This project is a revision to a poster I made to publicize a seminar speech given by Illustrator Tran Nguyen at Portfolio Center in Atlanta. After her speech Tran was gracious enough to participate in a photo shoot that I art directed. For this new poster I used a photo from our shoot to evoke the rich, surreal atmosphere of Tran's art. Photos by Jo McCune.
This series of book covers was designed for Cormac McCarthy's Border Trilogy. These books were written in the Western genre, but they chronicle the demise of the Western, the end of the cowboy lifestyle. I chose to depict this self-awareness of impending extinction through photographs of taxidermied animals. These creatures are preserved in artificial environments just as the cowboy is mythologized in our culture. The plants and objects surrounding the animals symbolize death and grief, and the typography is reminiscent of museum tags and catalogues. Photography by Jeff Morgan.
*Winner: Platinum Award, Graphis 2015 New Talent Annual; Silver ADDY
These three cartons represent a reimagining of Tropicana juice packaging. I chose to move away from the traditional carton shape and utilize bright, tropical colors and graphics inspired by Florida, the state where all Tropicana oranges are grown.
My younger brother, Tucker, was born with Muscular Dystrophy and passed away at age 18. Although we experienced difficulty, helplessness and outright heartbreak, my family persevered and formed a transcendant bond. The bamboo legs of my chair have an endlessly flowing, organic form that represents my family—still complete though we are not all physically present. The gunmetal slats that cut forcefully into the bamboo to make up the seat are cold, uncomfortable and symbolic of my brother's disease. This contrast is fundamental; neither part can stand on its own. This chair is my family's story as told through wood and metal. We are stronger for having navigated a great loss and we are proud to have shared in Tucker’s life. 3-D rendering by Spencer Bigum.
For a Visual Storytelling class at Portfolio Center I was challenged to create a line of ten t-shirts for the punk/skate clothing brand Iron Fist. I looked to the Asian-American culture of Southern California and its influence in the street and music scene for my inspiration. The imagery is derived from iconic symbols of Asian-American culture, but I've treated them in an edgy, unexpected way. To reflect the fun and feminine aspect of this brand I designed nine fitted tops and a dress and sewed them myself. Included here are excerpts from my newsprint lookbook and a photo of my limited edition packaging. The shirts are packaged in a Bento box and come with temporary tattoos derived from my designs. Thanks to Jo McCune for her fantastic photography.
Alice Munro’s short story, Runaway, is a tale that allows the reader an intimate view of the complexities in a relationship between a woman and her husband living in rural Canada. I used personal objects, things one would find on a nightstand or writing desk, to illustrate this glance into the most private aspects of the characters’ lives. Each object was carefully chosen to reflect the values of the characters. I styled the objects for a series of photographs to capture the nature of the story’s two main characters. Some photos include pull quotes printed on stationery to more fully integrate the type and image. Swashes become tendrils that wind through the pages and the color red evokes passion, anger, the intensity that lies just below our skin.
This branding system for New York’s Major League Soccer expansion team is inspired by the things that make New York unique in the world; its architecture, culture and most especially, its spectacular sports heritage. The logo is inspired by the crests of international soccer teams, NYC taxi hack badges and the proud lions that famously stand guard outside the New York Public Library. Bold purple and electric blue were chosen to stand out among the many New York sports franchises. The identity system includes a bus wrap, street and stadium banners, uniforms, microsite and mobile app for season ticket holders, a team scarf and tie and cufflink set. The microsite allows fans to easily purchase season tickets and explore exclusive benefits. The mobile app features game-day podcasts, a tracker for benefit points earned, a social media fan feed to engage and connect season ticket holders, and the Post-Party, a map feature that leads fans to local restaurants and bars that extend special NYCFC discounts. Thanks to my partner on this project, art director Eric Anthony.
Ray and Charles Eames made their mark on the design world through their amazing partnership. This conceptual logo seeks to express the spirit of their collaboration. The shape can be read as an "e" right side up or upside down, and the two colored shapes represent the unique skills and world view that each partner brought to their work.
This poster was inspired by Buckminster Fuller's Manifesto. The message I chose to interpret is the idea that an individual, simply through living life the way he or she feels is right, can make a big impact in the world. I used the symbol of flocking birds to represent small things forming a greater and more powerful whole. By plotting the points between individual birds I created triangles, the basis for Fuller's geodesic dome.
These three packages were designed as part of an overall rebrand for the Spanish clothing retailer Zara. The set features a messenger-style bag for garments, a shoe box with attached lid, and small slide-out box for accessories. The color palette and ribbon details are reminiscent of high-end clothing stores and the overall design is meant to encourage reuse. The logo was developed from an abstracted letter Z to form the shape of high-heeled shoes.
This UX project for Spanish clothing retailer Zara entailed extensive research, user flows, site maps and wireframes. The system includes a website, mobile app, touch-screen dressing room mirror and tablet for store staff. Customers are able to scan themselves and virtually try on clothes at home, upload photos to inspire future collections and view current trends on the app, and request alternate items from inside the dressing room through the touch-screen mirror. The system is designed to give Zara customers an innovative, high-end experience while engaging them with the brand.
Ethel Boone's Organic Goods is a fictional business invented by a classmate of mine. I was challenged to brand this business based on only a few pieces of information: the name, its location in Macon, Georgia, and the fact that its namesake was known for her sense of humor. I started from scratch and crafted a backstory for Ethel, her family and the shop, I imagined how the store would look from the outside and sketched a floor plan. Finally, I designed collateral pieces based on the brand i had created: a t-shirt, reusable shopping bag, gift card and stickers. This brand is fun and sassy, just like Ethel, and it takes a tongue-in-cheek approach to "farm to table" and the trendiness of organic products.
This team project was created for the IOPP 48-Hour Repack Challenge. Six of us worked over one weekend to create an innovative package for men's dress shirts. The brand we created, The Standard, uses a package that eliminates excess waste, presents shirts in a new "stand up" way, and turns into a hanger. Instructions on the inside of the package allow the customer to use the package to neatly refold the shirt for storage or travel.
* Winner: Best in Packaging, Best in Show, Dallas Society of Visual Communications
On three occasions I had the opportunity to collaborate with the Coca-Cola Company. As part of a student team I contributed ideas and designs for various real projects in the works at Coke. Because these projects are still in production I am not yet authorized to show the designs, but working with one of the world's top brands was an amazing experience.
