Keep Kids Alive Drive 25

For many designers there is one project that they are proud being a part of. Keep Kids Alive is the one for me. Tom Everson of 4i brought this project to me looking for a design that could be posted out in public to remind drivers to drive safely in residential areas. This was over 15 years ago and it is still going strong. This design has become their leading identity for them.

It was stated in the 2011 annual report, KKAD25 has worked with and through over 400 law enforcement agencies, as well as hundreds of neighborhood and civic organizations, schools, public works and neighborhood services, and businesses in over 1,300 communities representing 49 states, 2 Canadian Provinces, the Bahamas, Australia, and India. Our mission and message resonate with traffic safety advocates and educators across the globe.

A few years later I also designed two other projects with them, 'No Need To Speed' and 'Stop Means Stop.'

Please visit Keep Kids Alive Drive 25 and see how you can help them with their positive mission.

http://www.keepkidsalivedrive25.org/index.html 

Lucabella's At Home Ad

Currently I am laying out the Frugle WAHM magazine. With this project, I have to place many ads of all sizes through out the layout, but there are some ads that are needing totally laid out. Lucabella's At Home is one of them. Kelly Oyler did have a logo and only a few pictures for us to use. Some of the pictures are of low resolution but I was able to work around it due to the magazine is digital.

Here is a layout I put together working with the pictures provided and playing off the picture in a box feel. The two couch pictures where not already in a box and felt that was an advantage to soften and open up the feel a little. The angles of couches help lead the viewer's eye, in and out, through the photo collage making the complete ad viewed.

This ad reflexes the 'At Home' simple but elegant style while giving Kelly Oyler her own identity that stays inline with the company she represents. This could easily be converted to other advertising pieces and marketing material.

Hotsy Equipment Company Vehicle Design

Current Hosty Equipment Company van layout (click to enlarge)

For years I have been laying out and applying the Hotsy Equipment Company vans and trucks here in Omaha, Lincoln and Grand Island, Nebraska. The one to the right is their current design that has been used for the last four or five years.

This year they where interested in looking at a new design for a new service vehicle last year. After doing some thinking and seeing what the customer has shown me what they where thinking, I put together the concept shown below. I felt it reflected the essences of what the company was about and would give a lasting impression as their staff drove from job site to job site. I made sure that this design didn't loose a single element, from their current layout, that has worked for company and their sales staff. The mud wraps around the front with a the power washer wand washing it off.

I made sure to build this design in Adobe Illustrator and completely in vector components. This is a necessity when carrying it over to their other vehicle types. The client was extremely happy with this layout but put it on hold for now due to budget limitations at this time. Due to the large number of doors of the toolbox located on both sides and rear of the vehicle the cost of producing this is quite high in comparison to their current design which works for them just fine. I hope one day we will be able to do the new design as it is a very fun and energetic design but I better plan for at least a couple days for installation. 

Concept for Hotsy Equipment Company full body wrap (click to enlarge)

Once Upon A Lawn Business Card Redesign

Once Upon a Lawn, LLC Business Card after redesign (click to enlarge)

Business Card before redesign (click to enlarge)

This Business Card redesign came to me from a client that just wanted to order business cards from me. But after they sent me a picture of their card I just couldn't help myself in suggesting some design changes. This card also has a back that has a BBB logo and what they do in black in white print. While the customer was set on their logo and colors that is being used in all their materials, I thought there could be some design improvements. I felt that the design was not unified nor read well. So I changed the top bar by using the shape of the leaf and move to just the upper corner, this fit well with the larger logo. I also placed a brown strip next to the orange, holding a brief description of what they do to the front of the card. This gives the viewer a quick explanation of what they specialized in without the need to flip the card over. I also changed the half circle to the lighter color of green in the logo and over lap it a little on the brown stripe to help unify all the elements which helps with the flow of the card. The mount now looks more like a mount of lawn or landscaping. I also used the same font which is in the logo, Bakers Signet, in some areas complimented with varying weights of Helvetica and eliminated unnecessary verbiage "phone:". This helped add interest as well as adding an additional element of unifying the overall design. While I considered a matte finish for their earthy feel, I opted for glossy for its durability of looking sharp longer after being carried around in a pocket, toolbox or in the ashtray of the pickup.

Yard Sign

Vehicle Magnet

Thanks to this business card redesign, it has brought us additional business from this client. I have carried the design over to vehicle magnets, yard signs, and soon to letterhead and apparel. In addition to this, I am confident they will be reordering these items from Jalapeño Designs in the near future.