McCalmanCo

MCCALMAN.CO is a design studio built on the foundation of editorial expertise, bold brand messaging, and personal relationships. Working across various platforms, from print to web to mobile, MCCALMAN.CO partners with a close network of top illustrators, photographers, and developers to deliver clients a distinctive, dynamic branding experience.

[mccalmanco]

Book and Portfolio Design for Photographer (and close friend) Jason Madara. 

Art Directed and Designed by McCalmanCo. 

Photography by Jason Madara. 

“Thus 100 page hardcover book is the culmination of our 10 years of collaboration. I designed and art directed the portfolio collection. It features all of our series (NUDE, INDIVIDUALS PROJECT) that we worked on together, as well as Jason Madara's various advertising projects. The collection is images shows a fine art and commercial photographer at the top of his game. I'm very proud of the work we've done together and this book tells that tale.“

[mccalmanco]

Promotional piece for Photographer Matt Armendariz. 

Art Directed and Designed by McCalman Co. 

“Photographer Matt Armendariz asked me to create a love letter in printed form to the craft of cooking. The 30 page catalog combines mouth-watering images from the kitchen and dining room, and features universal quotes distilling the universal essence of food and cooking (from contemporary luminaries such as Bryant Terry and Carla Hall, and classic icons as MFK Fisher).”

[mccalmanco]

Promotional Piece for Photographer Justin Fantl. 

Art Directed and Designed by McCalmanCo. 

“This is the sixth printed promo piece that photographer Justin Fantl and I have worked on together. The latest effort was inspired by a recent shoot of his, involving technology that's no longer used in daily life. Titled 'Archival Technological Absurdium', the design for the publication was inspired by the style of photography. We wanted to create a celebratory archive to first generation technology that's now detritus. The 20-pager is filled with factoids and sayings by people like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, who would know about such things. The piece was printed on low-grade newsletter to make the it seem like it had been around for years, which in a way, it has. The process of putting the piece together was fun and Justin is always a thoughtful collaborator.”

[mccalmanco]

Cloutier x McCalman Ceramic Series. 

Ceramics by Julie Cloutier. Illustration by McCalmanCo. 

“A first time studio visit in late 2016 yielded a collaboration that I'll always be grateful for. Ceramicist Julie Cloutier and I produced a set of 25 ceramic cups together. Julie shaped the forms and I carved into them, creating a family of personalities, line and form. It was a wonderful experience and the process left a mark on me that informed my creative output from that point on. It inspired me to launch my online store SHOPMCCALMAN.CO. The set quickly sold out.”

[mccalmanco]

Identity, Website, and Portfolio Design for Photographer Tim Mitchell.

Art Directed and Designed by McCalmanCo.

“TM/AR is a boutique artist rep based in Boston. Home to several international photographers, Tim has a discerning advertising eye. He called on us to re-brand his professional identity, website, collateral, internal collateral and all promotional assets. TM/AR also has an automotive wing, which specializes in photographers who shoot primarily car ads. We created a 'cousin' website that differentiated tonally from the 'main' site, but clearly held under the same visual umbrella.”

[mccalmanco]

Website Design for Photographer Aya Brackett.

Art Directed and Designed by McCalmanCo.

“Aya Brackett is a commercial fine art photographer who shoots portraits, still-life, food, travel and conceptual work. She is one of our favorite talents, and we considered it an honor when she asked us to design her website. She knew exactly what she wanted and was a decisive client.”  

[mccalmanco]

Website Design for Photographer Leslie Williamson.

Art Directed and Designed by McCalmanCo.

“Photographer Leslie Williamson’s recent site launch coincided with the release of her second book called Modern Originals. The book is a contemporary collection of words and images that chronicle the living spaces of Modern European design masters like Carlo Mollino, Alvar Aalto and Finn Jühl. The challenge of the website was in setting up an evolving ‘library’ of images to encompass Leslie’s body of work and range. We separated the work by sections, keeping the vertical scroll of her previous blog and adding captions and casual musings to place the viewer into the mindset of her eye.” 

