New Work: Abeego Brand Identity

(April 14, 2011)

Sometimes a great project never sees the light of day; this is one of those.

Last year I created a new graphic identity for a small but established company that makes a great product: Abeego. If you live in Victoria, you may have run across it. Unfortunately, despite everyone being really happy with the work, internal changes at the company caused the new identity to be shelved. So while you won’t get to see it in stores, it’s still a project I’m proud of. Check it out in the Portfolio section.

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New Year, New Work: DEC

(January 4, 2011)

What better way to ring in the new year than with a fresh identity and website.

DEC is an innovative engineering firm that is pushing into some very exciting territory: district energy sharing. Imagine reducing the energy and water consumption for a building, a development and even an entire municipality by as much as 50%. The new techniques and technology being developed – and installed – by DEC are achieving some impressive results, but their identity and presentation wasn’t reflecting this.
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Brand New: Larchgrove Marketing

(October 12, 2010)

It’s been a busy few months, including three different branding projects. The first of these is now live and at work and I’m very proud to show it off.

Theresa Mackay (formerly marketing director for the Royal BC Museum) has just launched Larchgrove Marketing. We worked together on creating an elegant and modern identity that would communicate her professionalism and long experience without feeling stuffy or outdated. The project included designing the logo, graphic standards guide, business cards, letterhead, labels and a single page website.

Check out all the materials in the Portfolio section. You can view the website at larchgrovemarketing.com.

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Fresh Design: Ben Leather & Associates Website

(October 8, 2010)

Ben Leather has been building websites since 1997. In internet years, that’s like a century. Of course being an excellent developer doesn’t make you a good web designer, so we worked together to build a shiny new website with clear messaging and a no-nonsense approach. You can check out all the details on the site.

And just so we’re clear: being a web designer doesn’t make you much of a developer, either – some gifted folks can pull off both, but most of us just have to accept our limitations and work with other skilled and talented individuals to put the whole puzzle together.

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Certified (or is that certifiable?)

(September 27, 2010)

It’s official: the GDC (Society of Graphic Designers of Canada) – the professional organization that oversees the graphic design profession in Canada – has officially updated its certification credentials. As a result, I am now a Certified Graphic Designer.

I’m pleased with the change because I think it’s much less ambiguous that the previous designation (MGDC) that frequently confused people (to this day, I’m still not entirely clear what the ‘M’ stood for).

So that’s it: I’m certified!

Why does this matter? I think it’s really important to deal with a professional when investing in your business – whether it’s an accountant, a lawyer or a designer – your business is literally in their hands. So why trust someone who doesn’t take the extra steps to gain certification in their field?

I’d be happy to hear your thoughts on the subject – please contribute your comments.

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