Bad People Good Things

I have always taken a great deal of pride in my designs for collateral materials. So many firms let up after the first marketing piece is complete but I won’t rest until the perfect event badge or thank you card has been assembled. The worst thing you can do is to just keep hacking together brochures and booklets with different goals and audiences but you drape the same cover graphic on again and again. This collection (just a few items from the multitude produced – marketing, pre-conference brochures which are color-coded for easy collating for different direct mailings, on-site program and signage are shown here) for Americans For The Arts gives a clue as to my mode of working. Keep the flavor and focus, but make sure each piece really communicates directly. I think it goes without saying that even the registration forms for this conference were amazing. This continues a relationship with an amazing organization that stretches well past a decade.

The fun part was often in the re-invention. A good number of attendees came each year and discussed many of the same subjects so making the sell often centered around the locale which was a fun way to work. Of course, an arts organization has to be sure to appeal to all aspects of their audience so the expectations were high for visuals without leaning too far towards any one discipline. The result was some amazing packages and this is one of my favorites.

CLIENT: AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS >>> PRINTER: WESTLAND PRINTERS
(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) 

Working with Fortune 500 companies or the funky little shop down the street, I have found the problems to often be much the same: maximum impact with minimal cost. Certainly the smaller vendor has tighter budgets to contend with and helping Shake Your Booty outfit DC’s finest with hip and funky shoes and accessories is a battle worth joining, no matter the cost. The shop had always had a “Bi-Annual Sale,” which I could never wrap my head around (every six months silly) and one day it just sort of morphed into “Big Ass Sale” for me. My wife cautioned against proposing it and was especially hesitant about making “Ass” so prominent. All that I knew was that it just felt right. The SYB crew readily agreed and we have never looked back!

We make posters that double as window treatments/giveaways/promos and sometimes we even print hangtags or business cards on the back to slice them up later. We also OWN hot pink in the DC area. If you ever come to town and want to borrow it – just ask. We are pretty reasonable folks.

CLIENT: SHAKE YOUR BOOTY >>> PRINTERS OVER THE YEARS: STANDARD DELUXE, PATENT PENDING, GRAND PALACE SILKSCREEN, BALDWIN GRAPHICS
(used with permission) 

John is a world renowned designer, author and speaker on design issues. His work has been published in numerous books and every major industry magazine, hangs in galleries across the globe and is part of the permanent collection of the Smithsonian. He is the proud recipient of both a gold and silver medal from the Art Directors Club as well as a Best of Show from the ADDYs.

He is an international speaker, including numerous appearances at the largest design gathering in the world, The HOW Design Conference. John has entertained crowds ranging from 5 to 1,500 and onward and makes numerous visits to colleges and universities each year to speak to their design programs as well. He is a past President of ADCMW.

Mr. Foster is the author of ”Dirty Fingernails: A One-Of-A-Kind Collection of Graphics Uniquely Designed By Hand” (Rockport), ”For Sale: Over 200 Innovative Solutions in Packaging Design” (HOW Books), “New Masters of Poster Design” (Rockport) and “Maximum Page Design” (HOW Books) as well as having the honor of penning the layout chapter of Debbie Millman’s “Principles of Graphic Design.” 2010 will see the release of his next tome, “1000 Indie Posters” from Rockport, as well as a monograph on Jeff Kleinsmith for Sub Pop Records. He also writes a weekly column on music packaging for brightestyoungthings.com (over 100,000 readers.)

He sits behind an enormous desk for drawing, painting and general computering. The two goofiest foxhounds to roam the land occupy the region directly below his feet.

PHOTO: THE AMAZING LEXIE MORELAND
(used with permission)

It’s a bit of a strange name I’ll admit – but it was needed. I absolutely love my work and my success had been built on a combination of clients that desired a true partnership and final products that we could all find pride in. That equation had gotten askew and a variety of factors reminded me how important it was. I swore that I would keep it simple moving forward. Bad people? No longer needed. Good things? Always welcome and being produced daily. Want to join in on the good clean fun? Don’t be shy!

The days of waiting on a letter are long gone – but that doesn’t mean we don’t still enjoy receiving them.

Should you need anyone immediately, the following are always on:

e: good@badpeoplegoodthings.com

p: 301.785.3475

If by chance you are inclined to send a little something our way, feel free to slap this address on it!

Bad People Good Things LLC
6921 Muncaster Mill Road
Derwood, MD 20855

(just outside my beloved Washington DC)

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) 

GraphTec was moving on up to new digs with a new logo (naturally) as well as new presses and capabilities. They just needed to let everyone know and what better way than a snappy petal-fold (I always say!)

CLIENT: GRAPHTEC >>> PRINTER: GRAPHTEC >>> COPYWRITER: JOHN FOSTER (used with permission)

A&E
The Coca-Cola Company
ESPN
FX
Fox Networks
Discovery
National Geographic Channel
National Geographic Books
Chronicle Books
Time-Life
Direct Holdings
America’s Byways
National Trust for Historic Preservation
Smithsonian (almost every museum – just give me a few more weeks)
National Children’s Museum
National Zoo
Reading Is Fundamental
Pride Youth Services
Smith Fellows
Nature Conservancy
PBS Kids
AOL
TV One
BET
National Aquarium of Baltimore
Hallmark Channel
Honest Tea
Quartermaine Coffee Roasters
Firehook Bakery
Qubo
Lifetime
MGM
Warner Bros.
The Weather Channel
HGTV
Hasbro
XM
Hilton
ResortQuest
Americans For The Arts
Meyer Foundation
Chunklet
Patton Oswalt
Sub Pop Records
Fire Records
Endearing Records
Darla Records
Teenbeat Records
Soundscreen/Insound
AIGA
Art Directors Club
Ad Club
University of Maryland
American University
Georgetown University
Shepherd University
Shake Your Booty
International SPY Museum
HOW Design Books
Rockport Publishers
F+W Media
USO
U.S. Conference of Mayors
NASAA
CADCA 
CMT 

The Smith Fellows program combines science with nature in such a unique fashion that we began to approach promoting the next round of Fellows by making a system of colored cubes highlighting a single animal or plant – much like a table of the elements for the more colorful scientist inside us all. Eventually this grew into a larger application as we wanted to send out postcards. Conscious of the environment, we filled up a single press sheet and didn’t waste a single centimeter as we even created a bellyband for those that received the full set.

CLIENT: SMITH FELLOWS/THE NATURE CONSERVANCY >>> PRINTER: MOSAIC (used with permission)