Biography

Loralee Lyman is the brand strategist and creative behind Flipside Design. Loralee has earned a reputation for making her client's products visually delectable. She has since been dubbed by those in the food and beverage industry as the "Delectable Designer".

Born and raised in Salinas California (the "Salad Bowl of the World"), Loralee Lyman has always had close ties to the food industry, and grew up surrounded by several generations of family that worked in produce. Her first industry-related design was an iceberg lettuce box at the tender age of 8. Her father's company bravely presented the box to Chiquita, and to everyone's amazement (including her father's) the design was accepted.

Loralee tributes her family for fostering the somewhat fanciful idea of becoming an artist someday. In fact, she was almost 15 by the time she even attended a real Art class. But nothing could deter her mother and grandmother from trying to teach her from stacks of books they diligently checked out from the local library.

When she ultimately enrolled in her first art course, the school faculty at both her high school and local community college worked together to help usher Loralee into a world unlike anything she had ever dared dream of. She was fortunate enough to apprentice under visiting sculptors and artists from around the world, and these opportunities had a profound impact on her. Their influence and advice regarding her talent led to her next step in her professional journey.

At 16, she became the youngest art director in the history of CTB McGraw-Hill (Publishing Company). A suggestion made two years later from senior executives at CTB McGraw-Hill lead Loralee to seriously consider design school. Their advice and mentoring directed her to the art and design Mecca of California- San Francisco.

While attending design school, Loralee free-lanced for a bay area flexo-graphic printer, designing form and fill bags for such companies as "Mother's" cookies and "Granny Goose" potato chips (to name a few). Although she enjoyed the diversity and excitement of the city, she always missed the small town beauty of the Monterey Bay. After school, she returned to the Peninsula she knew as "home" and was happily reunited with friends and family. Soon after, she began work for a local design firm that primarily serviced restaurants and hotels.

5 years later "Flipside Design" was born, which began as a venue to pursue her passion for packaging design. As luck would have it, Flipside's first food trademark and package design was for the newly formed Earthbound Farm - the first to successfully market organic pre-washed baby lettuce blends in a bag. It wasn't long before Loralee found herself doing what she loves for a number of start-ups, regional, national and international food and beverage companies.

Loralee, ever humble with regards to her accomplishments to date, is quick to credit her family, friends, teachers, past employers and ultimately her clientele for arriving where she is today.

"Without them," she often chuckles, "I would probably still be dreaming about being an artist someday".

Flipside Design is proudly celebrating its 26th year.