Tyler Adams Design: A Graphic Design Blog

Rejuvenate Tea Packaging

2012-01-25T14:33:00.000-08:00

Here's a project from my portfolio archives. One of my projects from the Academy of Art was to design the packing for a new tea company. I created Rejuvenate Tea, based out of famous Boston Harbor and specializing in boxed teas to compete with companies like Tazo and Constant Comment. I started with 4 flavors, each distinguished by color and a numbering system so it is easy for customers to find their favorite flavor on the store shelf (can't remember the name of it? Just remember #4). This was one of my favorite projects to do, and making the boxes from scratch and figuring out how to assemble them was a real learning experience.

See more photos after the jump.

Project: Tea Packaging
Client: Rejuvenate Tea Co. (student project)

Free Vector Fruit Characters

2012-01-23T16:26:00.000-08:00

Normally, this blog is just a way for me to show work I have recently completed, but today I am doing something a little different! Just for fun, I am giving away free vector versions of some characters I created for the GHCC Summer Squeeze last year. Feel free to use these on any non-commercial project. Enjoy!

Click here to download the EPS file: DOWNLOAD

Converge Men's Retreat 2012 Brochure

2012-01-19T11:55:00.000-08:00

I was recently asked again to design the artwork and promo materials for the Converge PacWest Men's Retreat coming up in March. The theme of Fighting the Good Fight is one that will challenge men to be soldiers for Christ, so I wanted the emphasis to be simple and all about the armor of God. If you are interested in learning more about the retreat, visit convergepacwest.com.

Project: Men's Retreat promo materials
Client: Converge PacWest
Details: 8.5x11", single-fold brochure

GHCC Winter Camp Brochure 2012

2012-01-05T18:39:00.000-08:00

Here's the just-released brochure for GHCC's Winter Camp called The Crash. You can see previous items designed for the camp here and here. To learn more, visit www.thecrash.me and sign up! I am really excited with how the brochure turned out.

Project: Event Brochure
Client: GHCC Student Ministries
Details: 5"x15", Tri-fold Brochure

Faithful in Prayer

2012-01-04T16:54:00.000-08:00

This is my 4th year designing the church-wide campaign devotional book covers for GHCC (see 2011 and 2010) and the books are printed and ready to go.

This year's theme, Faithful in Prayer, is focused on learning more about why we pray and how to pray the way Jesus intended. The key image I chose for the cover is of this elderly man in intense prayer. I really liked this image because who the man is could be left open to interpretation. Is he a grandfather? A prophet? A homeless man? A priest? The point is that it does not matter WHO we think he is, but that he is intimately speaking to God. The image is cropped really close on the man's face and hands to try to capture the intimacy of this time the man is having with his Heavenly Father.

Client: Golden Hills Community Church
Details: 8.5"x11" Book

Verge Ministries Identity

2011-11-28T16:35:00.000-08:00

This post is a few months overdue, but with the launch of the new Verge website, I thought this might be an appropriate time for a second chance to get this out there.

Verge Ministries is a new organization that exists to help students become world-changers. They accomplish this through three main areas: missions, resources, and ministry consultation.

I developed the Verge logo as well as the three icons used to represent what Verge does. I will be posting some of the other materials I have developed for Verge, but first just wanted to share the main logo and icons that represent what Verge is all about.

Project: Verge Ministries Logo
Client: Verge Ministries

Seek: Kairos Winter Retreat 2012 Flyer

2011-11-23T15:25:00.000-08:00

Here's a new registration flyer for the Kairos Winter Retreat coming in January. The theme is Seek, based on Psalm 27:8 — My heart has heard you say, "Come and talk with me." And my heart responds, "Lord, I am coming." The visual concept I developed is based around the idea of Psalm 19:1 — The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. If someone is seeking after God, they will plainly see His glory in His creation, and for me that is especially true of the night sky. So that's how I kind of tied those two concepts together.

I found a beautiful image of the sky with long, time-elapsed star trails and I adjusted the color, added the telescope, and used the typography to make the sky feel large and stretched out over the whole flyer.

Project: Kairos Winter Retreat Flyer
Client: Kairos, GHCC Young Adult Ministry
Details: 3.75"x10.5" Flyer

The Crash: Sweatshirt Art

2011-11-17T17:12:00.000-08:00

Here's the sweatshirt art for GHCC's Middle School and High School Winter Camp. Enjoy. To learn more about GHCC's Winter Camp, visit the official website.

Project: The Crash Apparel Art
Client: GHCC One-Eighty and HSM

The Crash: GHCC Winter Camp 2012

2011-11-07T14:45:00.000-08:00

Here's the logo for GHCC's Middle School and High School Winter Camps coming in February 2012. The theme of "The Crash" is one I am very excited about and looking forward to seeing how it all comes together. To create the logo, I created the words to form the shape of a rhino head, since a word for a group of rhinos is a "crash". I should have more designs to show for camp including brochure, apparel, etc. in the next month or two, but I wanted to get the logo posted up here as soon as I could.

Project: The Crash Logo
Client: GHCC Student Ministries

I Am He

2011-10-04T15:56:00.000-07:00

Here's the theme art for GHCC's Middle School and High School for 2011–2012. The idea follows the passage of John 18:5 where Jesus is being arrested, and when he says "I am he", all the guards who were there to arrest him fall down.

