@#!$

@$!* As a UX designer it is imperative to create systems that are focused, useful, navigable, and understandable. As a user, however, it becomes obvious very often that this falls short. This exaggeration evokes those frustrations. Secondarily, there is some interest in pushing past the same (now already trite) overused interactive layouts that work very […]

Ants in Your Pants

Ants in Your Pants Why are there ants in pants? Perhaps they aren’t yours at all. A better explanation might be that the ants themselves own the clothing. And if they do, the pants should fit all legs. A notion this far-fetched needs to be whimsical, much like the tone of a childrens book. Dashed […]

One Fry Short

One Fry Short of a Happy Meal Many designers dislike “information design”. They find it sterile, overly complex, and far too chart-like to qualify as creative. I disagree. Design creativity can also come in the form of clever, logical thinking. When done well the organization of information facilitates understanding. Illuminating all potential pieces of a […]

A Good Chance to Shut Up

Never Miss a Good Chance to Shut Up Boiling down to the essence of a thing and using only those pieces that are absolutely necessary is harder than it would initially seem. When every item, space, placement needs to add up, those need crucial consideration. But when done right the viewer’s reward is a sense […]

You May Call a Cat a Fish

You May Call a Cat a Fish But it Will Not Swim We all have heroes we try to emulate, and sometimes, imitate. I am no different. There is a particular poster designed by an undergraduate professor of mine that I have always been fascinated with. Its rendering style of pen+ink on toilet paper was […]

Jack the Ripper

Jack the Ripper In September 1888 a gloating letter arrived at a London news agency that took credit for, and revelled in, the string of gruesome murders that paralyzed the Sherlock-Holmes-era city with fear. It began with “Dear Boss…” and came to be known as The Dear Boss letter. A particularly haunting passage went: “…I […]

Talk Your Ear Off

Talk Your Ear Off I’m fascinated by the liberties that European design and illustration take with rendering. Disproportionate features, elongated limbs, impossible bodily contortions, and surreal placements. Often this artistic license comes across as downright odd, but usually in a beautifully expressionistic way. Once again this approach is one that I don’t naturally and immediately […]

Double or Nothing

Double or Nothing Two peas in a pod, double vision, and siamese twins were the initial winning notions for this. Having just finished a “properly” designed piece it occured to me that I rarely create anything irreverent or off-the-wall. With so much “appropriateness” I wanted to explore the oddly unexpected. Siamese twins fit that vibe. […]

Anarchy in the UK

Anarchy in the UK When you think of Punk and The Sex Pistols; images probably come to mind of underground collaged flyers rendered with a messy, scribbled, haphazard aesthetic. You wouldn’t be wrong, but that is also the problem-—it’s established and already done, by everyone. Punk is rebellious, jarring, provocative, and shocking. Hopefully this is […]

The Lesser of 2 Evils

The Lesser of 2 Evils During the brainstorming process symbols for both “less” and “evil” felt as if they shared a common visual style. Bold, simplistic, line-art shapes (even thought they carried independent meaning) had similarities of rendering. The mathematical symbol for “lesser than” felt most recognizable during this exploration. With this as an anchor […]