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three classes of tea

January 19th, 2012 // // Topic: , ,

Coffee is too bold. Hot chocolate is too sophomoric. No, tea is the the perfect drink. Drinking tea is charming, quaint, and comes from a longstanding tradition. Have you ever thought about why you drink certain kinds of tea in certain situations? I have, and believe it or not, it all stems from the logo [...]

A journey through mountain logos

January 4th, 2012 // // Topic: , ,

What does stonehenge, a ram’s head and a rocket ship all have in common? That’s right, they’re all logos of outfitting companies with some sort of mountain themed logo. Read on for kicks »

Design your dream bicycle

October 14th, 2011 // // Topic: , ,

“Design your dream bicycle” – this was my challenge and I relished the thought. Initially, I was overwhelmed with so many possibilities. Should I get a wooden bicycle? A Penny-farthing like in the days of yore? However, in the end, after taking a good look at what’s out there in cutting edge technology, and what [...]

Why design matters for presidential hopefuls

September 16th, 2011 // // Topic: ,

Since this is pre-election year I thought I’d dip my feet in the political waters deep enough to assess the presidential hopefuls’ logos for 2012. This is done with no secret political agendas, but rather with the belief that he who does not value design may not be worth your vote. I’ve listed them in [...]

Logo creation process for Ya Mama

June 23rd, 2011 // // Topic: ,

This is the company name of a foundation in Oman that works to enhance the physical, economic and social well-being of women and their families. I had the privilege of being the lead designer on the logo creation as well as an identity system and more. I’m going to bring you along the journey of [...]

Demystifying image file formats

June 1st, 2011 // // Topic: ,

Vector vs. Raster Vector images are created using geometrical formulas in programs such as Adobe Illustrator. Vector artwork is made up of a series of points and lines that uses math to determine how to fill the space between those points. Because it is math-based vector artwork can be scaled infinitely without losing quality, as [...]

5 ways to get creative

May 20th, 2011 // // Topic: ,

“I’m just not creative,” a client will say, “you’re a designer, can you help me think of ideas?” All designers hear this – from clients, friends, even family members. The thing is, most of us wouldn’t say that we are exceptionally creative either; we just know the process of reaching out and finding those good, [...]

What is design thinking?

March 17th, 2011 // // Topic:

I had the privilege of having drinks with Ellen Lupton last week (think: water + 50 other people in the room). Her topic: “what is design and design thinking?” Defining design is like catching a slippery pig with greased hands. Many have tried, few have succeeded. Ellen didn’t try to catch the pig, but gave [...]

Redesign vs. Realign, What’s a Website to do?

January 13th, 2011 // // Topic: , ,

I once heard myself answering the question “should I redesign my site” with a question “do you think your website could perform better?” Which is the same as saying “yes.” I would like to expand and argue with myself. Yes, I believe all sites can increasingly become more effective but the real question is should [...]

Journey & Immersion -Sites We’re Inspired By

January 6th, 2011 // // Topic: , , ,

We’re always out looking for new trends and inspiration. Recently, we’ve noticed a few things in the world of the web that have us pretty excited and, yes, inspired! They chose not to allow the page to feel like one LONG straight line, but, instead, guide the user through in a thoughtful journey—which includes visual rest [...]