WRITING, CURATION, ART DIRECTION
Atari, the pioneering Silicon Valley company, helped birth the modern video game industry. The company also broke ground with its use of powerful artwork and design to communicate the energy and emotion of their new games in retail and advertising.
I spent several years tracking down and researching the unsung creative minds behind the art and design of Atari. This artwork inspired generations of creatives and left a lasting impression on the larger culture. In addition to interviewing artists, designers and executives, I also curated rare artwork and artifacts for this book—from original art to production slides, to vintage packaging and design prototypes. Working with book designer Jason Adam, I art directed the book and produced this best-selling design history.
The book has been translated into English, French, German, and Spanish. The book is available at many retail and online booksellers.
PACKAGE DESIGN
Old Line Spirits was founded by a pair of former Navy pilots who brought their hard-working, mission-focused ethos to the creation of the Baltimore-based distillery and its unique craft releases.
Known for their award-willing American Single Malt Whiskeys and aged rums, Old Line was a great design partner, and at Seedhouse we worked with the founders from the beginning. I designed the labels and packaging of Old Line's aged Caribbean Rums, including the original Rum, Single Malt Cask-Finished Rum, and the 114 proof "Navy Strength" Rum. Ahoy!
I built on the use of nautical imagery with a distinctive star crab icon, which has traveled from foil-stamped rum labels, to shirts, merchandise, and brand revisions.
DESIGN, CREATIVE DIRECTION, PRODUCTION
Drawing on the success of its video game-inspired art shows, iam8bit has evolved into a gamer-oriented lifestyle brand, creating both independent products and collaborations with big players in the gaming industry. A partner and I worked with the company to design a new and flexible identity that would allow iam8bit to shift and change in service of their creative needs or latest collaboration.
The primary mark is technical—a combination of sharp angles and rounded edges, approachable and aware of its video game roots. The style lets it play well with a variety of swappable eights that the team uses in different contexts.
DESIGN, ART DIRECTION
In addition to art directing and managing our MobyFox smartwatch product portfolio, I occasionally still get the chance to dirty my hands, so to speak, and design products. For the release of the film, Spider-Man: No Way Home, I worked closely with our industrial design team, concepting and art directing a pair of premium, sculpted silicone watch bands. Both are based on costumes worn by Tom Holland’s Spider-Man in the movie.
While it's crucial to stay true to the character and the overall ethos of the film, I'm always very aware that watch bands and super hero costumes are not the same thing. What works onscreen for a Hollywood blockbuster doesn't necessarily translate into a wearable, fashionable fan accessory. My team is always looking for ways to capture the spirit and physical details of a property or character, and doing so within the constraints of a 20-millimeter-wide canvas. That design process is more akin to logo design--in understanding what details should be included and which can be left out. We consider color, texture, depth, spatial relationships, and little details that only the most ardent fans with notice. It all adds up to a stimulating and enjoyable design process, and hopefully a stellar product.
DESIGN, ART DIRECTION, PRODUCTION
We designed several issues of Open Road magazine for Kia Motors, sent to all Kia car owners. This bi-annual publication was filled with features, insights and info on upcoming models. Our redesign for Kia and Leaders Media America captured the energy and design sophistication of the Kia brand. In addition to art directing some of the photographic features, we also simplified the design, streamlined the typography and put the focus back on the cars to shift the reading experience into a higher gear.
DESIGN, ART DIRECTION
In addition to art directing and managing our MobyFox smartwatch product portfolio, I occasionally still get the chance to dirty my hands, so to speak, and design products.
For this pair of smartwatch bands, I wanted to create designs that celebrated the 1970s and '80s era of Marvel comics. Those books were formative childhood staples for me, with much of my youth spent pawing through dusty crates in comic shops or poring over artwork by the likes of John Romita Sr., John Buscema, Walt Simonson, and others. But I wanted to do more than just create another retro-inspired product. For these original designs, I took inspiration from the Marvel black light posters produced by Third Eye, Inc. in the 1970s. The company had taken Marvel artwork and re-printed them larger, in bold neon inks meant to glow when shown under black lights, a staple of many college dorm rooms of the era. Those acid-bright colorways and commitment to wild comic-book visuals drove my design decisions on both a Captain America band and a Spider-Man version. In producing these designs, I chose Pantone neon inks and silicone colors that would yield fashionable, wearable products while also capturing that black light party vibe.
