Brand Update for Opportunity Knocks

Challenge:
Opportunity Knocks is a non-profit, entrepreneurially business assistance organization whose mission is "Building Thriving Businesses and Individuals". Their services include peer-to-peer learning in either a Board of Advisors setting or in a seminar format.

Challenge:
With a name change from “OK” to “Opportunity Knocks”, Brand Navigation was commissioned to provide and update of their logo.

Solution:
The stylized compass design and contemporary typography reflects a position of expert advise and counsel.

An Understated & Elegant Brand

Sometimes I believe a brand just needs to be understated and elegant. Vie a la Table, meaning "Life at the Table" is a brand for my oldest son–an emerging and very talented chef.

New Brand Identity for Linfield College

Linfield College is just launching the new brand identity we created for them. Just received this photograph from the client of the banners going up around campus. My plan is to provide a full case study in the coming weeks. The project included everything from positioning, tagline development, complete collateral system, advertising, website design and signage. Great project with a wonderful team of people and college.

Pitch Africa Brand Identity Design

We are honored to have designed the brand identity and graphics for PITCH:AFRICA. PITCH:AFRICA is an innovative system for community-based rainwater harvesting, designed to help more than one billion people globally without access to clean water. It will harness Africa's passion and enthusiasm for soccer to provide clean water, as well as address a wide-range of community needs including education, access to health care, food cultivation and economic development to create sustainable, thriving communities. Check out the links below to learn more. Charlize Theron shares on the second web address.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9NnEG_8VHo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_5xWhpksGE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2seVwgUb70s
http://www.annenbergspaceforphotography.org/pitch/Pitch_Slideshow-H.264_640x480.mov

National Geographic Water Exhibit at the Annenberg Space for Photography

Water: Our Thirsty World is a new exhibit showing at the Annenberg Space for Photography through June 13 in Los Angeles. The exhibit coincides with National Geographic’s April edition which looks at our precious resource of water from environmental, social, political and cultural perspectives.

We had the privilege of creating the brand identity and marketing materials for the show. These banners are just one of the pieces we developed for the campaign which also includes print advertising, collateral and POP. If you are in the LA area, I highly recommend you take the opportunity to visit the exhibit.

Hayden Giving Fund Brand Revitalization.

Formerly known as Hayden Giving Fund, this new name and logo symbolizes the mission of the non-profit to assist families in achieving their dream of home ownership. The name First Story suggests the many wonderful stories that take place in the journey to achieving one’s first home. The logo, a dandelion, expresses the wonder of this dream come true. Thank you Hayden Giving Fund for entrusting us to revitalize your brand.

Design that Matters

This is a poster design we created for a conference on justice and relief for the World’s most vulnerable which is currently under development by Ken Wytsma and Matt Smith from Antioch Church in Bend, Oregon. I really appreciate their vision and encouragement to use design to help further a cause to help individuals who need it the most around the world. And on a personal level, this is one of the most satisfying aspects of design—when you can create something both beautiful and meaningful. I also love it when their is no need to provide a rationale or explanation. This visual says it all.

Branding Product for Kids

I have always enjoyed designing brands for kids. This is a proposed design solution for a company that produced functional and fun products for kids. I love it when you can create a face within the letterforms of a logotype. I believe this one was quite successful, and the “g” which makes up the nose is rather amusing to me.

SPORT Exhibit at The Annenberg Space for Photography

I am honored to have designed the brand identity and marketing campaign for the latest exhibit titled “SPORT”, showing at the Annenberg Space for Photography in Los Angeles, California. The exhibit showcases the work of Walter Iooss and Neil Leifer, two of the world’s pre-eminent sport photographers. The exhibit features over 80 photographic prints, including the iconic images of Muhammad Ali’s victory over Sonny Liston. I highly recommended, must see exhibit if you find yourself in the LA area.

New Brand Identity for BendBroadband

Brandnav recently launched a new brand identity and advertising campaign for BendBroadband, the leading provider of internet, cable and telephone services in Central Oregon. The strategy emphasized not only the fact of being locally owned and operated, but as providing the best service, best products and a better overall experience within a commodity and price driven category. Thus, the new logo and tagline, “We’re the local dog. We better be good.”

Simplicity in Branding

“A well designed logo, in the end, is a reflection of the business it symbolizes. It connotes a thoughtful and purposeful enterprise, and mirrors the quality of its products and services.” — Paul Rand

Following is a proposed logo design for the Wheelchair Foundation we designed. I am a firm believer in the simpler the better.