I created the logo as a custom illustration and made the icon to accompany it on the promotion materials.

Project: Theme Art
Client: Golden Hills Community Church, Middle School & High School

He That Wears the Crown

2011-09-15T15:07:00.000-07:00

Sorry for not posting much lately. I have been working on a ton, but just have not had the time to share it! This is the new theme for Kairos for the fall. Going through the stories of 1 and 2 Samuel, we wanted to give this poster a real heroic vibe. These are two of my favorite books of the Bible and I'm really excited for how the theme art turned out.

Project: Theme Development
Client: Kairos, GHCC Young Adult Ministry
Details: 11x17" Poster

Sherwood Electric

2011-08-30T17:03:00.000-07:00

I recently designed a new logo for Sherwood Electric, Inc., a local company. I used the identifying lightning bolt to help potential customers easily identify what Sherwood Electric can do for them, but I also made the icon the initials of the company to help give it some identity and individuality.

Project: Electric Company Logo
Client: Sherwood Electric, Inc.

Inspiration: Top 25 Movie Posters

2011-07-18T15:54:00.000-07:00

I recently watched "Buried" because I am a huge Hitchcock fan and heard it was a film in a style that would make Hitch proud (and I agree). Seeing the film reminded me that I absolutely love the poster for this movie. I think the concept and typography are so excellent and really portray the feeling of the film. Looking at this poster again inspired me to share some of my favorite movie posters. All of these are on this list for either their typography, concept, and/or iconic imagery.

So many movie posters are just cut and paste jobs that all blend together. But some stand out. These are the Top 25 (in no particular order) that stood out to me over the years. I am not necessarily saying these are great films, but in my opinion they are great posters.

Let me know some of your favorites too that aren't on the list!

Buried
Beautiful Typography that really captured the claustrophobic feeling of the film.

The Dark Knight Rises (Teaser)
I love the simplicity of the poster. No words are needed yet everyone knows this is a Batman movie. And for those who love symbolism, it really captures the idea that Gotham must fall for the Dark Knight to rise.

Ben Hur
This hand-illustrated poster has become an iconic image and if you look at the detail it is incredibly impressive. Go ahead and try to re-create this by hand.

Blindness
Love the use of the eye chart for this poster. simple idea, yet the execution is beautiful.

Little Miss Sunshine
The imagery on this poster captures the feeling of the film for me. I really like the extra dose of creativity to right-align the typography so that it adds the element of movement with the van. White space on a poster also makes a poster stand out in the theater a lot of the time, so the bold yellow really is great.

Cloverfield (Teaser)
I love that this poster does not even need any type except the date. The imagery draws you in. Most people know what this image is by now too, so I guess it has become somewhat iconic.

Identity
Really like the photo/illustration work on this poster. Very creative. I think the taglines on it actually distract from the art and don't add all that much.

District 9 (Teaser)
An image that most people saw at the theater and were intrigued by. A great poster that stands out and says so much about what the film is about.

Empire of the Sun
An oldie but a goodie. Love the image of the plane crashing in the sky as the kid is playing with a plane on the ground. This poster says so much: location, the fact it is a war movie, and maybe even that a small child will be crushed by falling plane debris. This poster really stands out.

The Exorcist
This poster is the perfect example of what most modern horror films get wrong in their posters. If this movie came out today, it would have some grotesque, hi-Photoshopped scary image on the front. On this poster, the image itself does not scare you, it is the anticipation of what's inside that window. Great imagery and use of lighting.

From Paris with Love
Really like the photo illustration work on this poster against the white background.

The Dark Knight (Teaser)
Really creative use of the Batman logo to create the Joker's face. Instantly you know who the hero is and who the villain is without the poster saying either in words.

Order of Chaos
This poster really caught my eye and intrigues me. I have not seen this movie, but the poster makes me want to because it is so different from other movie posters and it really tells a story.

The Silence of the Lambs
Such a famous image now. The amazing thing to me about this poster is that if you blow it up and look at the skull on the moth it is made of bodies. Love the attention to detail.

The Sixth Sense
A simple concept, but one that was very intriguing when this film first came out. Made people ask: what is the 6th sense!?

Star Wars Episode 1 (Teaser)
When this poster came out months before the film, fanboys everywhere squealed and peed their pants. No words are needed to see that this movie is going to show how Darth Vader got started on the path to become Darth Vader. Beautiful image.

X-Men 3 (Teaser)
I remember seeing this poster in theaters and being so impressed by its simple use of Wolverine's claws to represent the number 3. So creative!

THX 1138
I love the simplicity of this poster and how the title of the movie is just a tiny script on the ear tag. This poster has a lot of mystery to it that generates interest in the film.

Vacancy
This poster is an example of going above and beyond in designing a poster. This poster could have been the standard horror photoshop hack-job of blurred people screaming or something, but instead it is a beautifully-crafted, well-designed poster that implies more than it shows (similar to the Exorcist poster).

V For Vendetta
I love the illustration technique used to make this look like an old propaganda poster.

Ocean's 11 (Teaser)
This poster says nothing about the film and doesn't even say the film's name. It lets the names of the stars sell the film and the beautiful, bold 11 catch your interest.

