Among numerous other design projects for Brammo, we’ve recently completed their Graphic Standards / Brand Guidelines Manual. Having done several corporate identity books in the past, this project was right down our alley.

The twelve-page pdf book is focused and to the point. We wanted to convey the basics of the visual brand with easy to understand language and visuals. Topics include logo usage, bike graphics, typography, color and a sample design section. The process of developing a comprehensive graphic design system is still young, and we’ll be adding to the manual as the sample section evolves.

The importance of a company’s visual brand identity should never be underestimated. This manual allows designers, employees and members of the media to properly implement a consistent and cohesive look. Keeping the graphic system clean, simple and readable will help Brammo better communicate their visionary company to the world.

Brammo Graphic Standard / Brand Identity Manual

The recently completed annual features beautiful photographic imagery of landscapes throughout the county. But more importantly it features real people and case studies of some of the outstanding work being implemented by GNC. To tell their story we utilized strong, readable typography; big, bold, earthy colors; and carefully arranged photographic compositions. The book has a professional, yet grass-roots feel.

The primary distribution of this annual report was through an electronic flip-book, accessed from the GNC website. We did create physical copies, but chose to utilize the Xerox iGen 3 digital printing because of the small print run and the wide format of the book design. It was printed by StevensIS in Portland, Oregon.

GNC 2011 Annual Report Cover

Letter from the Executive Director Spread

Story Spread

The primary objective of our work is to create unique, memorable and appropriate graphic design and marketing solutions. This typographic identity was solved by combining the partner names with plus signs, symbolizing the nature of their accounting business.

CGZ logo design

CGZ signage design

CGZ business cards, front and back

CGZ letterhead – when folded, the CGZ initials appear right-reading at the top of the letter.

CGZ #10 envelope

One of the beauties of this technology is to expand a print campaign to include an interactive element. For instance, if you have a print advertisement, you can have the user link to a video, promotion, specifications, or whatever you can imagine.

For Brammo, a leading electric motorcycle company, we’re working on a campaign which includes an artistically customized QR code (see below). Customizing a code in this situation involves manipulating the actual data to include the company logo within the code itself – some of the data is redundant and can be removed or altered and still retain its function. We also rounded the corners to give it a softer feel and colorized it to make it more brand-appropriate. We’re currently exploring interactive concepts with Brammo to effectively use it.

We recently presented a QR code ad campaign concept to a fortune 500 company (I can’t mention the name). The print ad features a photograph of an important business person and a testimonial quote of why they love this company. When the user scans the code they’re linked to a video of the entire interview. It’s a thoughtful use of merging print and interactive design.

QR codes can be used for a myriad of purposes, but the nuts and bolts of using this technology successfully in a print advertising campaign is the interactive experience the user has after scanning. In general, it should provide some special value to a customer, above and beyond just landing on a website homepage.

The original QR code (left), and the custom QR code (right).

The first step in designing the Guide is to create the cover. The cover design influences the rest of the publication and is featured in various advertising promoting the Ashland Gallery Association. This year I wanted to get a local photographer involved to capture an actual gallery experience. We were lucky to get acclaimed photographer David Winston to shoot several locations on the First Friday Art Walk in October. The selected image was taken at Bohemia Gallery. I felt the image presented an authentic moment. I love the center glow, the industrial and utilitarian elements at the top, the foreground and background art elements, the blurred movement, and the overall composition. The typography merges with the lights and highlights, and in combination with the image, conveys a sophisticated and slightly edgy metropolitan art scene. Overall, the cover is a departure from previous issues which were represented by a single piece of featured art.

The Guide will be produced in January and on shelves mid-February.

2012 Ashland Gallery Guide Cover

Last year we were focused on an abundance of work for Harry & David in Medford, Oregon.
Of all the multi-channel graphic design and marketing projects we worked on, this one stands out. It’s a Holiday brochure, handed out at all the Harry & David stores. The original concept was to make it like Trader Joe’s Fearless Flyer, but it took on a more elegant and sophisticated, “from the orchard,” brand-appropriate design. It included heritage, story telling, recipes, entertaining tips and, of course, product. We collaborated closely (even working late into the night at our studio) with Portland, Oregon writer, Tom Lux. Tom did a brilliant job. Some astute creative direction came from Gwenne Wilcox at H&D, but other than that we had almost total creative control. The result was an engaging, playful and beautiful piece, flavored with texture and warm fuzzy feelings.

In addition to this piece for Harry & David we have done B2B catalogs, print advertising, web banners, eblasts, icons, templates and flyers for the gourmet, food-gift giant.

Harry & David Holiday Brochure Cover

Notice the children's chocolate finger prints and how they relate to the copy

From the time we were contacted to do the project, we had five days (including a weekend) to develop two design concepts, select all the materials, and release to the printer the InDesign documents for the entire 42-page, hard-cover book. Needless to say, it was a fire drill.

There were numerous photographs, two eulogies and several quotes included throughout. Only 60 books were ultimately produced, but the project printed offset with 4-color process, plus 3 PMS spot colors. The cover was linen-wrapped with a debossed, foil-stamped title and the entire piece was bound with a printed velum band. The printer, Lithocraft in Anaheim, had nine days to deliver the completed books.

John E. Anderson Book Cover

John E. Anderson Book Interior

John E. Anderson Book Interior

The study was conducted using 213 people who specified what ads they remember. Subscribers of the publication were invited to participate in the study. 76% of the respondents recall seeing the ad and 71% recall reading it, placing our ad at the top of the list.

We place between four and seven print ads per month for the Modern Fan Company.

Modern Fan Company half-page print ad in the July Architect Magazine

The featured design was for William Augustus White Wine.

Augustus “Gus” Janeway of Velocity Cellars came to me with an idea of creating a white wine packaging in honor of his great grandfather and namesake. Among the materials he showed me was a photographic image of William Augustus White in 1923, on top of New York State’s highest peak, on his 80th birthday. I worked with the image to create a simple and elegant, craftsman-inspired, label.

Several images of the package design were submitted to the dieline. The first image below was shot as a favor by a friend and highly acclaimed fine art photographer, Pipo Nguyen-duy, who has just been awarded the Guggenheim Fellowship in the field of photography. He told me “commercial photography isn’t my thing, John,” and proceeded to capture this image in about a minute and a half. Maybe less.

Photo by Pipo Nguyen-duy

William Augustus Seal

William Augustus White Wine Packaging Design

This years’ ad campaign is based on a bold typographic treatment to the headline “cool by design,” a double entendre reflecting the cooling effect of ceiling fans and the distinctive modern flair of the product. The word “design” was hyphenated as a playful, attention-grabbing device, and it also mimics the hyphenated word “modern” in the logo. A series of bold, lively colors were used. All elements were carefully composed on a background of concentric circles. Most of the ads are in a half-page vertical format, which suitably fits the body of a hanging fan.

The ad campaign, which is running in national publications such as Dwell, Architect, Interior Design and Modernism, was stylistically integrated with a 36-page catalog, website and various print collateral.

Every month we manage the advertising by placing about five to seven ads.

Three half-page vertical ads for the Modern Fan Company

The Modern Fan Company logo