Google
Since June 2022, I’ve worked as a designer on Google’s Material team in at their office in Chelsea. Visit Google Material’s website here.
The Kickback
I assisted with the design and production of an archival book and accompanying collateral materials for a new charitable organization. The project involved compiling and designing the book over a period of 10 weeks, as well as updating the organization's brand identity to align with their unique initiatives.
Year: 2020 - Ongoing
Year: 2020 - Ongoing
Category: Identity, Publication, Motion, Website
Mentors: Jamal Burger & Jane Zash
Collaborator: Niks
Photography: Tyler Hayward
Publication Page Count: 272
Spreads
The project required me to learn about the content management for long-form books, which involved designing unique asymmetrical layouts for each page. To streamline the process, I created approximately 10 templates to use as a framework for the content.
Four Year Archive
Given the focus on photography within The Kickback, the first four years of the organization generated a large collection of photos. The resulting book, featuring 272 pages of black and white photography, was printed and sold in a limited run of 300 copies.
Merch
To launch the updated brand, we produced hoodies in five colors featuring a bitmapped image from one of The Kickback's sneaker drives on the back. The text bar on the back also includes the year of The Kickback's founding (2016) and the organization's slogan, 'Redefining Community'.
Brand Guide
To maintain consistent usage of the brand's logos and typefaces, I assisted in creating a brand guide for future designers. The guide covers applications such as web and stationery, and I also compiled all necessary design assets into an easily accessible online design kit.
Website
The Kickback's website serves as a platform for receiving donations and inquiries, and also features regularly updated content and stories. My goal in designing the website was to quickly provide visitors with information about the organization and offer easy access to past initiatives and blog posts.
Shoe Boxes
In addition to designing shoeboxes for shoe donations, I created a sticker system to streamline the distribution process. The stickers have designated areas for the recipient's name, the shoe category, and size (ranging from US3.5 to US16) to be marked with a pen.
Check out some of the process work here.
Astrodome
I worked on developing a new identity for the legendary Houston venue, the Astrodome, with the goal of highlighting the venue's iconic dome structure and repositioning it as a premier destination for live music. The branding efforts aimed to revitalize the Astrodome as a sought-after entertainment destination.
Year: 2021
Year: 2021
Category: Identity, Motion, Website
Mentor: Jorge Montero
Typefaces: Gravity by ABC Dinamo and DM Sans & Mono by Colophon
The Brand
The Astrodome's brand identity features a classic color palette of blue and orange, a nod to the venue's history as the former home of the Houston Astros.
Digital
The identity was designed with an emphasis on motion and web applications, utilizing the blue and orange color scheme for highlighting copy. The icon features a scaling bloom animation, and the website and other digital materials include dynamic swipes for revealing images and text.
Stationery
The brand thrives in print, using a combination of the iconic blue and orange colors with a light grain off-white paper stock.
Physical Application
The Astrodome branding is also meant to function on all sorts of physical applications. From usher’s pins, to wildposting, to merchandise for the general public.
Signage
The identity includes a set of icons to assist with wayfinding. These icons are intended to help visitors navigate the facility more easily and efficiently.
Chess Directory
This research project investigates the intersection of chess and art from a cultural perspective. The publication was inspired by a desire to understand the ways in which culture and chess overlap and interact. After watching the popular TV show "The Queen's Gambit" and observing the rise of online chess among my friends, I became curious about the relationship between chess ability, creativity, and culture. I sought to answer questions such as: What makes someone skilled at chess? Is there a connection between chess and artistic expression? How old is the game of chess? What happens when chess intersects with other artistic fields, such as design, fine art, and television? The publication presents the findings of my research and reflects on the cultural significance of chess and its relationship to art.
Year: 2021
Year: 2021
Category: Publication, Motion, Photography
Mentor(s): Thomas Hull
Typeface(s): Quadrant by Matter of Sorts and Neue Haas Unica
Spreads
The spreads of the publication are designed on a 1 x 1 grid, mimicking the layout of a chessboard. The publication is divided into seven sections, including an essay on Matisse's connection to chess and another essay that explores three significant chess games in history. Other sections of the publication feature lists of famous chess players and provide definitions of key chess terms. The overall goal of the publication is to shed light on the intersection of chess and art from a cultural perspective, and to explore the significance of chess in our history and society.
Spreads
One of the most surprising discoveries I made during my research was Marcel Duchamp's relationship with chess in the later stages of his career. This discovery influenced the creative and typographic choices I made in the publication. I aimed to reflect my perception of chess in a more traditional setting by embracing a monochromatic photography style and using an older, serif typeface called Quadrant Text. For numbers and dates, I used the mono version of Quadrant to emphasize the statistical nature of chess. Overall, my goal was to create a publication that captured the cultural significance of chess and its intersection with art.
Content
The publication includes writings on Marcel Duchamp's interest in chess, as well as recaps of famous chess games and examples of chess being featured in popular TV shows. Through these various sections, the publication aims to explore the cultural significance of chess and its intersections with art and popular media.
