EBOLA AID RELIEF

Client Personal
Role Designer
Discipline Book Design, Info-graphics

This resource is for people working to stop the Ebola Outbreak Crisis of 2014. This is an Ebola Relief Preliminary Aid Field Guide for Humanitarian Aid in the West African Countries: Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia.

This is both an education device and recruitment tool. It answers the question, 'What prior information do I need before aiding the Ebola outbreak?'

For those who fear Ebola effecting them, this breaks down why Ebola would not be as nearly devastating in countries that have the money, education, sanitation, that Guinea Sierra Leone and Liberia are lacking. It also explains why aid workers might come face to face with resistance from the people they are trying to help, for a variety of reasons. 

The goal was to create an info-graphic piece on any topic within the domain of Ebola. The delivery format was of my choosing.

Client ConnectPayUSA

Role Designer

Discipline Interactive PDFs, Experience Design, Branding,
InDesign, Acrobat, System Design, and user testing.

Duration 7months

Compare Forms Before   &  Forms After (PDF Interactive)
 

ConnectPay LLC is a growing payroll company. With the guidance of their Marketing Director, I was assigned the task of updating the look and experience of 26 existing company forms with corresponding tax documents into separate interactive PDF’s.

Initials Struggles

The initials struggles I overcame during this project included.

• The original forms I was working with were out of date.

• There was both useless information and redundant entry inquiries being requested.

• Each form had inconsistent verbiage, logo placement, typographic treatment and styles.

• The forms needed to be applicable for clients to fill out digitally as well by hand.

Critical Questions

I envisioned these forms as a tool that would be used to enhance operations in the ConnectPay workplace. I started asking critical questions that in return helped me gain empathy and better understanding of the individuals utilizing the forms.

• In what order should clients fill out each of the forms?

• Is all the information being asked for necessary?

• Could their potentially be information needed that is not being asked?

• Are any of the services offered geared towards a specific client?

• How are the forms used internally? Can I reorder the entry fields to match the same sequence information is extracted out of a completed form on the backend.

• What are the frequent questions and or misunderstanding clients are experiencing when filling out the forms? Can it be solved with additional information or instructions?

• What are the legal procedures for authorization?

• Is there a reasonable amount of space available for each questions to be answered?

Users

Before ConnectPay has the ability to begin processing payroll for a company they need to gather information from their client. Based on their most common clients I created 4 separate on-boarding PDF packages.

Client 1. | New Business
A company that was new to using a payroll service.

Client 2. | Existing Business
A existing company switching it’s payroll service.

Client 3. | ADP Run Existing Business
A company switching it’s payroll service from ADP

Client 4. | Paychex Flex Existing
A company switching it’s payroll service from PayChecks

Testing

I observed how clients had completed the forms in the past. I focused on the forms that clients had filled-out by hand looking for opportunities to improve, such as space limitations.

Testing the forms was a critical step for this project. I performed onsite testing with employees with both digital and physical copies. This caught several performance bugs and raised important questions and conversations within the office.

Technical Struggles

The technical struggles I overcame during this project included,

• Making sure the cursor would chronologically ‘tab’ through on the interactive PDF’s,

• Getting the cursor to jump the next entry fields once it hit max character limit with java script.

Results

In the end I produced a cohesive professional look with consistent verbiage and design elements that eliminate confusion and simultaneously improve the speed of operations in the office.

Emotion Brand Proposal

Client Personal
Role Designer
Discipline Identity, Logo Mark, Book Design

This is a brand guidelines book for E-motion is a modern eco-friendly electric car rental company. E-motion understands the absolute importance of reducing dependency on fossil fuels. This progressive company is taking action by providing alternative fuels for transportation. E-motion has the largest fleet of EV cars in the USA. They allow car renters the opportunity to get behind the wheel of an electric car and overall contribute to moving society into a more sustainable direction.

SYMBOLISM
The E-motion word mark is drawn from a geometric sans-serif typeface with a clean, modern look. It can be broken down into two parts the partial name and the extended full name. The characters have been carefully spaced for optimum legibility in a variety of sizes.

