The Houston Art Car Parade is a yearly event in Houston, Texas, featuring a display of all types of rolling art. The first and largest Art Car Parade in the world, at any given parade you will see cars, bicycles, motorcycles, roller-skaters, and many other types of motorized and human-powered vehicles all decorated in various themes. There are also classic cars, lowriders, and various other highly modified roadworthy vehicles.

The parade has been a Houston tradition since 1988 where 40 decorated vehicles were featured during the Houston International Festival. The first art car parade took place on May 14, 1986, when 11 vehicles participated in a parade down Montrose Boulevard.

The WHR Architects rebrand has been one of the most challenging and yet, rewarding projects I have ever had the privilege of being a part of. By definition, architects are well-rounded in many aspects of design. They exceed at three dimensional form, color, texture, materials, structure, objects, scale and the relationship and human response to these characteristics of design. They even employ a process called “Evidence-Based Design” by which data collected from the user experience is utilized to influence their design and decision making processes.

All this is to say that, throughout the branding process, there was an incredible amount of truth involved, i.e. in a design presentation you would never get away with, “I did this because it looks really cool”. No amount of marketing or design speak would ever work either. Every single decision had to have a reason; a reason that directly related to their core values, culture, vision or nature of their business.

The WHR Architects rebranding process began as a symbol exploration. Their previous logo, which consisted of a red (or black) box with WHR (set in Garamond) reversed out in the lower portion, was dated and their colors were not unique in the industry. In fact, red (or variation of red including red-orange), black and gray seems to be the consensus among the local architectural firms.

While I can not be specific as to what the symbol exploration looked like, I can say that throughout the lengthy process more than 250 symbols were explored and presented in a variety of formats. Towards the end, we were left with a few unique ideas in the mix and how they could be applied to a few of the stationery components.

But because WHR saw themselves as a company that was so multi-dimensional, cross-cultural and multi-facted, they could not reconcile themselves to a singular mark or symbol. The end result was a simple, consistent approach taken towards the application of the identity across businesses and markets while the accompanying supergraphic, initially presented as a visual play or extension of one of the symbols, takes on a more predominant role.

Concomitant to the design of supporting collateral, brand identity guidelines were also created that outlined specific components of the new brand including core values, positioning, color and application of the logotype and supporting supergraphic(s).

What is interesting about this document, while an excerpt, is that is suggests how the static supergraphic can be expounded on, allowing a virtually unlimited amount of possibilities with the implementation.

Unique business cards and letterheads were designed for each business segment with the appropriate four color supergraphic printed on the back. Envelopes were simplified to two colors but remain true to the palette.

Notebooks were designed and produced for employees that reinforce key brand messages while providing ample space and structure for taking notes and sketching.

The multi-purpose brand box doubles as an employee gift, as it contained each employee’s brand related materials upon launch, and a package for shipping relevant materials to clients and prospects. The tagline was imprinted with a black foil stamp and the box is secured with pre-printed labels that can be addressed in house.

Simple T’s were printed on an organic cotton shirt with the tagline on front and logotype on the sleeve.

The brand is reinforced on the website through the use of luminous graphics in the banner and candid and portrait photography throughout alongside project examples and details.

The project images shown above are the result of the WHR Architects re-brand completed at the end of the first quarter, 2009. This project was completed while I was on staff at Savage, in Houston, Texas. Many people were involved in the creation, production and planning of this project on both sides of the equation. For full details, please see the complete credits.

First, I blame Microsoft, for creating, selling and distributing an inferior product. Second, I blame Microsoft, for creating said product in such a way that is proprietary and non-standards compliant. Third, I blame Microsoft, for not supporting that browser in subsequent OS releases to the extent that one has to upgrade their entire system to install a modern browser.

Because corporations and small businesses alike that purchased mass quantities of Microsoft products can not afford to upgrade their entire systems just so they can have a better browser.

Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be one in sight. It’s as if all of us will have to wait until everyone has had the means and opportunity to upgrade. What would have been nice is if IE8, for example, worked properly on Windows 2000 or below. Ever heard of backwards compatibility?

I choose not to support IE6 when developing websites and I make that clear up front with my clients. If a client has to have the site display perfectly in IE6, then there is extra time in development on the estimate I provide them.

