dare to be different

In today's tough economy, it's hard for business owners to take risks. It's simply easier to do what's safe, what you know works. Nothing wrong with that. But sometimes it's good to be different, to stand out from the crowd.

When it comes to advertising, it's even more important to differentiate yourself from all your competitors and to grab the viewer's attention.

Recently I finished an ad for B&B Print Source that is sure to make you stop and look:

With the tagline of "we think before we ink," it was important to reinforce that message with a strong concept. Working with super-talented copywriter Erin Codazzi, we came up with a winning combination of a powerful visual and compelling headline.

Another example of (quite literally) standing head and shoulder above the crowd is this ad for Shikosha Dental Laboratories:

Instead of using the typical stunning model with a dazzling smile, we played up their tagline of "where technology and art meet." By showing a classic marble statue and referencing a world-famous artist known for his perfect sculptures, we effectively reinforce the message that Shikosha's technicians are artists when it comes to creating crowns and dentures.

So go ahead, dare to be different.

in praise of helvetica

I've never liked the font Helvetica. I know, that's almost blasphemous, but I always thought it was just humdrum, so-so, boring, meh... well, you get my drift.

Then a couple years ago I watched the film Helvetica and my mind opened up a bit. Hmmm... yes, it's a ubiquitous font that's perhaps slightly overused but alright, maybe it is okay to use here and there, on occasion.

I've now been converted. I love Helvetica. Really! See, it all started while I was working on a brochure for the Oregon Bach Festival. For the last five years, I've designed all their season collateral, from their main season poster and ticket brochure to full-page magazine ads, postcards, billboards, banners, you name it.

So when it came time to discuss the look and feel of the 2011 season, the client wanted to show that the organization was headed in a new, modern direction, different from the way things had been for the last 40 years. The request came to use the font Helvetica.

My heart sank. Not the dreaded H-word... how could I possibly create something fresh and exciting with such a static font? But I accepted the challenge and I'm glad I did: I have seen the light!

Once I started playing with the various weights combined with color and size, I realized that yes, I could create an entire brochure using Helvetica for just about every bit of copy while still imbuing each page with variety and life.

I am quite proud of this brochure. It conveys a TON of content in an organized, visually pleasing manner with an informational hierarchy that helps the reader find what they're looking for.

So yes, I now love Helvetica. On occasion. For this occasion. And likely many more.

going formal

Last week the invitation for a UO black tie event were mailed out and I'm so pleased with how the suite turned out! I posted about the save-the-date postcard here, which set the tone for the rest of the design.

Picking up on the previously established color palette, typography and design elements, I decided to create a two-piece invitation. At first glance, it's simply a large square invite (7.25") but upon closer inspection, you'll notice that the two thumbnail slits on the left and right allow the top card to be removed, revealing additional information on the backer card.

This is a unique way to separate the actual event information (on the first card) from the award recipient bios (on the second card).

The suite also includes a reply card and envelope that is tucked inside the outer envelope. This outer mailer turned out beautiful, using the same Founding Father image from the save-the-date on the front of the envelope, screened back so it acts almost as a watermark.

This look was achieved by having the envelope converted, meaning I designed both the front and back, had it printed as one flat sheet, and then had it cut, folded, and glued to create the envelope.

I love designing converted envelopes since it allows you to really customize the design. However, it only makes sense financially if you're printing a decent quantity (several thousand) since there is a certain cost involved.

Up next is to design the program, name tags, table numbers, etc. We'll continue with this look but to switch things up and add an extra glamorous touch, I think we'll probably switch papers so stay tuned...

going digital

As a designer, I love the quality created by printing a project on an offset press. But when budget, quantity or timing eliminate that option, I'm glad to know I can get great results by going digital.

Case in point is the program book I designed for a University of Oregon event. You may remember reading about the actual invitation, which was printed offset using two Pantone colors.

Now take a look at this digital print run:

The colors are amazingly close, type is crisp and the paper feels nice. Granted, paper choices are still somewhat limited when printing on a digital press but for the time and money saved, this is a perfect solution.

form follows funk

Last week I battled the rush hour traffic and nasty down pours to attend this month's First Friday art walk in Eugene, Oregon.

