cheers to beer

My day-to-day work for Harry's Fresh Foods usually involves designing or updating print collateral for use by their sales force but a few weeks ago, they asked me to help them with a special events project. Fun!

You may remember seeing the logo I designed for their 2012 Ski Summit here so now I get to share some of the ways it was implemented.

The main use was on beer steins that were sent to prospective attendees of the event. The logo had to be converted to strictly black and white so it could be engraved onto the glass.

I then used it on the actual invitation, which took the form of a full-color, 4-panel brochure detailing the itinerary of the 2-day event (which included a pub crawl, since no visit to Portland is complete without at least one pint of local micro brew!).

I'm quite pleased with the result – hopefully, the invited guests are, too!

logo love

One of the best ways to make a good first impression is to have a strong, memorable logo mark. Your company's logo, after all, serves as the face of your company when you can't be there in person.
Over the last 10 years, I've been entrusted to design or refresh many of my clients' corporate identity and it's always such a rewarding process to see a logo come to life, actively making concept sketches turn into computerized icons that blossom into full-fledged logo marks complete with typography and color.

I thought I'd share a few of the logos I've been fortunate to work on recently.

Ekko Workshop is a brand new division of Ekko Mobiles, which designs the most amazing large-scale mobile installations. Wanting to take their concepts to the wholesale market with desktop-sized models, Ekko asked me to create a mark that stayed true to their down-to-earth, "workshop" roots, so I chose strong, modern typography and developed a simple icon that feels somewhat industrial.

Powell Boulevard Veterinary Clinic has been my fur family's trusted vet since we first moved to Portland 10 years ago. So when they asked me to design a logo for their brand new Eastside Pet Rehabilitation Center, I jumped at the chance. They had done their research and already knew they wanted a very illustrative logo that incorporated iconic East Portland/outdoor imagery, a slightly retro/travel poster look, and oh, yes, a dog! Because of budget constraints, I used a combination of stock art (trees) and custom illustration (dog and Mt. Hood) with early 20th century inspired typography.

The 2012 Ski Summit is an in-house marketing event hosted by Harry's Fresh Foods that targets restaurant managers from high-end ski resorts across the country. Thinking back to my childhood experiences skiing (which weren't all that great despite taking place in the Swiss Alps), I decided to mimic those ski patches all my class mates were so eager to sew onto their parkas. Retro-inspired graphics and a sporty shield combined to create a memorable logo for this fun event.

 

When Cox Marketing asked me to help out with a logo project for her client, I was more than happy to jump in. Sologic was the new name of a company specializing in root cause analysis so I started with concepts for the iconography that would reflect their specific process. The end result is a series over overlapping fields that are grounded by a solid base. I combined modern typography that communicates their technological expertise with a simple yet fresh color palette, and the result is an intriguing mark that makes a lasting impression.

If you're an avid reader of my blog, then you already know that the University of Oregon's Annual Giving Program has been one of my clients for over decade. Every year I design their letters of appeal, and in the last few years we've tried to develop a visual theme that ties together all the different mailings they send out during the academic year. This year, the tagline stayed the same as last year, but I gave it a fresh new look by using a slightly futuristic type face and a twist on the traditional sunflower yellow and kelly green UO colors. The first two mailers recently went to print so stay tuned on examples of how this emblem "in action."

For more examples of logo design, please visit my portfolio or get in touch – I'm always happy to show you my work in person!

LogoLounge 2011 report

For years, I've submitted work to national and international design competitions in the hopes of winning some accolades from my peers in addition to the many kudos my clients bestow upon me. It's always very satisfying and validating to have your work recognized by other designers, and past awards have included Summit, Creativity, and American Corporate Identity as well as How Magazine.


And while this most recent accomplishment is not an actual award, it does feel great to have one of my logos included in the LogoLounge 2011 Trends Report. LogoLounge is an online resource of over 145,000 logos uploaded by designers across the globe. They regularly publish books showcasing the best of the best, in addition to releasing a yearly trend report.

This report is published in the current issue of Graphic Design USA, a news magazine for creative professionals. It's been very interesting to read about today's trends in logo design.

As a designer, I strive to create logos that will stand the test of time, serving companies for years to come. That said, for some clients having a logo that is fresh yet trendy and eye-catching is just as important, as was the case with Candywinkel.

Amy wanted a slightly nostalgic look that incorporated the popular brown-and-pink color palette, appealing to today's sophisticated shopper. The result has not only served her company well, it's now also caught the eye of the LogoLounge trend spotters!

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.