVID-19 pandemic and being called to go spend more time in nature. They were all taken within a 20 mile radius of my home in Golden, Colorado… some in nearby wildlife refuges, others on the hiking trail behind my house, and some literally in my backyard. Who knew I could be equally as happy taking photographs of animals in my own backyard as I was photographing them in Africa?!

• Fine Art - see 100+ more maps at wanderwonder.art

I started this series of world maps when I was finally settling down after a decade of traveling. I was starting my career as a designer in earnest and needed an artistic outlet that was all my own - not creating for any other reason than for the sake of creating. Making maps offered the magic of keeping me connected to the rest of the world while I was starting to live a more grounded life.

I have created over 100 artistic world maps using a variety of materials. They can be purchased as original artwork, canvas prints and pin boards. My absolute favorite thing to do is work on commissions and collaborate with people to create the perfect world map for their homes or places of business. You can learn more about my art business and see the full spectrum of maps at wanderwonder.art.

Here is a ‘prototype’ of an installation art piece I would love to see come to life some day. The idea came to me after attending a laughing yoga workshop. As we all know, the elevator experience can be awkward. My thought is that if you stepped onto this elevator alone or with strangers, in a bad mood or feeling indifferent, I’m pretty sure you would step off it with a smile on your face.

Contact me if you know an elevator I can takeover (ideally in a really tall skyscraper).

I painted my first mural as a teenager. It was a huge fairy on my bedroom wall. That’s probably what inspired me to paint murals in my daughters’ bedrooms when they were babies. Since then I have had amazing opportunities to paint interior and exterior murals throughout the Denver metro area. I use all kinds of materials and techniques — painting by hand, spray painting, chalk markers on a chalk wall, paint markers and even wheat paste. Public art feels like the ideal medium for spreading beauty and joy.

Contact me for commissions:
charlottebassin@gmail.ccom
303.842.9015