Label design created for Mental Health Resources for sale at the Learning and The Brain conference in Boston, Massachusetts this November 18-21. With the expressed desire of Brian Donoghue (MHR President) to keep the project local, all aspects of this label design was locally sourced. The pop was locally produced by Lucky Chocolates and the sticker used for packaging created by me;  a Saugerties graphic designer.

Label design for chocolate pop

The concept of the chocolate Brain Pop! was the idea of Donoghue who wanted to offer convention visitors something special to bring home to their children and friends.  Shaped like a human brain, the treat is molded to a paper stick similar to traditional hard candy. However this sweet confection is hand-made using organic, fair trade chocolate and all-natural ingredients. The label design has a whimsical feel combining colorful graphics.

If you happen to be in the MIT, Kendall Square area or at the Boston Marriott Cambridge during convention hours, drop in and say hello to Brian and David. The pop will be for sale at the event’s official bookstore managed by Mental Health Resources, Inc. And by the way, besides the attractive label design, the Brain Pop! inside is a chocolate lovers delight.

Incoming search terms:

• label design
• chocolate label design
• food labels design
• food label design
• labeling chocolate designs
• Label design Chocolate
• human brain diagram label
• candy food label
• food label
• design label makanan

EG&G X-Ray Bee Illustration for magazine advertisement

Illustration for trade magazine advertisement campaign

Created for EG&G X-Ray Division in Oak Ridge Tennessee,  this bee illustration was used as part of a magazine and print campaign using humor. Food packaging for snack foods, cereals, breads and other consumer goods require resources be given to quality control.  There are many ways that food product can become contaminated in the packaging process. Machine parts, adhesives, inks, lubricants, rodents, and airborne particulate can end up sandwiched in the container with the food.

Humor is rarely used in a highly technical industry. The science of food production is a serious business. Especially, when developing technologies which detect foreign objects in packaged food products. EG&G Instruments create X-Ray equipment that isolates contaminated foods within the packaging stage of production. Colorful illustrations were created to catch the attention of magazine readers. Combined with bold headlines, the print ad campaign produced the desired results: more inquiries.

Incoming search terms:

• eg&g x-ray
• humour food packaging

Tee-Shirt designed for Mozilla Firefox competition

A striking tee shirt designed for the release of Firefox 3.0

Mozilla Firefox developers recently called for entries to a T-Shirt design contest. The new design would be used to introduce their latest release version #3 . The T-Shirt design pictured was one of several designs I proposed, though it was my favorite. The concept should be obvious: portraying the new Firefox 3.0 having “Fast and Furious” speed.

Speed  has always been an emphasis in the development of this latest version of the popular Web browser. It was with this in mind that I created this t-shirt design with an image of a meteor entering Earth’s atmosphere. At atmospheric speeds, Firefox has been steadily approaching the pinnacle of beginning the most popular. With striking colors and a dynamic layout, I too anticipated an easy win in this shirt design.

Incoming search terms:

• fireforce t shirt

Water Filtration Business Card Design

Business card designs that get noticed.

Professional business card design is crucial to successful marketing. If you’re a serious entrepreneur, you need well-designed stationary. Lots of companies don’t to give much thought to this basic tool. Like a confident handshake and bright smile, your business card will bring you more business.

The sad fact is that there’s never a shortage of poorly designed business cards being used to represent very talented professionals. If you want to be taken seriously, you have to consider your business card as an essential advertising tool. Here are some essential design tips for basic business card design:

1. Avoid dark colored papers and card stock: Using a dark colored stock limits the choice of ink colors you can use and can significantly increase printing costs, since you’ll have to use opaque inks. Instead, use 4 color process to use a dark-colored background. Full color printing has never been less expensive!

2. Paper stock is important: Spend a little more for a quality paper. There’s a myriad of manufactured paper stocks to choose from which vary in their hues, textures, weights and strengths. Choose a stock that can hold the ink and has a substantive feel.

 

3. The finished size should be small enough to fit in a wallet: Don’t get too fancy with your business card sizes. If it’s too big it won’t be very portable and if it’s too small, it will get lost, visually and literally.

4. Stick to one (or at the most two) font styles: Keep the visual noise to a minimum. The more fonts you use the more difficult it is too read. Besides, it may look as though you are a bit indecisive.

5. Steer clear of tacky clipart, as well as plagiarized artwork: There’s nothing worse that clipart that looks like clipart. Instead, use a photograph or hire an illustrator to create a unique image that will set you apart from the rest.

6. Be descriptive with your business card’s text: Cute slogans are for huge corporations with the money needed to advertise nationally. Use a simple tagline or a list to describe your services or products.

7. Remember to include your name, company, address, telephone, cell phone and website address: Don’t get in a hurry and pass around a mock-up of your new business card design to friends and clients to get their feedback. Remember, everyone is a critic so don’t get offended by negative or overly critical comments.

