Odds & Ends.
Graphic designer Neville Brody is from England and not really a household name in the American cultural landscape (unless you are a designer as well). However, if you are a fan of print magazines you have …
Another post in my A/TIME (Albums That Inform Me Everyday) series features the group St. Etienne and their album "Foxbase Alpha". This album includes one of the group's best-known songs: a cover of Neil Young's "Only …
Starting a new post series called: Albums That Inform Me Everyday (A/TIME). The first entry is a little known gem of a band named "Ultramarine". Their album "Every Man and Women is a Star" is their …
I joined the Chicago Graphic Design Club in 2024 to give back to the graphic design community in Chicago (and at large). Having worked in the industry for nearly three decades with an emphasis on branding …
I (like most creatives) am inspired by many different disciplines, styles, and sometimes...yes, even trends. For as many years as I have been a graphic designer I have also; painted with acrylics, taken photographs, experimented with …
Since my college days during the 1990s I have known of (and been inspired by) Mr. Segura's work. First through his T-26 Digital Type Foundry, and then through his graphic design studio — Segura, Inc. It …
Jason Lee is generally known to the masses as that guy who played Earl in the tv show "My Name is Earl" from 2005-2009. However, he had a previous life as a professional skateboarder. He Continues …
Herb Alpert (born March 31, 1935) is an American trumpeter who led the band Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass in the 1960s. During the same decade, he co-founded A&M Records with Jerry Moss. I was …
The Graphic Design Club of Chicago has a playlist on Mixcloud featuring curated mixtapes by Chicago based graphic designers called MU Radio. I contributed a set that was based on a bunch of older demo tracks …
As I get older, each year the New Year's resolution gets simpler and more clear. You'd think by this time in history, with all we have gone through, learned, and experienced; that we'd be closer to …
Recently I had the chance to sit down (virtually) with Christian Solorzano from the Chicago Graphic Design Club to be interviewed for their "Underscore" podcast. To say I was flattered would be an understatement. We chatted …
This beverage company out of California is on a mission — to reduce plastic waste in our world's land fills. They are also out to "murder your thirst". With a truly unique brand and marketing strategy, …
As a middle-age skateboarder, and a professional designer practicing in the area of branding, I always have an eye to industries that enter the skateboarding space. Especially major shoe/clothing companies. As a "purist", I fought (in …
Having a toddler, I am currently going through the animated movies phase of his interests. It's a nice mental journey back to my youth. We have watched all the classics and some newer ones. Movies like …
As a fan of architecture and interiors, over the years I have found my way to appreciate industrial and product design as it relates to furniture and other lifestyle items. One local Chicago studio of note …
With the fairly resent resurgence of "maximalism" and experimental digital typography in graphic design, I was reminded of one of my earliest influences — The Designer's Republic out of Sheffield, England. With their formative aesthetic from …
I am always on the prowl for design inspiration — especially new type foundries and faces. I recently ran across this foundry called "TypeMates" based out of Germany. Their font offerings are pretty diverse running between …
I like a wide variety of music and pride myself on having an eclectic taste. However, there are certain bands from certain eras that I must confess have had a profound impact on me. This is …
Growing up in the 1980s and liking art, I was easily influenced by pop art super heroes like Keith Haring. His super identifiable line art style and iconographic symbols makes his work unique and simple. However, …
If you live in the Chicagoland area and ever need a day trip idea to get out of the city and clear the mind and soul — I highly recommend the Anderson Japanese Gardens in Rockford, …
In a past life I wanted to be a dj. Growing up in and around Chicago, I would often find myself seeking out stores that sold (vinyl) records to play and mix. One of the best …
I have been a fan of (and inspired by) Jennifer Sterling's work for as long as I have known of her. I believe it was way back in the late 1990s (or possibly into the early …