Independence Day
An image that achieves what many movie posters have tried to copy since. The sense of scale accomplished on this poster is almost breathtaking and instantly says "summer movie".

Lady in the Water
The level of detail in this poster art is astonishing. I spent a good 5 minutes looking closely at this one the first time I saw it trying to see every little thing that was going on.

Lord of War
At a quick glance, this poster doesn't look that special. But when you look at all the bullets and even the extra touch to put all the text wrapped around the outside instead of just pasted at the bottom center, this poster stands out.

Jaws
An iconic image, and one that instantly tells you what you are going to watch. So simple, yet so perfect.

Ezra+Nehemiah Poster

2011-07-13T18:00:00.000-07:00

Here's a poster for an upcoming class at GHCC going through the books of Ezra & Nehemiah. These historical biblical books document the return of the Jewish people from exile and the rebuilding of the temple and walls in Jerusalem. Since the main emphasis of the book is rebuilding (both literally and spiritually) I decided to use the bricks to keep the concept super simple and let the use of negative space really make the poster stand out.

Project: Ezra/Nehemiah Poster
Client: Adult Ministries, GHCC
Details: 17x6" poster

Andrews Consulting Logo

2011-06-30T10:46:00.000-07:00

Andrews Consulting helps businesses run better. The company helps other businesses achieve their goals and develop strategies to improve production. Andrews Consulting contacted me to give a facelift to their logo and brand identity. The new look updates their old "A" logo and I incorporated the red color throughout their new marketing materials (which I will hopefully show soon). I also changed the typography to be bold and simple and did away with the script type they had used previously in an effort to make the logo more legible and modern.

Project: Andrews Consulting Logo
Client: Andrews Consulting

Impact Church Identity

2011-06-14T17:26:00.000-07:00

Here is a logo I created recently for a new church in my area. This was the logo they chose out of a few options (click "read more" or view below to see some of them). The logo emphasizes the church's desire to "go out" and reach all people with the gospel. They also really wanted the cross to be a part of their logo. I combined the starting point and arrows in all directions, and the cross, with the "I" to get this point across. A lot of things going on at once, but I think that is also the hope for the church— that they will stay busy with their mission.

Project: Church Identity
Client: Impact Christian Church

Nike CSR (student project)

2011-06-13T19:09:00.000-07:00

Here's a Student Project I did back in 2009: A redesign of a Nike CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility). I hadn't shared this on the blog before so figured I would pull it out of the archives. CSRs are created for companies to show how they have been responsible with their materials and manufacturing processes and take responsibility for their impact globally. CSRs remind consumers what the company stands for and what the company aims to do.

I made this Nike CSR a functional workout journal with workout tips from health professionals, as well as space for a reader to log their process as they work out different parts of their body. As Nike laid out their plans for how to rejuvenate the world, I threw in tips for how to rejuvenate your body. Since one of Nike's largest markets is the shoe market, I also worked up a shoe anatomy graphic that showed the different parts of the average sports shoe and the leg muscles that the shoe affects while walking or running.

Check out more pictures of the interior of the CSR after the jump.

Project: Nike CSR Redesign (Student Project)
Client: Nike (Student Project)
Details: Spiral-Bound Booklet

PutOn/PutOff Poster

2011-06-08T12:05:00.000-07:00

Here is a poster design for Kairos, the Young Adult group at GHCC to promote their summer Colossians series. I used the light switches as a way to grab attention, but also as functional objects used to display the tagline. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.

Project: Summer Colossians Series Promotional Poster
Client: Kairos, GHCC Young Adult Ministry
Details: 11x17" poster

Inspiration: Truth in Branding

2011-05-26T15:17:00.000-07:00

Here's a poster I came across courtesy of MatchBlog (Artwork by Gavin Potenza) that I thought was really interesting, and such a great picture of the sad state of branding today. It no longer is about the brands itself catching your eye, it is about the plethora of shiny call-outs to try and get your attention — all of which are generic and none of which are truly unique.

Ultimately the brand is what will drive your decision to purchase or not — you go with the brand you trust — but unfortunately those brands have been covered up in a lot of packaging in today's market.

Great poster.

Frozen

2011-05-24T11:23:00.000-07:00

Frozen is the name of the theme for GHCC's Middle School Summer. The name itself is interesting, given that California summers do not have any association with the word "frozen". However, the name is more of a play on words for the spiritual state of the students during the summer months — routines change, programs die down, and their interest in keeping up with their spiritual walk takes a backseat to summer activities. Their walk with God is frozen. The theme aims to help students realize this problem and give them tools to help correct it. Below is a full version of the logo as well as some poster designs to promote the theme that use imagery centered around the frozen idea, with the tagline "don't let it be you".

Project: Frozen Theme Design & Promo
Client: 180, GHCC Middle School Ministries
Details: 11x17" Posters

Mission Statement Poster

2011-05-23T17:01:00.000-07:00

This is a poster that displays the mission statement for GHCC's Youth departments (Middle School, High School, and Young Adults).

