Putting a fresh coat of paint on a global asset management group

Scope: Keeping their existing mark the same, our goal was to refresh the logo, build an entire new visual identity around it, and ultimately translate it into a website refresh.

My Role: Lead designer, with creative direction and guidance from the team at JK Design

Princeton Global is a reputable asset management organization for affluent individuals and families. They pride themselves on the personal relationships they build with their clients, such that you feel like you are partners with a person and not a corporation.

Following the initial process of renewing voice and messaging guidelines, the new visual identity had to reflect the same tone by being warm, trustworthy, and personable. The headshot-style photography puts focus on the personal one-on-one nature of their work, while the tree ring pattern subtly communicates growth and generational wealth.

Helping an iconic brand communicate their sustainability efforts

Scope: Establish sustainbility brand – a look and feel to accompany Caterpillar's sustainability communications – to be passed off and executed internally.

My role: One of two designers on the project, with creative direction and guidance from the team at JK Design

As the world's leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, Caterpillar wanted to vocalize their position in the sustainability conversation. Our strategy department spent a number of weeks working closely with the Caterpillar team, identifying their specific goals and needs in this area, and distilling a vision for their sustainability brand. We learned that for them, it was less about making an emotional appeal to the environment, but rather a commitment to helping their customers meet industry guidelines.

When it came to the visual identity system, we entertained three possible paths. 1.) We could adhere closely to the Caterpillar corporate brand, leveraging photography do be the driver of their sustainability look. 2.) We could build off the corporate brand, deve

When it came to the visual identity system, we entertained three possible paths. 1.) We could adhere closely to the Caterpillar corporate brand, leveraging photography do be the driver of their sustainability look. 2.) We could build off the corporate brand, deve

Giving a financial services organization a much needed facelift

Scope: A total overhaul of the brand’s visual identity, starting with the logo

My Role: Lead designer, with creative direction and guidance from the team at JK Design

BPM offers three main services – tax, assurance, and advisory. So for the logo, we explored a lot with the idea of three pieces coming together or interlocking somehow. Also, BPM stands for “Because People Matter”, and so wanted to work in this theme of human-centered and personal touch.

Several rounds over budget later, we landed on a mark that communicates three distinct forces and hints vaguely at the image of a thumbprint. We continued to build out from there, solidifying a color palette, determining a style of photography, and introducing other brand elements such as patterns and gradients.

Celebrating the merger of two eCommerce platforms with a new look and feel

Scope: Develop a new logo and accompanying visual identity to be used consistently across branded materials

My Role: One of two designers on the project, with creative direction and guidance from the team at JK Design

Bravo Commerce is the product of two B2B services — Unilog Content Services and Bravo Business Media — joining forces. Together, the two are able to offer a full-service eCommerce solution that helps mid-market hardware and industrial supply stores sell their products online. Think Shopify but for the mom-and-pop version of Home Depot.

The logo and visual identity for this type of service needed to feel sturdy and unpretentious in order to connect with storeowners, likely tradesmen who may not be as comfortable around technology. The challenge then became how do we brand a software and eCommerce platform in a way that isn’t flashy and doesn’t get lumped in with start-up or other tech companies.

Marks that leave a mark

Throughout my career I’ve had the pleasure of designing logos for scrappy startups, large corporations, and everything in between. While many of these projects involved a full visual identity as well, this page serves as a logo hall of fame for some of my most effective designs.

Brainstorming, iteration, and refinement are all cornerstones of my design process, and never more so than with branding and logo design.

There are any number of factors that make for an effective mark, but I find that distinctiveness, elegance, and versatility are the hallmarks of any great logo.

The neglected brain child for my agency’s brand toolkit

During a transitionary period at my agency, the brand identity we’d be using for close to 5 years began to grow stale, and there was a clear void.

I used Glyphs to created a modified version our existing brand font - Mont - adding unique icons and characters that could be used to add flair to our typography.

The process was simple, and the result is easy to use. Similar to how a font might have stylistic alternates for a single-story ‘a’ and a two-story ‘a’, all of the special characters for Mont JK are built in as stylistic alternates of the asterisk and pound characters (asterisk=outlined and pound=solid).

By typing and selecting these characters, you are given the option to select any of the icons below, making it easy to add and use them just like live type.

Winning the poster competition for my senior year at design school

Scope: Design a poster to serve as promotion for the 2017 poster show at ASU’s design school, and extend it into the branding for the entire event

My Role: Poster design and art direction for the entire event, overseeing the consistency of event materials being made by various teams of students

As part of ASU’s Visual Communication Design Program each year, the senior class puts on a poster show selling donated posters to raise money for the design program. The event is designed and organized entirely by the senior design students, and one of the first steps each year is to determine the branding for the show.

Each student designs a poster to promote the event, then the entire design program, students and faculty, vote to determine the poster for that year’s show. My submission was chosen, meaning that not only was my poster used on campus and social media to promote the event, but it also became the visual language for the signage, labels, bid sheets, and more.

Putting a fresh coat of paint on a global asset management group

Scope: Keeping their existing mark the same, our goal was to refresh the logo with new typography and build an entire visual identity around it, specifically for such instances as a homepage, one-page flyer, and powerpoint slide presentation.

My Role: Lead designer, with creative direction and guidance from the team at JK Design

Princeton Global is a reputable asset management organization for affluent individuals and families. They pride themselves on the personal relationships they build with their clients, such that you feel like you are partners with a person and not a corporation.

Following the initial process of renewing voice and messaging guidelines, the new visual identity had to reflect the same tone by being warm, trustworthy, and personable. The headshot-style photography puts focus on the personal one-on-one nature of their work, while the tree ring pattern subtly communicates growth and generational wealth.