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http://www.akulakreative.com/blog

custom logo design | propel

We were beyond excited when Caroline Tran asked us to design a logo for her new photography workshops. She told us she wanted something text-based that felt refreshing, uplifting, clean, modern, and a little feminine. So, we went to work, and voila! A light and airy, fun and free design. We hope we get to do more with her in the future...it's so inspiring working with other creative people.

To learn more about Caroline and her workshops for aspiring photographers (and perhaps eventually amateurs), click HERE. Right now her March workshop is full, but we believe she has started a waiting list.

Caroline Tran is a professional photographer based in Pasadena, CA doing work mainly in Southern California, but also worldwide. The light in her images is breathtaking and her eye for detail is impeccable. See for yourself!

Photos by Caroline Tran | Florals by Square Root

(Yes, these are our wedding photos, but that doesn't change the fact that she has amazing photography skills!)

why no recent work?

If you're wondering why we haven't posted any RECENT WORK in the past month, it's because all of it has yet to launch (or be published)...including our work in Ceremony Magazine 2012! We can't wait to show you the new websites, logos, and ads we've created, but you'll have to wait just a few more weeks...

In the meantime, you can check out our new holiday card on Etsy. It's Nani with antlers. :) To visit the shop, click HERE.

new mascot | Healthiest Regards

Help name the new mascot for Healthiest Regards by clicking here!

Healthiest Regards offers fun nutrition and cooking classes for kids in San Diego. Interested? Click here for more info!

custom address labels

First order of business as newlyweds? Create new address labels, of course!
(No, this is not really our address. We don't share that with strangers.)

Want to design some of your own? Send us an email!

iphone app icon design | Huddle Up

ProMazo's Huddle Up iPhone app has officially launched!

Though we cannot take credit for design or programming of the entire app, we can say that we designed certain elements—namely, the icons!

Read more about what developer Brett Hummel's Huddle Up can do for you:

Have you ever wondered where your friends were when you get out of class? Or wanted to see who was around for lunch? Currently, if you want to do any of those things, you have to text or call all of your friends in your phonebook to see who is free. Your life is mobile and Huddle Up allows you to connect with your classmates in an entirely new, real time way while you are on the go. Huddle Up is completely private, only students and alumni from your school can join your network and you can completely control who sees your information. The app works globally too so you can stay connected to your university friends anywhere you go.

When you’ve figured out who is free, you’ve got to decide where to meet. Huddle Up imports all of the Restaurants, coffee houses and Cafés with full ratings and sorted by type so you can decide where to get together. So now when you’ve got that hour between classes you can quickly meet up with your friends at your local coffee shop.

You have complete control over who, when, where you connect and share your information too. In the Privacy panel you can select to only show information with selected class years, certain friends and even go invisible. Additionally, each school is self-contained so you never have to worry about anyone outside of your university coming into the app.

Click here for more info.

calling card design | custom

Staying in touch is easy with these modern, vibrant calling cards we designed for the Tripuranenis. Printed on high gloss card stock, they make an excellent first impression with new acquaintances. :)

*Personal contact info has been changed for the privacy of our client.

web design | Wattie Ink. Sports Management

We are proud to announce the official launch of Wattie Ink.! "The result of hours and hours of [one] idea after [another]...in a coffee shop in Redondo Beach...Wattie Ink. [is] a premier sports marketing agency primarily focused in the Endurance Sports space."



With the request to design a website with "a rocker, tattoo badass edge," we went to work, excited about the possibilities. Our favorite part? Getting to work with some awesome photos and reading about the achievements of these world-class athletes. (I personally have to admit that during this process I was a little extra motivated to work out. I mean...how does one justify hemming and hawing about a 5-mile run when these people are out there swimming in the ocean, biking hundreds of miles, and tacking 26.2 miles onto the last segment of a competition?! On the other hand, it made me feel a teensy bit better about myself knowing that triathletes still eat french fries and chocolate. Granted, I bet I could eat more of that stuff if I burned 10k+ calories a day, but I suppose I'm getting off topic...)

The joy of a Wordpress site is that it offers clients not only a cost-effective and QUICK way to design a professional website, but it also gives them the flexibility to edit content on their own. Why pay us to make changes to your site when you can do it yourself?! Wait...