Client: Golden Hills Student Ministries
Details: 11x17" poster

Bethesda Village

2011-05-03T10:31:00.000-07:00

Bethesda Village is a recovery house that offers help to people seeking freedom from life-controlling issues by facilitating the work of God in their lives through personal discipleship and life skills development. While still in development and not yet open, Bethesda asked me to create their logo for their promotional materials. I created the custom illustration of the main chapel facility with a hand-sketched look in order to help give the logo a home-like, country feel. I am excited to see what happens with this facility as it aims to help many people get their lives in the right direction.

If you are interested in learning more about Bethesda Village for yourself or someone you know, you can visit their website when it is completed.

Project: Bethesda Village Logo
Client: Bethesda Village

King's Kids Shirts 2011

2011-05-02T13:46:00.000-07:00

I just finished this design for King's Kids, a choir for children K–2nd Grade. They have their Spring performance coming up and wanted a new, colorful & fun shirt for the kids to wear. I made the custom illustrations tailored to their requests. I don't do a lot of illustration anymore, and cartooning is my preferred style, so any chance I get to draw some characters is a lot of fun for me.

Project: T-Shirt Design for kid's choir
Client: King's Kids

Identity Design: Cheryl Hammond

2011-04-27T11:18:00.000-07:00

Here is a logo I was hired to create for a dear friend of my family's. Cheryl is a well-known realtor in our area (and a great one too) and helped my wife and me find our current home. When she asked me to develop a logo for her to use on her website, I was happy to be a part of it. The final solution uses her initials to create a house and help identify who she is and what she does. I hope the logo helps introduce Cheryl to many people that will be as happy with her help as we were.

Project: Realtor logo
Client: Cheryl Hammond

Easter Flyers

2011-04-11T18:00:00.000-07:00

Easter is coming up and so that means new Easter flyers for GHCC. I found this image of a tomb, where the viewer is looking out into the sunlight. I thought the image was perfect for Easter and so I have been saving it to use for this flyer.

Project: Easter Flyers
Client: Golden Hills Community Church
Details: 3.67" x 8.5" Double-Sided Flyer

CONVERGE Men's Retreat 2K11

2011-03-31T18:47:00.000-07:00

I meant to upload this a few weeks ago, but this is the promo brochure and poster for a Men's Retreat I did recently. Originally, the theme for the retreat was "Stand Firm". I proposed that they change the name to something a little different since the "Stand Firm" idea (at least to me) seems to be a bit overused for men's gatherings. I pitched "Hold Your Ground" because it was a different way of saying the same thing. The idea is that if Jesus is the Rock you're standing on, than you can hold on to Him during the storms of life. They ran with the theme, and I ran with the design.

Project: Men's Retreat Promotion
Client: CONVERGE PacWest
Details: 11"x17" Poster & 5.5"x8.5" Brochure

Vicksburg EP

2011-03-24T14:15:00.000-07:00

Earlier I posted a shirt I made for Vicksburg to help promote their new EP. Well, here is the mentioned EP in all its glory. Make sure to check out Vicksburg on iTunes or Bandcamp. I love creating album art, so I am grateful to have been a part of this project. See actual pictures of the EP below.

Project: Vicksburg EP Digipak
Client: Vicksburg
Details: 6-song EP Digipak

Living in Community

2011-03-09T17:09:00.000-08:00

Just like last year's book, Golden Hills has written and produced a six-week small group campaign devotional. This year's book is called Living in Community. The theme focuses on learning how to become the body of Christ that Jesus envisioned when the church was first created. Learning about how and why we belong to the body of Christ, focusing on community through love, disciple-making, persevering through suffering and trials, and forgiveness are all parts of the study.

I designed the workbook cover shown above. The main image of the rowers rowing is meant to reflect the church. We all must row together as a team, for if any one person goes against what the rest of the group does then the boat becomes much less efficient or goes off course entirely. Also like the people in the image, we cannot see where we are headed. Only the person sitting at the back of the boat (God) can see what's ahead. He gives the orders and the rowers follow obediently. They keep their eyes on their coach and together work to get to where he directs them. I added a subtle touch to the image of the boat also heading into the darkness, which is what we as a church are called to venture into.

This was a fun project which saw well over 50 concepts and cover image mock-ups before this final direction was decided upon.

Client: Golden Hills Community Church
Details: 8.5x11" book

MSWC 2011: Zip-Up Hoodie

2011-02-24T11:56:00.000-08:00

As you can tell from my last few posts, I have been doing a lot of apparel design recently (mostly due to the Winter Camps I have been involved with). So I figured I would continue the trend and post another recent design. Here's a Zip-Up Hoodie design for GHCC's Middle School Winter Camp, ENGAGE. The cityscapes open up and it says ENGAGE vertically down the hood.

Project: ENGAGE ZIp-Up Hoodie
Client: GHCC One-Eighty Ministry

Inspiration: Gryphony

2011-02-03T11:18:00.000-08:00

I am inspired today by new shirt company, Gryphony. Started in 2010, Gryphony releases a new shirt design every 72 hours. They sell the shirt for 72 hours and then stop to release the new one. Any artist can submit a design for consideration and they get $2 per shirt sold. This is a pretty original idea and a unique way to get multiple artists exposure. I will definitely be checking in every 3 days to see what new shirt is available. Check it out at gryphony.com. Here's the first shirt design (by artists Sassa and Lucas Alcantara):

Update: Sadly, Gryphony has closed up shop after only 2 months, citing internal problems. Bummer, this site was great.

