Client: Various
The work in this section represents projects that were one-off or didn’t fit neatly into my client-based portfolio structure or didn’t make it to full production but were used to sell a concept proposal or to iron out production or design details. Click each image for a closer look, click outside the image to return.
Guardian Glass Tradeshow Booth Proposal
Just before the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020, we were working with industrial glass producer Guardian Glass to develop a 20′x50′ trade show booth property for the annual AIA (American Institute of Architects) expo in Los Angeles, California.
Our initial discussions began with “mood boards” that relayed conceptual underpinnings and supporting materials. Our early layout sketches encouraged a traffic flow arrangement that would channel visitors into a sales and discussion area of the booth, and we immediately went to 3D model using Blender (an open-source 3d software rapidly gaining acceptance and broad use). We found it simple to incorporate actual content and imagery while allowing dramatic changes in very short time spans. You can experience the mock-up yourself by clicking and dragging the image.
Unfortunately, the expo was cancelled due to Covid-19 and the project never resumed.
My role: Ideation, visual concept development, architectural & traffic flow development, image editing, 3D (Blender) development.
Rohde & Schwarz EMC Experience
We were engaged by German-based manufacturer of electronic measurement equipment Rohde & Schwarz on the eve of 2018 to create a virtual 3d experience showcasing a model of an ideal signal measurement lab. The primary challenge was in creating detailed views of very intricate equipment while keeping the complexity of the models low enough to provide a good performance experience for the user.
The project was initially set up using Modo 3D software, but we soon discovered that Blender was a better match for the Sketchfab hosting solution, offering more predictable results. Rohde & Schwarz is still leveraging this experience as one of their available demonstration tools. You can experience the model yourself by clicking and dragging the image.
My role: 3D optimization and development.
Cocktail Town Website
The Cocktail Town website was originally built in 2010 and was in desperate need of an update while retaining the basic brand position of the company.
The facelift was kicked off with a desire to update the overall visual and experiential presentation of the site to current visual norms and a desire to leverage a bulk migration from their previous Magento eCommerce platform. The move required a reassessment of hundreds of product photos that required a wholesale image conversion process to accommodate the resolution requirements of the new platform. The conversion process also involved leveraging the old exported .csv spreadsheet to conform to the exacting requirements of the new format in order to automate the process and avoid the need to manually re-populate all of the products on the new site.
The resulting eCommerce website that I built from start to finish not only met all of the positioning, experiential and visual goals of the project, but the new platform offered huge benefits in inventory tracking and revenue capture. A win at every level! You can see the actual website by clicking on the sample image.
My role: UX/UI development, Visual concept development, image editing, website migration to Shopify from Magento platform.
Schnitzer Steel Code of Conduct Training
Schnitzer Steel has been using the same basic visual structure for their training and onboarding programs for a number of years. The 2021 format for both video and interactive experiences represents a departure for the brand that signaled a welcome shift designed to communicate an increased focus on employee satisfaction and inclusion.
Our modernized visual approach heavily leveraged staff and specific Schnitzer facility imagery to elevate the “relatability factor” with the rank-and-file staff while presenting pertinent information in small, simple (bite-sized) amounts- increasing comprehension levels for all team members by increasing personal interest, while alternate language translations were available for those of whom English is not their native language.
Click the artwork to view the video intro that sets the tone for the staff-focused messaging.
My role: UX/UI development, art direction, image editing.
Joann Hire Happy Training Program
When several of our key long-term contacts at Sunglass Hut made a move to join Joann Fabrics, they invited us to come along for the ride.
Joann Fabrics had a hiring program in place called Hire Happy, but they knew it could be better, so they engaged us to help develop both the content and the delivery. The resulting program established their online training to deliver a curriculum and knowledge check system that focused on not only best-practices for networking, selection and legal requirements for hiring (in small bite-size portions and plain language), but also served as high-level culture training and a staffing & compensation reference library for each specific store in the entire US chain operation.
I also designed a condensed print version of the training outline as an easy quick-reference resource for circumstances where the online version wasn’t easily accessible for store management. All renditions of the training were influenced by published brand-standards and previously developed communications to assure brand voice and visual brand continuity.
My role: Creative Direction, Visual concept development, content and copywriting development & support, UX/UI, art direction & layout, image editing, Storyline programming.