CREATIVE DIRECTION, DESIGN, PRODUCTION
AIGA is the professional association for design. On behalf of designers of all stripes, AIGA works to promote design as a whole, highlighting the fact that designers serve critical roles as communicators, educators and innovators in culture and the marketplace.
To celebrate an annual paper show in Chicago, I created a set of three art prints that would highlight the creativity of printing and paper, and serve as an AIGA Chicago marketing piece. Each print plays on the theme of unique voices coming together. Each waveform is a visual representation of unlikely vocal pairings: Neil Armstrong's "one small step for man" combined with Lady Gaga’s "Let's Dance," Ronald Reagan's “tear down this wall!” speech combined with “Wonderwall” from Oasis. Printed on colored paper stocks with white inks, the soundwaves yielded beautiful patterns and challenged audiences to add their own voices to the conversation.
BROCHURE DESIGN
No More Tears was one of Ozzy Osbourne’s most successful albums when it was released in 1991. For an exclusive colored vinyl re-release of the album, I worked with the team at Tower Records to design a special edition brochure packaged with it.
I employed a wicked diecut cover in the shape of the iconic Tower Records logo, overlaid on the signature yellow retail bag.
We also sourced vintage photos of a secret midnight release of the record at Tower Records in 1991, trying to capture the feel of that analog era and the wild energy associated with rock’s “Prince of Darkness.”
CREATIVE DIRECTION, DESIGN, PRODUCTION
This book was a quirky companion to the wonderfully weird world of Hohokum, an adventure game published for the Sony Playstation PS4. The game itself is a whimsical world of oddball characters and offbeat worlds, and we designed a book to capture the feel of each of these strange lands. The book sported eye-popping production—a wonderfully textured cover, multiple gatefold spreads, clear foil stamping, vivid inks and a rainbow ribbon bookmark modeled after the main character, a kite-shaped being. Of course.
PACKAGE DESIGN
As a lifelong baseball fan (and Chicago Cubs season ticket holder!) it was a real treat to design the packaging for Super 7's MLB Sportsports ReAction Figure toy line. The ReAction toy line is meant to be an homage to the action figures of late '70s and '80s, in terms of sculpting detail, articulation, and packaging.
The key to this product line design was in creating clean, powerful packaging colorways to best reflect each team and selecting appropriate licensed photography of each player. The overall packaging was striking, letting the photography communicate the hustle and energy of baseball and the game's greatest players. I created packaging for 17 players across three product waves.
Thankfully, this would not be my last work with Major League Baseball, or with Super 7's sports lineup.
PACKAGE DESIGN
Beer nerds know that Dovetail Brewery crafts their beers differently. It’s retro—European monk style. Open fermentation, old world methods, delicious commitment to quality—all these have added up to a devoted fan base for this Chicago-based brewery. I designed the first canned releases from Dovetail while at Seedhouse, after our team had worked together creating everything from Dovetail’s logo, to beer labels, and other packaging.
WRITING, CURATION, CREATIVE DIRECTION
The history of Pac-Man is the history of the golden age of arcade games, and it was a pleasure to write the first-ever history of this iconic video game. Pac-Man transformed both the video game industry and the entertainment landscape, journeying from arcades into television, movies, and pop culture. From Tokyo to Chicago, my book highlights the people, events, and culture that created this iconic character.
Together with co-author Arjan Terpstra, I traced the journey of Pac-Man and how the game and character influenced gaming, film, television, marketing, and more. The book is available in English, French, and Italian, and can be purchased in multiple editions and from various booksellers.