8. If you don’t have a logo design, don’t try to fudge one: Take time a do your research before committing to logo design that is weak and unprofessional-looking. In the meantime, use a bold font or simple text. Then, when you get the cash you can invest in a professionally designed logo that you’ll use consistently in all your promotions.

9. If you’re not the creative design type: Keep It Simple!

Don’t give short shrift to what could be the most important tool in your advertising arsenal: your business card design. It could make the difference between being one of the many languishing businesses or being one of the few that succeed in an ever-increasingly competitive economy. Remember, you do need a business card, just not a stinkin’ one.

Incoming search terms:

• professional business card design
• NEW VISITING CARD DESIGN
• graphics designer card
• water design
• design card
• name card design
• card desings
• water business card
• water business cards design
• water designs for business cards

Postcard design continues to be a cost-effective direct mail method to reach your potential customers. With an up-to-date mailing list that is targeted, postcards can be as effective as the most expensive ad campaigns. Unlike new media, i.e. Web, email marketing, a traditional direct mail campaign which uses postcards is a tangible medium whose recipients  can touch, feel and retain for future reference. If designed by a professional a graphic designer with an experienced portfolio, chances are that the return on your investment will be great![imagebrowser id=20]

Tourism map design created for Village of Saugerties

Several years ago, a local Hudson Valley business association asked if I would be interested in designing a map of its township with a listing of the business association’s membership and points of interest. The final map design would be a large accordion fold map that when laid flat (and unfolded) would measure 28″ x 36″.The concept was a simple one that had been done ad nauseam so many times before.

We have all seen them, maps that acted as placemats with splattered Ketchup and coffee stained edges.  It was another beautiful Hudson Valley morning and the business association president handed me samples of cartoon quality maps that featured businesses in the area.  We sat sipping coffee at the local “Village Diner”. He showed me different examples of what he had in mind including the tissue quality map that lay under my silverware.

It was apparent that there were some budget constraints placed on the project as well as several folks that had their own vision of what the map should look like. My past experiences with business organizations and  non-profits made me prepared for the political nature of Membership Boards.

[singlepic id=271 w=320 h=240 float=]

However, I’m always eager to take on a challenge. My need for a design challenge ius no better illustrated by this particular project: the 2007 “Explore Saugerties” map design. As map projects go, the designer usually gets some sort of collateral support, in the way of text, images and the general map details. Not this time though. Unlike most, this map project became quite involved. As time progressed I realized I was on my own. In order to complete the project in a timely fashion, I proceeded with the design responsibilities I had contracted to perform, and in addition, ad sales, ad design, copy writing, photography, photo illustration and retouching and printing supervision.

In fact, I enjoyed the project so much that I designed and the 2008 map. What can I say, I love to see the New England countryside. The second time was a bit easier. To make it all worth while, both maps proved to be a huge success.

Incoming search terms:

• map design
• Designing a tourist map
• fold up tourist map printing
• how create business about tourist map
• tourism design
• tourist maps

Telephone Directory “Yellow Pages” Ads: Few businesses would imagine that a well thought out, designed and executed “Yellow Pages” ad will reel in many more inquiries and cost a lot less money. Take for instance the full-page “ego-boasting” lawyers ads that grace the many pages under the “Attorneys” section (as well as, inside cover and back covers) of just about every telephone directory in America. In larger cities like New York, a full page ad can cost upwards of $10,000.00 per month! An ad half that size can generate twice the qualified leads and cost half as much.

More to come…

Incoming search terms:

• design of telephone directory
• design telephone directory

Banner design for water filter and ionizer

Preparing for the Grand Opening of Water For Life USA’s first retail store, Alderin Ordell (its founder) called and asked for help designing 6 new posters for display in the new store space. The excitement of the good news was doubled with the announcement of Ed Begley Jr’s endorsement of the innovative water ionization products Alderin sells.

Water For Life USA is a rapidly growing water purification and water ionization retailer which offers its customers the newest in water ionization technology. With its “pure” and “clean” water image, I thought it best to keep the poster designs equally free of distractions with simple yet strong visuals.

Incoming search terms:

• banner design
• water filter banner design

Map design can be a term used for many different kinds of maps, e.g. tourist maps, business maps, subway maps, road maps, hiking maps and so on. I’ve created hundreds of simple maps used as directions for brochures and websites.

Above, is the latest tourist map that I designed which included an accurate (to scale) road map, points of interest and business listing. My services included the entire project from ad sales to printing. Most of the photography was performed by me or was borrowed from a large photography archive I have built of the past several years.

Incoming search terms:

• tourism map design
• tourist map design
• maps design and production of a tourist map
• designs for tourist maps
• map design for tourists
• The Design of Tourist Maps
• tourist maps design
• tuorist map design

For small businesses that need an effective and efficient use of their advertising dollars, I have designed flyers that  can be used for a variety of media; newspaper ad, hand-out, direct-mail and brochure.

Every advertising dollar spent, needs to be spent wisely. So, before you decide on the final artwork and copy for your next flyer, call David at (845) 247-0909.

Incoming search terms:

• blank flyers design