As a vital part my process is drawing on my own personal experience, my book is a story about my life. Here are some things I did while spending my days nights and weekends studying Design and Art Direction at Portfolio Center in Atlanta, Georgia.
Road Trippin' with AAA
cross-platform interactive experience
CHALLENGE
Build a system that allows AAA to increase brand recognition via social networks while gathering performance data on their affiliate network.
SOLUTION
Being able to mark where you've been and in turn show it to the world is at the heart of any traveler. The Road Trippin' with AAA experience allows people to do just that, it also allows you to find, contact, and rate AAA affiliates along the way.
I was born in Washington, grew up in California, and have spent the past 9 years in Utah, Ohio, and Georgia. One of the greatest learning experiences I've had came from encountering the various subcultures in different areas of the nation. Discovering new places while living and traveling between these states inspired the Road Trippin' with AAA campaign.
As a little kid in Seattle I was into Big Wheels, He-Man, GI Joes—normal kid stuff. Long before that...
Mrs. T's Bigbuns
identity, packaging, website
CHALLENGE
Refresh the Mrs. T's Bigbuns branding in way that reflects the personality of the company's founder, Kathy Trefethen.
SOLUTION
The name is in reference the size of the rolls and the mark is a literal take on the name. It reflects how her jovial nature is balanced with her refined palette.
...on Christmas morning of 1963, a young Kathy Meyers was about to discover her muse. It started with an Easy Bake oven and ten hungry siblings. She soon married and Mrs. T's Bigbuns opened its doors. I grew up with my mom constantly baking food that everyone loved; it's no wonder that as an adult I find much satisfaction in baking. For the record, I can make a mean VPN regulation pizza.
Monster Chomp
identity, packaging
CHALLENGE
Create a product with packaging that has a second use.
SOLUTION
Monster Chomp gives kids the nourishment they need to ward off monsters and once the cereal is gone, the hunt is on. The box turns into a trap which enables kids to work side by side with their parents, snaring and disposing of unwanted monsters once and for all.
Fast forward to the early 1980's when I was still wetting my bed because a monster was taking over my rooom—so what? We lived in Washington, where there's no shortage on evergreens. During the day I loved them, at night it was a different story; there is nothing more nightmare-provoking than evergreen treetops against a moonlit sky. I'm not scared anymore...I swear...well, maybe...
In 1986, my dad got fed up with the rain in Seattle and moved the family south to Los Angeles. I grew up here and got into hip hop, dabbled in entrepreneurship, and was indoctrinated with California state history— most interesting to me was the long tradition of immigration.
Heist Ale
identity
CHALLENGE
Create a logo for a brand extension that pays homage to Anchor Brewing's formative years.
SOLUTION
During the Gold Rush of the 1840's and 50's, Gottlieb Brekle came from Germany and started Anchor Brewing which is still running strong today on San Francisco's Potrero Hill. Heist Ale is a line extension that pays homage to the harsh conditions of Anchor's Gold Rush Era birth.
California is littered with relics of the 19th century westward migration; visiting these ghost towns and historical sites was an exciting part of growing up. I've always been really inspired by the ingenuity of those settlers who found success in such harsh conditions.
Immigrantes
poster series
CHALLENGE
Create a poster triptych that explores a controversial issue and offers a solution.
SOLUTION
Immigrantes invites people to join in open dialogue that encourages Latin American countries to place higher value on their human capital on their way to becoming first world nations.
Living in Los Angeles I had many friends who were from immigrant families, as a result, I'm sympathetic to their struggle. These people are hard workers and make sacrifices for a better life. What if these opportunities were available in their home countries?
Art Primo Virtual School of Art
digital storefront
CHALLENGE
AAA wanted a way to connect it's members, increase brand recognition via social networks and see what people were really saying about their service.
SOLUTION
Graffiti has steep learning curve and unless you know a writer you are short on resources. APVSA is a way for Art Primo to maintain current customers and attract new business through an intuitive learning environment where graffiti legends teach young guns tricks of the trade.
I fell in love with typography early on. We didn't call it typography, we didn't call ourselves typographers, but fiends for the letter form we definitely were. However, my love didn't actually start with graffiti. As early as 2nd grade I was drawing the Metallica logo on my book covers, then my football number, and in 3rd grade my older brother hooked me up with a denim jacket covered in graffiti lettering (think NYC circa 1983) and I never looked back.
Stones Throw
OSX 10.4 widget
Download: Case Study, Widget
CHALLENGE
Create an OSX Dashboard Widget
SOLUTION
I made a widget that played the Stones Throw Records podcast. I sent it out, they liked it, they bought it, and after it was released they doubled their bandwidth to accommodate the increased listenership.
Up until about 6th grade I was listening to '80s hair bands, but thanks to my paper route and a Columbia House Music Subscription, I transitioned to hip hop. In high school I experimented with the medium, I began deejaying parties, and spun at a club on Hollywood and Vine. I've always been really inspired by the way the deejays, emcees, and producers at Stones Throw Records pushed the medium.
Deepshine
website
CHALLENGE
Create an online presence for an automotive service that speaks to an honest approach and dedication to doing good work.
SOLUTION
By providing relevant and easy to digest communication that can be used to make informed decisions Deepshine Detail positions itself as a service you can trust.