The Thunderbolt is the main component and major focus of the logo. The thunderbolt is a symbolic representation of power and electricity. The Thunderbolt is element that appropriately represents the electric car. It is also the symbol for the ancient Greek god Zeus. Expressed in Heraclitus’ fragment, “the Thunderbolt that steers the course of all things”. The thunderbolt is cohesive representation of E Motion. As leading force in car rentals, E Motion is prepared to steer rents to make wiser choice as traditional forms of transportation become more problematic.

THINKING BEHIND COLORS
Primary Palette
The primary palette is comprised of the colors that are used as backgrounds throughout all E-motion communications. The use of black,white and radiant yellow ensures a sophisticated color execution.

Accent colors
Sprout green and serene yellow are designed to work in harmony with the primary palette. They are used to make emphasis and as a mechanism to add depth or to fully explain an idea.

Logo Color
The E-motion logo will appears dominantly in the primary colors. When variation is necessary accent colors may also be used for the E-motion  

Specifications
Always use the exact color values listed in these guidelines. Slight variances in color may occur when the colors are printed through different processes or reproduced in different media.

Radiant YELLOW
Yellow is the color of new ideas and logic. It helps others discover alternate ways of doing things. Yellow will resonate and attract like minded reformists.

Sprout GREEN
Green is the color of growth, and also prosperity.It promotes nature. Green reflects the E Motions progressive thinking and concern for the environment.

Serene BLUE
Blue creating a sense of calmness, safety. It is also a reliable and responsible color. Blue emulates the companies preparedness to combat the challenges from fossil fuels.

MAJOR IDEAS
The Emotion brand guidelines are fueled by the following seven major ideas. These ideas were recognized during research

Peak Petroleum
Peak petroleum will lead to an increased demand for petroleum causing prices for petroleum based goods and services to go up. The world has a limited supply of petroleum and current estimates predict that within the next 39 years mankind will have completely depleted this resource, affecting society from every angle.

Car Emissions
Car emissions are a major contributor to global warming and climate change. Climate change is caused by the excessive build-up of heat trapping greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere, It poses a major threat both to the environment and to global development.

Climate Change
Climate change threatens virtually every segment of the earth’s biosphere which of course includes human society. Polar ice and mountain glaciers are already melting, leading to rising sea levels. Climate fluctuations are causing severe droughts, floods, and storms around the world. Air quality is reduced and affects the overall health of all living things.

Medical Practice
Petroleum is a major part of the chemical makeup of many plastics and synthetics. Healthcare has built its foundation on tons of petroleum products. These products include: plastic disposables like synthetic surgical gloves, medicines such as aspirins and topicals like Vaseline.

World Food Supply
The systems that produce the world’s food supply are heavily dependent on fossil fuels. Vast amounts of oil and gas are used for manufacturing fertilizers and pesticides and is important for all stages of food dependent on fossil fuels. Vast amounts of oil and gas are used for manufacturing fertilizers and pesticides and is important for all stages of food production

Soil & Water Contamination
Oil spillage is a very common problem also effecting the soil environment which has a negative impact on the biological environment. Currently, about 80% of lands are contaminated/polluted by products of petroleum origin. They soil contamination directly effecting, ground water and vegetation growth.

Mutagenic and Carcinogenic
There is a long list of toxic materials in petroleum products, many of which can be deadly. These toxins are known to cause cancer and severe health problems.

Client Personal
Role Designer
Discipline Infographic, Data Analysis,
Information Architecture, Photo Editing

A collection of 100 ”objects”of my choice. I chose 100 photos from my grandmothers photo collection.  This is my own interpretation of a family tree, based on the family members that appeared in the collection. 

I had to consider Wurman's LATCH principle and Tufte's Principles of Analytic Design, and identified 7 or more unique properties, through which I organized and sorted in my database. 
The principals that I chose were:

• Date of the photo

• Family members by generation

• The identity of the family member found in the photo

• Date of birth * and Date of Death ✝

• If they were a maternal relative

• Specific Life event captured in photo

• Description of photo

• Photo Type such as portrait, generational etc. 

• Personal favorites

FINDINGS

The specific life events for each photo are identifiable by the color line that string the photo to the identification of the family member. As my grandmothers life unfolds in this timeline you can see that weddings, in blue, are at first more frequent and as time goes on the family photos, in yellow, start to dominate this time frame or her life time.

