Logo concept for a client who creates and distributes branded merchandise for fortune 500 caliber companies.
Concept identity for a outdoors adventure park. They offer a wide range of outdoor options from zip lines and canopy tours to rafting and fishing.
Some unused logo concepts for a Dentist office.
I’ve had a recent string of “bad clients”. Clients who’ve been very heavy handed during the design process. Essentially wanting to use my computer, my design programs, and me as a surrogate host, to do their graphic design bidding. They’ve wanted me to simply extract, then execute this massively horrid, *cough* *cough* I mean magically wonderful idea from their brains. My abilities as a designer and a thinker are are being wasted. It would be too easy to just give in to these poorly conceived demands.
I’m struggling to find a way to better communicate to these people. To explain to them the benefits of my knowledge, but in a way where they believe it. Many of these clients are simply making personal and subjective decisions based on their lack of design knowledge. Where’s the trust? The trust that I’m capable of helping them. The trust that I have their best interests at heart.
While it may be briefly exciting to give these clients their awful logos, then sprint to the bank, with check in hand, before their businesses fail. The ultimate outcome is very hollow and quite frankly upsetting. It is also damaging to my reputation as a designer, as well as damaging to my eyes. Many of these clients are local and I’ll be forced to gaze upon the awfulness I’ve created as it appears plastered on billboards and driving by on pickup trucks.
I find that learning how to design high quality, well thought out, useful branding elements is only part of the process. Being able to essentially sell the client the idea while convincing them to trust you, is just as valuable a skill.
I just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a fantastically creative New Year!
2011 was a crazy year worldwide, but a great time for change and progress. I can’t wait to get a jump on a fantastically awesome and optimistic 2012. With a brand new job and some renewed perspective on life I plan to just keep moving forward. Staying hungry. Keep motivated.
I’ve added a new project to my portfolio. It’s a sampling of shots and icons from the interface design language I helped create. Click here to go see the project.
Here is a t shirt design concept for Bullhorn.
We developed a logo for the Kentucky Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association. Other horse breeding states have done a very good job of advocating their brand of horses in the industry, but the Kentucky brand has relied on it laurels and therefore is not as well advocated or represented. These logos are just a visualization of the quality that is Kentucky Thoroughbreds. The imagery comes form the triple crown trophy, the geometric shapes found in racing silks, and the shape of the mint julep cup. Of the 11 horses who have won the triple crown, 9 of then are Kentucky Bred, and the other 2 have Kentucky Bred parents.
Here are a pair of unused logo concepts for a recent identity project for Salomon & Company, a wealth planner and financial consultant. I’lll be updating the blog with the logo the client chose, as well as examples of the letterhead and business cards.
I will be making the transition from good old corporate Lexmark International, as Lead Interface Designer, to a local Design/Marketing agency. I will taking the Creative Director role at Bullhorn, located at the intersection of North Limestone and Loudon. I’m super excited about the opportunity to be working with an awesome group of creatives and can’t wait to see what we make together.
Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart. … Stay hungry. Stay foolish.”
-Steve Jobs
Illustration by Jonathan Mak Long
I was fortunate enough to help work on some of the promotional material and website for this year’s TEDxLex event. Above you can see an example of the posters design I created, based around event’s theme: Playful Innovation.
If you happen to be in Lexington in late October you should totally come to TEDxLex 2011. . . we’ve booked some really interesting and compelling speakers for this year’s event. You can go check out the details over at TEDxLex.com.
It never ceases to amaze me how I end of going to these types of events for one particular speaker, but always end up walking away more impressed and inspired by the other people I knew nothing about.