[mccalmanco]

Promotional Design for Photographer Damien Maloney.

Art Directed and Designed by McCalmanCo.

“Damien Maloney contacted the studio wanting to find a way to package his images from 2 separate overseas trips into one cohesive package. We decided to turn the non sequitur nature of the images into an asset and create a newsprint memento that captured the lost-in-translation nature of travel, which can be humanizing and alienating at the same time.”

[mccalmanco]

Identity Rebrand for Photographer Dustin Askland.

Art Directed and Designed by McCalmanCo. 

“Dustin is a Brooklyn based talent, who wanted a contemporary update on his online and promotional presence. I designed a double-sided poster which represented his range and classic eye. The website was inspired by the cascading vertical structure of the Tumblr app.”

[mccalmanco]

Identity and Portfolio Redesign for Photographer Maren Caruso.

Art Directed and Designed by McCalmanCo.  

“Photographer Maren Caruso hired the studio to rebrand her professional identity and re-edit her printed portfolio, which we designed as a hardcover book. A real treat to collaborate with Maren.”

[mccalmanco]

Packaging Design for Droga Chocolates

Art Directed and Designed by McCalmanCo. 

“Droga Confections (now Droga Chocolates) hired the studio to brand the company's unique and delicious line of chocolates. We created a hand drawn type-style and color palette for each unique chocolate treat ('Put Your Money on Honey', 'Rebel Rocky Road').”

[mccalmanco]

Frederick Douglas from the Black History Series.

Designed and Illustrated by McCalmanCo.

“During the month of February, I began a visual projecting painting one-a-day portraits of Black history pioneers. Using pen, ink, pencil and paint, I found the practice to be a powerful experience, connecting me to a legacy I realized I didn't know enough about. The project is ongoing and will be turned into an exhibition in 2017.”

[mccalmanco]

“My Father” a personal history piece. 

Illustrated by McCalmanCo.

“I did a series of personal paintings on my father who has been sick for a number of years. We had been estranged for three decades, and reconnected three years ago. I documented a pivotal time in the hospital this year as he was hovering near death (he has since stabilized). I spent a week visually documenting the experience.”

[mccalmanco]

Quote by Grace Jones, part of the Type Note Series.

Designed and Illustrated by McCalmanCo.

“After twenty years of being a commercial graphic designer/creative director, I started painting typography using watercolor and gouache. The process of working with typography and color in this way has expanded and strengthened my relationship with hand-made design. The commissions I've received are collaborations with clients to find the unique set of phrases that speaks to their lives. These are a few examples of the fine art and commercial type pieces that I've been producing.”

[mccalmanco]

Promotional Piece for Photographer Amy Harrity. 

Art Directed and Designed by McCalmanCo.

“Amy hired us to produce her printed portfolio for her first trip to New York to meet with agencies and magazines. She also wanted a leave-behind poster, and we designed a sexy double sided 22 x 28 folded newsprint piece.”

[mccalmanco]

Spread from Jason Madara’s Photography Portfolio

Art Directed and Designed by McCalmanCo.    

“A lifetime collaborator, Jason and I began a professional friendship that extends beyond our shared studio space and into editorial and advertising world. We worked on his portfolio and beta website. His site launched in the fall of 2014.”

[mccalmanco]

Magazine Design for San Francisco Magazine’s feature “Resistance”.

Art Directed and Designed by McCalmanCo.

Photography by Jason Madara.

“My creative partner Jason Madara and I photographed 41 members of the Bay Area political resistance a few weeks after the 2016 Presidential Election. The portrait series was created in collaboration with San Francisco magazine, from which a 22-page photo essay was born. There were two covers produced out of the shoot. It was an incredible experience. We witnessed and participated in making history. While we were doing it, I thought we were doing this project to resist the new administration. But I realize that we also did it to remind ourselves of our strength: in numbers, as voters and as a collective community. We, the People. We're watching you, Donald.”