Vicksburg Shirt

2011-02-02T11:31:00.000-08:00

Vicksburg is a new band that just released their first EP this past Fall. I just designed these shirts for them to tie in with their CD. Check them out on iTunes, it's great music.

Project: Black T-Shirt
Client: Vicksburg

HS Winter Camp Apparel

2011-01-27T11:09:00.000-08:00

High School Winter Camp is coming up. That means new threads.

Project: GHCC High School Winter Camp 2011 Apparel
Client: GHCC HSM
Details: T-Shirt, Hooded Sweatshirt, and Zip-Up Hoodie

Revised Starbucks Logo

2011-01-06T11:57:00.000-08:00

Following the trends of many big-name companies who have dropped their name from their logo (like Nike, Shell, AT&T, Apple, etc.) Starbucks has simplified their identity. While some die-hard Starbucks fans may not embrace the change, as a designer I like it. Starbucks has become one of the most recognizable brands in the world (through sheer saturation on every street in America) and so their name really is not necessary. Simplifying the logo really could be useful in their designs. What do you think?

James: In Your Face

2010-12-22T10:03:00.000-08:00

This is a theme for a sermon series I designed recently for a church in Southern California. Here's a peek at what the promo materials look like:

Project: James Series
Client: FLOOD @ Pomona First Baptist

MSWC 2011: ENGAGE Brochure

2010-11-29T16:27:00.000-08:00

Finally, here is the brochure for the GHCC Middle School Winter Camp. It opens as a gate-fold from the middle, which really allows the two worlds imagery of the cities to really stand out. For more info about the camp, visit www.engagecamps.com (Designed by Kyle Stillman).

Project: Middle School Winter Camp Brochure Design
Client: GHCC 180 Ministries
Details: 5"x14.5" Gate Fold Brochure

HSWC 2011: ENGAGE Brochure

2010-11-24T15:39:00.000-08:00

Here is the High School ENGAGE brochure, as promised. As I explained in the logo post, the theme for this camp was based on a Fallout 3 style and the metaphor of emerging from a fallout shelter to take on the world. For more info about the camps, visit www.engagecamps.com (designed by Kyle Stillman).

Project: High School Winter Camp Brochure
Client: GHCC HSM
Details: 16"x5" Tri-Fold Brochure

HSWC 2011: ENGAGE

2010-11-17T10:26:00.000-08:00

GHCC High School Winter Camp 2011 is also called ENGAGE in an effort to bring a consistent message to all the youth that go. Despite the theme being the same name-wise, we wanted to bring a unique identity to the themes.

The idea behind the High School version is a takeaway from the Fallout videogame franchise. In Fallout 3, specifically, the main character emerges from a lifetime living in a fallout shelter to go into the real world and explore the Wasteland, which is a corrupted and dangerous place. The concept is one that has great symbolism for the Winter Camp theme, in which the students will be challenged to engage their culture with Christ. Time to get out of the shelter and engage the real world. I'll make sure to post the brochure for this one too.

Project: GHCC High School Winter Camp 2011
Client: GHCC HSM

MSWC 2011: ENGAGE

2010-11-16T16:16:00.000-08:00

GHCC Middle School Winter Camp 2011 is called ENGAGE. The theme explores the answers to the questions of "What are we searching looking for in the world?" and "What do we do when we find what we're searching for?"

ENGAGE is all about taking hold of truth and not waiting for someone else to step up. The two cities in the the logo (one destroyed and one alive) represent the two sides of the world: those dead and those alive in truth. The call is for the students to get up and engage the culture around them with the help of Christ...rather than sitting and waiting for the culture to engage them. I'll make sure to post the brochure on here in the coming days.

Project: Middle School Winter Camp 2011
Client: GHCC One-Eighty Ministries

Coexist

2010-10-19T11:15:00.000-07:00

I was recently asked to assist in the design of some themes for a Youth Ministry in Southern California. The first theme is called "Coexist" and the purpose is to discuss how Christians can interact with, relate to, and build relationships with other religions. Here's a peek at the theme:

Project: Coexist Theme Design
Client: Flood @ Pomona First Baptist Church

My Darling Sunshine

2010-10-13T11:41:00.000-07:00

My friend Renata Gandha has started a new blog titled "My Darling Sunshine" and I highly suggest you check it out if you have an interest in Graphic Design and need some inspiration. She just has her first post up so you can jump on the bandwagon right from the beginning and not miss a single post! Renata does amazing work and I'm sure you'll appreciate her creativity and inspirations.

Follow the LINK

GAP Update

2010-10-12T09:52:00.000-07:00

Well it has not even been a week yet and Gap has already abandoned ship. The company ditched their new logo and went back to their old one after massive outcry from design critics and customers. GAP admits they made a "mistake" and that they should have gotten more customer input before launching a new brand with no explanation (or they could have just not launched a bargain-bin logo in the first place, but whatever).

I am happy to see they were willing to admit defeat instead of forcing us to view that logo from here on out. Now most people will never even know there was a change. GAP now takes the top spot on my list of brand mis-fires, previously held by Tropicana (who also went back to their old brand after massive outcry, only it was not as quick of a retreat as GAP).

All is right with the world again, until some other company makes a bone-headed decision and screws up their brand.

