It was approximately 1985, while I was working at PGAV Design, that I designed the St. Louis Riverfront logo. The client was the Riverfront Development Committee / Downtown St. Louis, Inc. Our department was a team of seven designers. For this assignment, each designer had the opportunity to develop rough layouts. The project was intriguing,…
DetailsWhen Magnus Accounting Solutions contacted N-K, they were in the early stages of their start-up and needed a new logo identity. The company had a name but no marketing materials. Magnus specializes in small- business accounting with temporary/flexible services. What did they need for their new company? We identified the following and provided a creative…
DetailsThis article, “A quick list for authors” was originally published on the St. Louis Publishers Association website, addressing book design. I’m a graphic designer. You’re an author. Your manuscript is ready for layout . . . or is it? Here’s a list of tips and mistakes to avoid. 1. Your manuscript • Can you afford…
DetailsAuthor and ghostwriter, Bobbi Linkemer, hired me to design a cover for her memoir, Words To Live By. The concept was a typographic solution: one word of the title, “words” was emphasized; the point size was dramatically larger than all the other type, and the letters were stacked vertically. Next to it, I added a…
DetailsLiz Moloney’s proofs of her book cover and interiors produced by a local printer evidenced poor selection of typeface, color and design. The typography had no kerning. Indeed, nothing was right except for her carefully wrought manuscript, Elizabeth, Learning to Dress Myself from the Inside Out. With Liz’s approval of my estimate, I started fresh.…
DetailsI met Beth Custer, a freelance writer, through a networking group. She handed me her business card, but my first impression was that I couldn’t read it. I immediately squinted at the solid black background with reverse white and teal type. The contact information was a very small point size. Even with glasses, it was…
DetailsCase study Situation: As a design-oriented architecture company, Bond Wolfe Architects were sensitive to the challenge of developing a new visual identifier. They wanted a new brandmark to set them apart from their competitors; Bond Wolfe’s existing mark had been used inconsistently and lacked a definitive style. During the interview, the team members were impressed…
DetailsThis project began as a request to recreate a series of nostalgic redbirds in action. Illustrations from various eras of St. Louis Cardinals history were rediscovered on popcorn boxes, promotional pieces, scorecards, and yearbooks. Each redbird looked different because they were drawn by a variety of artists across a broad time span, from 1920 through…
Details