Earth Day 2015 Poster

Here is my Earth Day 2015 poster, Mean Mug Coffeehouse edition. To take the photos, I went and bought a pack's worth of styrofoam cups at Wal-Mart for about a dollar to use as props. Which, of course, is ironic because the whole point of my poster is to promote sustainability and not use these cups for the good of the environment. A funny story that I thought maybe some of you might enjoy. Since I have the cups though, I'll try my best not to waste them!

Final Three Piece Collateral Set

Here are my three pieces for the collateral set. The first is a mailer with coupons, the second a gift card, and the third, a set of four coasters as a promotional mailer.

It took a lot of planning to come up with the template designs but it paid off. All three are original templates I created specifically for these pieces, with the client and branding in mind.

I'm happy with the way the three pieces turned out and working on them has given me so much insight into package design, printing, and working with vinyls (coaster mailer) and I've learn so much during the process.

You can see the templates here:

 This is the outside of the coaster mailer. It has the large, attention-grabbing text in the front (top-left) and a photograph and address label on the back (bottom-left). The text you see on the right will be on the inside of the mailer once the design is folded.

This the design for the inside of the coaster mailer. The inside has a photograph and text, and the rest are of the design is blank because it won't be visible once folded.

 The outside of the tri-fold mailer.

 The inside of the tri-fold mailer.


















The coupons that go with the mailer. (front and back)

 The outside of the gift card holder.


















The inside of the gift card holder.
The design folds to create an insert for the gift card.

The front and back of the gift card, which is inserted into the gift card holder.

Collateral Coaster Mailer

Here is my coaster mailer, which is a promotional item sent to people to create brand awareness.

There are four coasters in the package with the Mean Mug Coffeehouse logo on them. To create these coasters, I went to Home Depot to retrieve several of their flooring board samples, which happened to be the perfect coaster size (4"x4"). Then I trimmed the corners to be round and applied vinyl cutouts of the logo onto them.

 This is the front.

Collateral Pieces

Here are two of my collateral pieces. One is a tri-fold mailer with two coupons for free drinks and an illustrated diagram of what goes in each drink, and the other is a gift card and gift card holder.

For the gift card, I printed the front and back pieces, cut them, and glued them onto a plastic card to give a sense of heft.

I'm pretty pleased with how smoothly making the gift card went and even more pleased with the results.

These are shots of the final drafts of those two aforementioned pieces which are both ready for the critique on Monday. In the meantime, I'm working on some ideas for mailer coasters.

I want Mean Mug to have several pieces as collateral to showcase all the various elements a coffeehouse can use to advertise and spread its brand.

How To Score Paper With Only A Spoon

That's right, you heard me correctly. After folding my collateral by hand with a ruler, I knew there had to be a better way to avoid the creases. I wanted to have a professional looking crease, crisp and clean, and I didn't have all the tools required to typically do so.

So I tried googling and found this video:

It's amazing and it's the real deal! All of you should try this out!

Good luck with your collateral pieces - I can't wait to see everyone's on Monday!

Mean Mug Ad Campaign

These are my finalized ad posters for the client's ad campaign. After many revisions and discussion with classmates and Stan, I made changes that I'm pleased with based on their feedback.

Here are the three ads.

This the the 8.5"x11" ad and I increased the saturation of color on the left side, adjusted the type so the headline, "THE MEAN MUG DIFFERENCE" is on one line, and changed it to the same dark brown found on the bottom slab. The copy on the slab has been reduced in font size as well, as not to deter from the main content, which is the "mugshot" photograph.

For the 3.5"x11", I changed the color on the right to a more brown color from the red I had previously. I also made the background cooler, whereas it was orange before.


For the 5"x5", there hasn't been many changes.

For all of them, I got rid of the slab on the top which used to be behind the headline text. I opted to used the burn tool in Photoshop to darken the background behind the text to make it more legible instead of using a colored slab.

Revising Past Projects

Over the past break and days proceeding, I've been revising and re-printing past projects in preparation for the portfolio we have to put together. This is one of the projects that went through said revision process.