Here's an article about the retraction: LINK

Why GAP? WHY!?

2010-10-07T14:47:00.000-07:00

Change is not always a good thing. Taking a world-class brand and changing it is very risky.

The new GAP logo is horrible. It is a completely new direction for the brand to the point where the GAP brand is unrecognizable. The logos are not even in the same ballpark in terms of quality, and the class and charm of the longstanding classic is now a no-creativity gradient bore-fest. Some things should just be left alone.

In fact, response to this eyesore has been so bad in the design world and in GAP's customer circles, I wouldn't be surprised if there was a retraction along the lines of Tropicana's brand recall from a couple years ago.

Harvest Carnival Posters

2010-09-23T12:42:00.000-07:00

The annual Harvest Carnival at GHCC is a Halloween alternative in the sense that it allows whole families to come together to play games and get candy, without the kids having to go around door to door in the dark. It is a safe, wholesome place that provides a lot of fun — and candy. I developed the new identity for this event last year, and wanted to continue that look and feel to develop a sense of continuity.

Project: GHCC Harvest Carnival Posters
Client: GHCC Children's Ministry
Details: 11"x17" Poster

Alternate Type Tutorial @ Media Militia

2010-09-22T10:02:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite sites, MediaMilitia.com has an awesome tutorial and article about type ligatures & alternate characters that can bring life to any typography project. I highly recommend checking it out if you have any interest in typography and graphic design. The tips they provide were incredibly helpful. Visit Media Militia's site here.

Immerse Posters

2010-09-21T11:36:00.000-07:00

HSM's 2010–2011 Theme is called Immerse. For their promotional posters, I decided to keep it simple with just showing images of things immersed. Fish immersed in water, car immersed in snow, bug immersed in amber. I think the final result is eye-catching but also intriguing as students try to figure out what the images mean and how they apply to the theme of immerse. See the other two posters after the jump.

Project: Immerse Theme Promotion
Client: HSM (GHCC High School Ministries)
Details: 11"x17" Posters
Images are property of their respective owners. All Rights Reserved.

Absorb

2010-09-08T16:52:00.000-07:00

The theme for One-Eighty (Middle School) Ministries this semester is "Absorb". The purpose of the theme is to stress the importance of hiding God's Word in our hearts. This identity will carry the students through the rest of the year and a new theme will be launched in the winter.

Client: One Eighty, GHCC Middle School Ministries

Identity Design: Teleios

2010-08-11T16:19:00.000-07:00

Teleios is a Greek word that means "complete in various applications of labor, growth, mental and moral character, etc." It is also the new name of the Internship and Leadership Training implemented by the Youth Department at GHCC. The logo is an abstraction of paths going the same direction, with one path branching off to go its own way. Since the young adults involved in Teleios have said they want to go a different route than their peers and really take their service and commitment to Christ to the next level, this seemed an appropriate symbol for that idea.

Project: Teleios Logo
Client: GHCC Youth Department

Revelation Poster

2010-07-15T12:10:00.000-07:00

Here's a poster for an upcoming study series at GHCC about the Book of Revelation. Rather than take the concept of looking up to the sky, like many Revelation series justifiably do, I instead decided to take the opposite angle of looking down on the earth with an "apocalyptic" feel. The series focuses on how Revelation applies to current events, so it seemed appropriate to have the focus on the ground and the people.

Project: Revelation Poster
Client: Adult Ministries, GHCC
Details: 17x6" poster

New Hope Recovery

2010-07-02T14:38:00.000-07:00

New Hope is a recovery program to help those in need of healing from addictions and painful situations. They wanted a new identity to embody their mission: to come alongside those is need of recovery and help them on their recovery journey. I incorporated their mission idea into their new identity.

Project: New Hope Identity Re-design
Client: New Hope Recovery Ministries

United in Freedom Poster

2010-06-16T11:12:00.000-07:00

Here's a poster I just did for a Single's Group and their summer theme. The theme is "United in Freedom". I started thinking through concepts for freedom and started off with a lot of ideas of chain breaking and things like that...but then I had the idea of something escaping to freedom. And then I had the vision of fish escaping a fish bowl and getting to open water. Of course, the theme is "united" in freedom, so I made it a group effort. I am very happy with the results, I think the concept comes through the way I intended.

Client: SingleFocus
Details: 11x17" Poster

Design Inspiration: Nicole Berman Design

2010-06-06T15:45:00.001-07:00

My friend Nicole Berman recently graduated from the Academy of Art University and she has some killer work in her portfolio. Among my favorites are her redesign of the Anchor Steam Beer brand and packaging, her redesign of the Kmart brand and their packaging, and her integration of the (RED) brand into a custom lamp. Check out some pictures of these projects after the jump, and be sure to visit her website at www.nicoleberman.com to see more.

Here is the packaging redesign for Anchor Steam Beer:

Here's the (RED) lamp, designed to help raise money to eliminate AIDS in Africa:

Here's the redesign of the Kmart brand, intended to bring it up to the standards of the Target brand. I love the solutions of all these different lines of products:

Congrats on graduating Nicole!

Website Revision

2010-06-01T09:55:00.000-07:00

After a few months I have switched my website over to Cargo Collective and redesigned my official website. I now also have a contact page and my full portfolio available for viewing. If you want to check it out, it is still at tyleradamsdesign.com.

