I can’t believe that the holiday season is almost upon us!! I thought I’d pause and post some things that I’ve been working on lately.
Currently, one of our bigger clients at CRT/tanaka is B&N College Booksellers. This is not the Barnes & Noble you find in shopping centers across America - but rather the Barnes and Noble college bookstores you can find on almost any campus. We’ve been working hard on some new corporate branding and other promotional materials. Here’s a peek at some items that I’ve been working on with my creative director, Al Davis:
I got to take a look at their corporate trade show booth in Orlando, FL - and took a quick pick at one of the small display signs that I had worked on:
Here’s a sneak peek at the new Barnes and Noble College Booksellers website that I’ve been working on with my awesome co-worker and web developer rock star, Dave Hess:
YardBirds at Gayton Crossing Shopping Center, here in Richmond, VA also asked me to create a fun Holiday promotional postcard for their customer base:
Isaac Harrell of Richmond Bride Magazine also asked me to create another 2-page spread illio for an upcoming article on couples that write their own wedding vows. I’ve been heavily influenced lately by traditional american folk art, especially colonial fraktur paintings, so see if you can spot the influence:
Here is another sneak peek at some recent work. I have been lucky enough to be part of the team at CRT/tanaka that is currently working on developing promotional materials for Big Brothers Big Sisters. I LOVE love love these type of feel-good projects! Below is an accordion style brochure and a window cling:
I just realized my last post was May!! That is pretty bad - so I thought I’d share a sample of some of the freelance projects that I worked on over this summer.
Sara Layne and I used to work together at Oliver Creative. She was our project manager and now runs her own business, Ethan Assistance. She also does some marketing for her parent’s shop, YardBirds (awesome Bird and Garden shop in Gayton Crossing). I developed the shop logo about a year ago or so and I often get a chance to collaborate with Sara to develop promotional sale postcards. This was the last one:
I also got to collaborate with Wendy Martin, who owns her own speech writing and marketing firm here in Richmond, VA. Wendy needed a quick logo for some self promo materials - so we came up with this together:
Next, I had the pleasure of designing some logo concepts for Chris Hull, at Helium Studio (an interactive and design shop in historic Shockoe Slip). His manufacturing client wanted to update their brand, starting with a spin of their current logo. Together, we explored multiple typefaces and symbols. Here is a taste of what we sent the client:
Last but not least - I had a wonderful lunch with Bryan Jones and Catherine Roby of CWD Kids about how I could possibly help them with some of their marketing needs. This wonderful family owned and operated company is based here in Richmond, VA, and its clothing catalogue reaches shoppers around the country. Catherine needed some help developing some quick html emails to announce upcoming sales to it’s current customer base. This is what we came up with:
Ah yes…springtime. It’s a popular time of year for brides to walk down the aisle. For some brides, a large concern is not where everyone is going to sit or if the groom has rented his tux…it’s whether the brides’ arms are going to jiggle or if she’s going to fit in her dress. This is an interesting article on how to get fit quick with some illustrated instructions. The assignment included a full 8.5” x 11” illustration and two instructional spots (see below).
I enjoy working on logos because they allow me to flex my illustration muscle. Combining an illustrated icon with a type element can seem like a simple task but often takes hours and hours to perfect.
My creative director at CRT/tanaka is responsible for BBB’s brand refresh a few years ago. Now that the organization is getting ready to celebrate it’s 100th birthday in 2012, they have asked us to create a new version that can printed and used online during the celebration.
What you see below are the few versions that I came up with last week.
UPDATE: Just got a photo of an in-store promotion poster that I designed for supersweet corn and Tops cooking school:
Online supersweet corn promos:
Just launched the new Facebook contest for Florida Supersweet Corn. More and more of our clients are using social media outlets to introduce new products or promotions.
Here is a project that I’ve been working on the past few days - a t-shirt design for an upcoming event at the Virginia Science Museum, sponsored by Energy Forward (a community awareness program put together by Shell).
PROJECT UPDATE! I always love “before” and “after” reveals. I thought I’d post this quick note to show you what the client signed off on and what we sent to the printer today. Do you like it as much on the black tshirt?
Remember the classic animated movie Rudolph? Remember the Island of Misfit Toys? Well, I like to believe that there’s a similar place for all creative ideas that die too young and never see the light of day. Such was the case with this ad, created as part of a new branding effort for Blueberries (The U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council). This concept was created to convey the BIG nutrients that these little guys carry as well as the BIG taste they bring when you add them to your favorite everyday recipes.
Sadly, the client did not go with this concept, but I’ve brought it back to life for one last glimpse here. As I dig through the catacombs of buried concepts, you’ll start to see some posted on my blog over the next several months. Enjoy!
Baby announcement design for a recent client.
This new corporate identity package was designed for the Virginia Community College System and the Virginia Foundation for Community College Education. Items created include a quarterly newsletter, annual report, brochures, programs and event invitations. The design elements for this package play upon rich blocks of color, bold typography and custom photography of real students that evoke a sense of youthfulness and vibrancy.
I’ve been working closely with everyone over at the VCCS and VFCCE for the past year on updating their “look” and have had a wonderful time!
I love working with Richmond Magazine’s Art Director, Isaac Harrell (which I’m sure I’ve mentioned here before). Isaac has a wonderful way of allowing me to spread my creative wings a little further each time we work together.
When Isaac came to me last week about producing this new 2 page spread illustration for their Dine section, he knew he wanted something retro and I knew he wanted something a little more sophisticated than my usual campy illios. So here are a few things that inspired me:
1. Mad Men - No. I do not watch the TV show. But I do live on planet Earth, so I do know what it is and what it’s premiss is about. (what I usually tell folks is, since I work in the “biz” and deal with agency life on a daily basis, I do not want to go home and watch it on tube). What this show is also know for is it’s set design, costume design and how perfectly they visually capture the style of the 1960’s.
2. Vintage Sewing Pattern Illustration - When I found some of these ultra groovy illios floating around on Google - it made me think of my college mentor - Donald Earley. This man is a fashion illustration icon whose clients have included Calvin Klein, Vogue, Bill Blass and Yves St. Laurent to name a few. When I found some of these retro sewing pattern illios - with their long necks and slender arms/legs, I thought back to Mr. Earley’s anatomy class and his amazing sensitivity for the human form. I also thought about how he once chucked a student’s drawing notebook out a 3rd story window, but I digress…
3. Charley Harper - American illustrator known for his minimalist approach and geometric style. The theme in most of his artwork is nature. I found his color palettes and background treatments to be inspiring.
Another quick project - for Avocados from Mexico. At CRT/tanaka, we do a lot of PR for this client with our partners, Lewis & Neal in New York. This new promo was created for a target audience of women, ages 25-45, to be used in press materials, a Facebook page and an online promo page that will link off of the AvocadosFromMexico.com website. Who knew avocados in your breakfast could jumpstart your energy for a productive day?
As the designer, I needed to keep the new logo consistent with the current logo, keeping it fun and playful and convey a bright and sunny morning. By looking at the “before” thumbnail sketches, can you tell which one the client wanted me to pursue?