Bad People Good Things

London’s iconic Fire Records has undertaken the noble task of re-introducing some of the classic records of a post punk era gone by. Many come from their own treasure trove but others have been secured for this purpose alone. When we heard artists like Spacemen 3, Neutral Milk Hotel, Teenage Fanclub and Television Personalities, we didn’t require further convincing. Being asked to create the identity for the “Embers” series was indeed an honor. I mean, just look at the records the logo will grace. Does this finally make us cool by association? We sure hope so!

CLIENT: FIRE RECORDS >>> PRINTER: VARIOUS (used with permission)

Building an identity for a chocolatier that appeals to the current clientele that comes for the high-end product, but is also accessible to the rest of the urban neighborhood with it’s friendly vibe can be a tough trick to perform. Long conversations yielded a play on the chocolate bunny and soon we were on the path to creating that delicate balancing act with a sophisticated execution of a welcoming mark.

CLIENT: ARTISAN CONFECTIONS >>> PRINTER: VARIOUS
(used with permission)

Americans for the Arts has always been one of our favorite organizations and though we have worked with them for over 12 years (can you hear my knees creaking just typing that?) we had yet to work with them on the BCA 10 program. Giving the celebration of corporate support for the arts a fresh and exciting look was truly our pleasure as we couldn’t agree more with the focus of these awards in light of the current availability for funding the arts. 

CLIENT: AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS >>> PRINTER: MOSAIC
(used with permission)

I have a confession to make – I am pretty critical of my own work. “Unsatisfied” by The Replacements should be playing behind me in a continuous loop in the office. Given that quality, this logo might very well be the only piece of design I have ever produced that I loved right from the sketch phase and continue to adore and never tire of. I was working with a crew that I was certain were some of the finest logo designers in the country and I had to bring my “A” game. Perhaps it was a sense of self preservation that clicked on in my brain as this came out as soon as I could get my pen to a piece of paper. Working with a client I had known for years and helping her impress her bosses lit a little fire as well. Helping good people always does.

This is for the Smith Fellows Program, which is housed in The Nature Conservancy. They give funding to researchers that have a scientific base in preserving both the vegetation as well as the local species of animals hence the flower/butterfly. I created a number of wonderful pieces for the program which are sure to find their way on here in good time.

CLIENT: SMITH FELLOWS
(used with permission) 

Indie rockers John Guilt needed a design for t-shirts and various other merchandise. What they received was the perfect melding on concept (idea really – I hate those fancy words) and execution. Rough in all the right places.

CLIENT: JOHN GUILT >>> ILLUSTRATOR: JOHN FOSTER AND A BEAUTIFULLY OLD XEROX MACHINE
(used with permission) 

A lot of thought goes into identity work. I take great care to design in black and white in the early stages to ensure that the final mark will work in any application. When your logo needs to adorn everything from a two story tall painting to athletic uniforms for boys and girls sports team, as well as be ready to be embroidered on the finest of sweaters and spray stenciled onto garbage cans – you know you have your work cut out for you. Such was the case with the Wootton Patriots. Having a mark that signifies pride and academic excellence as well as gets teenagers to wear it on their sweatsuits is no small order either. In the end, we accomplished all of those goals as well as managed to find some love from the design community so that you can see this in a volume of Logo Lounge just as easily as the center of the basketball court.

CLIENT: MCPS
(used with permission) 

Here are some logos from the treasure chest that is overflowing with them – I promise to write more soon (pinkie swear!!!!)

CLIENTS: HOW, AFTA, FILM SCHOOL, USCM, CADCA, GET HIM EAT HIM, GRAPHTEC, FULTON LIGHTS, KINGPIN (used with permission)

The U.S. Conference of Mayors embarked on an ambitious campaign to promote healthy living in our nation’s cities. Tied to their existing corporate branding, they still needed a look that inspired and was able to reach as wide an audience as is possible. We went back and forth on the execution and balancing a color palette and line weight with their current structure for quite some time before sending forth a mark we could all be proud of. I confess to being a softy for these feel good projects as you can see and I can’t say enough about how wonderful they are to work with as a client.

CLIENT: U.S. CONFERENCE OF MAYORS
(used with permission)