WISECHAPTER3 helps clients grow their organization’s sales with a customized, practical sales and marketing strategy. I was asked to create a series of spot illustrations in explaining the Content Road Map. The concept of traveling was used. A master content road map helps a company stay on top of its game by providing directions to its final destination (sales), keeping its eyes on the road (staying focused and relevant) and traveling in the proper vehicle (products).

The Carnegie Museum of Natural History requested a donor wall design to give recognition to benefactors while visually complementing the surrounding environment. An elegant, minimalist wall comprised of stainless steel, glass, and slate resolved the project’s needs.

Cleveland Zoological Society, recognized nationally for initiatives towards conservation, needed a design concept for a quarterly newsletter targeting its existing supporters. Spun off from their existing publication called “Z Magazine”, the title “Z to U” was created to establish a more personal connection with their audience. The newsletter is comprised of five sections with a color system to distinguish each category.

“Arms + Armor,” Cleveland Museum of Art’s exhibition of Renaissance armor and weapons, intrigued audiences with a direct mail promotion consisting of a trifold landscape brochure, invitational letter, registration insert and envelope. A spot varnish was placed on selected areas for a more dramatic representation of the photography.

An identity system for an architecture and urban design firm company based in Pittsburgh, PA. The identity features a modified typeface made from Minion and Gotham.

Ernie’s Auto Body has upheld its reputation as a reliable and trusted auto repair facility in the Avon, Ohio community. The goal was to create a symbol that represents the openness and approachable attitude they employ rather than the often seen “raw-testosterone” presence of their competitors. Like the owner, the logo also communicates credibility, knowledge, and friendliness. Applications included business card, letterhead, envelope, internal business forms, air freshener, and sign.

The George Gund Foundation is a nonprofit institution with the sole purpose of advancing human welfare and societal progress in Cleveland, Ohio. The 2007 Annual Report captures breathtaking images from University Circle, a scenic neighborhood in East Cleveland. Black and white photography dominates areas of the report encouraging appreciation for Cleveland’s landscape. Varied short page trims, subtle use of pattern, and the mixture of coated and uncoated paper enhance the quality and prolong the shelf-life of this piece.

A rising star in graduate business education, Katz wanted a yearly report to reflect confidence and sophistication while describing their unique approach to educating global business leaders. Full-page, black-and-white photos are used to show a diverse student body in moments of intense concentration, passionate argument, or lively collaboration. Facts and figures appear as handsome typographic events anchored with oversized numerals.

Gateway Lodge in Cooksburg, PA exchanged ownership in 2008 warranting a new logo for the future plans of the forest inn. Located in Cook Forest State Park, a stay at the Lodge is an opportunity to interact with wildlife and enjoy the scenic forest trails and Clarion River nearby. The logo emphasizes the intimate, rustic luxury that the Lodge is known for while offering a fresh appeal to broaden its audience. New wayfinding signage, using Minion typeface, was created to inform inquiring guests of the locations of Gateway’s spaces.

The graphic identity for this three-day science symposium appears in numerous variations, reflecting the complexity and interwoven relationships of the issues considered. The identity is used in print, online, and on oversized exterior banners. The symposium’s dense schedules of overlapping lectures, exhibits, and meetings present interesting information design challenges.

The 31st National Medicinal Chemistry Symposium highlights recent developments in the field of Medicinal Chemistry including topics such as Hepatitis C, Molecular Approaches to Cancer Therapy, and Nucleic Acid Targeting Strategies. Participants represent both industry and academia, and include scientists ranging from graduate students to the most accomplished leaders in the field. The 96-page program is designed, organized, and condensed from its original using typographical design principles.

Seven panels were designed honoring individuals whose contributions to management education have become the cornerstone at the Tepper School of Business. Each panel tells a brief story of their accomplishments, and together, tell of a pioneering spirit, collaboration among disciplines and dedication to the scientific approach toward identifying and solving business challenges. Streamlined layouts and simple stainless framing give contemporary attitude to archival photos and documents.

Spíra Benefits aids in retirement planning, administration and consulting services of small to midsize employers in Ohio and the surrounding region. A new symbol with a capital letter “S” was created to symbolize the idea of growth using green gradients and upward motion. Whitney Book and SemiBold fonts were chosen for an energetic and confident appearance, and modified to relate to the symbol counterpart. The new identity was applied to business cards, letterheads, and envelopes.