It's the book cover I designed for GRD3000 and you can see the before/after.

Before

This is the before, where you can see that the text on the spine and back aren't as neat as the text on the front. I also redid the tree on the back and changed the cover art on the front to something more universally symbolic to the book. I also edited the frames of the front and back so they do not become cropped by the edges.

After

The chalkboard background has gotten darker to improve contrast and the text on the flaps have been changed from Didot to Times New Roman for improved legibility. It was hard to read the thin white text on black. I also omitted the "written by" above the author, Harper Lee, because it's understood.




Overall, the thought behind the revision was to make things easier to read, refined, and de-cluttered. I think I achieved that goal with the revisions I made, and this will be the version going into the portfolio. I had to get out a chalkboard and re-write/re-draw these elements but I am pleased with the effort.

Gift Card Ideas/Inspirations

These are some gift card ideas I saw while searching Google Images for inspiration.
For one of my collateral pieces I am thinking about creating a gift card holder and designing both the holder and the gift card. I'll have to figure out how to create the template and how to fold/cut the design. I think it'll be a fun experiment. I have already pretty much finished a direct mailer collateral design so with the time remaining until critique, I'm tossing ideas around on creating another collateral piece, hence the gift card ideas.

Mean Mug Stationery Set

This is my stationery set for Mean Mug Coffeehouse. Included is the business card, envelope, and letterhead. For both the business card and letterhead I decided to have rounded corners. My redesigned logo has both rounded corners (top part) and solid, 90 degree corners. The business card has all rounded corners while the letterhead echos the logo by only having rounded corners on the top. The envelope also has roundedness, but only on the flap.

Because I wanted to have cohesion in everything, which is one of the main points of re-branding, I adhered to the same color palette found in the my logo. Everything is still clean and professional, although it is a coffeehouse, because of brand unity and to bring up the upscale-ness of the shop and usher it into the modern age.

The business card depicts the logo in the front, and the name of the card owner, and all other relevant information about the business is located in the back to prevent it from being cluttered and distracting.

The letterhead is clean as well, and only uses colors picked from the logo. Everything is aligned to a grid and has a purpose in terms of maintaining an aesthetic balance.

Mean Mug Logo Redesign

For the client I'm taking on and re-branding throughout this semester, I decided on Mean Mug Coffeehouse in downtown Chattanooga. The first project we have to complete is re-designing the logo. Here is my re-imagining of it:

I wanted to convey a clean, sleek, and upscale effect with the logo, while at the same time give off the vibe of "meanness" which is conveyed in the muscle arm/handle. The logo is minimalistic and there is the coffee mug doubles as the two "M"s in Mean Mug. The second M is hidden beneath the first.

There were many iterations and it was a long process to sketch, sketch, sketch, and narrow all the choices down until I arrived at where it is now.

There is a simple black & white one, and a color version. The black & white one can be used economically for mass printing, while everything else will use the color logo. Both logos convey the same vibes because the color logo itself only consists of two shades of brown and yellow.

5 Best and Worst Logos

5 Best Logos

Sun Microsystems

The Sun Microsystems logo is one of the best logos I've come across. This is because of the way the shape of the logo is formed. The "S" and "U" and "N" are arranged so that no matter which angle you look at the logo from, it's the same. It's an example of symmetry and order, and for computer systems, this is on point.

Mammoth Resort

The Mammoth Ski Resort, which is in California, has a clever logo. The shape can be interpreted as an "M" for mammoth, a ski trail, or mountains. Because it can illustrate all these meanings at once, it's concise, clever, and innovative. This is what I like about the logo.

Vaio

The Sony Vaio logo, along the same lines as the aforementioned Mammoth one, captures multiple elements in one cohesive design. the "V" and "A" are analog symbols, and also represent audio and video, while the "I" and the "O" are actually "1" and "0", which represent binary, the digital world. This sub division of Sony, which manufactures laptops, logo encapsulates the elements of its product in a subtle design that at first looks like modern typography.

