Karakoram Letterhead & Envelope
Here are the letterhead and envelope designs for the Karakoram Alpine Wear Project. In order to keep a consistent feel throughout all of the different pieces in this project, many of the design elements seen on the business cards and hang tags are also used here.
Karakoram Business Cards
These are the business cards I designed for the Karakoram Alpine Wear Project.
Karakoram Product Hang Tag
As part of the Karakoram Alpine Wear project, I designed this product hang tag. Karakoram’s target audience is made up primarily of active, adventure seeking, outdoor enthusiasts. Because of this, the design needed to be bold, eye catching, and above all appeal to the adventurous spirit of this target group. The color scheme is taken directly from the logo to help reinforce the identity of the company and is accented with an adventure lifestyle photo. Each product’s hang tag/package will feature its own lifestyle photo so as to set the stage for what this company and their gear represent.
JetPak T Shirt
Corporate apparel is usually fairly conservative, so when I was asked to design a “fun” t-shirt that was a little more edgy, I was more than happy to get to work. The shirt itself is dark gray with a very subtle green tint to it. It will be a few weeks before I can get my hands on a finished piece, so the artwork will have to do for now.
Figure / Ground Logo
A Figure/Ground relationship is the relationship that on object has with the space that surrounds it. This principle can also be called positive and negative space; the positive (figure) space being the object itself and the negative (ground) space being the background. In graphic design this principle can lend itself well to interesting logo design. Normally the background space is viewed as passive and less important as we tend to focus on objects rather than the space that surrounds it. That is, of course, unless the background is made into something more dynamic; something that is a recognizable form in itself.
Bullfrog Spas Vehicle Wraps
Lifestyle focused side
Eye catching, bold and hard to miss
Spa Trailer Side 1
Spa Trailer Side 2
Bullfrog Spas “Sport X” Flier
Bullfrog Spas Sport X Flyer Front
Bullfrog Spas Sport X Flyer Back
Bullfrog Spas “Freedom to Choose” Promotion
Bullfrog Spas "Freedom to Choose" Promotion Newspaper Ad
Bullfrog Spas "Freedom to Choose" Promotion Poster
Bullfrog Spas Dealer Postcard
I designed this postcard the intent of giving our network of dealers a tool to help them market to their existing customer base. One of the biggest advantages to owning a Bullfrog Spa is the fact that they can be upgraded over time. This not only gives customers a huge advantage in owning a Bullfrog Spa, but it also offers dealers a tremendous opportunity for add-on sales and sales from aftermarket upgrades. With this in mind, I wanted to create something that our dealers could send to their customers to highlight this unique benefit for their customers and help the dealer increase their return visits. Specs: 4″ x 6″.
Showroom Fabric Banners
I designed this series of banners that will be used as showroom decor in Bullfrog Spas dealer showrooms across the US and Canada. The design needed to be elegant and visually impactful with the overall goal being to highlight some of the lifestyle and therapy advantages of owning a Bullfrog Spa. The design also needed to help set our brand apart from other competitors who would also be sharing floor space alongside our brand.
Each banner features a lifestyle photo from some of my past photo shoots as well as a tag line that reinforces each image image. I chose black as the main color because of its classic, elegant nature and because of the visual weight it will carry in a showroom environment.
Specs: Each banner will be printed on fabric and mounted on a floor stand made of powder coated aluminum. The dimensions of the banners themselves are 5′ x 3′ and the overall dimension once the banner is mounted on a frame is about 8′ x 3′.
Bullfrog Spas Lifestyle Posters
I designed a series of three lifestyle image posters to work in conjunction with the new Bullfrog Spas System Posters from a few weeks ago. The goal was to add a few more poster options for our dealers that would allow them to further enhance the look and feel of their showrooms. Each poster features three different images and illustrates some of the lifestyle advantages to owning a Bullfrog Spa. Specs 2′ x 3′.
Relax With JetPaks Poster
Sport X Control Pad Overlay
I mentioned in my last post that Bullfrog Spas will be introducing a new spa series called Sport X. After finishing the new logo for the series, I was asked to design a new control pad for the Sport X Line. As with the new logo, the new control pad needed to reflect the look and feel that the Sport X line represents; youthful, active, and sporty. After working through many different concepts, I decided this design best represented the new line.
Sport X Spa Line Logo
In the next few months, Bullfrog will be introducing a new spa line called Sport X. This new line is targeted at a younger, more athletically oriented audience that puts an emphasis on fitness and overall wellness. In order to help establish an identity for this specific spa line I was asked to design a logo that would appeal to the new audience. I determined that in order for this new design to be effective, it needed to appeal to an audience that is younger than that which we have typically targeted, but still represent the overall identity that Bullfrog Spas has already established. It would also need to have a clean look that would work in conjunction with our standard logo as well as work within the confines of our standard color scheme. All this needed to be accomplished while still portraying a younger, more “sporty” image. After working through thirty to forty different concepts, I decided on this particular design.
