Creative Musing
October 2021
Yellow Jacket
Olympia Book Publishing
Creative Musing
September 2021
__
Olympia Book Publishing
Combine the iconic elements of a book, torch, and flames to construct a cohesive mark. I paired this mark with the typeface FF Good Headline designed by Łukasz Dziedzic from FontFont.
Level
Creative Musing
September 2021
__
Level
Exploration on a combination mark for level. Mark paired with ITC Avant Garde Gothic, designed by Herb Lubalin and Tom Carnase from Monotype.
Bobbin & Thread
Creative Musing + Product
August 2021
__
Bobbin & Thread
I thoroughly enjoyed developing and illustrating this intricate set of modern tailor iconography. The typeface used with this icon set is Louvette Banner designed by CJ Dunn from CJ Type.
-
This icon set is available for purchase, email me for licensing and cost.
Wildlife Conservation Illustrations
Creative Musing
August 2021
__
Wildlife Conservation Illustrations
In August, I participated in the Souldoodles illustration challenge focused on wildlife conservation, where I illustrated three endangered animals. Information about each animal can be found under the accordion dropdown to the right.
-
African Savanna Elephants are the largest species of elephant and the biggest terrestrial animal on Earth. They are easily distinguished by their very large ears and front legs which are noticeably longer than the hind legs. Each family unit usually consists of around 10 females and their calves, and the bulls associate with these herds only during mating. Several family units often join together to form a “clan” consisting of up to several hundred members led by a female matriarch.
-
White rhinos are the second largest land mammal and their name comes from the Afrikaan’s, As of March 2018, there are only two rhinos of the northern white rhino left, both of which are female. They live in the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya and are protected round-the-clock by armed guards. Their near extinction is due to decades of rampant poaching for rhino horn. White rhinos have complex social structures. Groups of sometimes 14 rhinos may form, notably females with calves.
-
The green turtle is one of the largest sea turtles and the only herbivore among the different species. Green turtles are found mainly in tropical and subtropical waters. Like other sea turtles, they migrate long distances between feeding grounds and the beaches from where they hatched. Classified as endangered, green turtles are threatened by over harvesting of their eggs, hunting of adults, being caught in fishing gear, and loss of nesting beach sites.
Home Assist
Creative Musing
July 2021
__
Home Assist
Design exploration for Home Assist by integrating the medical symbol with a house icon. The resulting mark is paired with the typeface Korolev designed by Rian Hughes from Device Fonts.
Hello
Creative Musing
July 2021
__
Hello
A very cramped hello wordmark featureing a custom typeface designed by me.
A Faithful Companion & Herzog
Creative Musing
July 2021
__
A Faithful Companion & Herzog
Our family adopted a Norwegian Elkhound from our nearby dog shelter. As one does when getting a dog, I was searching online for a sleek and durable dog collar + leash, Herzog dog gear caught my eye and it was an easy decision to purchase their products (I purchased the Terracotta Collar and Leash as a set). Their meticulously crafted items boast both waterproof and eco-friendly qualities, fitting seamlessly into our minimalist style and complementing our Elkhound perfectly. The silhouette illustration above represents the Leonberger dog breed.
Keepsake
Creative Musing
June 2021
__
Keepsake
Design exploration to match the word "Keepsake" with a typeface. I settled on the typeface URW Antiqua designed by URW Type Foundry for its balanced combination of thick and thin strokes, giving it an elegant and approachable feel.
Square Knot
Creative Musing
June 2021
__
Square Knot
Fun little exercise this morning in Adobe Illustrator.
-
Square Knot is available for purchase. Check out more graphic tee’s on my Cotton Bureau profile page.
__
Note: All Cotton Bureau apparel comes in a variety of clothing types, styles, fits, sizes, materials, and colors.
Unite & Vote
Article + Creative Musing + Product
June 2021
__
Unite & Vote
In addition to offering strategic design communication solutions for my clients, I also create illustrations, design posters, and sell them on my shop page. A poster from my collection is currently en route to a fortunate recipient. If you're seeking distinctive illustrative posters to adorn your empty walls, explore my shop page. Every poster is carefully curated, illustrated, and designed by me, then printed locally at Mercury Head Gallery in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Each piece is meticulously printed on 100% cotton rag fine art paper using archival inks for lasting quality.
