austin capital area metro rebranding // 2004
Far too often the ones advocating increased public transportation are absent when it came to riding public buses. The capital metro brand has become too associated with a misrepresentation of resources and nondescript buses. We proposed to do away with the old name and replace it with ‘Capital Area Transit.’ Much of the imagery for the logo and design of the bus stop came from ‘CAT,’ the idea of nimbleness and sharp vision. This also created something inclusive, bringing more people together by a shared name that allowed the riders to give the transit system their own slang term, not an official nickname.
I wanted to simplify the contradictory organization method, and replace it with a more universal color-coding system: each route will be color-coded and each bus stop will correspond with the color of the bus. With television screens commonplace in automobiles and advertising becoming increasingly obtrusive, we sought to take this one step further: starting with the idea of the eye, I proposed fitting the buses with image protectors. Passing cars, buildings and people all become part of the image. Changing projection and led screens on the bus help target specific audiences. They can be programmed to display different images to specifically target economic and ethnic parts of the city. Also, the coveted rush hour times could bring in increased revenue.
lot49 retail/branding studio // 2005
Increasingly, architecture is seen as an extension of the consumer culture, subjugated to the needs of the marketplace. Architecture becomes the physical manifestation of the brand, sharing common visual and ideological cues, as evidenced in fashion houses Prada and Hermes. The studio was tasked with designing a brand and then creating the architecture.
Not only is Austin the self-proclaimed “live music capital of the world,” but the site was located at the western edge of Sixth Street – the epicenter of the music/bar scene in Austin. With this in mind, the brand “LOT49” was born, with the intent of creating a symbiotic relationship with the music culture of Austin by selling fashion influenced by the music scene, as well as targeting musicians and aficionados with high-end speaker systems. The third element became the underground bar, a staple music lore.
The branding exercise became an exploration of coolness and authenticity through design – a natural hybridization when Marc Jacobs outfits Karen O and American Apparel supercedes The Gap. The project uses visual architectural cues/metaphors to tie into the world of music and fashion. Architecture can both reinforce – stay “on brand” – but can always transcend marketing, through the physical, reality of light, form and color.
This was also the first paperless studio project I worked on. I was fumbling around with lightwave 6.0 all semester. It’s incredible how far technology has come in four years.
so long gracefulspoon v2.0
Almost lasted a year. I hope to start updating this site more regularly as I gear up for the inevitable job search and rapidly approaching graduation.
Helvetica On Fire
I have a love / hate relationship with Helvetica. If I knew anything about fonts, I probably wouldn’t use it so much. And while it’s not Norm’s or Lacma, after watching the documentary there is no doubt that helvetica must burn!
Also seen in my freelance work blog at lioninoil.net.
Undergraduate Architecture Portfolio
GracefulSpoon Version1.0 was mainly a static repository for my undergraduate portfolio and eventually led to this printed version. It’s funny to look back on something that became such a major time investment, something that is supposed to sum up all my design sensibilities, and even, in no small measure, played a major role in determining the outcome of my immediate future. And then, after months of anticipation, the portfolio fulfills its purpose – successfully! – and is no longer relevant. So, in lieu of a fiery burial at sea, I hope a modest blog post isn’t too anticlimactic.
Click here to view the full portfolio.
By popular demand, I added a link to lulu if you’d like to order a high-quality, printed version.