“...the most definitive takeon everyone’s favorite pill-popping, haunted hero” and “2021’s Best Gaming Book”-Forbes Magazine
“A beautifully designed and immaculately researched visual history of the first rock star video game character!” -Ernest Cline, Author of Ready Player One
CREATIVE DIRECTION, DESIGN, PRODUCTION
Neenah Paper, purveyors of specialty uncoated papers, have supported design organizations around the country for decades. For a panel discussion with AIGA Chicago entitled “Loose Change,” I designed a set of event materials--a set of "collector coins" highlighting the impressive roster of panelists and Neenah's gorgeous paper stocks. Each coin featured a unique portrait of the designer, tucked away in a custom orange wallet. The great discussions were wide-ranging and loose, but the design was anything but.
PACKAGE DESIGN
Super 7 asked me to muck up some of their TMNT Ultimates packaging, and that's what I did. As part of a limited edition retailer exclusive release, I created an oozy, glow-in-the-dark package design to match the glowing Mutagen Man action figure. This meant slopping glowing goop all over the standard Ultimates packaging, drowning the logos, trade dress, and colorways in mutagenic ooze. It was a lot of fun to make things messy for this special edition.
EXHIBIT CURATION
I am always willing to bite off a chunk of pop culture to study, and have a deep love for museums and the form of in-person, physical exhibits. At the Chicago Gamespace video game museum, co-curator Jonathan Kinkley and I mounted an exhibit exploring one of the world's most enduring video game icons. "Nom Nom: 40 Years of Pac-Man Design and History" let visitors play through the history of Pac-Man in many different arcade and pinball machines, consoles, and handheld games. We also explored the game's origins in Chicago and Japan.
As part of the exhibit, we curated an extensive collection of Pac-Man merchandise through the decades, showing how the hit game also became a licensing juggernaut, paving the way for modern cross-media marketing. The exhibit ran four months and gained extensive media coverage throughout.
Additional photos courtesy of Nathan Keay, Erin Hooley at Chicago Tribune, and Jonathan Kinkley.
ILLUSTRATION
Working with collectible company Super 7, I had the chance to work on the beloved Transformers franchise again. As part of their high-end Ultimates action figure line packaging, I illustrated eight of the characters across two different waves of releases. My technical-style illustration was based on classic Transformers character turnarounds and box art, and it was a delight to see it come to life in spot foil printing on the slipcase packaging. Clearly more than meets the eye!
CREATIVE DIRECTION, DESIGN, COPYWRITING, CLIENT MANAGEMENT
Baxalta began life after spinning off from its pharma parent company, Baxter International.
After our firm designed a new identity for this biolife-focused company, I led the team that executed its ongoing implementation and development—in advertising, collateral, sales materials, environments, and more. This work also included broader visual and brand changes across the organization, from internal icon systems to key brand drivers. I continued working with Baxalta on other projects at another agency as well. Baxalta was later acquired for $32 billion.
PACKAGE DESIGN
Collectible company Super 7 makes the collectibles, toys, and products they wish existed. From pop culture obscurities to original characters, their reimaginings of popular properties have altered the toy landscape. Their line of 3.75" ReAction figures is an homage to the toys of the 1970s and '80s, and I had the pleasure of working on their Mars Attacks collection.
The figures themselves are based on the controversial 1962 Topps trading cards of the same name, which depicted shocking and gory scenes of evil aliens descending on Earth. My package designs drew inspiration from the wax packaging wrappers of the cards, as well as the incredible and outrageous card art itself. It was a pleasure to support the new action figures in all their madness, with packaging that completed the fan experience, with small details like the card names, torn elements, and original numbering.
INNOVATION, DESIGN, CREATIVE DIRECTION, ILLUSTRATION
After YMCA redesigned its brand identity to reflect a return to its nonprofit roots and core areas, my team partnered with YMCA of the USA’s innovation team on a variety of projects, some of which came to life, and others were more internal efforts.
