Helen Schwen
Design & Illustration from a Certified Expert
New to Contra
Helen is ready for their next project!
Scouting Colorado Fundraising Materials
I'm so excited to share a recent volunteer project I completed for Scouting Colorado, which involved designing their 2026 Fundraising Campaign!
I designed and illustrated:
Their annual fundraising patch
A fundraising milestone map
An illustrated poster
And their fundraising brochure!
Overall, this was such a great project to work on, and I'm so glad I found the opportunity through Catchafire! With my volunteer contribution, Scouting Colorado will be able to provide more scholarships to young scouts 😊
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In 2026, I'm heading back to my roots.
Instead of trying to specialize in every new software that's trending, I'm sticking with what I do best.
I'm a print designer, I'm an illustrator. I have experience designing AND producing commercial signage. Why become a jack of all trades when I can be a master in my own specialty, my own niche?
My experience in commercial printing and production already puts me at an advantage above generalists who have no experience with prepress, and every day I see their mistakes come across my desk.
I design functional work that achieves real results and doesn't cost clients costly file fixing fees and revisions once sent to production.
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Virginia Native Bee Infographics - fun and super informative!
I feel the most fulfilled when I'm designing something with an impact, and these infographics were an awesome opportunity to get involved with supporting my local environment!
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A folded mail calendar featuring The Kennedy Center's 2023 Summer Lineup
I created this during my undergrad in my Editorial Design class, and it's still one of my favorites! We were given a copy of the Kennedy Center's brand manual (which was absolutely gorgeous), and were required to strictly follow it.
Good design will hold up over time, but trends won't.
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2024 Annual Report for the National Museum of Natural History
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Book cover illustration for one of my favorite books growing up!
I had a ton of fun illustrating this cover - making sure to focus on legibility of the illustration and print requirements 😊
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