Working with Storyline Studio

It has been long overdue since I posted anything. I have been working on several large projects and I am unable to share due to my commitment to confidentiality until they are launched publicly.

One area of personal satisfaction that I have been experiencing for several years now and especially lately is working with a very talented group of friends from Storyline Studio—owned and led by Bill Smith with the help of Tim Holloran. Often I feel branding is very creative, strategic, challenging, and reqarding. Then I see what these guys do I am overwhelmed at their talent and ability to solve problems and create incredible design experiences. Bill Smith has been a close friend of mine for many years and I believe he is one of the most talented and intelligent designers I have ever met. His company conceives and designs incredible museum exhibits and have provided me the opportunity to work with them on several projects designing the graphics along with several branding programs. I am very grateful and excited about the current projects I working on with them.

I am attaching two images—one which shows a project we helped in designing the graphics and the other a picture of the three of us. Bill Smith in the middle, Tim Holloran on the left, and me on the right. Behind us is Seattle where Storyline Studio is located.

Thank you Storyline Studio! It is an honor to work with you!

Sunpower Brandmark Design

This is a proposed brandmark design for Sunpower, one of the World’s leaders in solar energy solutions located in San José, California. This brand concept was based on “the goodness of the sun”. The idea is that the sun is a source of life, growth and warmth. The organic circles represent the earth, sky, and sun and is executed in an abstract, approachable style to convey more of the sun’s benefits to us rather than appearing only as technology corporation.

B is for Brand

I have always felt a bee provides wonderful elements for graphic symbology—geometry, stripes, strong contrasting colors of black and yellow, etc. I designed this bee while just playing around a bit. One day I will use it for something.

Brand Navigation New Brandmark

As the story goes, the shoe cobbler rarely takes the time to create a pair of shoes that fit just right for himself. Well, at last I have taken the time to create a brandmark which reflects what I believe is a combination of sophistication, elegance, and timelessness. Also, as with the name change from Federal Express to FedEx, so many of our clients have begun to refer to us as Brandnav—and while our legal name will remain Brand Navigation, LLC, it makes sense that we shorten our communicative name to Brandnav.  We will begin implementing the new brand in the weeks ahead.

Leila’s Urban Farmhouse

I must admit that both my job and hobby is branding and design. My wife, who understands this passion and drive in me, entertains me from time to time by allowing me to design her dinner invitations. Everything is about branding to me and she embodies the urban farmhouse concept—down home and up town at the same time.  

Brand Symbol of Humanity

Here is more on the Annenberg Space for Photography. This last week the primary identification signage went up for this logo we designed. The symbol, referred to as the IRIS, represents the photographer’s view of the world and human condition. The Photography Space, located in Century City, Los Angeles, will showcase photography from renowned photograhers exhibiting both traditional and digital photography. I always find it exciting when two-dimensional graphic design is translated to three-dimensional and am please with the result in this instance. I highly recommend a visit to the Space when the lens cap comes off March 27, 2009.

Branding & Banner Design for the Annenberg Space for Photography

These are banners we designed for the opening of the inaugural for the Annenberg Space for Photography. It was rather exciting to see rows of these banners hanging all along the Avenue of the Stars and Santa Monica Blvd., in Los Angeles. I am truly honored to work on such an inspiring project!

Brand Goes Top Chef

This was quite a highlight for me last night. While I was was watching my favorite show Top Chef with my wife and daughter, one of the competing chefs picked up and commented on this package while shopping at Whole Foods in preparation of their meal for one of the final episodes in season 5. I designed this package about 4 years ago and completely forgot about it. Getting a design on Top Chef is much more exciting than getting into design publications!

EcoTimber Brand Revitalization

We are honored to have worked with EcoTimber, a company devoted to forest protection and producers of high quality and beautiful flooring since 1992. The business challenge was to communicate a premium brand position on the web and elevate EcoTimber as the leading choice for sustainable flooring products.

Understanding that the primary target market were women concerned both with the environment but also desiring a beautiful and healthy, toxic-free home, our strategy was to create a brand experience that was clean and beautiful in appearance, along with communicating the benefits to the environment and to one’s home through simplicity and clarity.

The project included not only the website but also a redesign of their brandmark. We are truly proud to assist such a wonderful company.

Please check out their new site at www.ecotimber.com. Of special note, I love the way the animation of the plants grow on the home page. Just a little touch to bring the site alive.