dfrm
2011
Description
An exploration in simple abstracts and applied texture, a collaboration with Valentine Obasuyi.
Fields
Print Design, Graphic Design
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As the sole designer, second only to creative director, the Moen site redesign was a daunting task, to say the least. While the client wanted to keep most of their site functions intact they wanted to enter a space that was dominated by high-end, sophisticated competition like Kohler that were providing a more elegant and impactful experience while supplying users what they needed most...replacement parts. I was given full reign of their brand and visuals and with the support of my CD developed the overall art direction and eventual final design for the site, soup-to-nuts, as it were.
The many problems we faced was integration of existing site functions such as their back-end tool for managing product information and a standard apache database and structure for managing dynamic content on the site, including Homepage Rotations, featured products and eventually a Faucet Selector. The goals were met, not with ease, but with careful consideration, deliberation and ample application of the Agile workflow to bring a prototype site to life with design and development working in tandem to provide the client with a front-row seat to the progression of their new site and tools.
A phase II project was the creation and implementation of the faucet selector. a visual tool for finding the best faucet for you as a consumer utilizing the back-end product information software and a dynamically structured interface akin to iTunes "coverflow" system but not exactly like it as the filters adjust and change based on selections in the product path. A great tool was born out of the process to build the new site and the overall integration.Web Design, Art Direction2011 -
Along with the Moen.com site redesign, new email templates needed to be built to focus on both the consumer and prosumer targeted audiences. 1 template was built with marketing based features as well as tips and suggestions for projects using Moen products, where as the prosumer email was geared towards Moen's reliable contractor userbase. This was done by providing targeted articles regarding existing products and how to engage customers. It also had a heavy focus on bringing the product to them and giving them direct access to primary site areas without the task to promote featured products unlike the consumer emails (e.g. Browsing commercial product catalogue).Web Design, Email Design2011 -
Tyco Electronics had a site they were content but had concerns over. These concerns stemmed from the fact that their site stored the entire breadth of their parts catalog. Now, Tyco is a big company, their parts are used in a wide array of industries, from aerospace to automotive to consumer electronics, however, they had no easy way of relaying that information to the consumer. While their consumers know what they want, it was still difficult to find the exact parts in question. This is where I came in.
I was tasked with restructuring the interior product pages and search functionality with the help of the information architect on the project in an effort to make searching for and finding those elusive parts that much easier. We created a much more condensed and concise search tool which allows you to filter via a large dropdown list and find the product in question. No small feat.
Amidst all this we also refreshed their homepage design to be more welcoming and informational about what Tyco does as well as tidied up numerous universal site elements such as table structures, search boxes, visual organization, etc.Web Design2011 -
Business Forecast, like a number of other Chicago Booth events is annual in nature. It is an event surrounding what is happening in the industry and what the industries best minds are thing about when it comes to the state of the industry and in some cases the world at large. Each year the site and print collateral are redesigned to fit a theme or topic, and this year was focusing on the economic lookout after the fallout of the housing and stock markets. With the economy slowly bringing itself back from the precipice the cool calming colors were used to evoke a sense of equilibrium. The warm oranges were used to sharply contrast this feeling as work is not quite done restoring things to historic norms.
The site had to be designed with an existing architecture and structure in place and as such the site we re-skinned and left structurally identical to previous years.Web Design2011 -
The Gleacher Center in downtown Chicago is an offsite location where the majority of the Evening/Weekend MBA students and a number of Executive MBA students go for classes each quarter. It has numerous large classrooms, event spaces and has extensive support equipment. When classes are out of session the building goes unused for pretty much of the time and the team that manages the building wanted to find a way to highlight the building as an event space for breakout sessions, corporate meetings, earnings sessions, etc.
This website is what culminated in bringing those needs to fruition. We had to tackle information across a wide spectrum while providing an easy way for users to contact the Gleacher Team and setup an event. These comps serve as a sample of the site at the design phase. The design has been augmented with additions from post-launch update phases. You can find the site in its current state at http://www.gleachercenter.com.Web Design, Art Direction2011 -
The Dean's Society, a donation fund managed by The Annual Fund at Chicago Booth we looking for a revival and needed a clean, exclusive-feeling but yet approachable branding that would still be synonymous with the school. In the end simpler is better and opted for the utilization of the extended bold Trade Gothic font, one of the fonts authorized by the brand guidelines and placed it in front of the school shield.
Beyond that it was the open space treatment of the lockup and the colors that really spoke to it's exclusivity. This project consisted of a rebranding as well as an invitation and postcard to send to big name alumnus.Print Design, Branding, Art Direction2011 -
A book design aimed at advertising the Kilts Center for Marketing and their initiative, activities, etc.Print Design, Graphic Design, Art Direction2010 -
The Golden Gargoyles, part of the Leadership Development program at Chicago Booth is a student run, managed and produced event. Students create short films depicting the theme of the year. This year's theme was "Heroes and Villains." The challenge with this theme is that the committee that was helming the event this year were thinking of using imagery from popular network shows which, for obvious reasons was a copyright concern as the event is for profit.
The angle I took with this campaign was to focus on the city of Chicago as a sort of focal point for an epic battle between the forces of good an evil. Using standard themes of light vs. dark the horizon shows the uphill battle of the good vs. the already in power dark forces. This design resonated well with the committee and was used on the tickets as well as numerous posters that were printed for the event.Print Design, Art Direction2011 -
Alumni Celebration is an annual event where a number of distinguished alumni are rewarded for their efforts in the industry and the world at large and the event is typically very flashy and high caliber. Despite the age group we wanted the event to evoke a sense of youth and energy so we broke away from our brand guidelines for the event styling and utilized silver confetti as the overarching visual. On the website we had to work within the previous years structure and reskin it and to that end we removed the flash animations and utilized a mp4 based video of falling confetti in the background and integrated the branding across the site.
The print piece is the event program book which used a metallic paint and matted "soft-touch" coating for the cover. All the collateral across the campaign used this style to stay consistent and to continue the high-end feel of the design.Web Design, Print Design, Art Direction2011 -
A collaboration with the former ResUK.Print Design2011 -
An exploration in photomanipulation and visual structure in said manipulations.Print Design, Graphic Design2011 -
This piece is an extrapolation of the technique found in my U4ia piece in utilizing colors sampled from areas of the piece and continuing with the per-pixel vectorization of the photo subject.Print Design, Graphic Design2011 -
An experiment in photographic distortion and grid structure.Graphic Design, Print Design2011 -
An exploration in raster/vector shape recognition and association.Print Design, Graphic Design, Typography2011 -
One of my early collaborations with ResUK.Graphic Design, Print Design2011 -
A personal project experimenting in photographic fragmentation and grid structure.Graphic Design, Print Design2011 -
A fashion-derived design in collaboration with Aeiko (Pete Harrison).Print Design, Graphic Design2011 -
Yet another collaboration with Aeiko (Pete Harrison) focusing on powerful, elegant women in a fashion style design.Graphic Design, Print Design2011 -
A collaboration focused on pure photomanipulation with Bart Van Leeuwen (ekaF).Graphic Design, Print Design2011 -
A piece to explore vectorization of photography.Graphic Design, Print Design2011
