I hope you will find the following post about Diann Cage, "the divine Ms. D.," as much fun to read as it has been putting it together. It has taken me forever and a day to get this written, and for that I apologize to Diann. As she said to me yesterday, "you are putting way too much thought into it!"
Hand-in-hand with plotting a new focus for her graphic design business based in the CWE, Diann Cage, above, has given her 350 s.f. studio at the Pierce Arrow Building a makeover too. Diann started her own business, Diann Cage Design Co., three years ago, and has worked with a variety of clients including the
St. Louis Beacon, Central West End Association, and Magnificent Missouri, the organization formed to support Missouri's conservation groups. She also worked on a rebranding project for Stevens Institute of Business & Arts (formerly known as Patricia Stevens College), and has designed websites for small businesses and authors (William Adler & CWEnder Nick Reding).
While she will continue to work on these types of projects, she has also started connecting with companies in the home and leisure markets (sports, garden, recreation). Diann has recently completed a website and branding project for The Refined Room, a vintage and used furniture store located in Brentwood.
To me, one of the most exciting projects this talented graphic designer has picked up is an assignment from a Chicago publisher who is relaunching December, a literary magazine that flourished in the 60s & 70s. Diann is designing the new magazine from cover to cover. The first issue of the revamped December will be released in (you guessed it!) December, 2013. Diann forwarded covers from past issues of the magazine, which I've added to the post shown below.
A 1966 issue of December featured Marilyn Monroe on the cover, and contributors to a later issue included cartoonist R Crumb, below.
THE STUDIO:
Diann shares space with another CWEnder, Suzanne Miller, founder of Magellan Communications, a company that focuses on business communications strategy, particularly in international, cross-border communications and multi-market campaigns. Diann said she hasn't the foggiest idea what Suzanne is talking about when she is on the phone with her clients from around the world. I plan to figure it out and do a post about Suzanne sometime soon.
At some point Diann and Suzanne decided they wanted to redecorate the space, as creatively and inexpensively as possible. The pair picked furnishings from IKEA in Chicago and Target online. Carpet squares came from overstock.com.
The paper lantern, above, is from Ikea.
Diann is a Gossip Girl fan and said the paper butterflies she purchased on Etsy, right, remind her of art on the wall in a bedroom featured in the t.v. series.
The initials on the wall represent the four basic colors used for printing color images: cyan, magenta, yellow, & key, which is black. Framed art was purchased at Urban Outfitters.
Examples of some of Diann's work are displayed on a wall in the studio, above.
Diann's work for the St. Louis Beacon was recognized by the St. Louis Chapter of AIGA, the organization that recognizes great design.
Neighborhood residents may remember Diann's fabulous poster for last year's 4th of July Children's Parade, below.
We can thank Diann's husband Lance, the new marketing principal and senior vice president at HOK, for initially luring her to the CWE from Seattle. Her first job here was at Falk-Harrison
Creative, which was located on West Pine. While
planning her wedding, she decided she wanted to be a wedding
planner and make pretty things like invitations. To that end she started a custom
stationery business and, in her words, "failed miserably." Diann did,
however, build a high-end photo album company and also did freelance work for Seattle-based Artefact working out of a 2 x 3' closet outfitted as an office in her CWE home. Five years ago when she was working as a graphic designer for a company based in Las Vegas, she took the leap and opened a studio right around the corner from her home. We're so glad she's here and that she has become such a strong presence in the neighborhood.
Diann Cage, Diann Cage Design Co., 4814 Washington, Suite 130, (314) 503-4001.
Me too. Diann also designed incredible flies for Wash U Law School’s 11th Annual Access to Equal Justice Colloquium, “Race to Justice: Prisons & Masculinity through a Black Feminist Lens.” She also designed CWE photographer Cheryl Tadin’s website.
I’m so glad she’s here, too!! Great article, Nicki, on one of the neighborhood’s finest!