Anyway, if you have a minute, take a peek at Wattie Ink. and read more about the stellar athletes they represent right here in San Diego! We guarantee you'll be amazed (by the design). Just kidding. By the athletes. Duh.

before & after | QGMI

It's amazing what a simple clean-up will do! Check out the before and after of QGMI's business cards. They were offset printed on Crane Lettra 100% cotton paper to give them texture, weight, and an overall more LUX demeanor.

sneak peek

Here's a preview of one of our new stationery sets! More to come when they go to print...

blog design | Jen-Fit's Playground

Today we'd like to share a brand new blog dedicated to good clean food, fun, and fitness. It's called Jen-Fit's Playground. For the past two years, Jen has managed a very popular—we're talking 25,000+ fans, popular—Facebook page called Recipes for Gals in Figure and BodyBuilding. What began as a side project quickly grew into a full-time job, as Jen found herself pouring more and more time, money, and effort into keeping up with her fans. She needed to find a solution that would not only meet the demands of her Facebook friends, but also provide her the means to continue providing new, exciting content. Jen knew what she had to do: create a membership site that could handle everyday blog entries as well as categorize her large collection of recipes.

This is where we came in and helped.

We designed a WordPress blog for her that combined the white space of 101 Cookbooks, the playful textures of The Pioneer Woman, AND the swirly pink goodness of the Jen-Fit website. Now, Jen's fans have a one-stop shop where, for a nominal fee, they can gain access to tons of exclusive content. (Much of the site is free for readers, including some recipes, but the proceeds from memberships go toward to the costs associated with running the site and experimenting in the kitchen.) Check out her website in the coming weeks for the official launch! (We'll post again when that happens.)

*CHEERS* to happy, healthy eating!

To read about Jen's amazing story, click here.

custom card design | 50th Birthday

The assignment: make a custom 50th birthday card.
The surprise: a family trip to Maui!

This is what we came up with for a card, airplane tickets, and a list of Things to Do on the wonderful island of Maui. Our favorite things to do and see on Maui include:

• Snorkeling at Black Rock
• Eating dinner at Hula Grill in Kaanapali
• Scarfing a seared ahi sandwich at The Fish Market in Honokowai
• Spending an afternoon in Paia
• Stopping in Keanae for hot dogs and banana bread on the Road to Hana
• Swimming in the Seven Sacred Pools & hiking through the bamboo forest
• Watching baby sea turtles at the Maui Ocean Center
• Strolling around in Iao Valley Park
• Walking across suspended bridges on the Waihee Valley Trail
• Eating & shopping in Lahaina
• Sailing to Lanai for a day of snorkeling and plantation-style BBQ

Feel free to download our 9 x 3.87" map of Things to Do on Maui by clicking here!

business card design | Healthiest Regards

Remember the logo we posted for Healthiest Regards a while back? Well here is one of their new business cards! We think it's a perfect match for the active, vibrant, surfboard-yielding native of La Jolla, CA, Paula Ryan (owner). Paula has fun, EASY tips for staying healthy and fit, so be sure to check out her blog!

a gift for Mom

As you know, Mother's Day is quickly approaching. (This year it's on May 8th.) Instead of adding to a collection of spa certificates that are probably collecting dust—"I just haven't had time to schedule it yet!"—we decided to do something a little different this year: design a custom Sigg bottle for our Mom-On-The-Go. Known for negotiating just about everything, we thought she'd appreciate this. (If you know her, don't tell her about it. It's a surprise. We're just banking on the fact that she never reads this blog.)

sneak peek

Pretty Peas Paperie :: Koi Letterpress Stationery

Here's a sneak peek into our new letterpress collection! SO excited!!! Stay tuned for more in the coming weeks...

logo design | Fit Exclusive

Introducing Fit Exclusive, San Diego's newest brand dedicated to making a positive impact on the community through fitness. We will be sure to post when the website launches!

wedding invitation suite | Ellen & Zack

Custom Philly-themed Wedding Suite

two-sided invite with envelope in sunshine
response card with envelope in gravel
wrap-around labels & custom rubber stamp

This was created for Ellen & Zack, our wonderful friends in PA.

They love Philly (and its murals), the summer sunshine, and riding bikes.

Cheers to the happy couple!

business card design | Pharmaceuticals

*Company and contact information has been substituted (just in case you couldn't tell).

web design | Carmen Tafoya

Last year, Carmen came to us with a request for a small website to showcase her work as a hair stylist. She wanted something edgy, modern, and unique, with a bold color palette. Using chartreuse (her favorite) as the accent color, we went to work and came up with a striking—yet simple—splash page.

Today, we'd like to share with you her blog, which is packed with tips, tricks, and celebrity makeovers.

sneak peek

More where this came from in the coming weeks...