Da Vinci rebrand: software brochures

Software brochures makeover for Da Vinci Communications

Desktop publishing is a path of discovery. Why is making something look better worthy toil? There are benefits to clarity, ease of understanding for busy people justifies hours in production.

Pleasing design needs no apology, even in technical publications. Artistic expression can be placed on the same level as informational expressional.
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Events Management Group: logo design & identity system

EMG Events Management Group was a Christchurch firm established to support the performing arts and project manage the creation and development of large and small scale events such as outdoor theatre for the city council’s parks & recreation department, conferences, conventions and bespoke corporate events.

Senior leaders in the firm were particularly keen on ensuring the logo design and branding positioned them well in the corporate market.
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Auto Restorations A5 brochure front cover

Auto Restorations capabilities brochure

Auto Restorations logo. Brands for New Zealand companies, Christchurch, New Zealand.Auto Restorations has a story to tell. This capabilities and profile brochure was designed with people in mind who will have heard about Auto Restorations by other means, such as work of mouth, the core of the brochure design, as with the website redesign is for people to see the sort of things that Auto Restorations do, the sort of company that they are. The idea is to give them the impression that Auto Restorations are people worth their while to deal with. So the main purpose, as with the website is to; showcase their work, give an impression of what the company is like, give the impression they are reliable and work to the highest achievable international standards.
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Tru-Line Civil, corporate stationery system, business card, letterhead, mobile web, CD ROM, envelope, website

Hard working TruLine stationery system

The Tru-Line Civil rebrand’s good-looking corporate stationery system works hard and adapts easily. The design conforms to the world’s most popular business look. It is corporate—uncluttered, clean and impressive. The Tru-Line business system, consists of A4 letterhead, envelope, business card, with compliments slip and a versatile laminated and embossed document folder that is trimmed down from the same worksheet as the folder to create a custom Word document cover with a window. The system is easily manipulated and I can adapt it for almost any use. At the core of the system is the Tru-Line Civil logo, or “mark” and a separate block of text.
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Portrait of TeKiwi Silver Cloud with shot glasses lined up outside Nicola's Cantina.

Launching Silver Cloud 100% agave spirit

“Silver Cloud” 100% Blue Agave Spirit is the product name originated by MagentaDot Brands for the first release of 30 bottles of New Zealand’s first Pure Agave Tequilana Spirit. Silver Cloud is the brainchild of Master Distiller Terry Knight of Kiwi Spirit Distillery whose idea it was to make a premium small batch 100% Agave Spirit from agave grown in Golden Bay and distilled by him. The name, “Silver Cloud”, the logo and packaging combined to position New Zealand’s first premium 100% Blue Agave Spirit at the premium price point of NZD $1,000 per bottle. This is a branding and packaging project at the high end of the international liquor market for which I was commissioned to create something handmade and special. My branding saw the first release of 30 bottles achieve selling to both a national and global market at the desired $1,000 per bottle price.
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Novel pop-up Hapuku Cafe and Lodge logo business card, a business card and a calling card rolled into one. Digital illustration, logo design and graphic design, Christchurch, New Zealand.

Print is going strong

Back in the 90s, when desktop computers, interactive media, the web and email first came into people’s homes, businesses and into daily use, the surge in popularity and the accessibility of the information superhighway lead some to predict the end of print communication. Brochures, books and magazines would be superseded because all the content that people wanted or needed was just a point-and-click away. However if you have a look around today predictions of the demise of print were hasty and premature. It has panned-out to be a similar situation to the predictions of the end of cinema when home video first entered the market in the late 70s.
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Escape from the Straitjacket of the Mind, 2 colour A1 portrait poster.

Print craft: Top tips for print on uncoated stock

Production-for-Graphic-DesignersWhile graphic design and pre-press have been digital since the turn of the century, the physics and chemistry of ink on paper for offset printing remains constant, completely unaffected by the shift to digital design. One of my favourite Graphic Art Production books, Production for Graphic Designers (5th Edition) has a very useful entry on what you need to know in order to achieve high quality printing on uncoated stock. I reproduce it here because without this pre-press knowledge producing high-quality jobs successfully on uncoated stock, including colour advertising on newsprint can easily result in bad surprises for all stakeholders in a print job. As the originator of the work it is my responsibility professionally to speak with the printer about who needs to apply the colour profile your print job for the specific press and paper combination it will be running on, and at what stage in production the profiles are to be applied. This succinct reference is an excerpt from my favourite production reference book by Alan Pipes.
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Pionair Unparalleled Journeys, affluent travel, inbound tourism booklet, brochure

Pionair: Oceania ‘Affluent Travel’ booklet

Pionair_logo_radiused_256pxAttention to detail and exceptional service was Pionair’s speciality; Pionair was simultaneously a ‘best in class’ tour operator and an airline that specialised in private air charter. Pionair Unparalleled Journeys’ travel brochure offered exclusive, tailormade travel for the discerning First Class Independent Traveller (F.I.T.) market from North America, Europe and South America. Every UPJ vacation was put together with care, thought and attention to the individual needs of couples, families and small groups.
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Vinevax, pruning wound dressing foil pouch packaging

Vinevax rebrand project portfolio

Vinevax_logo_radiused_256pxThe innovation in marketing communications terms that the concept of this product logo represents to the client is that the new Vinevax name and brand system approaches the task of product branding from appealing to the customer’s point of view. The idea leverages what the product does for the user.
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Superior Hummer Limousines, A2 Poster art, display, Promotional design and advertising, digital illustration, photography

Hummer Limos poster: arrive in style

Superior Hummer Limousines letter replacement logo in two colours, black and dark grey on white. "Superior" is set in Javelin a joined-up slab serif italic font inspired 50s automobile badging, positioned above and left of Hummer which is set in all-caps. The first "M" in hummer is replaced by a line drawing of the front elevation of the Hummer. Hummer and Limousines words both set all caps in custom modified Antique Olive Nord font, horizontally extended consistent with Hummer branding. "Superior Hummer" are black, Limousines is dark grey, tucked in below Hummer, aligned right. Brands for New Zealand companies, Christchurch New Zealand.The “Wow!” factor of the stretch Hummer limo, the largest of its type in Christchurch, means that the vehicle is a real head-turner, literally its own best advertisment.

When waiting to pick-up or dropping off clients the unique Super-Stretch Black Hummer Limousine garners a lot of attention from passers-by. In addition to handing out the “Welcome aboard” brochure to prospective clients, the brochure artwork is designed to double as a pair of A2 promotional posters or advertisements.
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