Organ Donation

This organ donation logo is clever, succinct, and simple. It is monotone and the shapes are clean, which makes it pleasing to look at. However, the greatest thing the logo is its concept. When you donate an organ, you're not only giving someone in need a necessary vital, you're giving them a gift -- a new lease on life. This idea is astutely portrayed in the illustration. It could have achieved the same concept with a more detailed illustration, but a simple, clean silhouette is really all that is necessary to convey this idea. Because it successfully demonstrates a powerful message in the simplest way possible, it has my vote.

Boss Hunting

Boss Hunting is a facebook page where users upload anything from celebrities and fashion to rock climbing and sky diving. Anything "boss" or cool can be uploaded, hence the name "Boss Hunting". The logo itself is boss because it so closely resembles my own personal logo that I made for GRD3000. Of course, I didn't see this logo until recently, so when I stumbled upon it, I kicked myself for not thinking of this idea on my own, as my own initials are "HB" and this logo would have captured it perfectly.

5 Worst Logos

Grocery Bar

The Grocery Bar is a local grocery store in downtown Chattanooga that's also a restaurant and makes made-to-order food. You can pick out a bottle of wine from the aisle at grocery store prices and enjoy a meal prepared by a chef. It's an interesting concept but just by looking at the storefront from the outside or the logo gives no indication whatsoever of what kind of business it is. When I first saw the logo I thought that it might just be a grocery store, as the word 'grocery' was the only context clue. This logo should exhibit something else that'll help new customers realize what's inside. Maybe adding a knife and fork to bring in restaurant elements might be a good idea, for example.

WCG World Cyber Games 2012

This World Cyber Games logo is absolutely horrendous. When I first saw it, I couldn't help but focus my attention on all the bad things and it actually distracted from the games that were going on. For starters, there are too many concurrent elements which do not harmonize or mesh together. The gloss over the "2012", for example, is gimmicky and unnecessary. All type runs on a straight plane except for 2012, which for some unexplainable reason is bobbing up and down. There's no reason for all the colors and various shapes and in whole, the logo looks like its representing a toddlers' or children event with all the colors, shapes, and size variances and not a serious world class gaming tournament.

REMAX Logo

The REMAX logo is disorganized, convoluted, and doesn't make sense. I can see that there are parallel lines, which were made deliberately by reshaping the letters, but this design aesthetic does more harm than good. Maybe by making it this way, the letters are supposed to look like a house. In any case, the design is as unsightly as it is ubiquitous. There is even a blue line diagonally striking the logo for seemingly no apparent reason other than to add more parallel lines to the logo.

London Olympics 2012

When this logo first appeared on television and press, there were many online blogs, publications, and forums deriding it, cementing the sentiment that it was terrible design. When the general public as a whole lashes against a design, then it can be safely assumed that is bad design. To start, a logo depicting the Olympics should, in my opinion, somehow incorporate a universal symbol of unity, as it represents all countries of the world. This is apparent in the actual logo of the Olympic rings. But this logo contains weirdly shaped objects that are more polygon than numbers. The neon colors are ostentatious and not appropriate for a world setting. The yellow can hardly be seen on a white background and the shapes have nothing to do with the Olympics, as far as I could tell. In general, it doesn't give off the vibe that an event that transcends all racial, cultural, and language barriers should.

Billboard 

The Billboard logo is just text with circles filled with color. It doesn't have any ties to music charts except the name. The colors seem to be random and have nothing to do with billboard charts. Perhaps just the word "billboard" without the colored in circles might even be better.

Intermediate Design 2015 Rebranding Choices

Clumpies Ice Cream Co.

Clumpies Website

Clumpies is a local ice cream shop on Fraizer St. in the downtown district of Chattanooga. The shop sells handcrafted flavors in small batches which include both traditional and store-only featured flavors. Looking at the sign, the only indication that this is an ice cream shop is the explicitly stated "Ice Cream" designation. I'd like to see a design that incorporates more than just the name of the shop. Of course, sometimes less is more; however, in this case, rebranding the store to give a friendlier and more local vibe might set it apart from the competing big-name corporate creameries. I'd choose to rebrand this ice cream store to showcase its uniqueness and to exhibit the fact that local ice cream is made here.  

