Positive Directions in Graphic Communication

Brand+Screen+Print+more

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MMM.33: Laboring Safely

Here’s a mark relevant to this coming Labor Day. One of the most important and long fought for outcomes of the Labor Movement was—and still is—safety for workers. This organization seeks to bring standards and awareness to PPE—personal protective equipment—and the training which helps do just that.

This is a special case where, after much consideration and discussions, the membership determined that their existing mark had enough brand equity that it should be retained. So, while they maintained that mark, we did go through a lengthy process of making that determination with them. Our job then was to refresh and refine it, build useful logo lockups, codify its use, develop a cohesive, updated color palette, then apply the style to a multitude of print, electronic, and trade show materials over the span of many years that we worked with them.

#PPE #associationbranding #branding #branddesign #logodesign #visualidentity #designDC #designDMV #commsDC #socialmediagraphics #exhibitionbranding #eventbranding #exhibitgraphics #socialmediagraphics #designDC #commsDC #typography

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MMM.32: Creating For a Craftsman

This renowned, classically-trained in Germany, local decorator and creator of custom furniture coverings and draperies to the DMV hoi poloi (like the Willard Hotel and the, ahem, White House) needed a proper mark to elevate his business’s image and better represent their work. Beyond his reputation, two other key considerations came out of our discovery process—the shop’s hands-on craftsmanship and Mr B’s line drawings. Their visual identity was crafted around these ideas.

We were referred by a mutual connection—always the best lead in to solid projects. Much like Horst B—our clients respect and appreciate our diligent work and thoughtful design. Those generous good words have been key to our longevity.

Should you have the opportunity, F+F would be particularly pleased if you fab friends would put in a good word for our old-school design process and modern craftsmanship!

#interiordesignbranding #branding #branddesign #logodesign #visualidentity #designDC #designDMV #commsDC #socialmediagraphics #exhibitionbranding #eventbranding #exhibitgraphics #socialmediagraphics #designDC #commsDC #typography

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MMM.28: Circle of… Serendipity?

Summer vacation season is at peak, and this mark was planned to post concurrently therewith—well before we knew anything about a purely coincidental African animal king movie redo opening date. BTW—that original movie happened 25 years ago, while this mark premiered in July 15 years ago.

Before lux safaris were all the rage, this spin-off was founded by an entrepreneur formerly of the travel company we had worked with for years. Her brand needed to appeal to their well-healed clientele who could relate to the days of steamer trunks and the golden age of travel. A unique, die-cut folder gave the brand panache. We can’t seem to find the pic of the mark on the side of one of their Land Cruisers, but that happened too. Oh, and we came up with that simple, flexible tag line as well.

We wish you a no-worries summer safari—whether to an exotic locale or a little less so.

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MMM.27: Marketing Markets— A 2 for 1 deal

It’s that time of year—farmers and artisans are loading up and trucking their ripening wares and works to a town square near you!

Some summers ago, our local Business Improvement District, just a short walk up the road, was in need of some fresh design support for its summertime farm market. A market mark! We then carried that look and feel into their arts market mark too.

#farmersmarket #branding #branddesign #logodesign #visualidentity #designDC #designDMV #commsDC #socialmediagraphics #exhibitionbranding #eventbranding #exhibitgraphics #socialmediagraphics #designDC #commsDC #typography

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MMM.26: Hit The Road

No vacation for MMM! As we (and much of the rest of the US) roll into a summer road trip, a sign-ish symbol fit for said roads.

This trade group needed a to brand itself in a way that satisfied several constituencies. A firm foundation but with movement reflective of the group’s synergy was the solution.

It’s been many years since we created this so only a few collateral pieces exist in the archive—though the mark is still in use by the organization to this day.

We wish you smooth roads on your travels!

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F+F wishes you a fine, friendly Fourth of July—with a hefty helping of reflection on the side.

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MMM.25: Halfway Mark

This week marks the 243rd anniversary of the USA! (Imagine there’s a Sousa-style march playing.)

We’re not quite that old, but we continue to celebrate our 30th year. And this week marks the 25th Monday Morning Mark—the midway point of our march of the MMMarks. What better way than to commemorate some commemorative marks?

Herewith, four diverse examples of how to “anniversarize” in a way that complements a brand—whether we did your logo or not. Sensitivity to existing style and building on those cues advances your cause rather than dwelling in the past. Three are from the archives, but Aspire!’s is brand new—they are in fact 25 this year!

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MMM.24: Be the turtle!

It’s National Triathlon Week, and you bet we have a related Monday Morning Mark!

When asked to create a mark and look for a new Triathlon/Multisport club, we were up for the challenge. Key to their brand was a reference to Hawaii. The pinnacle of Triathlons is the Kona Iron Man—and many of their team sought to compete there.