In this project we concepted and create a series of downloadable activities. These simple and engaging activities were created to help families live healthier lives while working, playing, and spending time together. From the inventive and yummy Snack Lab, to tips on being a Neighborhood Explorer, or Supermarket Treasure Hunts, we developed the activities for learning, bonding, and maximum enjoyment. Aligning with the YMCA's national brand efforts, we illustrated, edited, and curated these new additions to the Y's Healthy Family Home initiative.
WRITING, DESIGN, CURATION, ART DIRECTION
Most design inspiration books feature the same well-regarded (and awarded) work, but I (and co-author Jason Adam) sought to broaden the creative conversation, allowing designers and artists to choose their own highlights. Damn Good: Top Designers Discuss Their All-Time Favorite Projects showcases the work of designers from 35 countries and multiple disciplines, telling the stories of their most personal and favorite projects. This book is available at many online booksellers.
CREATIVE DIRECTION, DESIGN, STRATEGY
Envisioned as an early social platform for women, this identity was meant to communicate a cheeky attitude, poking fun at the objectification of women. The platform, created as a safe space for women to connect and have honest dialogue, was intended to own and subvert our culture’s views on women.
CREATIVE DIRECTION, DESIGN, ART DIRECTION, MARKETING MANAGEMENT, PRODUCTION, COPYWRITING
SPC is a third-generation, family-owned direct marketing print provider. Long an innovator in the direct marketing space, the company wanted to increase its brand presence and renew industry awareness.
I developed and managed the company’s comprehensive marketing and design plan--including content creation, design, copywriting, social media, and environmental design. This included eyeball-capturing marketing efforts like our “Build the Future” campaign that included live, custom LEGO building and related direct marketing. We also created lunar-themed event materials for one of the industry’s largest trade shows.
DESIGN, ART DIRECTION
For anyone who has been paying attention to pop culture or Hollywood in the last 15 years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has become a massive success and staple of both cinema and the broader culture. So, it only made sense that MobyFox would release a series of smartwatch bands based on these popular characters and properties.
Being a lifelong comic book fan and student of visual culture, I sought to bring a fan-focused approach in designing and art directing this 40+ piece product line. Our Marvel line of products has continued to morph over the past couple years, changing and evolving with each new film or TV release. To my mind, the most successful products are those that capture a character's overall spirit, and I've sought to fine-tune our design approach to ensure that all visual details and iconography tell a broader story to fans. After all, the storytelling and characters are what fans have fallen in love with, and we aim to give them a bit of that on their wrists.
DESIGN, STRATEGY
Created as a publishing and creative imprint, Plastic Highway seeks to curate and explore subjects at the intersection of art and pop culture. The logo I designed takes its cues from the plastic model kits of our youth and interstate road signs, at the place where mass culture and high art collide.
PACKAGE DESIGN
Jem and the Holograms was an animated TV show that blasted into pop culture in 1985. Part MTV music videos and part super-hero secret identity plot, the show revolved around record executive Jerrica Benton, who could transform into show-stopping pop star Jem. The cartoon supported a glitzy, rock-and-roll toy line aimed chiefly at young girls.
The show's designs and costumed dolls stole a significant share from Mattel's long-running Barbie toy line, even spawning competitor product line, Barbie and the Rockers. Though Jem would be short-lived, the toy line captured some of the '80s zeitgeist with in-episode music videos, pop-glam styling, and music industry glitz.
When Super 7 revealed their plans for 3.75" collectible action figures based on the original cartoon and toys, I was thrilled to design the packaging. My aim was to stay true to the punk-glam and big hair spirit of the original toy line, while slightly updating it for modern Gen-X audiences and collectors. I wanted to ensure that the new packaging would visually feel part of the same extended family as the original toys, tapping into a sense of shared nostalgia for Jem and the Holograms. Acid-bright colors, glamourous gradients, and printing on holographic foil card stock added up to a final product that is truly outrageous.
PACKAGE DESIGN
Super 7 released a series of NBA ReAction figures as part of their Supersports line. These throwback action figures take inspiration from the toys of the late ‘70s and 1980s, with limited articulation and proper toy sculpting.
