Joshua Chan
Joshua Chan, a performer and instructor, needed a single vehicle for promoting his love of both contemporary and classical violin.
The two-sided brochure provided the perfect solution. Its inherent duality allowed me to separate his two passions.
The brochure's outer cover introduces his classical side using a sophisticated color palate and staying in a formal structure. Then upon opening, a twisted rope of light surprises the viewer, as the brochure opens to a much more contemporary presentation.
Lars Müller Catalog
The project shown here experiments with transitioning the Lars Müller Publishers annual color catalog into a two color presentation.
And just to make it really fun, each individual catalog page takes advantage of the book presented, by reflecting the teaching of the work on the page design itself.
Since every page presents manuscripts describing the edge of Swiss Design, the new catalog itself now pushes the reader into areas of juxtaposition, random contrast, disquiet and occasional discomfort. Fortunately, the uniformity of the two color presentation unites the competing and changing forms across the breadth of the portfolio.
Coyote Creek
A friend writes with what seems an innocent question, "Would you like to help put on an art show?" Sure, why not. I just helped put on an art show at the very same venue just a few months prior, this should be easy. The catch, no financing whatsoever. And so a journey begins that’s lasted a year already and shows no signs of stopping.
Six artist came together to help a friend support a gallery, by putting on a show dedicated to a hidden urban gem, the Coyote Creek State Park. The show became a hit, and attracted the art planners for the city of San José. They loved it, and wanted it shown in the City Hall gallery. And of course, no financing whatsoever. Beginning to see a pattern?
The challenge is immense, and we are having a blast. If you would like to see the presentation (pdf) provided to the city. In a few months everyone will be able to see the show by visiting City Hall.
Alcatraz
Alcatraz, a wayfinding system, was a team project (Kate Alcid, Ronnie Montoya, Sean Stanton). The task: to create a wayfinding system and digital wayfinding application for visitors of the Alcatraz Island National Park.
Now when you think Alcatraz you think Native American protest site, lighthouse, military fort and nature reserve. Right? No, really? Let me guess, you think PRISON. But the prison is actually just a very small part of the history Alcatraz, and no one we polled seemed to know it.
So our wayfinding system needed to bring the park visitor into the totality of park, while paying homage to the commercial draw of the dark aspects of mid 1900’s federal incarceration.
Ankh–Morpork
A typeface inspired by the lesson taught within the Discworld series of books by Terry Pratchett, to shine the bright light of humor onto the absurdities and pomposities of everyday life.
To do this, first the design unhooks the oppressed letter forms from the academically correct, commercially acceptable rules of typography, using blasphemy and a smile.
Second, the typeface pays homage to Pratchett as a prolific writer of unforgettable characters by giving each character a unique story.
Finally the typeface stays unified, mostly, perhaps occasionally, well let’s just say it tries, so the letter forms can live together in the same world, as a reflection of Pratchett's masterfully accomplishing the same thing with the prolific number of bizarre characters in his novels.
April Greiman
A tribute to April Greiman this piece attempts to use her techniques, combined with my own original imagery, to create an informative and visually striking poster.
Chaotic imagery and color attract the viewer from a distance. As they approach, I use Grieman’s own words and some images to bring the viewer close. Finally, close up the viewer can now read a brief history of her life and achievements.
By far the most challenging piece I've created. It turned out to be surprisingly difficult to let loose the grid, and simply use the media, following her words…
You can lose yourself in it and while you think about nothing, intuition takes over.
—April Greiman
Take a Break
I find it hard to go through a portfolio without taking a break. Especially when the portfolio is my own.
So if you're still with me, grab a cup of coffee and flip through a few rest pages I made for my first print portfolio, just to give the viewer a break.
SJMOA
An experiment in updating the San José Museum of Art's identity and website.
Through client and patron interviews, we created three goals for this project. First, the design must visualize the museum's desire to appeal to a multi-cultural clientele.
Second, the museum's image needed to modernize in keeping with their mission to explore more contemporary themes.
Finally, keep it cost effective.
And oh by the way, get it done in six weeks. Uh, uh…glad this is a school project.
2960† a typography experiment
As a graphic designer, I live to do this.
This book culminates a set of typographic and photographic visual experiments. Its nebulous goal: to relate type to form, form to image, and to make the project even more challenging, relate the original images to an existing poem.
For some diagnoses, the appropriate code depends on further specification.
—American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
Excerpt from the original poem Disorder by Erica Dawson, appearing in the poetry collection Living in Storms. edited by Thom Schramm, 2008.
†unpublished, not for sale.
WFTO
An experimental rebranding of the World Free Trade Organization (WFTO).
This one spun my head. I thought these guys stamped your morning coffee safe from abusive labor practices. Well…sort of. They're actually the guys who stamp the organizations that stamp the coffee.
So what's the difference? Multiple logos. The design needed to respect existing regional organizations and not just swallow them up into one big stamp. So this means multiple logos based on a single idea, but tweaked for each region.
I chose the symbol of a sunrise, because as I watched un-abused and abused worker alike straining at their individual tasks, across the globe, they all pause for just a moment to catch the sunrise; the universal symbol of the hope for a new, better day.
DIY Surgical
DIY Surgical believes access to top quality health care should be inexpensive and widely available.
But how to deal with runaway insurance and HMO costs, particularly for those of lesser means?
Simple, Do-it-Yourself.
DIY Surgical provides respected surgical tools, along with over the phone and online professional assistance, and top quality, grade-A surgical materials, for you to successfully perform your very own surgical procedures.
This editorial branding and packaging piece uses a fearful possible reality to shock the customer. By creating packaging using clean, sterile colors, consistent with hospital use, yet in a simple, inexpensive manner consistent with a depot-like shopping experience, the viewer wants to open the box, but fears this may actually be real.
It feels real and wonderfully, or horribly, succeeded in its presentation to disturb and raise questions.
Green Build '09
A class project to envision an educational poster and convention center signage for Green Build '09, a conference on sustainable building practices.
When confronted with so much negative information, people tire and begin ignoring the truth. At times like this humor, surprise and interaction brings them back.