Some stuff

Here's an example of some stuff I used to do at work, like following a pre-existing brand identity, attempt to develop it into a more modern aesthetic, and trying to take dry material and make it into something a bit more visually palatable.

Something Old, Something New

Something NEW:
This is something I've been working on.....figuring out how to get my work on a lamp. After trial and error, I created this handmade lampshade with my work on it. I'm hoping to offer it for purchase soon. Hopefully, people will enjoy it!

I've been into cardboard taxidermy so I decided to make my own deerhead. I created my own template, (which was really challenging!), cut foam core, then tore out the pages of a really old, yellowed book to cover the pieces with.

Something OLD:
I came across this old piece I did a few years back while I was sitting in on a "Graphic Design for Entertainment" class. This was based off Tom Waits' song "Big Joe and Phantom 309." Obviously, I was totally out of my element in this class and this was my attempt at the entertainment style.

Posters

Happy New Year! I hope to post more of my graphic design work here in the upcoming year. Here are some past posters I have done. I guess, technically, that the last one is not a poster, but it has some type in it so I thought it'd fit here :)

UCLA logos

These are some logos I did for the various programs at UCLA Center X. These logos were quite challenging as I had to adhere to the very strict UCLA Identity Guidelines, as well as meet the client's needs and incorporate their program's signature color.

For Parent Project, this logo included two letter "P" letterforms with a symbolic parent and child nested within the negative space of the two letter P's for Parent Project. The client wanted something "friendly" and the typeface chosen seems "child-friendly." We went with a horizontal as well as vertical format for the logo.

For Mathematics Project, the client really liked pyramids so I drafted up a bunch of triangles and pyramids and we concluded with this one where the initials of Mathematics Project were made up of triangles nested within a triangle. As mathematics is a more abstract concept, I thought the geometry and symmetry of this logo was befitting to represent math. I chose a corresponding geometric typeface where the letter "A" closely matches the triangle of the logo mark itself.

This AP Readiness logo proved the most challenging. I had to incorporate elements of a high school student's contest winning design for AP Readiness, which was not quite "logo ready." The client wanted many of the AP Programs (Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Environmental Science, Calculus, etc) represented in the logo. We also had to be careful to stay away from the AP Board's respective logo. We went with a more simplified logo that speaks of the different branches of AP Readiness with math represented in the shapes and geometry, and sciences represented in the chemistry beaker and atom, with the earth sciences represented with the leaf. It was interesting trying to come up with symbols that fit within the negative space within the letterforms.

Happily Ever After

My good friends, high school sweethearts, Melissa and Lee are getting married and they asked me to fill a tall order, which is to create the graphics to be printed on tote bags that are to be their wedding favors. I was more than happy to oblige - the task was to include 11 destinations that they've been to, create a logo for them as a couple that included a frog prince, limit the colors to just black and teal, and somehow tie it all together, without making it appear too "girly," that would all fit on a 12" x 8" area. I hope I succeeded. Congrats you two!

UCLA test

I thought I'd throw up the test I had to do for the UCLA Center X designer job. It was a really challenging test as there were many strict guidelines, especially regarding use of the UCLA logo, a lot of technical parameters, as well as certain elements, colors that had to be included. I really tried to make it dynamic and fresh, and less corporate looking, while more in keeping with what Center X does, which is to revitalize and transform urban schools and its teaching practices. All in all, I'm so glad they liked my design as it helped land me the job!

Sun Ten Chi

This is a logo proposal for the seemingly now defunct Sun Ten Chi, which is a Chinese Herbal Wellness and Feng Shui line. I think a good redesign of its identity system could really help its presentation and sales.

I was looking at a lot of carved Chinese chops (seals/stamps) and used this "China" blue as the color, because blue,black, and red are the most widely used colors for character chops. I also think the blue brings to mind a more "spa-like" quality. And, logos always work well encompassed in geometric shapes!