To support these great figures (excellent sculpts!) I designed blister card back packaging for each player, focusing on powerful photography and team colorways—across four waves of 27 total figures. I’d call that a slam dunk.
BOOK EDITING, ART DIRECTION
Undisputed Street Fighter followed the success of Art of Atari by training a lens on one of the most storied franchises in video games. The Street Fighter series of video games has influenced fighting games, pop culture, and the rise of e-sports, and author (and my good friend) Steve Hendershot took a deep dive of an intimate, historical look into the making of the Street Fighter games, and the iconic art, design, and imagery from across the Street Fighter universe.
I served as Editor for this volume, wrote the foreword and spearheaded art direction and art curation. As part of a limited edition version of the book, I also commissioned a series of exclusive art prints by a variety of artists, including Chuck Anderson of NoPattern, Delicious Design League, Zack Anderson, and Antonio García.
Both the limited edition and standard style of the book are available online and at finer booksellers everywhere.
PRODUCT DESIGN, ART DIRECTION
At the 2023 Star Wars Celebration convention MobyFox released what is one of my favorite passion projects—the Han Solo in Carbonite watch band.
In addition to all the great design work my team did across our Star Wars smartwatch accessory line, I really wanted to bring this particular iconic Original Trilogy moment to life. I spearheaded the design of this watch strap with our industrial designer Lucia Lobos, and alongside our partners at Lucasfilm, we landed on an excellent final product. The Han Solo in Carbonite watch band is equal parts outrageous fan fashion and technical marvel.
Besides the technical challenges of getting Han's Carbonite self onto the wrist, it was important for us to make sure that the experience of both the watch band and digital watch faces connected deeply to the chilling moment of Solo's kiss before being frozen on Bespin. We wanted fans to think about his final exchange with Princess Leia. “I love you.” “I know.”
We took that storytelling a step further with the MobyFox convention booth design, capturing Leia's rescue of Han from the clutches of Jaba the Hutt, by giving fans a chance to take their own “Carbonite selfie” with a replica of the frozen smuggler.
I think the final watch band is both fashionable and wearable, fit for any fan who is venturing beyond a galaxy far, far away.
DESIGN, ART DIRECTION, PRODUCTION
The Museum of Video Game Art (MOVA) is an emerging organization focused on the preservation, curation and celebration of classic video game art—including the illustration, design, marketing, and industrial design associated with these iconic games.
In addition to my role as founder of this organization, I also designed the logo and print collateral for MOVA. The identity is meant to suggest the pixelated graphics of these early games, using a tight grid structure and repeating pattern throughout. I also created multiple versions of the logo based around the same grid system whose patterns increase or decrease in complexity depending on the size of the logo.
CREATIVE DIRECTION, DESIGN, STRATEGY, PRODUCTION
Intelligent Lighting Creations (ILC) provides lighting rentals and consulting for museums, trade shows, and corporate meetings throughout the United States. The team’s lighting designers and technicians focus both on the details of great equipment, but but also a creative problem-solving approach. I redesigned the ILC identity to better capture the company's creative spirit while powerfully "spotlighting" the singular, theatrical nature of the their lighting work.
EXHIBIT CURATION
I worked with the Peekaboo Gallery for their inaugural show, 25¢ A Play: The Art of the Videocade. This exhibition and auction focused on the art and objects of this early arcade era, recreating the ultimate video game haven. I worked with gallery owner Jordan Reichek to curate a range of objects and artwork for the show, adding a level of sophistication and interest that appealed to everyone who connected with that early video game era.
The exhibit hosted artwork and appearances by video game artists from the early days of Atari, including Evelyn Seto, James Kelly, and others.
DESIGN
Designed for a personal project, this logo was my attempt to capture some hope from the tragedy of September 11, 2001—that our better natures would prevail after the dust settled. Looking back at the designs nearly twenty years later, it seems to drip with more than a little unpleasant irony.
