our little story…
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a transformative day
June 18th, 2021 (06/18) will forever be remembered as a transformative day In Lauren Stern's career.
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A NEW PATH
On that day, Lauren made the challenging decision to venture out on her own and start her own consultancy.
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OUR FOCUS
Lauren brought her knowledge and skill set from over a decade of experience at various signage companies, boutique design firms, and larger A&D firms to her consultancy. Studio 618 focuses on experiential graphics, signage, wayfinding, and branding.
Who’s the dynamic duo behind studio 618?
lauren Stern,
Owner & experiential design Consultant
Lauren Stern is an Experiential Graphic Designer based in Charlotte, NC with over ten years of experience specializing in the development and creation of immersive environments from abstract ideas to engaging visuals. She thrives with minimal supervision managing multiple projects in a fast-paced work environment with tight deadlines. Lauren has a strong design background with a Master of Arts in Exhibition Design from the Corcoran College of Art + Design and a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design from Appalachian State University and proven experience creating eye-catching graphics that exude a “wow” factor. Her experience is extensive designing wayfinding elements, from conception through implementation, for built environments that range from small storefronts to million-square ft. facilities.
Lauren has recently been featured on SEGD’s page highlighting women-owned businesses titled, “Women Making History: SEGD’s Women Business Owners”. Please check out the article!
A passion of Lauren’s is giving back to the design community whenever possible. She enjoys leading workshops and lectures on Experiential Graphics for Appalachian State University’s Interior Design program so the students learn about this dynamic field. To see her most recent lecture at Appalachian State University, click here! For the past few years, Lauren has served as a professional mentor to students within their Interior Design program and have served as a guest critic for their schematic design and portfolio reviews.
If you want to hear Lauren give advice to new business hopefuls, listen to her interview on the Podcast, “The Bridge: Conversations Between Art and Business” with Alex Morpurgo from his GW School of Business course called, “Entrepreneurship in the Arts”. Her interview is at the 9:30 mark.
As a creative outlet, Lauren likes to paint with watercolor and create fiber art. She loves the process of creating each piece; from the first initial sketch to the final product hanging for everyone to see and enjoy. Her work has been featured in several art festivals and over nine gallery exhibitions and has created numerous commissions for people all over the country.
To see examples of Lauren’s previous work and artwork, please visit her personal website. To learn more about Lauren’s education, employment history and responsibilities within her previous positions, please check out her LinkedIn profile which has additional work examples, recommendations, and complete employment history. She posts weekly to LinkedIn, so connect with her to check out what she is currently working on!
FUN NEWS: Lauren has been working on a children’s book all about the importance of signage and wayfinding! This book is NOW AVAILABLE on Amazon, Park Road Books in Charlotte, NC, and through the book’s website.
Listen or watch episode 4 of the Architecture Anonymous podcast to learn more about our book, "Signs Have Much to Say"! Also, please check out SEGD’s article and ISA’s newsletter announcing our book!
Dewey, Creative SpIrit
Dewey has been an asset to this consultancy since it began. He brings a lot of energy and fun to the office every day. Dewey has been known for dropping in on video calls from time to time; so say hi if you see him!
When Dewey is not supervising the day-to-day activities of the consultancy he loves getting out in nature, taking a nap, and meeting new people.
