client: TBD LOFT : Oregon, USA
project: Gallery Exhibit Communications
I've come to really enjoy being involved in First Friday Art Walk here in Bend, OR – particulary in the space at TBD Loft. The Loft's exhibit commitee wanted to create some special communication materials for the launch of a new monthly evolving show called, Community Portrait: Who Are We?. I came on-board as a volunteer art director/designer for a variety of materials such as this banner. The first two monthly exhibits have been a fantastic celebration of our community and local creative endeavors. To learn more, check out TBD LOFT on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tbdloft?ref=ts

client: MY NAKED GURU : California, USA
project: Logo & Web Identity, Apparel
My Naked Guru is on a mission to raise consciousness one person at a time, one moment at a time. MNG's service provides its customers with personally written daily text messages by best-selling authors on personal growth and relationships. The folks at MNG came to me for a refreshed logo/brand image, and we delivered with this timely, memorable mark and associated website redesign and custom apparel.

client: WIDE OPEN CREATIVE : Self Promotion
project: Art Direction & Production
Do you use recycled paper for your business cards? The only thing better than that would be to just reuse paper for your business cards. Think about it. Wide Open Creative always does its best to tread lightly, so I am kicking off 2010 with these fancy new cards printed on paper pulled out of the recycle bin.

client: SOULFOOD: New Zealand
project: Branding, Art Direction & Store Signage
Soulfood, an organic grocery store and cafe, is trying to satisfy a specialized, but valuable market place among other food stores and cafes in Wanaka, New Zealand. By creating a more accessible visual brand that reflects the friendly character of Soulfood, we hoped to broaden and revive the appeal. This punchy, pop-art brand direction is generating a refreshed enthusiasm in current shoppers while drawing fresh attention to the store & cafe from new patrons. Can't wait for that next Lonely Planet write-up! What a fun project! We will be adding more images of the outdoor signage as it's implemented in the coming weeks!

client: HEALTH IN HARMONY: New Zealand
project: Publication Branding & Art Direction
Health In Harmony, a guide for living a natural, healthy and sustainable lifestyle manifests itself as a magazine and website. Going into a 5th year of production, the personality of the publication was growing tired and dated. The objective was to take the magazine from a place of appreciated existence as an accessible resource to a place of genuinely desired possession – a cool find for the new reader, and a refreshing face-lift for the regulars. The renewed the visual voice of Health In Harmony is exciting and intriguing a widening audience.

client: WIDE OPEN CREATIVE
project: THUNK: A Custom Display Typeface
What started as a logo concept for a new client finished as a custom typeface we call Thunk. This display typeface was created to be used in a stylish manner, but also needed to be calm and friendly. The appearance is soft, but with an understood confidence that often accompanies bold, geometric type styles. The stubby ascenders and descenders terminate with smooth curves, originally intended to be reminiscent of a softened yin and yang. This typeface is for sale as vector letterforms for USD $35.00. Please contact wide open creative to purchase.

client: IMPACT INTERNATIONAL : New Zealand
project: Apple Sales Manager Notebook
Impact International is a global organization that develops programs to help business teams improve performance. In this case, Impact International came to the local New Zealand design studio, Cabin Fever, in need of a booklet to stimulate thought process among Apple Sales Managers. Under contract to Cabin Fever, we worked to create this 52-page workbook. Clean, contemporary design coupled with 12 custom models and diagrams make this a solid resource piece for Impact International's Apple Sales program.

client: DOWMAN FARM : New Plymouth, New Zealand
project: Branding, Packaging, Jam Type
Jenny Dowman has been known as the Plum Lady in the greater Taranaki region for the past 20 years. For the 2009 season, Jenny was seeking a new label system that would present her down-to-earth organic farming practices in a lively and memorable way to new buyers. Our solution sought to celebrate all that Jenny's delicious jams offer in a contemporary hip-kitchen-vibe way without leaving the grass-roots honesty of the farm behind.

client: DOWMAN FARM : New Plymouth, New Zealand
project: Logo, Identity
As part of the overall re-brand packaging project for Dowman Farm, we created a logo-type identity for use on packaging and signage. Based on traditional serif typefaces, the identity is classic and clean, allowing it to be used in a very contemporary way while staying safe enough to feel comfortable at the farmers' markets.

client: WIDE OPEN CREATIVE : STUDIO ART
project: Children's Rhymes Book
Classic children's rhymes with potential cultural comparisons are being illustrated for compilation into a limited-edition book. This first series starts with Jack & Jill. The illustration style encourages the viewer to look past the expected foreground to recognize the negative space. These mixed-media, digitized illustrations are as vibrant and playful as any good eye-candy should be, but also carry the thoughtful intentions to remind ourselves to celebrate the things we don't normally give attention to.

client: RISING SUN PRODUCTION, BOULDER MUSEUM of CONTEMPORARY ART, SIERRA CLUB: Colorado, USA
project: Screenprinting & design; posters
Sometimes you just have to get away from the computer. In my case, I built a screen-printing set-up in my home. From 2004 through 2007 I spent some of my free time designing and printing work for the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, the Sierra Club and Rising Sun Productions. I had more pro-bono clients than paying clients, but it was always fun getting messy with emulsions and inks, cranking out series of posters to a soundtrack of Led Zeppelin and Radiohead, late into the night.

client: HOTPADS : Washington D.C. , USA
project: Website Navigation System, Logo, Identity
Upon our completion of a logo and identity system for Hotpads, they launched their map-based housing website created by their in-house web developers. After a year of gaining traction and working out the bugs, Hotpads came back to us and asked for help with their navigation design. We created this "best-case-scenario" design that their team of web engineers have been implementing as the means becomes available. In 2007, Hotpads was invigorated with a financial boost of 2.3 million from Meakem Becker Venture Capital. Hotpads.com won a 2009 WEBBY Award. Go Hotpads! www.hotpads.com

© 2010 matthew ebbing