I thought I would update with some new design work that I've done. It's been a crazy busy year since I graduated and looking back I've done more than I thought! I hope to share a bit more starting with these t-shirt design concepts for Bryce's Lawn Service. They wanted a shirt design they could use to give new lawn service customers. They wanted to highlight a "Live for the Summer" theme as BLS took yard work off the to-do list.
Information Design—Old World Third Street
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I've had a few people look at me funny when I say information design is what I enjoy doing if I get to choose my own project. To most information design is a quagmire of numbers that seems to elude any form of comprehension. But for me, it is a challenge of communicating something very intelligent and in-depth in a simple and attractive way. So for my passion project I documented the movement on a busy street in downtown Milwaukee for 18 different hours of the day, 7am-12am. Each hour I recorded the movement of traffic, taxis, buses, trucks, and bikes, as well as how many people visited each of the 14 establishments lining the street and who they were. What resulted was a series of "dials" representing each hour and a way to visualize and understand the movement and activity of the street at each hour of the day.
One Last Student Design!
I don't know if graduating has really sunk in yet but if this doesn't help I don't know what will. The fact that I can just crank this out in an hour or two when 3 years ago I'd still be thinking about what to do says a lot about how I've grown as a designer. It has been an awesome journey and I really can't wait for whatever opportunity may come next.
Party With a 'Stache
A poster for a mustache party celebrating Movember at a local downtown bar, The Library Club. I referenced old circus and traveling show posters to come up with a concept for the creative. Where else would you find some burly man with a terrific 'stache? Old circus posters are a visually rich design aesthetic and the typography is fun energetic and the whole poster seems to become one big piece of artwork. Mine follows it to a point but is nowhere near as organic and beautiful as the originals.
If you didn't know, Movember is a reason to grow a mustache as well as a way to raise awareness and money for prostate cancer. If you would like to donate to my team visit http://us.movember.com/mospace/5503017. I am supposed to put a picture of my progress but I am assuming you've seen enough weed fields in your day to get the picture of my mustache.
Photos of the Week 11/6
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A trip to the campus of Notre Dame produced these images of the iconic campus. The campus was incredible and we arrived at sunset and it seemed everything there including the sky was Notre Dame blue and gold.
Bar Party Posters
Here are a couple designs I've done for a group of bars in downtown Milwaukee advertising their parties and events.
Nothing Like a bit of School Spirit!
For the past three years whenever I attended a sporting event at my school I was always disappointed by the lack of students that would show up. I wanted to change the atmosphere but I had no real solution and the challenge just seemed overwhelming to change the culture. So what better time to start doing something about it than your last semester of school right? Hence, the Pack Loyalty Scorecard.
This isn't a groundbreaking cultural upheaval in the Stritch sporting event world but it's a step in the right direction. Students receive credit or points for attending certain events, dressing up, and staying late which can then be turned in for rewards. Shawn Wagner, Stritch Sport Management senior, is the brains behind the idea. He facilitated working with the sport management department to get the athlete photos and print the design. We're both hoping it will make an impact on campus and encourage students to come out in packs and support the Wolves!
Photos of the Week (Or past 6 Months) 10/22
[slideshow] Black and white photos just work for me.
I don't think I can really explain why but ironically that's what the rest of this rant will be about. I think I may be extremely influenced by my first photo class I ever took at Cardinal Stritch U, an intro to black and white film photography. I was, and still am, captivated by the processes of developing film and making prints in the dark room; it's real magic. There is a certain aspect of authenticity in a black and white image that references hours of physical labor, and a long arduous process.
Black and white images also seem to hold a curious aura of significance. Every old image we've been shown in school since we were a kid has referenced an important historical event or character in society, giving black and white images an inherent impression of gravity, influence, and relevance.
Also I find black and white images strange in that they are possibly the most unrealistic images you could make. We see everything in color so why do we still make, or are intrigued by black and white images? My biggest attraction to them is that they strip away everything routine and familiar from objects we see in color and force us to reexamine them in terms of form, value, and composition.
That was a long way of saying I enjoy making black and white photography but here are a few that I've taken recently as part of a class project where we are meticulously studying and analyzing a particular street in Milwaukee. Each photo is a facade from Old World Third Street.
Posters in Paris in Milwaukee
I was fortunate enough to see the exhibition at the Milwaukee Art Museum last week featuring artists and printmakers from the late 1800's in France. I didn't know what to expect really but I had heard of Toulouse-Letrec being one of the fathers of graphic design so my curiosity was piqued. I went with some fellow art students who were fawning over the beautiful prints and imagery but I hardly seemed to notice it. Instead, I was reading every poster.
