CREATIVE TOOLBOX • VISUAL DIARY

Shared reflections — inspirations • insights • ideas — gleaned from our spirited journey
through the worlds of communication and design

Small Business Day

Today is National Small Business Day. Here’s to entrepreneurs, socialpreneurs, ecopreneurs — all things “preneur”! Those fearless founders among us who see a better world, a better way, and are doing amazing things to make it happen.

Light

The Kings lost to the Warriors yesterday in Round 1 of the NBA Playoffs, but Sacramento’s “Light The Beam” rallying cry inspired city, team, and fans throughout a winning season. A valiant purple beam shines upward...

Social Responsibility

As the accidental parent of a rescue dog, I was happy to find Doggy Do Good, provider of “pet supplies with a purpose” including these waste bags. Check out the back of the box. Note 1% FOR THE PLANET and that the bags are certified...

Transit Campaign

I honestly think this colorful station installation campaign promoting Ally bank’s savings account product is brilliant. As is the banking online platform/app itself, where we can create up to 10 “buckets” or things we want to save for...

Sponsorship

The real inspiration is Keira D’Amato, seen here at Sunday’s World Championship Marathon in Eugene, OR. A 37-y-o old mother of two, Keira is the fastest female American marathoner as of last January. Returning...

Anniversary

It seems with start-up success undeniably achieved, 20-years-old is a good time to sell, which is what FreshDirect did. Our “Born in NYC” pioneer of online grocery shopping is now owned by Netherlands-based Ahold Delhaize...

Name

Robinhood, the mobile-first brokerage, has “developed a strong brand and market with young, tech-savvy investors thanks to a clean design and user experience that focuses on the basics.” Founded in 2013, the venture is named for “Robin...

Photography

CXD recently finished a project featuring this image by Tony Shi (Getty Images). The second time we have used one of his amazing photographs of NYC for this client, a commercial real estate attorney. Check out his work and be inspired!

Color

The title of this post could just as well have been “everything” I am such a fan of this brand: from the product itself to name to logo to packaging — and color (beautiful on a buffet or any table). Izze is a story of entrepreneurial success...

Typography

Love this brand ID that breaks Wharton into three lines to emphasize “ART” which is presented in different typefaces. Wharton Center for Performing Arts at Michigan State University.

Walking Billboard

I don’t know about other cities, but I see this Target reusable tote in active use all over NYC. Whether because of its light strength and handy size, or its clean design, I am not sure. Maybe it is both. I celebrate this forward-thinking...

Sidewalk Sticker • 4

Following up on my post earlier this year where I highlighted the NYC Parks Department sticker on my sidewalk announcing I would get a new tree, I am delighted to report my tree arrived, budded, and is now fully-leafed!

Brand Stories

I was so pleased with our RuffWear treat pouch (see yesterday’s post), I ordered a matching harness and leash for this just-returned-to-the-city dog (Wren). Founded and based in Bend, OR, RuffWear is a brand story in and of itself.

Product Branding

I found RuffWear on a search for “best dog training treat pouch” and ordered this one (which is amazing by the way — highly recommended). Great product with impressively sturdy and well-designed packaging and brand identity labeling.

Cast Metal

According to Ephemeral New York, “All over NYC we can find late 19th and early 20th century maintenance hole covers embossed with unusual shapes and designs.” The covers function as branding and on-street identification for the...

Geometry

Squares, triangles, pentagons, ovals: all good, but I have to admit to being partial to circles (and dots). This overlapping circle pattern in CXD cyan is one of my “go to” backgrounds.

Street Art

Using public fixtures as printing plates, the artist collective behind Berlin-based Raubdruckerin creates shirts and bags with artwork reproduced from manhole covers, vents & utility grates. Ink is applied directly via roller, and prints are made individually on location.

Motion Photography

Blur of movement in an image tells a story, and expresses a mood or feeling. In this case, the taxi and street in action capture the energy of NYC in a way a static image could not.

Local Messaging

This “opening soon” window at the southwest corner of 72nd and Columbus caught my eye today with its bold color, minimalist aesthetic, and nod to NYC and Upper West Side culture in terms of its messaging. Malin+Goetz, a modern apothecary...

Give Back

One way to observe Earth Day (April 22) is to join an organization like 1% for the Planet. Members donate the equivalent of 1% of gross sales (through a combination of monetary, in-kind, and approved promotional support) directly to...

Gallery Ledge • 2

Design sketch for Zoom background logo panel.

Gallery Ledge • 1

First in a mini-series of posts that are like actual diary entries…recording and sharing what I’m doing right now in my own business. In terms of communication design. Two gallery ledges are installed on my wall.

Prototype

Prototypes are an important part of the creative process. These are full-size design mockups we “crafted and installed” to test the horizontal positioning and height of two gallery ledges on my studio wall. Actual ledges are coming soon!

Mission Statement

“We inspire, educate and outfit for a lifetime of outdoor adventure and stewardship” is the mission statement of REI (Recreation Equipment, Inc.), a national consumer co-op based in Seattle. Mission statements are one way...

QR Codes

I recently got sucked down a QR code rabbit hole, where I learned there is an almost-endless number of unique codes to which information can be linked, each with a different high contrast pattern. There are currently 40 versions.

Aspiration Symbol

I am not sure what to call it, but I love this winged cookie — part of Levain Bakery’s brand identity — shown here on their shopping bag. Levain, famous for its ginormous cookies, was founded locally at 167 West 74th Street...

Sidewalk Sticker • 3

Following up on my post earlier this year where I highlighted the NYC Parks Department sticker on my sidewalk announcing I would get a new tree, I am happy to share that my “baby” arrived, was planted, and is budding. Spring is on the way!

Initial

Following up on a previous post about the Lyft brand ID, I am also impressed with the New York City Taxi “T” circle icon, and combination design overall. The NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission is back in the news with a just-announced alliance...

World Water

Today is World Water Day. Observed every year since 1993, World Water Day celebrates water while raising awareness of the 2 billion people living without access to safe water — a sobering fact for sure.

Palindrome

The amazing thing about the Sonos logo is it not only a palindrome in terms of its letters “SONOS,” it is also palindromic by design. If you rotate the artwork 180 degrees, it is exactly the same. I tried it! Palindrome: the characters read...

Typography

Happy Pi (π) Day! Pi is a Greek letter, shown here in a sans serif typestyle, that stands for the relationship of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. Pi itself is a so-called “irrational” number, which I just re-learned, is a decimal that goes on...

Notes from Drydock Reading Room Brandology

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