In concert and over the radio, Hillbilly IDOL continues to capture new audiences with their catchy and exciting, bluegrass-influenced repertoire. I worked with Hatch Show Print — one of the oldest working letterpress print shops in America. They supplied the type, dingbats and background image for the cds front and back cover. Using distressed letterforms, intense color, and “grungy” photographs, communicated the band’s quirky Western swing and honky-tonk music style.

I had a little fun designing insects using glyphs from the Baskerville type family. Why not?

Artist Henry Halem has been creating beautiful works in glass since 1968. His work is rather eclectic and nontraditional and often utilizes wall and pedestal constructions that consist of vessels, lead constructions, beeswax overlays and cast figures. A promotional brochure was created for a retrospective exhibition highlighting his 35 years of work while living and teaching in Ohio.

Building Hope in the City, a Cleveland-based non-profit, developed a multimedia exhibition to connect residents to the lives of their refugee neighbors. An identity treatment for the show and a design for the exhibit catalog were created within the parameters of tight budget constraints. The exhibit catalog featured the photography taken of three refugee families in Northeast Ohio. An elegant and sophisticated type treatment paired with striking photography upheld the integrity of the families represented.

A promotional piece for Platinum Design Firm in New York City. The promo includes notecards and envelopes with a wrap-around bellyband and writing tablet with contact information and sticker.

Joel and Andrea Knepper from J&A Photography, a husband and wife photography duo, asked for a logo design to reflect the creative and elegant styling of their work. At the onset of the project, much of their business was wedding related. Now the couple has used their new look to help broadened the scope of their work to include senior, family, and baby portraits. The logo design uses Archer typeface and decorative elements in a self-contained manner that easily translate to various applications such as a stamp, watermark, or embossment.

Ernie’s Auto Body has upheld its reputation as a reliable and trusted auto repair facility in the Avon, Ohio community. The goal was to create a symbol that represents the openness and approachable attitude they employ rather than the often seen “raw-testosterone” presence of their competitors. Like the owner, the logo also communicates credibility, knowledge, and friendliness. Applications included business card, letterhead, envelope, internal business forms, air freshener, and sign.

Rainbow Babies and Children Hospital, a Cleveland-based medical facility dedicated to the care of children and their families, requested a brochure highlighting the hospital’s capabilities. Actual children from the hospital were featured in publication along with stories of technological advancement and healing.

Using letterforms from the Univers type family, an 18”x 24” typographic composition was created using materials of mylar, Rubylith, rapidographs and a X-acto knife. Not only does it show the interrelationships of format, space, proportion, and composition, it introduces the hand through its hand-crafted edges and depth from overlaying films.

“Good Fucking Design Advice” or G.F.D.A is an online retailer with a focus on advice-oriented products for the common designer. Commissioned to develop new conceptual approaches to expand their merchandise, a censored version of their original design was created for the more discreet customer.

Wedding invitation created for Ernest Fesco (aka me) and Jody Adams, my wife. A nature-themed color palette supported the country setting of the festivities. One-sided, two-color letterpressed design offered a simple, elegant solution for a budget-conscious couple.

Bossa Nova Café Roastery is a small town café in Franklin, PA with a Brazilian flair. Owners Gabriela and Michael Fredrick wanted to emphasize their Brazilian roots with a logo that paid homage to “bossa nova” meaning “a new rhythm,” a type of music likened to the Jazz evolution in the US. The design of the logo was influenced by the geometry of the neighborhoods in Rio de Janeiro for which the music derived and by the sophisticated harmonic sounds of the music itself.

eDentalConnect.com is an online collaborative website that allows the dental community in Northeastern Ohio to connect on relevant matters and needs regarding their profession. The client wanted a design that emphasized the merging of the dentist community and that was applicable for web usage.

A proposed annual report design for Energizer batteries. The main conceptual components of the report were imagery and statistics comparing the forces of nature with that of the Energizer battery. The DIN typeface was used as the predominant font for its clean and modern appearance.

Selection of black and white marks. Some are from client based work, others are self-initiated projects and some simply never saw the light of day. However, all of them produced a pleasing result.