The event’s theme was first introduced via invitation. Large, cropped type lockups gave us a bold, larger-than-life tone that I pushed throughout the implementation of the brand.

Each invitation included with a short personal note. It allowed us to speak to our guests directly and tailor the conversation. It added a nice personal and thoughtful touch, which was a theme we pursued throughout the event experience.

Our strategy for educating our guests about our startup teams was simple: we basically borrowed the idea of a trading card. Each one features a team, their story, value proposition, and recent milestones.

In another attempt to add a more personal tone to the invitations, we rubber-stamped and hand-addressed every envelope.

We designed a custom-built responsive website that communicated all of the event information and captured RSVP's.

Our event guests had immediate access to the teams, their unique value propositions and business offerings. This was a good opportunity for us to reinforce a more personal approach while at the same time, providing valuable content to our guests.

I designed and built these directions signs made of plywood. They were designed to hold sheets of plexiglass that could be repurposed for other events by switching out the vinyl decals.

Conference lanyards doubled as booklets that outlined event details and information about our graduating startups.

Each pitch followed a strict schedule format that I distilled in this infographic.

Inside the booklet were team profiles. Space was dedicated for each startup that was featured that night, which included their story, value proposition, their asks, and notable market traction.

The booklets also included a spot to take notes about each team.

This animation played on the large screen on stage while attendees took their seats. Animation by Melissa Pierce and Dennis Eusebio.

Large posters were screen printed and given to each guest. A nice keepsake from the event!

I tested and mocked up several paper weights, bindings, and rope lengths to find the right fit what we needed. A longer rope length allowed our guests to reference its content while still wearing it.

This was Ancient City Ruby's third year in operation, so we distributed buttons for people who have attended in years past.

Designated note sections

The booklets included speaker bios and a timetime graphic that displayed the time of their talk.

To cut down on confusion, I included information about conference events such as the cocktail hour and distillery tour (don't miss out, people!).

"We're your local meathead gym" is how we found people interpreting their old logo, pictured above. "The Refinery" was not very clear to people and left many confused about what exactly the business was about.

When it came down to it, the new owners simply wanted to create an experience for their members that was thoughtfully crafted, clean, and functional—not cheap, smelly, and disorganized. The new identity needed to reflect that in every way.

I began sketching a few concepts around wordplays. The idea of abbreviating "St. Augustine," where the gym is located, to "STA" was an initial thought. "Fit," short for fitness followed. "Stay fit" was what it ultimately read, which was appropriate given what they were trying to promote through their membership experience.

Some initial logo concepts

Ultimately the marks that were chosen integrated both the ideas "STA FIT" and "AnaSTAsia FITness," which were designed to be used interchangeably.

I worked closely with the client to establish the business's brand attributes, which ultimately informed all decisions about color, visual style, and tone. These attributes, along with other brand-related elements were outlined in a brand guide that I designed.

The guide outlined both macro (example: photography style, subject matter) and micro issues (cropping techniques) in efforts to  fulfill the brand attributes across all executed platforms.

As part of the brand guide, I delved into ways that we can add a much needed physicality and boldness to the new brand. Wrapping the logo graphic around wall corners and flooring was one of many ways this was achieved.

Upon meeting Original Fuzz, we looked at the materials they had already developed prior to beginning the KYN program. A few of those included a posters like the ones above that borrowed conventions from old rock gig posters. Because of Original Fuzz's vintage references and hand-made quality, we found this visual style to be incredibly inspiring, which ultimately led to decisions we made with the rest of the brand materials.

Inspired by the gig poster concept, Dennis (pictured left) and I recreated a "interactive poster." We shot video of Lee (rocking out on the counter top) that would ultimately be used as a loop on the new site that we co-designed (see below). 

Final video loop that was developed for Original Fuzz's website header, which was used to simulate a rock poster sensibility. Visit www.originalfuzz.com to view it in full context.

Homepage design inspired by hand-made vintage gig posters. Co-designed with Dennis Eusebio.

The responsive website handled every Original Fuzz product with a unique layout.

I co-shot and directed this 11 second film with Dennis Eusebio which was used by Original Fuzz on their website to better explain how to use their "Fuzz Bag." 