** I specifically chose photos before I was born. I intentionally did this to narrow down the collection and to specifically learn about family members that I had never met. This project allowed me to spend some quality time with my grandmother and allowed me to learn more about my family tree.
R.I.P. Grammy Nix March 15, 1938 - April 21, 2015

BOOK SERIES
the gift of hindsight

Client Personal
Role Designer
Discipline Bookbinding, Typography

By considering the design, content, and fabrication, I have curated this experimental typographic book series, to embody a thesis. The ideas that make up this thesis include; climate change, the plundering of natural resources, war, gifts and hindsight. The goal of this book series to express these distinct ideas into a cohesive whole that provides a perspective, reminding the reader that the earth is finite and only has so many gifts to give and challenge them to question the global relationships, and the future ahead. 

Content Gifts can take on multiple forms, such as priceless advice. In each of the books I have carefully knitted two different authors to enhance their messages as well as the thesis of this series.

Design The two typefaces have been carefully chosen to support the thesis and represent the chosen authors in each book.

Fabrication A gift itself like this book is precious. It is a one of a kind book, both hand cut and bound.On select pages velum is symbolically used, it provides, "hindsight" for the content in the book itself and literally allows the reader to physically overlap both voices. The vellum pages are deliberately used to emphasize the common ideas between both authors. In addition to vellum I chose to use mostly recycled materials to harmonize with the idea of plundering natural resources. 

BOOK ONE
THE GIFT OF HINDSIGHT
in this strange and confusing world.

CLYDE S. SHIELD
"It's a Strange and Confusing World", is a heartfelt letter by Clyde S. Shield written in 1974, reflecting on his life while on his death bed. In this letter he offers some poignant advice for the road ahead to his three week old grandson. Clyde had played a significant role in World War II. He personally apologizes for the current condition of the planet and also talks about the 'important' things in life. 

BOOKMAN ITC
ITC Bookman is solely used to represent Clyde's voice. I felt that the ITC Bookman typeface had a handsome, strong and elegant appearance that was fitting for both a grandfather and Clyde's overall message to his grandson.    
Bookman is a Revival typeface designed by Ed Benguiat in 1975 for the international Typeface Corporation. Benguiat designed a full family of four weights, plus a suite of swash and alternative characters  for each member of the family. This typeface was redesigned the year after Shield wrote his letter.

NOAM CHOMSKY
Noam Chomsky's lecture on, "Who Owns the World", was delivered at the University of Massachusetts in 2012. He thoroughly examines controversial topics that are largely ignored or glossed over including global warming and nuclear threat. Noam's ideas are introduced with no shortage of facts dating back to colonial times. Reminding his audience how the US has developed into the country that it is today.

KLIMA
For Chomsky's transcript, I chose to use Klilma (KLEE-muh)  A free typeface for the climate movement! I felt that the clean modern look of this sans serif was appropriate  for a modern voice such a Chomsky. 
Klima is designed by Mathew Anderson. Anderson is a typographer for 350.org, a grassroots climate advocacy group. Klima is similar to the typeface Din.It was a fitting use of the  Since one of the main ideas to the theme is climate change This was an applicable use of Kilma, a free typeface for the climate movement. 

BOOK TWO THE GIFT OF HINDSIGHT

in this terrifying global elegy.

BILL MCKIBBEN
Global Warming's Terrifying New Math

ZADIE SMITH
Elegy for a Country’s Seasons

Consumers aLLIANCE dEGREE pROJECT 

Client Personal
Role Designer
Discipline Service Design, Research

This project was the result of a course taken in the Graphic Design program at Massachusetts College of Art and Design. I was required to synthesize the research, document the design process, and produce a final project based on the chosen subject of my research.

CONSUMER ALLIANCE
We are living in an age of maximum destruction. The current capitalist order that prevails has forced humanity to a state of near total estrangement from the natural world. As garbage piles, seas and temperatures rise, fish vanish, freak weather events multiply and profound depression descends upon humanity, it's become obvious that something has to change.

Application
Consumer Alliance (CA) supports Americans in forming healthier happier spending habits that fall within planetary constraints. Consumer alliance gives a home for viewing all your spending accounts in one place, and helps users find alternative products and companies based their health, environmental and societal impact, three paths of happiness and service time.