Okay, I didn't do much walking since I only went to one gallery but it was totally worth the 5-hour stint in the car: my all-time favorite creative director and Guru of Genius Dave Funk was being honored in a retrospective at Opus VII gallery.

The place was absolutely packed with people and despite my best efforts to capture the essence of the show, my photos hardly do it justice...

One side of the wall was filled with Dave's sketches, doodles and ideas from the past 30+ years. His drawings are so cool, it was great to see them all grouped together – they are so much part of what makes Dave Dave!

The opposite wall displayed photos, work, bios, and quotes by a number of talented designers that Dave has worked with over the years. Surprisingly, the work of a dozen or so different artists hung together cohesively and came across as a single unit.

I was honored to be among this mix of graphic artists and had great fun watching people engage with my work.

In between these two long walls were several displays inviting the viewer to partake in mini design projects. There was also a tribute to my former teacher and mentor Thomas Rubick and local design legend Chris Berner.

Kudos to the team who put this show together – well done, very well done!

palm springs glam

Design is about so much more than simply arranging elements on a page. I was reminded of this again this week when I picked up samples of an invitation I designed for the University of Oregon.

This particular event takes place in Palm Springs so it made perfect sense to use photography that mirrored the location. During my image search, I came across this image (from iStockPhoto) and thought it was perfect: a big tropical palm tree drenched in rays of sunshine. The lens glare was a nice bonus, adding a touch of realism.

To take that sense of realism even further, I suggested we print the invite on a metallic paper to really add depth and brightness to the image. And boy, was that ever the right call: the Petallics paper by Aspire really made the photo come to life – you can practically feel the sun blind your eyes!
Okay, so it's hard to show in these photos but trust me, if you want to add some glam and some depth to your next project, consider using this paper. The nice thing is that it's offered for both offset and digital applications (we printed the invite digitally while the envelope was a 2-color offset job).

save the date postcard

This morning I picked up my samples of the save-the-date card for the University of Oregon's Pioneer Award Gala (a black-tie gala honoring leaders in our community) and I thought I'd share it with you here.

Since the event takes place in late spring, the color palette needed to reflect that freshness so we chose a warm yellow and cool silver combined with stately black (a more elegant interpretation of the bright yellow and green Duck colors).

The heavy cover stock has a wonderfully textural finish (Via Felt by Mohawk Fine Papers) and did a great job reproducing the fine serifs, small print, and other details.

This save-the-date was mailed as a postcard to save the cost of envelopes; this allowed us to explore some unique details for the actual invitation (think square and layered – more to come later!)

keeping it together

When I first started working with RFM Seating last summer, they asked me to redesign their overview brochure of in-stock office chairs. Their direction was to keep it ultra clean and simple, almost minimalist in its design. The result: one big chair on the cover, lots of smaller chairs on each interior page. Easy to read, clear communication – mission accomplished!

So when it came time to redesign RFM's big binder that holds all of their product specs and sales collateral, we continued along the same theme and maximized the use of white space. A row of small product photos wrapping from front to back quickly communicates two key messages: (1) we sell chairs, and (2) we have lots of options.

The binders turned out beautifully and were well worth the long lead time the printer needed to produce them.

low budget, high ROI

Last spring I was asked by Planned Parenthood of Southwestern Oregon to help them design a logo and some basic print materials for their new high-level giving society. I gladly accepted the challenge to create some pieces that would not look (nor be!) expensive to produce will still conveying a warm and personal touch to potential donors.

By using the iconic "P" and adding a glow radiating from the center, I created a logo that's unique to the Visionary Society, yet still relates strongly to Planned Parenthood's official logo mark. Typography was kept clean and simple and set the tone for all related print materials.

All the pieces were printed digitally in one color on recycled paper to keep costs down. To customize the pre-made kraft presentation folder, I designed a sticker to adorn the front and fold around the right front edge. This allows for a little graphic touch on the inside as well.

The glowing burst from the logo is repeated on all the printed elements, such as the brochure and note card shown here.

To learn more about PPSO, please visit their website.