Liell/Hurst INVITATIONS

Just completed these custom invitations for Julie Liell and Dave Hurst, which is my third set of wedding invitations. Julie and I had discussed the look she wanted and additionally showed me some Japanese floral patterns that perfectly utilized her color scheme. Wanting to give her a custom design I set out to create my own floral pattern. It plays into each piece of the invite.


On the RSVP I developed a witty way to visually augment the two responses. An affirmative response is flanked by a blooming, lively branch of the floral pattern, while a negative response couples with a barren, bloom-less branch.

Flyer for HAIRCUTS

This was a flyer I recently finished for my friend Brian who is working to increase his customer base as a barber and stylist. Brian wanted something hip, fun and playful. As someone who appreciates my design, Brian gave me free reign to create what I wanted. He had a few notes and off we went.

Click on the image to see a larger size, or the other concepts I presented to Brian.

Art Director SALARIES in DETROIT

_{From Monster & Salary.com}

Mm-hm, right.

TREE Towers

Many communities are jumping on this trend and camouflaging conspicuous cell towers as trees. The first time I saw one of these I thought it was the most excellent idea. Even when the towers are too tall to be mistaken as real trees or in areas where no matching trees grow, I think this is such a welcome site.

Some of my friends weren't as impressed. What do you think? Why is or isn't this a cool idea?

Apple KEYBOARD

Yes please.

CMYKregister

I have this idea to try to develop some design-related apparel. It's a bit of a long shot because I only have this one simple idea so far - buttons, which are as pedestrian an item as you can get. (They're also cheap.) As an acronym, CMYK has always interested me. I can remember when I first got into this business, making color keys for 4-color printing and having to work with the four pigments, cyan, magenta, yellow, and key (black). I could never understand why they didn't just call it black? CMYB? No good? Anyway, CMYK is the kind of jargon that is both mysterious and widely known at the same time. I have many ideas in the works for expanding from this very simple beginning, but we'll get to that later. [wink]

SIX PACK Paperweight

Fellas, here's the ultmimate paperweight for your cube or office. The perfect combination of liquor store masculinity and artsy decor.

ALGUE

Sometimes, when you're feeling divisive, a little separation is needed. Or perhaps you're tired of boring shadows on your wall and you want to cast a new pattern. How about these nature-inspired, connect-o-fun, latice-like elements by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec. Algue, which is French for "algae," are individual plastic elements that can be joined to create personalized interior design elements, from screens to room dividers.

More from the brothers Bouroullec.
Available from MoMAstore.org.

INTERNATIONAL CABINET Logo

For review:



This is my recently completed logo for a sub-contracted client, International Cabinet. I submit it to the blogosphere, and welcome scrutiny. As a designer, I am coming to a turning point. While my work has been warmly received by clients and friends I am increasingly curious about its validity in the design world.

FUTURA

Futura, my friends.



Futura is old school, a classic, and yet I use it sparingly. As classic sans-serif fonts go, Helvetica is (obviously) my stalwart of choice. In a way this is a cop out. It is incredibly easy to use Helvetica and come out looking good, a testament to its flawless construction and versatility. The conundrum for me is that Futura exhibits the same quality of construction but is considerably less versatile. Futura has panache. Mastering the use of Futura's flair requires a measure of skill and discernment. Helvetica's near-perfection will kindly cover your typographic deficit but Futura is not so forgiving.




Maybe it is too much for most layouts, overkill. Maybe it is so distinctive it prices itself out of most uses. Maybe it is none of these things. I go on trying to find great ways to work it in. For inspiration I have in the past looked to Futura's glimmering presence in "2001: A Space Odyssey".

By the way, Kubrick was a genius, pure and simple — no detail left unrefined. The Charles Eames of filmmaking. He loved Futura and knew how to use it.