Consumer Alliance Score
A Consumer Alliance Score is a number 1-100 that is assigned to companies, products and CA members. The score is made of five individual categories, Health, Society, Environment, Service Life and Happiness. Two of the five categories, Service life and Happiness both need additional information from the user to be calculated, The other three aspects of the score are calculated based on the information gathered from purchases.

Environment
This category indicates things like corporate manufacturing processes and their environmental effects, transparency on environmental issues and companies policies and practices.

Service Life
Actual service life is the maximal recorded life of a product. This feature allows a user to estimate and record the amount of time products last. The user’s score improves when the purchases have a longer service life. This helps users limit their personal waste in advance and ultimately puts less strain on the environment.

Society
This category indicates things like a company’s corporate governance, safety policies, human labor rights.

Health
This category indicated things like potential health effects, risks, and company health performances.

The Three Paths of Happiness
The Good Life, “re-crafting your work, love, friendship, and leisure, to enhance your purpose and strengths. Or in other words its about meeting your desires and reaching potential. The Meaningful Life, Using your signature strengths in the service of something that you believe is larger than you. The Pleasant Life, “having as many pleasures as possible and having the savoring and mindfulness skills to amplify the pleasures.” Spending money on things that take care of, and treats yourself.

Fair Trade

Client Personal
Role Designer
Discipline Book Design, Research, Photography

Eight Things Everyone with a Caffeine Routine Should Know
This is a coffee table book that educates the reader on eight things that they would not normally know about Fair Trade. The book leads readers to question the authenticity that fair trade makes bout their products.

Original photography excluding portraits of farmers and product packaging.

The Idea
According to fairtradeusa.org the most common imported caffeinated products that are consumed regularly in the US are coffee, tea and chocolate.

In the Fair trade Foundation’s own words, Fair trade Fortnight is a massive nationwide effort to promote awareness and sales of Fair trade products.

The volunteer-run events aim to increase the sale of goods that bear a licensed mark; in other words, it is about selling a brand. Fair trade Fortnight is an interactive advertising campaign for Fair trade goods, repackaged to resemble a fundraising marathon.

Where is the evidence?
The Fair trade Foundation website reveals that little original research has been produced on the merits and effectiveness of the Fair trade approach to fighting poverty. Indeed, what research there is appears to be somewhat out-of-date.

Fair trade advocates usually rely on anecdotes of farmers happy to be part of Fair trade, perhaps a tacit admission that statistics would be too revealing. These stories may be persuasive and emotionally appealing to the unguarded public, but they do not answer the very real questions about the effectiveness of the Fair trade model.

People who purchase fair trade products such as chocolate or coffee likely believe the profits will reach and benefit the farmer directly. This motive makes them willing to pay more than they would for conventional products.

However, the Fair trade industry does not reveal how much of the profits for these items actually reaches the producer. All they claim is that farmers receive a “fair price for their harvest”.

Band Poster

Client Personal
Role Designer
Discipline Poster Design

A poster advertising the song
Howling at the Moon
by The Kopecky Family Band

The band saw my poster and made it their profile picture FB for a few months. Since then the band has become more popular and has shortened their name to just the Kopecky Band

Sketchbooks

A collection of spreads from multiple sketchbooks since 2011

Spark Truck

Client: Personal
Role: Designer
Discipline: Animation, Photography, Claymation, Sculpture

SparkTruck is a van that travels cross-country, through towns and cities far and wide, helping kids to expand their creative horizons through kinesthetic learning. The objective was to help create an awareness campaign for SparkTruck's 2014 Tour. Consisting of two posters and an accompanying multimedia component.

WE ARE MAKERS
SparkTruck is an educational build-mobile! Traveling across the USA with the cool 21st Century shop tools, spreading the fun on hand-on leaning and encouraging kids to find their inner maker. The spark Lab is a group of Stanford Students curious about making, education and technology. As part of a year-long thesis project, we talked with teachers, students and other experts about hands-on learning. We were shocked to find that due to tight budget and strict testing requirements, many schools can’t have the flexibility or equipment to support hand-on building. So we decided to do something about it, and set out on a cross-country road.

Logo Process

Client Personal
Role Designer
Discipline Logo Mark

Digital sketches leading up to my final personal logo mark. 

Anzo Smart Data Lake screens, captured from Demo Video