As for Cargo, they do a good job over there. The registration is by invitation only, so it helps keep the sites on there limited to the target group they envisioned. I think I am going to be happy with my new home.

Identity Design: Deep

2010-05-29T17:00:00.001-07:00

Posting the Solstice logo reminded me of the logo I did back in 2008 for the 180 yearly theme called "Deep". This was one of my favorite logos that I have done because of the fact that the final solution reads the same rightside up or upside down.

Project: Deep Theme Logo
Client: One-Eighty, GHCC Middle School Ministries

Identity Design: Solstice

2010-05-24T20:20:00.000-07:00

The Summer Theme for One-Eighty (the Middle School group at GHCC) is "Solstice". Solstice is a word used to describe the time when the earth is closest to the sun in the summer. I designed the logo to incorporate the white space around the O as the sunrays. The orange arrows imply pointing towards the sun or getting close to the sun, which is the definition of the word in the context of this summer theme.

Project: Solstice Logo
Client: One-Eighty (GHCC Middle School)

Centurion Pasta Co.

2010-05-11T15:28:00.000-07:00

One of my school projects was to design a fictitious pasta company's identity and packaging. I created Centurion Pasta Co, an authentic Italian family company. I patterned the look of the identity off ancient Roman carvings and architecture. More after the jump.

Project: Pasta Company Identity & Packaging
Client: Centurion Pasta Co. (school project)

New Google

2010-05-06T22:14:00.000-07:00

So I went on Google today, as I pretty much do everyday. And something looked...different. Now, Google is known for being creative with their logo on their homepage by switching things up for holidays and special events, but this logo was not that. It was the normal logo...almost.

The Google brand is one of the biggest and most successful brands in recent memory, despite not having the most beautiful or conventional brand mark in the world. To change anything about the monster search engine and their logo must have been a huge issue of debate within the company and one that went through a lot of trial and error. The final result seems almost simple. Many casual observers may not even realize something is different or even be able to tell what is different. But Google has made a permanent change, not a daily holiday gimmick change. Goodbye, drop shadow. Hello simplicity.

The changes are subtle, but for a company of Google's stature, this is a huge change. In addition to the drop shadow disappearing, the embossing has been refined. The overall effect makes the colors feel brighter. This is the perfect example of how a drop shadow can hurt a design. Funny how everyone thinks a drop shadow is always a good thing. Losing the shadow is a step up. They have made changes without sacrificing the trademark white homepage, which would have been devastating.

The purpose behind the change, as I found out, was to coincide with the new engine functions and look. Changing the logo to be sleeker and simpler was a bold move to tell people that something is different about Google. I think this is a big improvement, even though it takes some getting used to. But I have to give Google credit for taking a bold step, when they could have stood still and no one would have cared. As for the new search toolbar on the left of my favorite search engine, I'll have to get back to you on that.

Google Blog

Camping Trip Flyer

2010-05-06T19:22:00.000-07:00

I'm Back! Here is a brand-new, hot-off-the-press design promoting an upcoming camping trip for Kairos, the Young Adult group at GHCC. I am really happy with how this turned out, it feels "campy"(in a good way).

Client: Kairos, GHCC Young Adult Ministry
Details: 11x4.25" double-sided flyer

Excuse Me

2010-04-08T14:49:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I posted, but I have a good reason. My wife gave birth to our first child on March 21st, so things have been a bit crazy! When they settle down I will be posting some new work samples and hopefully some great inspiration as well. Thanks for reading!

Book Design: Fallout

2010-03-10T15:57:00.000-08:00

One of my projects was to design a 100-page book on a scientific topic. While digging through some old papers from someone's attic at a garage sale, I came across an old Fallout Shelter manual from the 1940s. I thought it would be an interesting idea to create a modern-day version of it with scientific research on nuclear and biological warefare, along with sections for how to survive attacks of that nature. I made much of the style of the design to reference the old manual I found and the book turned out to be a pretty interesting compilation. See more pictures after the jump.

Project: 100-page book design
Client: N/A
Details: 6x9" paperback book

What They Don't Teach in Design School:

2010-03-04T15:57:00.000-08:00

I wanted this blog to not only be a log of what I have been working on, but also a place where I share my design inspirations.
Identityworks.com has a great new article up (written by Paula Scher, creator of the famous Citi logo) about what you learn and don't learn at Design School and what you don't learn from blogs. It is an interesting read, especially for someone like me who went and learned a lot from design school.

I never knew a designer that got hundreds of thousands of dollars to design a logo. Mostly, designers get paid to negotiate the difficult terrain of individual egos, expectations, tastes, and aspirations of various individuals in an organization or corporation, against business needs, and constraints of the marketplace. This is a process that can take a year or more. Getting a large, diverse group of people to agree on a single new methodology for all of their corporate communications means the designer has to be a strategist, psychiatrist, diplomat, showman, and even a Svengali. The complicated process is worth money. That’s what clients pay for. The process, usually a series of endless presentations and refinements, persuasions and proofs, results, hopefully, in an accepted identity design.

Read the full article here on Identity Forum.