I also helped the company develop their pitch deck, which was presented to a large group of local business leaders and investors at KYN's 2013 Demo Day. Zach and Lee were able to successfully secure a second round of funding at the event.

In efforts to empower Zach and Lee with the tools to maintain their brand's integrity, I equipped them with a basic style guide that walks them through the do's and don'ts of their visual identity.

We worked hard maintain the brand's sensibilities throughout every aspect of the identity. This also affected how we presented photography, as shown in the images below that we treated with vintage effects. This look and feel was carried over when Original Fuzz hired Jensen Hande to photograph all of their products later in the brand development phase.

Photo courtesy of AIGA Jax

Photo courtesy of AIGA Jax

I made slight refinements to the existing KYN logo, in efforts to better communicate the brand's attributes—clear, efficient, and design-oriented.

Refinements were also made to the logo treatment, typography, and color palette. All of these adjustments were to add warmth, clarity, and consistency to the brand.

Responsive website co-designed with Dennis Eusebio.

Responsive site included layouts for mobile, tablet and desktop platforms.

Creative directed this t-shirt which was designed by the talented Sean Tucker.

The historic Barnett Building in Jacksonville, Florida, which has been vacant and gutted for the past several years, is to become the new hub for innovators, business owners, and professionals in North Florida. 

"EST. 1926 — RE-EST: 2014" was the branding concept that we introduced to represent a reactivation of this historic space.

Together with Dennis Eusebio, I helped concept some of the details of this teaser film, which featured individuals from the community exploring the space for the first time. 

One Spark 2014 visitors were encouraged to explore an exhibition within the Barnett. I led the art direction, implementation, and logistics of the event, which featured informational panels about the space, flatscreens which played teaser videos, an interactive wall that featured visitors tweeting about the event, and a charging station where visitors can plug in their mobile devices at the event.

Responsive website design by Sean Tucker, art directed by Mike Fretto.

The good folks at Harbinger Sign were open for experimentation when I asked them if it would be possible to print directly onto wood. The idea was that these exhibition panels could emulate a construction site, relaying information about the space that felt tactile and real.

I also designed and constructed A-frame signage stands that can house depending on the event. For this exhibition, I printed information on clear acrylic inviting people to hangout at the charging station.

Visitors were encouraged to send tweets to an interactive timeline that was projected on a wall at the Barnett. See tweets below.

The exhibition also served as a backdrop for The Legend Series 8 dinner, which was hosted at the Barnett Building during One Spark.

Video by Mark Hubbard.

We sketched out a concept that placed Mig and Javan, our event's speakers in the middle of that movie theme, battling it out with a beast (a design/development project), as shown here on our white board.

My rough sketch of how we can layout our movie poster-inspired promotional materials.

Our monster i.e. "project."

We worked closely with talented illustrator, Chris Dang, to bring the concept to life.

Chris's early illustrations.

My final implementation of Chris's illustrations in poster form.

Limited edition event posters were screen printed by my buds at Mama's Sauce.

Video by Blood Orange Media

Modular A-frame signage that I designed and constructed.

The event drew nearly 200 of Jacksonville's designers and developers. We held it at the historic Barnett Building, Jacksonville's future innovation hub.

Thanks to our generous community, I was able to secure a few sponsors to help offset event costs. Intuition Ale Works was among many who supported the event. Check those DES+DEV: Assemble! wristbands!

Our KYN apprentices presented Truck 'N Seek, an app to help people find their favorite food trucks, to the crowd of 200. They did a great job!

Photos from a private interactive workshop that Mig and Javan led with KYN employees and the event sponsors.

Designed while working for Firebelly Design.

Designed while working for Firebelly Design.

The font comes with upper and lowercase characters, numbers, punctuation, and a hand-full of ligatures.​

Inspiration came from hand-painted signage shown in these examples found in St. Augustine, Florida.

The typeface was first drawn by hand, refined through a series of variations, then digitized.​

These portrait icons were designed for a project that focused on leaders in social design. Recognize any of these good looking folks?

Buy this vector art at YouWorkForThem.

These icons were designed for a project that focused on college-hunting and financial aid.