As a junior in high school I worked two part-time jobs in the evenings until I saved up enough money for equipment to start an auto detailing business. It was a great experience, I won contracts, hired my friends, kept the books, and customers couldn't stay away. I'm an entrepreneur at heart, so the intersection of smart business and smart design is my natural habitat.
w/oh2o
identity
CHALLENGE
Create a mark that communicates the interconnectedness of the world through water.
SOLUTION
The letter W in the form of an orange peel map plump and ready to burst communicates the idea that what we do with our water can effect people around the globe.
As an operator of a water-based business in an arid climate I was acutely aware of responsible water usage. The county was cracking down pretty hard on commercial use and I was really motivated to find ways to do the same things with less water. w/oh20 consults industry regarding responsible water use, on topics from conservation to purification.
After high school I moved to Utah to serve a religous mission. I worked in the medical department of a reputable reform school with an enviable track record within their industry. They have many success stories, among which are the respectable Nikki and Paris Hilton.
hulp
identity
CHALLENGE
Create a mark for a european health service that communicates comfort, happiness and new beginnings.
SOLUTION
The cross is internationally recognized as a sign for first aid; blue is for comfort, trust, and security; while yellow signifies a positive outlook; and where the two meet represents a fresh start or new beginning.
Hulp is the Dutch word for "aid" and is a lot like Mint.com for health. Hulp recognizes that people are more connected than ever, and that there are those who find data tracking of this nature a motivating factor for accomplishing health related goals. Wherever you are at Hulp created for people to upload data from a wide variety of health-oriented personal electronics from NikeRun to heart rate monitors for more accurate health maintenance though tips, tutorials and notifications.
A marketing internship took me to Cleveland, Ohio for the summer of 2004, and once I met Marissa (who is now my wife), I decided to stick around. We lived in Lakewood, a really cool 19th century city on Cleveland's near west side. It's the perfect setting for Marissa's favorite holiday, Halloween.
Milk and Pancakes, with Sugar, Apples and Nuts.
book of short stories
CHALLENGE
Create a book of short stories to promote the reading of classic literature among high school students.
SOLUTION
Books are extremely static vehicles when compared to the dynamic world that teenagers are accustom to. there was a need to give these old stories a little edge. My approach here was to make a text that changed with the story reflecting the pace and the suspense found within these pages.
Lakewood is filled with victorian architecture that inspired the type treatments in this book of spooky short stories called Milk and Pancakes, with Sugar, Apples and Nuts. These spreads are from Sleepy Hollow when Icabod, crest fallen, has left the party. The letters constrict the white space as he swiftly loses his mind when he finds the headless horseman looming over him.
Power to the People
interactive marketing campaign
Download: Case Study
CHALLENGE
When I first started at MailChimp there were about 80k users. The plan was to increase our usership and contend with those who controlled the space.
SOLUTION
The Power to the People campaign with it's Forever Free Pricing Plan set a swift pace for growth which by the end of the year nearly tripled the number from the 80k at it's conception.
Shortly after I arrived in Cleveland I started taking on small freelance design jobs. My first job was an email campaign, so it seems almost fitting that my first job out of school was promoting an email marketing company.
In high school, I knew I wanted to be a commercial artist, but in the context of CalArts, Otis and Art Center I could neither afford, nor justify the high expense of an art school. So I chose a different path that ultimately left me feeling pretty unfulfilled at the end of the day. After years of doubting, I jumped in headfirst at Portfolio Center.
Benjamin Moore
identity, packaging, capabilities document, web/kiosk app
CHALLENGE
Create a brand refresh for Benjamin Moore that will increase it's value and recognition in the Fr/Eng speaking Province of Quebec
SOLUTION
I drew on and restated their core values of community, innovation and quality visually with sharp corners and hard lines and experientially via simple and straight forward interaction.
My first summer in Georgia was spent as a house painter. I learned a lot about the value of quality craftsmanship while climbing 30 foot ladders every day. Some of the homes we worked on were over 100 years old. Day in and day out it was easy to see how well a house had been treated over the years. Whether it's an international brand or the family home, quality crafting seems to be the common denominator in surviving the elements.
Trauma
promotional posters
CHALLENGE
Create way finding for the stages of recovery.
SOLUTION
I made very simple patterns that mark the different stages of recovery, that people can use to understand where they are and where they are going when experiencing difficult trials of life.
A couple of recent years were marked by death. Two of my friends moved beyond the veil after overdosing, a dear friend's mother passed from cancer, an uncle from surgical complications and my wife's grandfather from old age. Their deaths were hard to take and really got me down. I began feeling like I was growing too old, too fast, like life was slipping through my fingers. I felt frail and began to grasp just how mortal I was. The triptych represents the emotions I went through from feeling down, to being cool with it and finally growing from the experience. Trauma, Cope, Growth illustrates a cycle we all go through at different times and different intensities throughout life. As I came out of this experience I was reminded that this is how we grow and progress...
Plot Magazine
Branded Content
CHALLENGE
Produce branded content that embodies the core values of a multi-national corporation.
SOLUTION
To say that Ben and Jerry's is highly involved in the communities they're in is only telling half the story. Plot magazine is branded content provided by Ben and Jerry's which reflects their core values by highlighting movements and the people in them who take matters into their own hands to make our communities better places to live.
...that there's a season for everything and that life is beautiful.