The typography was incredible and with no excuses, thats what I paid attention to the most. You could see in all the posters and artwork the roots and foundation for every magazine cover, advertisement, or poster that would succeed them in the next century. Here are a few examples of some of what was on display, although it will never do it justice.
I found myself taking notes on how each designer/artist/printmaker, whichever you like, used certain techniques to make the text grab attention, exude elegance, and blend in harmoniously with the imagery. What made the typography so special in most was the unique crafting of each letterform. It appeared that each letter was hand painted on because no two were exactly the same, and yet if you never looked twice you would have sworn they were.
It was also exciting to find that I have been using some of the same techniques in some recent ad work. With slab serif fonts, cursive writing, and expressive hand drawn lettering in vogue, the exhibition was almost felt like it could fit into a modern day design conversation. Here are a few examples of some ads I've done with somewhat similar type treatment. Another technique that was widely used was a shadow of the text silhouetting in back along with varying strokes.
Printmaking Projects
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Everything these days is digital and streamlined. Its so easy to forget the processes that everything design once derived from. In my printmaking class we created etchings on plexiglass and literally cranked out prints on a classic printing press.
There is nothing like the old fashioned texture of real prints. Many designers are trying to emulate and capture on a computer what is natural to a printing process. I think adding printed pieces via scan or photograph to a digital piece could be real interesting and something I will be exploring in the future!
Simple is my Complex
Maybe you've never wondered this, but there is a reason I call this blog white space. I'll get into why more in a bit. But first, this post stems from the AIGA portfolio review I attended over the weekend. It was a great experience and I received a lot of great criticism and comments. One of the ones that stood out the most to me was one about my style. I was showing a series of highly textured and stylized book covers (see archives) along side some of my branding concepts (again see archives) and a reviewer commented that he thought I was trying too hard. He saw more thought and intention in the ideas that were more minimal than the ones of excessive visual flair. This came as a shock to me.
At times I find myself consciously, and subconsciously, running away from my natural design tendencies and ideas of a tight, controlled, and well placed design. And running away from, ironically, white space.
White space is probably my favorite element to use intentionally and manipulate within a design. It creates a much more sophisticated and elegant look (see apple.com, nytimes.com).
It helps focus attention on what you really want the viewer to see and understand. I can't tell you why I avoid it sometimes but it is something I really want to embrace moving forward as a part of how I think and who I am as a designer.
Here are a few examples of work (not mine) that I feel use white space to enhance the design.
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Photos of the Week 4/8
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Ya I know these are technically photos of the month since its been that long... sadly. Strange things have happened since. It stopped snowing, turned into summer in March, and I found a random flight to California. You might notice some of these influences. Some of these photos just can't happen in Wisconsin.
Inspiration to Draw!!!!
I had an unexpected invitation to visit the home and studio of Narenda Patel, an older man who has been creating in his basement studio in Milwaukee for year. It wasn't he and his wife's beautiful home that was most interesting or his metal-working studio and tutorials that were the most inspiring. Instead it was a side conversation he started up with me about my career, profession, and surprisingly drawing. When I told him I was going to school for graphic design he smiled kindly and said, "thats with those computers isn't it?" He said asked me how often I draw? I couldn't say I did as much as I should. "Never stop drawing" he told me. "You should always bring your own work onto the computer. Drawing is a muscle and you have to keep it alive and strong. He proceded to show me his drawings and how they transform into his 3-D work.
Here is a man in his seventies still drawing everyday. It was very inspiring and a good wake up call. I want to focus more on drawing every single day. Narenda's closing and best advice was "just draw for yourself. Don't draw to show other people. This is all about you."
Photos of the Week 3/4
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These photos of the week are curtesy of the mini snow storm that hit Milwaukee. It doesn't take much to get inspired during a good snow fall! As it turns out outdoor flood lights are a lot more interesting and useful than expected and create a unique photographic atmosphere at night.
Polka Dots?!
Everything in the world it seems is turning green. Energy, cars, water bottles, and now clothing. Cardinal Stritch University has started a Green Fashion Initiative and I was chosen to brand the fledgling group, named Polka Dot.
There are obvious visual motifs with recycling and polka dots to work with. One of the challenges was to create a brand the was upbeat, fresh, and vibrant without being too cliche with recycling or polka dots. It was one of my first real branding experiences and it was eyeopening how many ideas and how much dialogue it involved to find to a solution.