PILCROW is a juried publication collecting visual responses to design challenges. The concepts below were submitted to the publication for review as single pages and/or spreads. Requirements for submitting artwork to the publication can be found here.

Reviewing the supplied text and imagery, this notion of taking things out of context and putting them into another began to surface. Specifically in regards to the paragraphs, the supplied text as part of the design problem and parameters, that were chosen as inspiration, I began to wonder how the text was assimilated into its final form.

In an attempt to sort things out, I began by organizing the data and grouping it into columns and sections that had a semblance of similarity; subject, verb, noun, pronoun, adverb, adjective, conjunction, preposition, etc. By drawing a line from the word as it was placed in its column group to its place in the final text as provided, a real sense of randomized selection was visually present. From a readability standpoint, the text was completely nonsensical, very much like spam. Looking closer, I found that even as random as it seemed, there was an inherent pattern, there was subject verb agreement; the same number of nouns as there were verbs, etc., begging the question, “Is there pattern in randomness?”

Going forward with the process, the idea of restructuring data, word, text, visuals – a recontextualizer or data aggregation matrix – and assimilating them into another message became clear. There was a point where as long as there was enough data, it could be recomposed, deconstructed and reconstructed in a seemingly infinite number of ways. The provided compositions are the result, some going so far as to create their own underlying structure and pattern.

Not to be outdone, graphs showing site statistics for two days following the launch have been provided. As an individual – and sole graphic designer – I could not believe how much traffic was generated in such a short amount of time. What’s even more interesting is disparity between one day and the next. Does the data prove the ephemeral nature of today’s internet users and the notion of instant gratification, or does it simply show that this site doesn’t have a lot of content worth revisiting? Probably a little bit of both, but fascinating nonetheless.

Repaired, the family is now intact. Without going overboard, smudges and other fragments have been effectively removed while contrast, saturation and clarity were intensified. The most challenging aspect of this photograph was the missing parts – the quarter inch gap and missing arm rest on the woman’s left and all the way around her spouse and child where someone had cut them out, literally.

The tools and techniques involved in retouching this photograph were:

1. Clone Stamp
2. Healing Brush
3. Various Custom Airbrushes
4. Filter – Dust and Scratches
5. Image – Adjustment – Curves
6. Filter – Sharpen – Unsharp Mask

Touting education, software and training does not translate into a professional graphic design bargaining chip. Software is cheap, relatively speaking, or pirated. Fonts are readily available, or pirated as well. Access to major industry production platforms does not give one the right to lay claim to being a professional graphic designer either. And while attaining a diploma from a major university specializing in graphic design, like Cranbrook, CalArts or RISD (Rhode Island School of Design) is quite a bit more difficult, not to mention credible, other universities offering the same or similar programs aren’t, i.e.The Art Institute. That is to say, at least they claim to offer the same or similar programs. But how can the general population distinguish the work of a graduate of Cranbrook Academy of Art versus The Art Institute of Houston, for instance? What measure does one use to do so and do they even care? As one of my professors from the University of Houston so poignantly said, “…of the 24 graduates from the program, there might be two of you who will be able to do it well…”. From what I have seen, she was exactly right.

Neither the talent, nor the skill, nor the knowledge of a desktop publisher can match those of a seasoned design professional. The degree to which the results of a design problem solved by a professional designer far surpass those of a desktop publisher is self-evident. Bad decisions on the part of a desktop publisher manifest themselves in a variety of ways; whether it be the abuse of royalty-free photography, a complete disregard for appropriate paper stock or other production materials and methods, or a deficient use of web production standards. Aside from the obvious gap, the lack of mastering typographic skills, the knowledge of appropriate type and it’s articulation being tantamount to producing good graphic design, is where desktop publishing always fails. All this is not to say, however, that desktop publishers do not have the right to produce the “same” deliverables of a professional designer, to the contrary. The corresponding label and price, however, should be more appropriately considered.

