A Crack In The Process.

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I was recently asked by an old friend to help create a design for their company, including a logo and a web-site for the business. Unfortunately, the farther the process went, the more I realized that they knew what they wanted all along and really didn't need me to accomplish the look for them. With that said, I really liked what I did for their logo (above) and will likely resurrect the concept in the future for another relevant project.

Note: I enjoyed the creativity the office photocopier allowed me for this logo. I've done this in the past but it was the discussion of this technique in the House Industries presentation (ala my boy Jeremy Dean and his Flyer Fonts collection) that resurrected the idea, got me out of my computer chair and into the "organic" world once again.

Designing Philanthropic.

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Myself and my family are involved in supporting the Humane League of Lancaster County, a wonderful organization who are trying to make a major difference for animals of all kinds here in Lancaster County. And if you've seen Oprah or studied up on Puppy Mills, you know the League is up against a lot in these parts.

The Tailwagger's Trot is the League's #1 fundraiser for the year and this is a certificate I whipped up quickly for them to give to special volunteers.

Design On Display.

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The PCA&D Faculty Biennial opened on First Friday here in Lancaster. I included my final designs for Ricky Nelson and Louis Prima in addition to both the final, printed piece and the original artwork for Shadows Fall's The War Within album.

MAN ALIVE Dsgn On Display!

Pennsylvania College of Art & Design Faculty Biennial 2008
November 24, 2008 – January 9, 2009

PCA&D is pleased to present new artworks created by its faculty members that teach studio classes in Graphic Design, Illustration, Fine Arts and Photography. This group exhibit provides a special opportunity for students to see what their artist/professors are working on in their studio and professional lives.

Reception for the Artists:
First Friday, December 5th from 5:00PM – 8:00PM

PCA&D Main Gallery
Hours: 8:00AM – 4:30PM
Monday through Friday, Closed holidays
717-396-7833

Postcard images, l-r: Timothy Campbell, Christine Welch, Tom Scullin, Scott McMahon, Tom Bejgrowicz, Emily Denlinger, Dan Lobdell

The House That Fonts Built.

As of this fall, I've begun teaching at the Pennsylvania College of Art & Design.  Everyone on staff was talking guest speakers for the coming year, so I thought to myself; why not call on my old contacts at House Industries to speak to my Typography 1 students (and the rest of the school, for that matter)?!?!  With that said... Andy Cruz (owner and art director extraordinaire) and Jeremy Dean (now of Urban Outfitters and co-House conspirator of old) agreed to stop on by and share their wealth of design knowledge with the entire school.  It's going to be fantastic, to say the least.

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I'm wrapping up a 9-piece digital music compilation card project that feature my original art and designs. The titles are all various artist compilations featuring themes such as girls in rock (She Rocks), 80's hits (Alive & Kicking), California/surf music (Summer Fun) and more. Look for them in retail stores around the country later this year.

Radiohead Postcards (an unused design)

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I was hired to handle the production design of a 7-piece postcard book to help support the upcoming release of Radiohead's The Best Of release. Each postcard featured the 7 Capitol Records album covers, including the new collection. And although, in the end, the label chose a simpler route (black back, small framing outline) - I enjoyed getting my hands dirty creating something a little bit more elaborate for everyone to consider.

It’s parallel lines that will never meet.

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I was assigned the Blondie Parallel Lines: Deluxe Collector's Edition 30th Anniversary package design project. It's now completed and slated for release on June 24th.

The cover design was to be updated in order to differentiate this edition from past ones with the final version being heavily influenced by a piece Debbie Harry supplied us with.

New Logo Designs!

Here's a few new logos I designed recently.

SoundPROOF and Fanboy! are TV shows currently in development while Charm School PR is a freelance music publicity firm out of NYC.

Inspiration, Galore!

Behind every great design is inspiration brought on by a world of nature, architecture, fine art, music, design and typography. I just purchased the latest in Collins Design Typography series, Typography 28, and - to put it bluntly - I am ridiculously inspired even after my initial flip-through.

For a world full of design geeks to whom words like "kerning" and "leading" are as important as "color" and "composition," Typography 28 is a must. This publication, along with industry-standard annuals such as Print's European Design and Communication Arts Advertising, shall indeed keep me running on a full tank of inspiration for 2008.

Printing With A Conscience

At the office, there's nothing more annoying to me than excessive use of the printer and throwing away recyclable paper in the trash (especially when it wasn't recycled paper in the first place). As print designers, creators of paper-bound designs, we hold a responsibility to better manage the resources not only of our businesses - but those of the world's as well. There are many things we can do in order to manage a more effective and sustainable work place including, but not limited to, letterhead, self-promotion pieces, mailing materials, etc.

Thankfully there's a slew of great online options for us to choose from, namely Greener Printer. At Greener Printer, you can get your business cards, stationary, sell sheets, postcards, posters, brochures, folders & more all printed on recycled papers with soy-based inks - all at extremely competitive prices. You'll even be able to see your "Eco-Audit" which shows you how many trees, water, solid waste, greenhouse gases, etc. that you've saved with your order! With several papers to select from, options to print in minimal quantities and the knowledge that you're making a responsible decision - it's a no-brainer for the modern, intelligent designer

In the future, look into Greener Printer OR one of the other responsible printers and give it a shot - you won't regret it.

RICKY NELSON CD

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RICKY NELSON
Greatest Love Songs
As soon as this title appeared on the EMI release schedule, I was all over it! Not only is it a wonderful musical project to work on BUT I'm also very good friends with Sam Nelson, Rick's son. It was a pleasure and a privilege to work on this project with Sam's involvement and the fact that he was thrilled with the results is the icing on the cake!

Release date: 01/15/08

My Business, In Logo Form!

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Designing for yourself has to be both one of the most rewarding and frustrating tasks a designer can attempt. With that said, I created this logo and button graphic for MAN ALIVE design and I'm excited about its use on business cards & letterhead, against different color backgrounds, and more. It's crisp and clean with a few modern twists to give it a little extra kick... I hope you enjoy it too.

WELCOME!

After nearly 15 years, I have finally moved back to my hometown of Lancaster, PA. Why, you ask? It's simple: To be near family, to be my own boss and to live a simpler lifestyle.

Over the past 15 years I've lived in NYC for 4 years, LA for 7 (including 2 stints; one for 4 years and another for 3) and 4 years in Birmingham, AL. Since leaving Lancaster in 1993, I have struck a balance of full-time work between being a Production Designer & Art Director in the design field and Project Manager, A&R & Senior Management in the music industry.

Over the past 1 1/2 years I have been working full-time for EMI/Capitol Records' Catalog division in Hollywood, CA as an in-house Production Designer creating package designs for Ricky Nelson, Al Green, The Highwaymen, Kenny Rogers, Louis Prima, Ella Fitzgerald and more.

To drop me a line or receive a full resumé and/or digital portfolio (PDF) featuring recent design works, contact me at manalivedesign@yahoo.com.

For a more detailed, hands-on overview of my work, drop me a note and let's meet in person to discuss what it is you're looking for.