The most important lesson I learned is how crucial it is to do research and analysis before getting too deep into the design process. I underestimated this step and it only caused confusion and wasted time because of misunderstandings and misinterpretations. Here were a few of the rejected concepts.
We were struggling with combining text with a logo so I created a font and wordmark that literally was made out of circles/polka dots. The counters of the o's could then become the polka dots. The brand will be carried out in other applications such as clothing tags, business cards, and promotional posters. I'm excited to watch it grow. It was a great experience for me and hey if you ever need unique upcycled fashion you know who to contact.
To learn more about this group check out an article on the school website.
Photos of the Week 2/27
I recently bought a new camera so with it almost always being handy I am trying to take more photos. So this blog is a little fire I'm lighting under myself to post three to five photos from the past week. There is no particular theme or concept behind them other than what I see, just the best of the best, or in some cases the best of the worst.
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Brewers Season Ticket Poster Campaign
[slideshow] I know this sounds a bit far-fetched, but as a project over the winter break I wanted to design something fun and as if a possible dream opportunity came true. You may have guessed already, designing for the Milwaukee Brewers, or any sports team for that matter. I've been to countless games since the days Bernie Brewer slid down into a giant beer mug at County Stadium and these posters became a fun combination of design and sports.
I used old campaign posters from the 60's and 70's as inspiration. The likes of Kennedy, LBJ, and Nixon advertised with two toned posters featuring black and white head or head and shoulder shots of the candidates. Political campaigns are by no means always the epitome of graphic design at its finest but any campaign manager that underestimates the power of images and design as a form of communication and persuasion is hopelessly lost.
In my posters I use iconic brewer players, newly acquired and former Cub Aramis Ramirez, moustache notable John Axford, and crazy centerfielder Nyjer Morgan. The posters are about loyalty to the team and using these players personalities and quirks as reasons to "Join the (Brew) Crew" and purchase season tickets.
Night Photography
The past semester I have been getting back into photography and most recently trying a new techinique, that is night photography. The first time I tried it was just on a whim. I happened to be in the city and I had my camera with me so I cranked up the ISO and tried my best to keep my shutter speed manageable. It was a great environment to take photos in but I quickly found a tripod was a necessity. Here are some of the better images as I focused on mixed lighting and typography at night this time using a tripod. I should also mention I was called a "creeper" by a passing pedestrian as I was taking pictures. I'm sure I looked out of place but all I could think of to say was "yes ma'am."
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Ramblings on what it means to be a graphic designer...
I've had this thought going through my head lately and if anyone else has gone to school as a graphic design major assuredly you've been asked the same question. It's surprising sometimes what people think I do. "So is it like technical drawing and auto CAD?" they'll ask. I try to explain it pertains more to marketing and advertising using graphics and typography. But is that really all a graphic designer does? Everyone has tried their hand at that using powerpoint or publisher. What makes a designer different besides doing it as a career? To be most blunt, a designer has ideas. Not just what image should be used where, but conceptually innovative ideas. Take for instance David Carson. A former eighth-ranked surfer in the world, with less than a few months of design classes to his name, conceptually changed how people view design. He art directed the magazine Ray Gun and used it as an experimentation with typography and design. He dropped page numbers and it was the first time in magazine history that an inside story jumped to continue on the front cover (Bierut). Barcodes were no longer confined to the lower corners of the page but placed within the design. His work was considered by some as anti-commercialism.
It was this bizarre, divergent, and extraordinary design and ideas that made the magazine so appealing, along with an apropos subject matter of cutting-edge social icons in music etc. But Carson was not the person to create something and then sit back and watch it succeed. His goal was to always do something different. He never used the same approach for two openers (Bierut). This is what separates a graphic designer from someone who designs commercially for a living.
Graphic designers are thinkers.Good graphic designers are great thinkers. Great graphic designers are revolutionary thinkers.
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Design Toolbox: Blending
I'm starting a new feature of this blog every week or so to highlight a feature from Illustrator or Photohop that you can add to your design toolbox. It's impossible to know every feature of these programs so I find it helpful sometimes just to focus on one for a bit. The first tool is blending options. this was inspired by a poster I made for a new class being offered on campus that needed some promotion.
Blending is a great way to go when your text looks like it just placed on top of an image. Blending integrates the each graphic element in a design to create a unity throughout. Here it looks as though the text was printed on the box itself.
Blending options in Photoshop are located in the layers panel. On the bottom is an fx pop up menu. The first option is blending options. This will open up another box that offers multiple ways to blend your design. Hope this opens up a few more creative options and keep looking for more Design Toolbox posts!