PROJECT04 | portfolio

Cadillac Sales Letter As a designer at Aronson Ad Agency in Schaumburg, IL I get to design numerous ads for print and web. This was a sales letter for Cadillac that was designed to Cadillac's strict standards so a particular dealership can receive "co-op" funding for their ad campaigns.	Pizza Restaurant Logo This is for a fake pizza restaurant. I redesigned a Rosati's Pizza menu (because I didn't like it), and decided to create a fake restaurant name and logo. I borrowed a vector illustration of a pizza chef and altered him to help create this logo. Incidentally, I named the chef "Salvador Pizzani."
Pizza Restaurant Menu Redesign I never cared for the very dark, dreary menu designs seen in the popular pizza chains. So I redesigned a Rosati's menu using a fake pizza shop (and designed the logo using a stock illustration). I will post the entire menu redesign as a side-by-side with the original, shortly.	Pizza Restaurant Menu (front) This is for a fake pizza restaurant. I redesigned the Rosati's Pizza chain menu, because I don't like their dark & dreary reddish-brown, jam-packed/crowded menus. My design brings more white space, organization and COLOR for a more inviting feel.
Pizza Restaurant Menu (back) This is for a fake pizza restaurant. I redesigned the Rosati's Pizza chain menu, because I don't like their dark & dreary reddish-brown, jam-packed/crowded menus. My design brings more white space, organization and COLOR for a more inviting feel.	Kiddy Kibbles Box Cereal boxes are always fun to look at. So here's one I faked. I borrowed the cartoon dog and vectorized him. Also borrowed the cereal photography. Naturally, I'd love to commission a photoshoot. Note: this design uses tongue-in-cheek humor...such as raising blood sugar. Also... chocolate is very bad for dogs, an intentional absurdity in my parody of cereal mascots.
Cereal Box rendered in 3D Here is my fake cereal box rendered in 3D, on a countertop.	Fruit Pie Packaging I enjoy package design and often liked the designs I see on popular snack pie boxes. So I did one of my own. Here is the box as built onto a die-line.
Fruit Pie Packaging, 3D rendered Here is my imaginary fruit pie box, rendered in 3D and sitting on a table.	Apple Fruit Pie box Just for fun, I designed a fruit pie box, in two flavors... here's my apple version. I photographed the pie myself using an iphone and doctoring in photoshop.
Tequila Brand and Label design Designed a tequila "brand" as an audition for a design position. Turns out the name was too similar to two other brands sold in Mexico, but the concept and design was good enough to get me hired. I chose the name "Los Altos," as the agave plant is grown in the high plains of Mexico. These labels were designed with a "leatherette" texture in mind, using a gold-leaf stamp for at least the larger logo and type elements. I wouldn't choose to use gold leaf for small type.	Nutraceutical Packaging This is an early rendition of a nutraceutical bottle I designed for a client. The name of the product changed since this rendition, but the label remained much the same.
X99 Car Wax Can. This car wax can design is for a Saudi Arabian company selling a white-label version of car wax manufactured by "The Treatment" company. It would be sold side-by-side with the original brand and the owner requested the Saudi version be different enough from their own packaging. This was my solution.	X99 Car Wax Can Here's a side-by-side of the client's original packaging and the white label version I did for their Saudi customer.
Full page magazine ad This was a magazine ad I designed for my Avatalker AAC app. This ad ran in a few editions of Autism File magazine.	War Fighting Domain! I've designed a bunch of t-shirts for SpaceForceOutfitters.com Some are pro Trump, some anti-Trump, all in fun. Also did some images for the sake of fun sci-fi.
Cosmic Event Game Board NOTE: I did NOT do this illustration. But I did design the layout and provided direction to the illustrator that did! Cosmic Event is a board game of my design. I devised the game mechanics and rules of play, working with a talented commercial illustrator. Again, NOT my illustration, but an example of my art direction.	Cosmic Event Game Box It was fun designing the packaging for Cosmic Event. Did some photography for the back cover. Background illustrations were done by Norman Nanstiel, Sr. at my direction. The package design and copy are designed by me. This was just a quick 3D render of the design. Not intended to be very photo realistic.
Cosmic Event Boxes Every now and then, you get to see your designs PRODUCED. Here are three boxes from my board game. Note: had a bit of a color issue with the production boxes... some pink was dropping out on the front of the box. We found the color drift was related to PDF output settings when RGB elements were translating to CMYK. They were fixed for subsequent printings.	Space Force Recruitment I've designed a bunch of t-shirts for SpaceForceOutfitters.com Some are pro Trump, some anti-Trump, all in fun. Also did some images for the sake of fun sci-fi.
I Want You for U.S. Space Force! I've designed a bunch of t-shirts for SpaceForceOutfitters.com Some are pro Trump, some anti-Trump, all in fun. Also did some images for the sake of fun sci-fi.	Laser Satellite Technician I've designed a bunch of t-shirts for SpaceForceOutfitters.com All in fun.
Space Force Lunar Rescue Join the U.S. Space Force's elite Lunar Rescue Squadron and save stranded astronauts from certain doom! -- Did this T-shirt design for Space Force Outfitters.	Space Force Test Squadron! Pilot Cadets! Join the U.S. Space Force's elite Air & Space Test Squadron! - T-shirt I designed for Space Force Outfitters