Mean Mug Coffee House

Mean Mug Coffeehouse Website

Mean Mug Coffee House is located in West Main St. in downtown Chattanooga. It has a very local and warm atmosphere as soon as you enter the shop, with its incandescent lighting and handwritten menu displayed on the chalkboard. The coffee house is open for breakfast and lunch, and also hosts local events in the store such as Poetry Night. If anything, the label "Mean Mug" is a misnomer because the shop exudes nothing but local hipster-ness, warmth, and amiability. Perhaps it means that the shop offers a "mean cup 'ol Joe". In any case, the reason I'd redesign the branding is so that the both signs, outside and indoors, are consistent while reflecting the disparate nature of the shop and its name.

Nabi Sushi/Totto Sushi & Grill/Sekisui Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Lounge

Sekisui Website

Totto Sushi Website

Sushi Nabe Website

Nabe Sushi, pictured in the top-left labeled, "Sushi Bar", Totto Sushi & Grill, and Sekisui are all Japanese sushi restaurants with similar class, price, and locale. They're all located in Chattanooga's downtown district and serve similar menus, hence why they're grouped in the same category. I would choose one of these three to rebrand because none of them reflect the upscale nature of the food and setup found inside. The one that comes the closest is Sekisui, and Nabe Sushi just says "Sushi Bar" above its door outside. These stores can all use rebranding so that their logos match their products and audience.

Intro to Graphic Design Fall 2014 Projects

Personal Logo Design (Illustrative)

The project required us to create a lettermark logo using the initials of our name (HB in my case), while conveying two keywords that describe ourselves. The keywords I chose for myself were "clever" and "efficient". We designed an "illustrative" one and "typographical" one, portraying a logo based on hand-drawn letters and one based on a standard typeface, respectively.

Personal Logo Design (Typographical)

Both of my logos convey the keywords "clever" and "efficient" at once. The two separate adjectives become a single symbol, or as I'd like to say, "efficiently combine in a clever way."

I chose to keep both logos monotone and simple in design so they can be implemented in any way -- whether black & white or large or small, without compromising the integrity of the logo.

Scanned Texture Ad (3 Sizes)

Our second project involved us creating a campaign ad, invoking the viewer to take action, for a local non-profit organization. Our requirements were to have three different ad sizes and to use a scanned texture.

After doing some research into local organizations, I decided on the Atlanta Audubon Society. I took some feathers and scanned them for use as my texture.

The pastel color palette was chosen based on the AAS logo so that the ad and the logo display synergy.

Scanned Texture Ad (3 Sizes)

Event Poster

This project was to create an event poster for a local event. I chose to make mine for JapanFest.

In order to bring something new, while at the same time convey traditional Japanese culture, I used origami paper to create the lettering and scanned them in. There were many ideas on the table for this one and it was a hard process learning to give some of them up for the sake of creating a cohesive design that would not distract from the content.

Book Cover Front and Inside Flaps

Our second-to-last assignment was to redesign a book cover of our choosing. Going with one of the classics, I redesigned Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird".

I wanted the cover to represent that there are important lessons and messages contained in the book. Because the book is told by Scout, a child and school student, I used chalk and a chalkboard to design the cover, which not only symbolizes the era and characters, but also represent that there is something to be taught. Afterwards, I imported the photos into Photoshop to complete the cover.

Book Cover Redesign

Package Redesign

The final project was to create a package design for an existing product that, due to negligent marketing, wasn't flying off the shelves. I chose to repackage scented candles and remarket the product with my own branding, "Reminiscents". This packaging wraps the candle up while leaving aroma-shaped slits on the top for the customers to smell. The plastic lid that covers the original candle is removed in lieu of the new packaging, allowing the aisle to draw customers in by permeating pleasant aromas. The little blurbs in the back about each scent take the customer back to pleasant memories, establishing the brand as one that'll instill nostalgia.