BOOK EDITING
The 2004 film Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow embraced the look and feel of the old serials even as it pushed the boundaries of modern filmmaking. The movie inspired a generation of creators eager to adopt its innovative techniques, which are now Hollywood standards. Production Designer Kevin Conran sought to document the visual design process of the film as it grew from independent short film to Hollywood tentpole release. Conran was the chief visual architect of the movie, working hand-in-hand with director (and his brother) Kerry Conran.
I served as creative consultant and an editor of the book, working closely with author Kevin Conran. It’s available in both standard and deluxe editions.
ART DIRECTION, ARCHIVAL CURATION
The video game development studio Digital Eclipse is known for its excellent retrospective game collections, and their Atari 50: The Anniversary Collection is one of its greatest. This collection of old games, refreshed versions, and interviews provides new context for that era of video game history.
I contributed to the effort, working with Digital Eclipse to provide archival artwork and materials that inform the game's historical visual timeline. Also, together with the Atari team, I commissioned illustrator Zack Anderson to create new, original art for the release. He designed a fold-out poster for the limited edition Steelbook version of the game, and I art directed it to make sure that we could capture the Atari spirit with a building full of Easter eggs and snapshots. It is certainly worth a closer look to spot everything from Steve Jobs, to Centipedes, to prototype video game systems.
CREATIVE DIRECTION, DESIGN, STRATEGY, PRODUCTION
TRIP (The Residents of Irving Park) in Chicago is a neighborhood community organization that has been working and advocating for residents since 1976. Both working and eventually living in the neighborhood, it made sense to help the organization during its re-naming and relaunch. This logo suggests forward motion and navigating the rules and politics of the city of Chicago and each unique neighborhood.
WRITING
Van Burnham’s first book, Supercade: A Visual History of the Videogame Age 1971-1984, was released back in 2001. Her excellent volume was one of the first design-focused books that sought to take video games seriously as an art form. Burnham's book was a feast for the eyes, and her years designing and editing for WIRED during the magazine's heyday shine through in the book.
Fast-forward to the early 2020s, and Burnham returned to design and write second volume, Supercade: A Visual History of the Videogame Age 1985-2001. This time, rather than working with a publisher, she crowdfunded the effort through Kickstarter, to better control the creative and production processes, from end to end. She invited me to contribute to the volume, writing three different game histories, including those for Sonic the Hedgehog, Operation Wolf, and Pac-Mania. It was a privilege to be just a small part of such an excellent book.
Supercade Volume 1 and Volume 2 are currently available for purchase.
DESIGN, STRATEGY
This logo redesign was created for an urban church in Chicago. Reach out—physically, spiritually and emotionally—was a theme that continued to surface during the design exploration process. My design brought to bear the grittiness of the Near North neighborhood of the church (near the former site of the infamous Robert Taylor Homes projects) coupled with the iconic architecture of the city.
CREATIVE DIRECTION, DESIGN, STRATEGY, PRODUCTION
1UP is a venture fund created to support indie video game developers around the world—investing in their future successes, while also providing community and guidance for these small teams. The fund is headed by gaming industry veteran Ed Fries, a former Microsoft VP who built and ran the company’s game publishing business through the launch of the first Xbox.
Working closely with the partners, I designed a fresh logo and collateral for this new, community-focused venture fund. My chief end was to ensure that they had a simple, clean, approachable visual identity that captured the energy and passion of the indie game developer community they serve.
ART DIRECTION
As part of my ongoing relationship with the games team at Atari, I worked with them and illustrator Rob Shields to bring the key art and packaging to life for the new game release, Akka Arrh.
Akka Arrh is programmer Jeff Minter's wild take on a game from the ‘80s that was never released. This new game is a fast-paced, addictive arcade shooter that bleeds wild color and bold imagery throughout.
I worked with Rob to create an image that echoed vintage Atari art, while still feeling like a 21st century release. Rob was able to capture the neon-drenched gameplay while also bringing his own phosphorescent signature style art to the key art.