Buy this vector art at YouWorkForThem.

These illustrations were used on t-shirts sold at Intuition Ale Works in Jacksonville, FL.

These illustrations were used on t-shirts sold at Intuition Ale Works in Jacksonville, FL. They promote HB715, a Florida state bill that would allow the sale of beer in 64 oz containers. You must be asking yourself, "wait—that's against the law?" To which I reply, "that's why you should join the movement!"

I designed this poster for Artcrank Seattle, a traveling art show that made its first visit to the Emerald City in June, 2013. Buy your very own here.

I illustrated these wedding invitations for Amy, floral designer, and Matt, lover of nautical motifs. 

I illustrated this graphic for a group of college students who traveled to South Africa to assist in humanitarian projects. The final design was printed on t-shirts.

These pieces were part of a series I designed for my very own wedding. The invitation (left) was hand-drawn and subsequently screen printed by the talented Austin Petito. Save-the-Dates (right) were also hand-drawn and made into a rubber stamp.

These illustrations were made while working for Firebelly Design. They were used as brand elements for Neighborhood Parents Network, where they were incorporated into every aspect of their website.

Initial process sketch (Josh Nelson)

Initial packaging concept sketches by Adriel Rollins 

Inserts are contained within ordinary feminine pad packaging, much like pads that are already being distributed in many health clinics and outreach centers across Seattle.

Inside each pad contains hidden messaging, which is printed with information about accessing help.

Instructions are printed on paper inserts that are water-soluble so that users can easily and safely dispose of information.

Tear-offs containing the help hotline phone number are disguised as a fortune cookie fortune with lucky numbers.

I designed this interactive poster for a lecture event that presented Pivot to students and professionals at the University of Washington.

The poster's image is created from halftone dots that were laser-cut from the top layer of the poster. This image is mostly unrecognizable until viewing it from far away. When viewing it up close, the viewer can see messaging revealed from the layer underneath.

It was inspired by one theme of our research—"peeling back the layers," in order to learn the truth about human trafficking.

Jury video from the 2014 IxDA Awards, where Pivot was awarded "Best in Empowering" category.

Every shirt bears a story of someone in need, which is printed on the inside—over the heart.

Glenda (left)  was designed to raise $350 to purchase a new walker for Glenda, caretaker of two young boys and physically disabled. 

Mossel Bay (right) was designed to raise $5,000 to buy new surfboards and equipment for a surfing outreach program in the townships of South Africa.

Sharkar Family (left) was designed to raise $3,000 to pay off debt and provide job opportunities for a young Bangladeshi family.

Indo Made (right) was designed to raise $2,500 to purchase a new boat for Made (pronounced Mah-day), an Indonesian fisherman. 

Good is Bigger (left) was designed to reflect the sometimes complicated but positive process of helping someone in need.

Simple Machine was designed to purchase bikes for residents of St. Augustine, Florida, who had little access to transportation. 

Glenda, a local disabled woman used this walker with malfunctioning wheels. We designed a t-shirt to raise funds for new walker.

Eric and Made in Nusa Lembongan, Indonesia.

Made and Eric aboard Made's brand new boat, which was purchased using funds generated from selling the Indo Made tee. 

 'Mustard Seed of Baje Amli' was a t-shirt that raised funds to build a school in Baje Amli, Bangladesh, the village where the Sharkar family resides.

Hope Transfusion was a t-shirt designed to fund life-saving heart surgery for Hussein, a toddler from Iraq.

'Musician's Bunkhouse' was designed to help with home repair costs for a woman in New Orleans, whose roof was badly damaged in Hurricane Katrina.

Simple Machine was designed to provide bikes to people without means of transportation.

Photo by Nick Adam​

My Y uses inner tube pins to explore space within the letterform's thicks, and relies on the tubes themselves for the thins.

I bound each plank pair together with long screws and wing nuts.

The first look at our collaborative efforts. Not bad!

"​Check out what we made!"

​The final piece with each collaborator's character. It will be eventually be on permanent display at a youth prison facility in Chicago, IL.

Posters incorporated a dating system in their upper left-hand corners. An orange rule along the vertical timeline indicates when Professor Ahn worked on each project.