Blog

the power of Photoshop…

Gillette Stadium at sunset

I love what you can achieve both artistically and graphically in Photoshop. Although a lot of people in the industry consider “shopping” to be completely evil, I don’t think that is entirely the case. Granted, I have another blog which showcases and discusses nothing but the bad that can come from it, but the truth [...]

designing the STOP sign…

Thumbnail image for designing the STOP sign…

The first time I saw the above video I laughed at it because it is so absurd, yet at the same time rings so true. It illustrates something that all designers will (unfortunately) face at some point: the bastardization of a good design. Sometimes simple is better…when it is, be sure to fight for it.

kickin’ it old school…

The Making of Pearl Jam mini book

I had the absolute pleasure of designing the front and back covers of 1990: The Making of Pearl Jam [A TwoFeetThick Mini-Book] by Jessica Letkemann (pictured above). The aim was for the cover to relate to that era of Pearl Jam’s pre-history, so Jessica and I tossed around a few design concepts before settling on [...]

inspiring minds want to know…

Brimfield Flea Market

Inspiration can be found everywhere you look. I believe the less “List of Top 10 Most Inspiring Design Websites” you visit and the more you just get out of the house and walk around, the better off you’ll be creatively (as well as physically). I make a semi-annual trek to the Brimfield Flea Market and [...]

Designing Obama

Designing Obama

I’ve always been fascinated with political logos, and like to predict who will win elections based on the look of their logos alone. (This strategy has been alarmingly successful – next Presidential election I’m hitting up Vegas.) A recent example to illustrate my point would be the 2008 Presidential slug fest between John McCain and [...]

vintage 1970s logos…

vintage 1970s logos

I tweeted about this Flickr set of vintage 1970s logos yesterday. I can’t tell you how much I wish I had come across this set when I was doing preliminary designs for this site! Looking at vintage design sparks so many ideas in my mind – it is like my creative juices flow best in [...]

licensed to design

license plates

When most people think of  “design” they think of magazines and websites or the interior of their home – they rarely think about utilitarian objects such as license plates. I have had to design for license plates before, and although none of my designs were chosen for the final production it was still quite a [...]

anatomy of a re-design

redesign

If you are a regular visitor of my site, you may have noticed that it had gone dormant for a while – no new work uploaded and no new blatherings on the blog. Well, that was because in the Spring of 2010 I entered the final phase of my Web Design and Development program at [...]

cheating death with Dennis Hopper

Dennis Hopper

Unfortunately, it sometimes isn’t until someone dies that I learn something new about them. After Dennis Hopper passed away the blog Chasing Light posted photos Dennis had taken and wouldn’t ya know it – some of them are pretty damn groovy baby. “Like all artists I want to cheat death a little and contribute something [...]

Hotel Pantone-ifornia

Pantone Hotel

The newly opened Pantone Hotel in Brussels looks like it will quickly become the go-to destination for design nerds such as myself. Design Milk has a great write up on it – sounds (and looks!) heavenly. I am sure if my friend Kim ever stays there she will insist on the PMS 185 room!