Duncan Creative makes illuminating designs

Do you remember “Sparkle Plenty?” If you were a child growing up in the ’40s and ’50s and followed the adventures of Dick Tracy, that square-jawed, hard hitting, fast shooting, intelligent, modern police detective, you will remember the remarkable, enchanting little girl, Sparkle Plenty, introduced into the strip in 1947, who shown brightly in the lives of everyone who met her.

Seal Beach has its own “Sparkle Plenty” in the person of Veronica Vidal Praeger, owner/creative director of Duncan Creative, whose 1,000-watt smile lights everything up in a three-block radius. Her creative designs are equally illuminating.

“I’ve been working as a professional designer,” says Veronica, “since I graduated from the University of Massachusetts in 2003 with a BFA in graphic design and typography. I initially worked for a tech startup and soon realized that I had a strong interest in the marketing and branding side of the business.

So my next step was to get a Master of Science in Advertising at Boston University so that I could combine my design skills with marketing skills … form and function! Being a bit of a free spirit, rather than work in the confines of a large company, I knew my goal should be to start my own company, so I began freelancing under the name of Duncan Designs. However, in 2014 to indicate the expansion of my branding and design services, I officially changed the name to Duncan Creative, a much greater expression of my skills.

“I have a distinctive design aesthetic in that I take a lot of my design inspiration from Zen principles of harmony, subtlety, and simplicity. My work, therefore, tends to be quite minimalist with a focus on strong typography rather than trendy design elements. I prefer working for a timeless look. I don’t want my work to go out of style! It’s a cliché, I know, but I truly believe ‘less is more’ and beauty is in simplicity.

“Now in business for one full year, my client list is steadily growing in Seal Beach which includes my work with Mac Fusion, The Abbey, the Seal Beach Community Performing Arts Association, Mr. Candy (in the Pavilions Center), Sterling Tax Solutions and Blaster Web Services.

“I’m also enjoying working with the Centennial Marketing Committee, designing flyers and posters and possibly banners and more promotional materials as their work progresses. Being from the East Coast where cities can be 400 years old, being involved celebrating a city so ‘young’ is great fun and so fascinating to learn of Seal Beach’s ‘colorful’ history!”

“Specializing in branding and identity design and development, when designing logos, Veronica determines how that logo can be related in colors, fonts, taglines, messaging, etc., which will flow through the rest of the clients printed materials and web/social media presence.

“She also helps clients with promotional and informational materials such as posters and flyers, print and web advertisements, indoor signage, brochures and catalogs, direct mail pieces (post cards), social media management and email newsletter design. If you need it, she can create it!”

As for the importance of the Chamber in her life, Veronica comments, “I moved to Seal Beach in late 2012, knowing absolutely no one.

“Joining the Chamber make it easy for me to get to know the friendly faces of Seal Beach. Going from feeling like ‘a stranger in a strange land’ (still with that East Coast vibe in my mind), to bumping into people on the street who always have a friendly ‘hello,’ that’s just fantastic. The Chamber made me really feel I had a new home! Volunteering for the Car Show last year was a BLAST and I look forward to helping out with more activities this year.”

Oh, and guess what our “Sparkle Plenty” does in her spare time? Running long distances!

She is also on the Board of Directors of the Girls on the Run Orange County which is an empowerment program for girls in fifth-grade to eighth-grade, not only building health and fitness through running skills but also incorporating a path to developing personal growth, becoming goal oriented and building hope for a bright future.

Contact info: 562-344-5187; veronica@duncancreative.com; www.duncancreative.com.