Keep It Positive, Sweetie

CASE STUDY

I had the pleasure of working with Crystal Renee Hayslett, an actress on BET+’s Sistas and Zatima, and the host of the podcast Keep It Positive, Sweetie. Referred to me by my colleague Kvle Johnson, Crystal and her team wanted podcast artwork and social media assets that stayed true to her brand but had a fresh, engaging look. I pulled colors from her photos, used fonts that matched her vibe, and created assets for multiple platforms. Alongside the podcast project, I also designed Crystal’s 365-day Christian journal Light The Flame Within, which features monthly dividers, Bible verses, and even Crystal’s own handwriting as the journal’s font. The final products, including a hardcover version of the journal, turned out beautifully, and it was amazing to see everything come together.

FINAL PODCAST ASSETS

For the Keep It Positive, Sweetie podcast artwork, I drew inspiration from the green in Crystal’s eyeshadow and paired it with pink to highlight “Sweetie” in the title. The fonts, Condor Condensed and Brittany Signature, were chosen to create a look that felt both polished and personal. I also created assets for YouTube and Facebook, making sure everything stayed consistent with her overall branding.

CUSTOM FONT

Crystal wanted a personal touch for the journal, so I used her handwriting as the font. I had her write the alphabet, both uppercase and lowercase, on a piece of paper, then I scanned it into Illustrator and used image trace to create the font. This really made the journal feel like a personal connection between Crystal and her readers.

INTERIOR LAYOUT OPTIONS

For the interior layout, I provided four different design options that utilized Crystal’s custom handwriting font. These layouts varied in how the daily sections were arranged, offering flexibility while keeping the journal easy to use and visually appealing.

DIVIDER PAGES

Each month in the journal had its own divider page, with a unique theme and corresponding Bible verse to offer inspiration. The idea was to give users a sense of fresh energy as they moved from month to month, keeping them motivated and spiritually grounded.

LIGHT THE FLAME WITHIN

Initially, we thought the journal would have a spiral spine, which is why the original mockups show it that way. However, the final product was produced as a hardcover, which turned out beautifully. Seeing everything come together, from the interior layout to the final printed version, was incredibly satisfying. The promotional images and videos featuring Crystal and the journal are from her Instagram, @luvcrystalrenee, showcasing the final product to her audience.

CLIENT REJECTS

During the creative process, I explored several typography designs and layout options that didn’t make the final cut but were still fun and interesting. I decided to showcase some of those rejected options to highlight the variety of designs I considered for the project, particularly around the typography.

CREDITS

Chindo Nkenke-Smith

CREATIVE DIRECTOR & DESIGNER

Crystal Renee Hayslett

ClIENT

Creative Direction, Podcast Artwork, Print Design

JOURNAL COVER OPTIONS

For the journal Light The Flame Within, I presented three cover designs that used warm gradients to subtly represent the idea of a flame growing. Each option visually aligned with the theme of spiritual growth, which was the heart of Crystal’s vision for the journal.

INDEX