The Honu (Green Sea Turtle) is the only native reptile of the islands, and considered a symbol of good fortune and wisdom. Some even say a guardian spirit—Amakua.

While that was compelling, it was their interest in community service which makes them a truly worthy team to be part of.

(Team photo courtesy of T3 Honu founder Judah Dal Cais)

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Some summer fun facts for you—who knew? #summer #summer2019 #summertime #summersolstice #summertimefun #branding #branddesign #logodesign #visualidentity #designDC #designDMV #commsDC #socialmediagraphics #eventbranding #exhibitgraphics #designDC #commsDC #typography

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Some summer fun facts for you—who knew? #summer #summer2019 #summertime #summersolstice #summertimefun #branding #branddesign #logodesign #visualidentity #designDC #designDMV #commsDC #socialmediagraphics #eventbranding #exhibitgraphics #designDC #commsDC #typography

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MMM.23: Duke’s of… Windsor—of course!

Further to last week, and part of the same royal family, the event venues in that “house” fell under the umbrella of Windsor. So herewith, part two of that deux, in regal red as well.

Our quest: to pull together disparate offerings for disparate potential parties—from brides-to-be to corporate conference controllers. By combining subtle detailing and evocative typographic flourishes with pithy but pertinent prose apropos to those audiences, the multitude of print and screen marketing materials would please the proprietor of Premier Dining Services (the parent entity) and more importantly—those potential partygoers.

The demise of Duke’s took this with it, but a delightful dance was had by many along the way.

#restaurantbranding #branding #branddesign #logodesign #visualidentity #designDC #designDMV #commsDC #socialmediagraphics #exhibitionbranding #eventbranding #exhibitgraphics #socialmediagraphics #designDC #commsDC #typography

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MMM.22: Do Join Us, Won’t You?*

[Flag Day is coming up this week. Banners are basically flags, right? We did create banners to guide folks to this place. PLUS, since we’re at MMM#22, this is in fact 1 of 2 related entities, with that number 2 coming next at week as number 23. A pas de Dukes you might say.]

Long, long ago in the Old Town of Alexandria (in a hotel coincidentally within a few blocks of last week’s mark location), stood a restaurant known as Duke’s. Yes, it was on Duke Street, but an opportunity to play on that noble appellation allowed us to give the brand some interest and personality. In addition to tag lines like that one, we handled the photography too.

After a strong reign, sadly the hotel decided the grand space would be subdivided into plain old suites. Fun (and delicious) while it lasted—the legend of Duke’s will long be remembered.

#restaurantbranding #branding #branddesign #logodesign #visualidentity #designDC #designDMV #commsDC #socialmediagraphics #exhibitionbranding #eventbranding #exhibitgraphics #socialmediagraphics #designDC #commsDC #typography

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MMM.21: The Boy With the Sassoon Tattoo

This one is special. Our Number One (and only) son was born on this day in 1989. Yep, we were crazy enough to start our design firm while Dorothy was pregnant.

His progression from stylist to master colorist to having HIS own business, as well as his consulting work traveling around the country as a jet-setting demonstrator, trainer, and guest artist for a hair products company, has been remarkable. Then he created a podcast series and is building his own education practice, often flying around the country when he’s not in his shop.

While he has quite the design eye and skillz himself (parental influence...?), he asked us to help brand his biz when he got started four years ago. A big fan of the artist Wasily Kandinsky and his Point and Line to Plane theory—well, you get where he got the salon name. An artful approach is key to his brand. So like F+F, Cody is 30 this year. We are proud of our decades of branding and design, but more proud of him!

(he did a great job on his own cool website, should you be interested in booking a consult or just taking a better look: pointlinehair.com and/or his constructivist social media @codyferro)

#pointandline #salonbranding #branding #branddesign #logodesign #visualidentity #designDC #designDMV #commsDC #socialmediagraphics #exhibitionbranding #eventbranding #exhibitgraphics #socialmediagraphics #designDC #commsDC #typography