Niles Park Dist. Summer Camp Catalog I designed the summer camp catalog for Niles, IL Park District. This is the front cover design.	Niles Park Dist. Camp Catalog This is one of the interior page spreads for the 2018 Summer Camp catalog I designed for the Niles, IL Park District.
The Treatment Paint Sealant Package Designed this box for a company that manufactures protective coatings for automobiles.	The Treatment Paint Sealant package a diecut of a second box I did for the Treatment's Paint Sealant Products. This one was designed to easily swap out the company logo for its white label customers.
The Treatment Paint Sealant 3D rende a 3D render of the Treatment's Paint Sealant box. This is the second box I have designed for them.	"Hope Comes in Pieces" book cover Designed this e-book cover for author Terra Smith. It's a biographical accounting of how she recovered her daughter from autism. The book published in fall of 2015.
Training Gems Corporate Logo In collaboration with the client and my agency management, I designed this corporate logo for a company that coaches management for food manufacturing companies.	Flexpay Motorcycle Parts Logo Designed a corporate logo and website for this company that helps motorcycle owners finance customizations to their vehicles.
Northern Illinois Boat Show Postcard Designed this postcard for the 2018 Northern Illinois Boat Show. 6x11 (I stacked the front and back sides into one image)	Tequila Ad for Restaurant Designed this digital ad for Cesar's Killer Margaritas in Chicago. They're promoting this premium tequila for their signature drinks.
Relish Chicago Menu (inside) Spent about 5 hours on this little menu flyer for a friend's restaurant. They had no art resources, so we purchased some stock photography... and the logo had to be rebuilt from a scan.	Chicago Relish Menu (outside) Spent about 5 hours on this little menu flyer for a friend's restaurant in Chicago. This is the outside front and back cover. I wanted a shot from the interior of the restaurant, but the only one available was a low-resolution pic from Yelp. I blew it up and blurred it for the front cover. You'd never know I didn't have the original photo...
Car Dealership E-Blast Ad Working for an ad agency, I designed this E-Blast Ad featuring Toyotas.	Toyota/Scion Ad Working for a suburban ad agency, I had the opportunity to build many car ads for local dealerships.
Jeep Cherokee Ad Working for a suburban ad agency, I had the opportunity to build many car ads for local dealerships.	Inbound Marketing Infograph Designed this infograph (chopped up from its original vertical format) for Tag Marketing Agency's blog site. It was my job to translate various facts and statistics to a visual format easy to digest for casual readers.
Manufacturers' News, Inc. Logo I designed this logo for Manufacturers' News, Inc. which was used as the corporate logo from 2001 to 2012. When they stopped selling CD-ROMs for their database products, they retired this design.	Manufacturers' News Product Catalog From 1999 to 2012 I was charged with producing and designing MNI's full product catalog (discontinued after 2012). My boss liked to jam a LOT of copy into a small space. He wasn't a fan of white space. I suppose you could call that horror vacui. What you see here is the compromise between design and inclusion. :-)
EZSelect.com Promo Sheet EZSelect.com is a database subscription website by Manufacturers' News, Inc. I designed this promo sheet for a direct mail campaign.	Wholesaler Distributors Cover Designed for a former employer, the U.S. Wholesalers & Distributors Directory is now in its third year in print. This is the cover design for its 2014 edition. Built in Photoshop and InDesign using stock photography I chose and purchased.
Adlai Stevenson Center on Democracy This is a poster I did for an event hosted by the Adlai Stevenson Center on Democracy. It was designed to resemble an old-fashioned political poster. It was a pleasure to meet the VIPs at this event!	Web Banner for Energy Bars Designed this banner speculatively for a holistic health food website. I used free (watermarked) images from a stock photography website.
Indigo_Halloween Designed this event poster for a Seniors residence. A few were made for their facility and mounted on foam core.	Vaccine Whistleblower dust jacket Design for a hardcover book dust jacket I did recently for Skyhorse Publishing in New York. Fun project! I happen to know the author as well as the man who originally interviewed the CDC researcher who has just been granted whistleblower status.
Documentary tour promo Designed this eblast ad for an independent documentary screening in Miami, Florida. I didn't have the film's logo, so I rebuilt it by finding the original font they used.	Film Strip Composite In 2006 I directed and produced an interview between author David Kirby and Katie Wright (daughter of Bob & Suzanne Wright, co-founders of Autism Speaks). I did this photoshop filmstrip composite as an advertisement for our film.
Recovery International Annual Report Designed a 12-page booklet for Recovery International's annual report. This is the front and back cover.	Devil on my shoulder An example of a photoshop composite I did for a magazine article I wrote. I commissioned a photographer to shoot me so I could assemble this. Photography by Tanayia Koonce Photography, Chicago.
Jackson who?? An example of my photoshop skills. I converted a photograph of me into a sketch and composited it onto this $20 bill.	Craftsman Training Pocketguide In 1998 I designed this pocket training guide for Sears' Craftsman Ratchet & Tape measure returns & allowances. This is just the front cover.