New Website Up

2010-02-25T17:26:00.001-08:00

So I launched round one of my new website today. It allows you to view many of my favorite projects from my portfolio in one place as photoalbums, rather than searching through the pages of blog-o-sphere. It's being hosted at wix.com for now, so the URL is a little strange. Maybe when cash isn't so tight I will pony up to have them host tyleradamsdesign.com.

For now the site is www.wix.com/Violinguy72/TylerAdamsDesign

Head over and check it out. Let me know what you think.

HSM Posters

2010-02-10T13:42:00.000-08:00

Here is a set of 5 posters used to promote 5 different series of messages in the High School Department at GHCC. Each had a very different theme, but I used similar simple typography and layout to tie them all together since they were all promoting the same thing, one after another. See the final 4 posters after the jump.

Client: HSM, GHCC High School Ministry
Details: 11x17" Posters

Identity Design: OneFiftySeven Logo

2010-02-07T22:45:00.002-08:00

Client: One Eighty, GHCC Middle School Ministry
Details: Logo for OneFiftySeven, the GHCC Middle School Leadership Team. Here is the alternate logo:

Home Depot Skin Care

2010-02-05T12:38:00.000-08:00

One of my projects at the Academy of Art was to create a skin care line for a company that currently does not have one. I decided on "O" for Men, a line for Home Depot. The O stood for "Orange", Home Depot's trademark color. The Skin care is designed to meet the needs of the everyday working man. Working outside all day in the yard? Construction job leaving your hands feeling calloused and dirty? Get cleaned up with Home Depot "O" for Men. All bottles and the display were built at Californa Model and Design and this was one of my favorite projects to work on from my tenure at school. For more pictures, click "read more".

Client: Home Depot (School Project)

Nemesis Brochure

2010-02-01T13:49:00.000-08:00

Here's the brochure for GHCC High School Winter Camp 2010, as promised. It opens from the middle, showcasing the light and dark opposites to imply "nemesis". This weekend is going to be great, I wish I could go!

Client: HSM, GHCC High School Ministry
Details: 6.5x5" brochure (folded size)

Nemesis: HSWC 2010

2010-01-30T16:05:00.001-08:00

GHCC High School Winter Camp is also coming up and I designed the identity system for that as well. The theme is Nemesis, an exploration into the causes of us being unable to get close to God. I will try to post the brochure art soon.

Client: HSM, GHCC High School Ministry

Sofia: MSWC 2010

2010-01-30T15:50:00.001-08:00

GHCC Middle School Winter Camp is coming up and I have put together the identity system for it. The theme is Sofia, a Greek word meaning Wisdom. I incorporated the Greek characters into the design. See the official Sofia website @ www.findsofia.info (site designed by Kyle Stillman).

Client: One-Eighty, GHCC Middle School Ministry

Identity Design: GHCS

2010-01-30T15:19:00.000-08:00

Client: Golden Hills Christian School

Leaping Horse Wine

2010-01-30T11:45:00.000-08:00

Leaping Horse Vineyards was the first vineyard to begin growing in Lodi, California — a location that is becoming more and more popular. The problem is that Leaping Horse's labels and identity were behind the times and did not stand out in a crowded market. As a project for the Academy of Art I redesigned the labels to be more metaphorical, with a horseshoe as the main image rather than the obvious leaping horse that they currently featured. The horseshoe is the base from which the horse leaps, and therefore became a great mark for the new line of labels. More pictures after the jump.

Client: Leaping Horse Vineyards (School Project)

Serving the Master

2010-01-29T12:50:00.001-08:00

Every year, Golden Hills Community Church launches a small group campaign that involves the writing and producing of their own small group devotional materials. This year's theme is "Serving the Master", with an emphasis on our role in God's Kingdom. The goal is for everyone to realize that they are an important piece of the overall puzzle and that through community we can do great things for God.

Client: Golden Hills Community Church
Details: 8.5x11" Book

Identity Design: One-Eighty

2010-01-29T12:09:00.001-08:00

One-Eighty is the Middle School Ministry at Golden Hills Community Church. They wanted a new logo that had more meaning than their previous one. The new design features a lock-up with the two "E"s mirroring each other around the cross. This gets across the meaning intended by the name: that lives are changed and students can do a complete "180" at the cross.

Client: One-Eighty, GHCC Middle School Ministry

Identity Design: Kairos

2010-01-29T12:00:00.001-08:00

Kairos is the Young Adult group at Golden Hills Community Church. They recently went through a complete overhaul of their identity: changing name, logo, promo materials, even meeting day and time. Kairos is an ancient Greek word meaning "the right or opportune moment". They wanted the young adults to realize that this time in their life is the "right moment" for God to use them. They don't need to wait until they are out of school or working full time. The logo incorporates this idea with the timeline running through the name, meeting at the scope/compass in the "O".

Client: Kairos, GHCC Young Adult Ministry

Identity Refresh: Verge Global, Inc.

2010-01-29T11:49:00.000-08:00

Verge Global is a ministry organization who helps groups organize short-term missions trips all over the world. They approached me about refreshing their current logo, which involved tweaking the type, color, and shape enough to give it a professional and bold presence.

Client: Verge Global, Inc.

Welcome!

2010-01-29T10:29:00.001-08:00

Hello! My name is Tyler and this is my new blog. I am a Graphic Designer and this is the place where I want to let you into my world of what I do.

Begin.