Hilliard Lyons prospectus

Credit: Stewart & Associates

The challenge was to design a financial prospectus chronicling Hilliard Lyons’ performance managing an existing account. Without a budget for photography, we harnessed bold color and pattern as well as a structured typographic system to lead you through this volume.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Work selected for LogoLounge Master Library Volume 4

Four of my logo designs have been selected for the newest LogoLounge Master Library series book. This volume, which is the 4th in the Master Library series, focuses on logo design involving typography and enclosures. e selected logos are Craft - a lecture series for creatives, MARTA - the Metro Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, Vitrue - an interactive porthole, and Erickson Living - senior living communities located throughout the U.S.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

United Cup Soccer 2010

Upon relocating to Louisville in May, I joined Stewart & Associates, a boutique design shop in Old Louisville. The Stewart’s and their children are active members of the Louisville soccer community. In support of this effort, I was asked to develop a logo for this year’s U14 United Cup soccer tournament, an annual event hosted by United 1996 FC.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Poster for LGDA event

In early September, I was asked to develop a poster for a Louisville Graphic Design Association event featuring Ryan Singer, Lead UI Designer for 37signals, creators of Basecamp. After looking at the naming system 37signals employed for their online software products; Basecamp, Backpack, Campfire; I decided that Ryan would never travel to Louisville by conventional means. I narrowed it down to canoeing down the Mississippi or parachuting over the Ohio Valley. Parachuting won. My intent was to not only illustrate this hypothetical mode of arrival, but also to create a void of information in the center of the poster so onlookers would look closer at what was occurring.

Mercy Housing

Earlier this year, I had an opportunity to work with Colorado-based agency, Vladimir Jones, developing a new identity for Mercy Housing, a national not-for-profit affordable housing organization founded by the Sisters of Mercy. Through our research and discussions, compassion and hope were the terms we focused on developing this mark. The heart was an instinctive symbol to apply for this solution, but how to uniquely convey the message was more difficult. The breakthrough came when I realized that a heart isn’t whole without a home. That by simply drawing a heart (compassion) composed of a house (housing) as well as an arrow pointing up (hope) a proprietary solution emerged.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Donkey Love

After umpteen seasons as BBDO United, our adult coed soccer team changed its name to Donkey Love this Spring. Part because the team no longer included a healthy number of BBDO employees as it once did (thank you Chrysler). Part because we loved the insinuation of kissing our ass with the lurking danger of getting kicked in the teeth (hee-haw). And part because, well, donkeys are pretty funny. 

After making this name switch, we won our first outright season championship as our captain Steve managed to convert DONKEY into a one syllable moniker he would scream from the side line. With a name ending in Love, it is only appropriate that we all had our hearts in the game. Keith as our mad scotsman, Jo as our brains, Kristi as our brawn, Carter as our star, Matthews as our chest, Alok as our UN interpreter, Arnhols as our dancing with the stars contestant, Mikey as our might, Bill as our ageless wonder, Elliot as our feist, and Steve as our will. I hope Donkey Love continues to grow and is able to keep the love going for many seasons to come. I will miss my days with all of you.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Yes, Kentucky.

After 11 years in Atlanta, we are relocating to Louisville. Yes, Kentucky. I know what you are thinking. Somewhere in your mind, you are conjuring up images of overalled country folk whose number of fingers rival their number of teeth. Of big-haired women named Tammi whose accent is more of what you would call “hick” than “Southern.” Of gas station eateries renown for its catfish and packed with patrons every Wednesday when it’s the special. I know. And to some extent that is true. But as my wife puts it, we are moving to Louisville, which seems to supercede Kentucky the way Atlanta supercedes Georgia. But that doesn’t mean I am not embracing being in Kentucky. It’s a beautiful, green place. It has 4 seasons, instead of the 2.5 here in GA. It has fantastic state parks and a deep history forged by such pioneers as Daniel Boone, George Rogers Clark and Meriwether Lewis. It has horses and basketball and Louisville Slugger. And let’s not forget the whiskey. Best brown liquor around.

It will be a transition, but we look forward to the opportunities ahead and to be closer to family and our KY friends. (I can’t tell you how nice it will be to go on a date with my wife without having to pay a sitter $100 just to leave the house.) We will miss our friends here in Atlanta, but you’re all welcome to visit. Derby is the first Saturday of every May. Hugs to you all.

Woom in LogoLounge.com 2009 trends

LogoLounge.com 2009 current logo trends features NOT A CANNED HAM’s design for Woom, a European stroller concept for Graco. As part of the Flip Flop trend, this logo is composed of a W and O whose forms are duplicated and rotated 180˚ to yield an O and M. In addition, these letter forms reveal 2 baby forms held in a circular womb.

According to LogoLounge.com, “There is an indefinable magic that occurs when a consumer sees art that only has to make half a rotation to apparently return to its point of origin. That rotating axis becomes the device that creates participation by the consumer and that builds an affinity with the brand.”