PRINT & DIGITAL DESIGN & MISC. GRAPHICS

I've been doing print design since 1993 for a variety of publishers, ad agencies and freelance clients.

This gallery showcases a few pieces I have done.

BACK

Cadillac Sales Letter

As a designer at Aronson Ad Agency in Schaumburg, IL I get to design numerous ads for print and web. This was a sales letter for Cadillac that was designed to Cadillac's strict standards so a particular dealership can receive "co-op" funding for their ad campaigns.

Pizza Restaurant Logo

This is for a fake pizza restaurant. I redesigned a Rosati's Pizza menu (because I didn't like it), and decided to create a fake restaurant name and logo. I borrowed a vector illustration of a pizza chef and altered him to help create this logo. Incidentally, I named the chef "Salvador Pizzani."

Pizza Restaurant Menu Redesign

I never cared for the very dark, dreary menu designs seen in the popular pizza chains. So I redesigned a Rosati's menu using a fake pizza shop (and designed the logo using a stock illustration). I will post the entire menu redesign as a side-by-side with the original, shortly.

Pizza Restaurant Menu (front)

This is for a fake pizza restaurant. I redesigned the Rosati's Pizza chain menu, because I don't like their dark & dreary reddish-brown, jam-packed/crowded menus. My design brings more white space, organization and COLOR for a more inviting feel.

Pizza Restaurant Menu (back)

This is for a fake pizza restaurant. I redesigned the Rosati's Pizza chain menu, because I don't like their dark & dreary reddish-brown, jam-packed/crowded menus. My design brings more white space, organization and COLOR for a more inviting feel.

Kiddy Kibbles Box

Cereal Box rendered in 3D

Here is my fake cereal box rendered in 3D, on a countertop.

Fruit Pie Packaging

I enjoy package design and often liked the designs I see on popular snack pie boxes. So I did one of my own. Here is the box as built onto a die-line.

Fruit Pie Packaging, 3D rendered

Here is my imaginary fruit pie box, rendered in 3D and sitting on a table.

Apple Fruit Pie box

Just for fun, I designed a fruit pie box, in two flavors... here's my apple version. I photographed the pie myself using an iphone and doctoring in photoshop.

Tequila Brand and Label design

Nutraceutical Packaging

This is an early rendition of a nutraceutical bottle I designed for a client. The name of the product changed since this rendition, but the label remained much the same.

X99 Car Wax Can.

