I designed a huuuuuge sign! Well, that was one of the many pieces to this Bowling IQ puzzle. Initially, my task was to create a logo, which I did. From there, I was assigned to build the brand and identify it with, well, what was described to me as "new-age, hip, and having retro roots." Okay, got it. This is the result. From the huge drape-like "masks" that serve as artwork above the pins of a bowling lane to a gigantic, 40 X 15ft lit sign above the entrance to their alley, I gave Bowling IQ their visual identity.
First thing's first: YES, that is a REAL photograph. I guess I'm bold (stupid?) enough to put a box on my head, douse it with lighter fluid, and set it on fire in the name of artistic metaphors. The concept was born from the phrase "think outside of the box." I can't stand that phrase for one huge reason: Why would a creative problem solver ever acknowledge the fact that strict creative boundaries exist in the first place? Therefore, for an advertisement that represented years of hard work and rigorous education in wide variety of creative endeavors (i.e. our senior exhibition), I decided that I would destroy this cubic mental restriction, and I encourage others to do the same in whatever manner they see fit.
Though orginially designed alongside my close friend, Michelle Snay, for a class project, this piece was chosen to represent Central Michigan University's Department of Art. Our goal was simple: represent our opinion and understanding of CMU's Art Department through an informational piece for prospective students. Our concept was much deeper. We felt it necessary to engage the reader in the booklet through physical activity; a large, unavoidable piece of any college art program is interaction with your (and other's) work in a physical manner. As it turned out, several thousand of these booklets were produced and distributed to students across the country.
"You'll have to find a topic, then design for it. Don't make it too broad. Don't make it too narrow. It has to be something of importance or concern, and by the time you're finished, must reflect a semester's worth of research, thought, concept, and design. Also, it has to print money while flying around Mars using nothing but the light of the sun for energy, and be beautiful." Okay, omit the last run-on sentence in that quote, but that's basically what our design professor told us before we began on our senior thesis project. Mine, so cleverly and aptly named Ch-Adoption, focused on the fascinating, yet appalling topic of Chinese population control. These Cabbage-Patch-like packages were the result of dozens (upon dozens) of hours of research, design, construction, and searching for Asian-looking dolls (a surprisingly difficult task in Mount Pleasant, MI). On them, where fun, charismatic writing should be, reads the awful truth about forced sterilization in China over the past 50 years or so.
Would you like to know how to piss off faculty, students, and certain administrators at a particular university? Show them that their school is designed to be nearly 90% white during one of the largest, uh, "pushes towards diversity?" the university's ever had. Better yet, PROVE to them that the school is extremely non-diverse, then show them why based on your research. Though my goal was simply to bring awareness to the whole "diversity" issue at CMU, my CMU Filter turned a few heads and caused a bit of a stir. After refusing to show it in the first of two exhibitions on campus, my professor was able to convince administrators that it was asinine to not display it. Apparently, pointing out one of an institution's flaws is frowned upon?
This catalog was quite the chore to put together. Throughout its development, I had to assist with and lead two live-model photoshoots, help direct photography of still items, complete multiple layouts, concept a clean but fresh style, and maintain an extremely detail-oriented mindset - all with a timeline that was cut in half after a day or so of work (two months to one). Certainly my largest project within the past year or so (not only in its magnitude, but hundreds of thousands were printed and mailed!), this FansEdge catalog not only tested my patience, but my planning, organizational, and leadership skills. My favorite page of this catalog is the cover of the winter version. I love that shot.
I had an absolute blast with this piece. Imagine a 20 X 10ft wall covered with green fabric. Got it? Now picture a goofy guy acting out a 2.5 min scene in front of it, interacting with elements that aren't yet in existence. Welp, that's what I had to do in order to make this video work the way I wanted. Somewhat inspired by Blue Man Group, Tron, and maybe a dash of (insert sci-fi movie here), the overall goal of this piece was to finish with a product that, on the surface, didn't scream "this is a film bumber for a film festival!" yet, at its core, used a technique or two commonly associated with low-budget, independent films. A huge green screen and intricate choreography seemed appropriate. Many hours in front of Garage Band (yep, I created that fun little techno track) and After Effects finished off this short diddy.
Hantz Farms Detroit is a project located in Detroit, Michigan. It's main goals are to:
1] Develop a source of healthy, nutricious foods for the city dwellers of Detroit
2] Create employment opportunities for Detroiters and
3] Beautify the blighted, neglected neighborhoods of Detroit.
I'm very proud to have helped with this project and am hoping that it eventually takes off.
Above are a couple examples of design work used to promote this project.
Hantz Gelerman Financials is a subsidary company of Hantz Group that focuses on building and reinventing accounting software. Created entirely in house, this accounting software is innovative in its usability, speed, drilling ability, and security. My task was to brand this software in a refresing, colorful way.
Taking a web 2.0 aesthetic and transforming it into a more refined, classic-looking website with "an edge" was the challenge here. With so many interior pages and topics, usability and website navigation were a premium. Hantz Group stressed that it look like a financial website without "screaming" boring or bland.
Invitations for events sponsored by Infinity Ovation Yacht Charters. The one on the left is supposed to resemble a boarding pass of sorts, and the one on the right had no real direction. It was fun playing with the type in the large square area.
I really enjoy branding/identity design. It's a thrill for me to meet new clients, learn about their businesses, then execute new visual characteristics for them. Research was the key ingredient to this logo, created for The Kachadurian Group in September, 2011. Intially, I was a bit intimidated at designing for a sector of business that I was completely unfamiliar with. I didn't even know propery evaluation/consulting existed! However, through conversation with the client, back-and-forth idea sharing, and with some help from an old friend named Google, I was able to understand the concept of rental investment and its consulting. The concept of breaking down specific factors within a property that contribute to its equity inspired the graphic on the left side of the logo. By layering simple, clean shapes that resemble a building (more specifically a residential building) the design conveys the various miens and considerations taken when consulting for apartment investment. The cleanliness of the type maintains the professional feel the client desired, and plays well with the structured shapes to the left. The color scheme not only fits the niche my client was pursuing, but also challenges it with the bright yellow accent color.
This is my old website. It took an incredible amount of time to create. Almost everything on this site was hand-drawn, scanned, Photoshopped, and implemented in a Flash file that relied on linking to another number of external SWFs. In total, I think I spent about 130-150 hours on the entire thing, and was able to complete it in a period of two months or so. I'm still very proud of it, especially since I'm not exactly a "professional" at the coding aspect of ActionScript 2.0. As time passed, however, I realized that updating it is a pain, and that it would not suffice as a one-stop-shop for everything that's floating through my head. I wanted my new site to have the portfolio, blog, etc. all contained in one entity. Feel free to browse the old digs though!
