the ‘portfolio‘ » eye candy for the designer in everyone
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in motion

Putting kids in motion is at the very heart of what variety the children’s charity, Pittsburgh does. This annual report reflects that initiative with large, strong black and white photos + a splash of red (putting those corporate colors to work!) Producing a ‘hip’ report, well under budget, was a moving success.
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dam jam!

Every now and then you get to be a part of a cool event, like dam jam » a weekend of novice + garage bands getting together in the mountains to raise money to help maintain the local dam (hence the name.) This T-shirt design was created with a ‘Woodstock’ feeling in mind, and was voted best-to-date! I think this just may be a keeper.
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bend and stretch

Bright, fun, intriguing » more marketing materials for The Ellis School.
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I am . . .

The Ellis School ad campaign reflects the look of the current view book: bold, bright and unique. The students narrate their Ellis experience in a simple yet interesting way.
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can teen

I was fortunate to be a part of this incredible toolkit – from developing a color palette and designing the logos to creating customized graphics from the packaging down to the buttons and bookmarks within the kit.

This innovative toolkit developed just for girls is now available in stores. Buy one for your favorite little girl and get her thinking! canteen

Start scrolling to experience more of the toolkit » first up is the main can teen logo, then you meet the team with their personalized logos and colors, then a quick sample of inserts and finish it off with the cd package. It all comes together in a funky fresh way.

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when an ordinary invite just won’t do

So you want them to stop at your booth at the conference and come to your event – then your invitation better stand out. Start with a cool illustration, round the corners, give it a gloss laminate and mail it in a not so ordinary envelope. Yup, that will work!
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going green

Saving our green space . . . Western Pennsylvania Conservancy does that and so much more. This family of rack size brochures were designed to compliment the new web site and logo. Showcasing the beauty of Western PA gave me a sense of pride. Learn more » http://www.paconserve.org/
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lists & numbers

You get two colors, a few letters with head shots, a whole bunch of text, some really long lists of names, and some figures » put it all together and create a not so usual annual report. Throw in a horizontal format and good photos and you get a refreshing and inviting way to process all of that information.
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it’s looking hot! hot !hot!

Nothing like a few hot chili peppers to enhance the flavor! This brochure was designed to hold a film sample over the pepper photo. This particular film is used to make bags you would find in the produce area of a market. Since the brochure will be used in two markets: the US and China, using a chili pepper was a cool tie-in.
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visual identity — aka: logo

Long before the IMx booth was produced, we were developing a logo for the new product. If you look closely at the ‘I’ within the logo you will see a cup. This logo has had a few modifications since the actual name has changed slightly over time - keeping the graphic ‘I’ was the costant. The IMx graphic can and does stand alone as an icon.
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when it’s more than just a logo — creating that theme

Sometimes a logo isn’t for a company, but for an event – that’s when you are creating a ‘theme’ – oh what fun!

Bayer MaterialScience was launching its second phase of an employee survey and needed a ‘logo’ - something that would relate to the survey and the company’s core values. The name: Culture of Choice.

With the emphasis set on the word ‘culture’, we developed a logo that portrayed the meaning: “The set of shared attitudes, values, goal, and practices that characterizes an institution or organization.”

The logo showed community, unity within diversity, and enthusiasm, which tied directly into the BMS Culture of Choice theme. The logo (and all marketing materials) were created in English and Spanish - and looked great in both languages!

Working with the illustrator Rafael Lopez to achieve our goals was a great experience. Rafael is represented by Jennifer Vaugn, an truely nice artist representative.
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Weather is always a topic of conversation (especially in Pittsburgh!) so when the title of this employee survey was ‘Climate Survey’, I thought using the obvious connection to weather would be fun.

We created a weatherman as our ‘narator’ – a character that would take you through the steps of the survey process. The graphics were used on emails and large posters. All materials were produced in English, Dutch, and French – Yes, making a logo work in many languages can be a challenge - but it’s so cool to see it when it’s done.

Working with Nishan Akgulian represented by the David Goldman Agengy was really fun. His whimiscal style was perfect for this application. Be sure to visit their wesites for some inspiration.

Keep scrolling to view some other favorite designs.

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a classic

My all time favorite ad is this one. It’s simple. It’s clever. I am a huge fan of “less is more”.

Take note » All marketing materials for The Ellis School are shot on location and use actual students and faculty members. Professional models are never used, retouching is not necessary, and the girls usually don’t have much notice. These shots are the real deal! There truly is an energy on the campus – and it is captured in the photos.

It all starts with a good idea. Good writing and good photography always help. It takes a team to create the really good stuff. Kelly O’Toole is a gifted writer who listens closely to clients and Craig Thompson is a talented photographer. Both listen to the art director to understand the objectives. Check out the “associates” and “friendly links” areas on the home page of this site to learn more about the people I really enjoy working with.