-
Unite & Vote poster is available for purchase in my shop. Explore more posters in my shop.
Become, Brand Strategy & Identity
Client Project
June 2021
__
Become, Brand Strategy & Identity
Become is an education and learning website that help individuals navigate and connect with schools and businesses through deep insights and data-backed guidance. My team worked closely with Become's founders to develop their brand design system, covering everything from messaging, naming to the identity.
I led a team in planning, development, and design of the Become brand identity. Through my comprehensive process we distilled insights gathered from audience and stakeholder interviews, shaping the foundation of the brand. This foundation delineated the brand’s tone, defined the voice and visual direction of the brand. As we progressed, additional interviews, journey mapping, naming, brand architecture, iterative brand development evolving into a simple, meaningful and approachable brand. After this effort a detailed brand guidelines was established.
The word 'Become' was crafted by merging the space between its initial and final letters. This simple alteration embodies the concept of 'Become' as a companion throughout one's professional journey. Additionally, this modification transforms the tense of the word from future to present, implying that individuals can embrace their current selves or evolve into something new.
-
+ Branding
-
+ Team Leadership
+ Project Management
+ Creative Direction
+ Qualitative & Quantitative Research
+ Brand Messaging
+ Naming
+ Visual Identity -
Michael Nÿkamp served as a patient and adept navigator during our brand discovery expedition. His guidance enabled us to gain profound insights into our company's identity. Although the outcome was unexpected, it perfectly aligned with our aspirations. None of this would have happened without him and for that, we are very grateful.
— Ryan Montgomery, CEO of Become
-
View the initial mark exploration concepts for Become.
-
Phase III fun illustrations drawn by David Schofield.
Fast Company Portraits
Client Project
May 2021
__
Fast Company Portraits
Fast Company commissioned me to create several illustrative portraits for the Define Your Purpose, Special Edition magazine.
-
+ Portrait Illustration
-
+ Style Development
+ Sketching & Ideation
+ Illustration -
Recycle & Die
Creative Musing
May 2021
__
Recycle & Die
An illustrative exploration reveals the deceptive narrative sold to us by plastic companies: the idea that recycling will effectively benefit our planet. However, this notion masks a troubling reality—it serves as a ploy to perpetuate the cycle of production and pollution, ultimately exacerbating our planet.
Become Mark Exploration
Client Project
October 2019
__
Become Mark Exploration
I was hired by Become to develop their brand messaging framework and new identity. With the first phase completed we had language that helped create these concept marks. While the new identity has not launched, I wanted to share these initial concept explorations—the good, the bad, and the ugly. Not all of these explorations were shown to the client, but they all played a crucial part in shaping the final brand identity.
-
Brand Identity
-
+ Creative Direction
+ Concept Development
+ Sketching & Ideation
+ Illustration -
View the completed Become Identity.
Square Bear
Creative Musing
April 2021
__
Square Bear
Blanking staring off into space.
Fulton Street Farmers Market
Creative Musing + Product
April 2021
__
Fulton Street Farmers Market
An illustration I have been working on the last few weeks is finally finished. Fresh fruit, friendly farmers, and artists provide a diverse, inclusive, vital, and vibrant community marketplace that offers high-quality, locally grown, farm-fresh products.
-
Fulton Street Famers Market poster is available for purchase in my shop. Explore more posters in my shop.
Death Snail
Creative Musing
March 2021
__
Death Snail
The notorious spinning lollipop of death adorning the rear of a delightful snail. Officially known as the wait cursor, Mac users affectionately dub it by these fitting descriptors: Spinning wheel , spinning beachball and Spinning rainbow.
One Banana
Creative Musing
March 2021
__
One Banana
A simple illustration utilizing light and shadow.
-
One Banana graphic tee is available for purchase. Check out more graphic tees on my Cotton Bureau profile page.
__
Note: All Cotton Bureau apparel comes in a variety of clothing types, styles, fits, sizes, materials, and colors.
USPS Mail Truck
Creative Musing
March 2021