The internal response to Rob’s art was so strong that it was also used for packaging of the physical editions, including a limited, Deluxe Edition for the Nintendo Switch by Limited Run Games. This edition also includes an art card that showcases Rob's art.
DESIGN, STRATEGY, PRODUCTION
In the span of 15 years, BevReview evolved from a humble blog in 2001, into the preeminent online drink publication for beverage aficionados. Editor Steve Tanner dove into the world of soft drinks, teas, flavored waters, and energy drinks with insider aplomb and requisite sarcasm. To match its growing audience, I designed a new logo to distill the brand’s "friendly insider" essence into visual form. BevReview had carved out a unique mindspace, and I helped to refine its brand messaging with a new tagline: "We think about what you drink".
CREATIVE DIRECTION, DESIGN, PRODUCTION
Gruppo Cordenons has made high-quality fine papers for print and packaging since the Italian mill's birth in 1715. Their stylish and impressive paper line allows brands and designers to create fashionable objects of desire and beauty. For a product launch event, I designed invitations and print materials as well as the name and visual identity for the event. The split-fountain letterpress printed invitations were accompanied by clear foil blocked letterpress notebooks distributed at the event.
CREATIVE DIRECTION, DESIGN, STRATEGY, COPYWRITING, CLIENT MANAGEMENT
Aver Informatics is a health care software company that utilizes “bundled payments” systems to help healthcare providers implement and administer more efficient health programs. Their database solutions and web-based software put them on the leading edge of healthcare data.
My design team developed and implemented a refreshed brand identity, creating supporting imagery, sales materials, website design, and iconography. We also worked closely with the Aver marketing team to massage its messaging and positioning to take the startup from its early days, to a leadership position in bundled payments administration in the health care space.
DESIGN, PRODUCTION
EPIC teams volunteer creative professionals with worthy nonprofits for intense, 8-week sprints—to create needed programs and materials they need to function.
In addition to participating some projects myself, I also designed a poster advertising one of EPIC’s parties, which celebrated the completed work for the Lincoln Park Community Shelter, American Nutrition Association and Arts of Life. The poster was designed to showcase how creativity can catalyze organizations, and hand silkscreened on dark blue, stippled paper stock.
CREATIVE DIRECTION, NAMING, DESIGN, STRATEGY, PRODUCTION
This international missions agency was ready to move into a new era for the organization. In the midst of that transition, it was clear that re-naming and re-branding work was necessary to help define and clarify its new role in the Christian nonprofit world.
I worked along with the internal team in naming exercises and consulting, and redesigned the complete identity for Reliant, 25 years after its original founding. The new logo, print materials for giving, website assets and iconography were all designed to communicate the energy, strength and solid support structure for missionaries across the globe.
BOOK DESIGN, ART CURATION
Jason Adam and I worked closely with iam8bit to create a new book to capture the energy and creativity of their long-running video game-inspired art show. Poring over years of wonderful art from the retro game infused collection, we curated the final selection of art, illustration and sculpture and designed the book itself. Not only did we art direct the iconic cover, but we also co-published the finished volume. The final result reads like we bottled the enthusiasm and magic of those early games.
PRODUCT DESIGN, PACKAGE DESIGN, COPYWRITING
NASA changed the face of space exploration in the 1980s and ‘90s with the introduction of the Space Shuttle program. For those of us who grew up during this exciting era, few things better symbolize the optimism, excitement, and heartbreak of those years than the iconic NASA logo and identity. Created by the design firm Danne & Blackburn, it was an attempt to modernize and standardize the agency’s identity, bringing it in line with modern design systems. Even though it is no longer used as the primary NASA signifier, the logo is beloved by designers and space enthusiasts of several generations.
Working with watch fashion company MobyFox on this release, I wanted to pay homage to the striking and modern typography, while also commemorating the launch of the first shuttle Columbia in 1981. I designed the watch band for this inaugural release, as well as its packaging and digital faces for the Apple Watch, drawing on some of the most iconic NASA imagery of that time period.