X99 Car Wax Can

Here's a side-by-side of the client's original packaging and the white label version I did for their Saudi customer.

Full page magazine ad

This was a magazine ad I designed for my Avatalker AAC app. This ad ran in a few editions of Autism File magazine.

War Fighting Domain!

I've designed a bunch of t-shirts for SpaceForceOutfitters.com Some are pro Trump, some anti-Trump, all in fun. Also did some images for the sake of fun sci-fi.

Cosmic Event Game Board

Cosmic Event Game Box

Cosmic Event Boxes

Space Force Recruitment

I've designed a bunch of t-shirts for SpaceForceOutfitters.com Some are pro Trump, some anti-Trump, all in fun. Also did some images for the sake of fun sci-fi.

I Want You for U.S. Space Force!

I've designed a bunch of t-shirts for SpaceForceOutfitters.com Some are pro Trump, some anti-Trump, all in fun. Also did some images for the sake of fun sci-fi.

Laser Satellite Technician

I've designed a bunch of t-shirts for SpaceForceOutfitters.com All in fun.

Space Force Lunar Rescue

Join the U.S. Space Force's elite Lunar Rescue Squadron and save stranded astronauts from certain doom! -- Did this T-shirt design for Space Force Outfitters.

Space Force Test Squadron!

Pilot Cadets! Join the U.S. Space Force's elite Air & Space Test Squadron! - T-shirt I designed for Space Force Outfitters

Niles Park Dist. Summer Camp Catalog

I designed the summer camp catalog for Niles, IL Park District. This is the front cover design.

Niles Park Dist. Camp Catalog

This is one of the interior page spreads for the 2018 Summer Camp catalog I designed for the Niles, IL Park District.

The Treatment Paint Sealant Package

Designed this box for a company that manufactures protective coatings for automobiles.

The Treatment Paint Sealant package

a diecut of a second box I did for the Treatment's Paint Sealant Products. This one was designed to easily swap out the company logo for its white label customers.

The Treatment Paint Sealant 3D rende

a 3D render of the Treatment's Paint Sealant box. This is the second box I have designed for them.

"Hope Comes in Pieces" book cover

Designed this e-book cover for author Terra Smith. It's a biographical accounting of how she recovered her daughter from autism. The book published in fall of 2015.

Training Gems Corporate Logo

In collaboration with the client and my agency management, I designed this corporate logo for a company that coaches management for food manufacturing companies.

Flexpay Motorcycle Parts Logo

Designed a corporate logo and website for this company that helps motorcycle owners finance customizations to their vehicles.

Northern Illinois Boat Show Postcard

Designed this postcard for the 2018 Northern Illinois Boat Show. 6x11 (I stacked the front and back sides into one image)

Tequila Ad for Restaurant

Designed this digital ad for Cesar's Killer Margaritas in Chicago. They're promoting this premium tequila for their signature drinks.

Relish Chicago Menu (inside)

Spent about 5 hours on this little menu flyer for a friend's restaurant. They had no art resources, so we purchased some stock photography... and the logo had to be rebuilt from a scan.

Chicago Relish Menu (outside)

Car Dealership E-Blast Ad

Working for an ad agency, I designed this E-Blast Ad featuring Toyotas.

Toyota/Scion Ad

Working for a suburban ad agency, I had the opportunity to build many car ads for local dealerships.

Jeep Cherokee Ad

Working for a suburban ad agency, I had the opportunity to build many car ads for local dealerships.

Inbound Marketing Infograph

Designed this infograph (chopped up from its original vertical format) for Tag Marketing Agency's blog site. It was my job to translate various facts and statistics to a visual format easy to digest for casual readers.

Manufacturers' News, Inc. Logo

I designed this logo for Manufacturers' News, Inc. which was used as the corporate logo from 2001 to 2012. When they stopped selling CD-ROMs for their database products, they retired this design.

Manufacturers' News Product Catalog

EZSelect.com Promo Sheet

EZSelect.com is a database subscription website by Manufacturers' News, Inc. I designed this promo sheet for a direct mail campaign.

Wholesaler Distributors Cover

Designed for a former employer, the U.S. Wholesalers & Distributors Directory is now in its third year in print. This is the cover design for its 2014 edition. Built in Photoshop and InDesign using stock photography I chose and purchased.