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Bike2WorkWeek: B-Day Did you ride to work today? Yay for you! In celebration of today, and cycling month, and cycling in general for function, fun, and/or fitness—a positively packaged cumulative compilation of the four favorites we shared—47 miles worth! Even if you didn’t ride today, we invite you to get out there on your velocipede and explore. The pluses of cycling are plenty: for the planet, for discovery, for not having to deal with parking... we can go on all day. More importantly, find way of getting to your destination by human power instead of an infernal internal combustion engined single driver automobile. Cars are indeed the largest contributor of CO2, so if you have want to have a positive impact on the planet, we implore you to pedal or use your two feet in some other way to. All these trails are walkable too of course. It would be a long walk to work, but a fine hike on a nice day. We wish a positive biking day today, tomorrow, and every day! Want a print of one or more, or the combo of all four? Let us know! #BikeToWorkWeek #NationalBikeToWorkWeek #BikeToWorkDay #BikeToWork #BikeDC #DCBikeRoutes #BikeArlington #BikeDMV #CapitalCrescentTrail #MetBranchTrail #anacostiaRiverwalk #MtVernonTrail #NationalBikeMonth #BikeCommute #lovecycling #socialmediagraphics #DesignDC #CommsDC #DesignDMV #positiveimpact #cyclingsavestheworld

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Bike2WorkWeek Day 3: George Washington Rode Here

GW may not have done so on a bicycle, but he traveled by horse and carriage along much of the length of what was once his property and is now the GW Parkway and the parallel Mt Vernon Trail. Yes, the trail does indeed take you all the way to General George’s home, and it’s truly lovely along the wide Potomac, especially south of Alexandria, but the trail’s connection to all five VA-DC bridges over the river may be its most utilitarian bike-to-work value. With direct connections to Arlington and Alexandria’s impressive trail system, it’s a model of fine fun and facile functionality.

While most would likely not ride to National Airport*, one could since the route passes along that property. And most dramatically, as we have depicted here, north of the airport the trail passes directly under the thundering commercial jets—close enough that you feel like you can jump up and touch them as they descend fast to nail the landing on the rather short National runway.

#BikeToWorkWeek #NationalBikeToWorkWeek #BikeToWorkDay #BikeToWork #BikeDC #DCBikeRoutes #MountVernonTrail #ArlingtonLoop #BikeArlington #BikeDMV #CapitalCrescentTrail #BikeCommute #lovecycling #socialmediagraphics #DesignDC #CommsDC #DesignDMV

*We don’t use the R word that was spitefully tacked onto our perfectly good airport that many now just refer to as DCA.

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Bike2WorkWeek Day 3: Anacostia Connection

Even if you aren’t a serious cyclist, the section along the river near Kenilworth is an easy flat foray, well worth, dare we say it, driving your bikes to and riding riverside for a bit. A perfect excuse to FINALLY visit the Aquatic Gardens if you’ve never been. It’s stunning in July.

Continuing around the the DMV diamond, and now connecting the baseball diamond of the Nats to Bladensburg MD and beyond, the Anacostia River Trail was until recently a loop from South Capitol Street to Benning Road. Stadium to stadium you might say, with RFK at the top. Improvements and intriguing bridges in the Yards Park/Navy Yard area, as well as widening and railroad overpasses have been completed in recent years, but the 2016 extension north of Benning may make you forget you are in the District!

Yes, our image shows the splendid urban views of the SE waterfront, but the new bit puts you right at and sometimes over the Anacostia and its forested wetlands, meadows, and parks approaching and connecting to the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens. One can then connect to the Northeast and Northwest Branch Trails which follow the river’s tributaries into MD.

#BikeToWorkWeek #NationalBikeToWorkWeek #BikeToWorkDay #BikeToWork #BikeDC #DCBikeRoutes #AnacostiaRiverTrail #AnacostiaRiverWalkTrail #BikeArlington #BikeDMV #CapitalCrescentTrail #BikeCommute #lovecycling #socialmediagraphics #DesignDC #CommsDC #DesignDMV

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Bike2WorkWeek Day 2: The MBT

Further to biking to everything/everywhere, today we connect DC to MD again, but on the east side Silver Spring and Union Station (and pretty much to the Capitol). A work in progress which, for now, includes some streets further north, but construction is underway to cut out a big hill and keep the trail moving flat along the railroad right of way. It will be part of the East Coast Greenway too, and eventually allow easier connection to the Cap Crescent.

Sure it’s a little gritty in spots along the rail yard and by that transfer station, but Metro and Amtrak trains snaking along are fun to watch plus there is some gorgeous mural art and sculpture along the way—as well as the Brookland Arts Walk area and fun stuff in NoMA. The trail runs through the quaint neighborhoods of Tacoma Park and its still-funky, not over-overdeveloped downtown too. It’s only a few blocks from other trails into MD, and will soon connect directly. Give it a shot! Want a print of one or more, or the combo of all four? Ping us!

#MetBranchTrail #BikeToWorkWeek #NationalBikeToWorkWeek #BikeToWorkDay #BikeToWork #BikeDC #DCBikeRoutes #MetBranchTrail #MBT #BikeArlington #BikeDMV #CapitalCrescentTrail #BikeCommute #lovecycling #socialmediagraphics #DesignDC #CommsDC #DesignDMV