I have experienced the marginalization of the industry first hand, through my initial experience in an in-house corporate design department and through listening to industry peers and vendors throughout my career. Starting
salaries for a junior designer with a bachelor’s degree in graphic design is low, even when the demand is high. It literally takes years for a designer starting out in the industry to earn enough to make a good living, much less raise a family. What’s worse is the gap in the salaries between the upper management, principals, partners and creative directors, and the middle and lower management, art directors, senior designers and designers. To some extent, these insufficiencies are attributable to gains realized by less experienced, less qualified desktop publishers, known to charge $50–$75 per hour. One might say these potential gains are irrelevant, but collectively, the sum of them could be transferred to firms employing a few junior designers. The junior designers would gain valuable experience and as a result, the final product would be better. Instead, the design industry suffers.

Design firms aren’t the only ones affected by desktop publishers nipping at their heels. Having worked with a number of printers through the years, I have heard the horror stories first hand of pre-press receiving files inadequate for printing. Either the fonts are missing, the fonts are in the wrong format, the images are missing, the images are in the wrong format, the colors are not assigned properly, there are too many spot colors used, there are no bleeds pulled or all of the above, to name a few. Other problems stem from insufficient software like the use of Microsoft Publisher—BAD Microsoft. A lot of time and energy goes into making sure files will output to plates correctly and when something goes wrong, deadlines are missed, and ultimately, money is lost. I doubt the cost associated with these errors are “eaten” by the printer, but rather transferred across their client base. Professional designers and firms are thus guilty by association.

Other factors contribute to the erosion of professional design. Specifically, the rise of the mega-pixel and the misuse of design templates. As many of the aforementioned points can also be applied to digital photography and prefabricated design. The accessibility and affordability of very good digital photography publishing platforms and their automation systems and the rising tide of royalty free web sites contribute to a virtual sea of mediocrity that professional designers are often forced to wade through. In many ways, it is the sub-genre of desktop photo-journalism and its corresponding overlap that dilutes the solution most. To give one example, istockphoto, owned by Getty Images, now has over 3.5 million images (at the time of this article). Of those millions, how many are actually good and by whose standard? How many would you consider for a major advertising campaign or corporate communications piece? Sure, there are diamonds in the rough, but to what extent is the concept and quality of content compromised in the name of affordability? As a result, talented professional photographers are under utilized, unique opportunities are missed and the cycle of mediocre photography influencing mediocre desktop publishing is perpetuated.

Desktop publishers are errantly characterizing themselves as professional graphic designers. They should be forthright with communications to clients in terms of expectations and amend their business models so that pricing structures fall below that of professional design firms, abstaining from commoditizing design by listing services and delivery time frames. Likewise, entities practicing professional graphic design services should continue to migrate to the strategic level, employing strategists or business analysts where appropriate. Perhaps certification or accreditation, much like architecture and interior design, is warranted. I am not for certain, but the idea is to elevate the practice beyond its current misconceptions. How many times has someone approached you and asked, “Hey, don’t you do graphics (yes, plural) design type advertising desktop publishing stuff?”.

Truthfully, the general population has no idea what we do. The goal is to widen the gap between desktop publishing and professional graphic design to the extent that the results of the products we create are self-evident; educating the public that our professional practice is a discipline that requires talent, skill and education, that it creates awareness for issues, brings order and thereby understanding to information, and ultimately adds value to our lives.

The illustration of the raven in the upper left hand portion of the site has no deep underlying message or meaning. It is not a “totem” of any kind. There was no ulterior motive other than wanting to showcase an illustration of some kind in the header. What is more interesting, however, is the use of the raven throughout history, literature, mythology and the Holy Bible. Undoubtedly, the thematic elements of the site will change over time.

As of May, 2009 the site was integrated into the WordPress publishing platform. The site is now much easier to edit and update. In the near future, friends, inspiration and recommended readings will be added. In the meantime, feel free to drop me a line.

I am a firm believer in giving credit where credit is due. I can attribute much of my success as a designer to the education I received as an undergraduate at the University of Houston, and while the university itself isn’t nationally recognized as one of the leading design schools, the professors teaching design there are exceptional. Namely, Cheryl Becket, Fiona McGettingan, Beckham Dossett, Sybille Hagman and David Hickman. Please read their respective bios or search for them on the web.

Since then, I have practiced professional design at a number of smaller studios until I landed at Savage. I have learned a great deal from many of the talented design directors there. Many thanks to them as mentors and friends and for the opportunities to do great work.