Bullfrog Spas System Posters
Each year as part of the supporting marketing materials we provide to Bullfrog Spa dealers throughout the US and Canada, we design a series of 2′x3′ posters. The posters explain the benefits or owning a Bullfrog Spa and illustrate the technological features that make them different from other spa brands. With all of the new 2009 model year changes, it was once again time to redesign the poster set.
In the past, the posters have been visually bland and overly technical. The old posters did a good job illustrating the technical aspects of our spas, but they lacked the visible punch and clarity needed to capture a customers attention in a retail showroom. My goal while redesigning the new poster set was to try and correct the shortcomings of past posters while still communicating the technical messages we needed to communicate. Here’s a quick breakdown of what I did:
Title: On past designs, the title was simply the name of the technical feature that was focused on in each poster. This worked fine, but failed to entice the consumer to read further into what we had to say. By changing the titles to help reflect how the technology benefits the consumer, we are more able to capture their attention.
Main Message Area: The main message area of each poster uses many of the same images as we have used in past designs, but the supporting copy has been changed from technical language to benefit orientated language. This helps illustrate how each technical feature can benefit the consumer. I also added some color to help make the posters more visually appealing.
Supporting Imagery: One of the main downfalls of past design has been the fact that while they clearly showed the technical aspects of our spas, they failed to visually communicate how that technology related to the actual spa owner. To overcome this problem, I decided to add a storyboard section at the bottom of each design. Doing this would serve two purposes. First, it would show some of the technical concepts in action and show how they benefit the consumer. Second, they would add color and visual appeal to the overall look of the poster set, thus helping add the visual impact that was lacking in past designs.
How Will You Design Your Spa
Is Your Spa Built to Last?
The Responsible Spa
Does Your Spa Have JetPaks?
Bullfrog Spas I-15 Billboard
Billboard design is tricky business. The goal is to attract the attention of people speeding by at 70 MPH and explain to them who you are, what you have to offer, and why they should be interested in it. This all needs to be done in a few quick seconds with as few words as possible in order to compete with everything else demanding attention from the potential customer driving the car.
In this design, the bright blue background and large “Relax” are the attention grabbers. The identifying company logo sits directly beneath the tag line to maximize it’s realation to relaxation. The “offer” portion is filled through the tag line of “Relax. With JetPaks”, showing that you can relax by spending time in a Bullfrog Spas hot tub. The supporting imagery reinforces the tag line and visually communicates what we have to offer. As for why you should be interested in it… who doesn’t want a little relaxation?
Spa Accessory Flier
The Bullfrog Factory Showroom here in Bluffdale wanted me to design a flier to help promote a sale on spa accessories. The flier was designed to highlight the accessories being offered, as well as promote the fact that these three accessories are the most popular among current spa owners. Specs: 8.5″ x 11″
Spa Accessory Flyer
Series I Control Panel Overlay
A few months ago I put up a post about the Bullfrog Spas Series II control panel Overlay. That control panel overlay is currently being used on all of Bullfrog’s Series II Spas. We had planned to continue using an older design for the more expensive Series I line for 2009, but the opportunity came up to redesign that panel as well. The design for the Series II control panel was well received and I was asked to redesign the Series I overlay using the same style and symbols I had used on my previous design.
Bullfrog Spas Series I Overlay
Trade Magazine Ad
This ad will appear in both Aqua Magazine and Pool & Spa News, both of with are trade publications for the pool and spa industry. The ad is designed at 4.5″ x 7.5″.
Trade Magazine Ad
2009 Spa Side Signs
I designed these signs last year to highlight each of Bullfrog Spa’s different spa models and recently updated them to reflect the 2009 product line. The signs are designed to be displayed next to the appropriate spa model in a showroom setting. Each sign features a lifestyle photo along with the technical information of the highlighted spa. The series is designed in three different sizes: 8.5″ x 11″, 11″ x 17 “, and 13″ x 16″.
Newspaper Ads
Newspaper ads are interesting projects to design. More often than not, you don’t know what section of the newspaper the ad will end up in, where on the page the ad will be placed, or what the content of the page will be. With these variables in mind, I’ve set up a few guidelines that I feel helps maximize the visual impact of the ad as well as its overall effectiveness.
- High Contrast – This has two potential uses. When designing on color, I’ll choose two or three solid contrasting colors. I’ve found that a combination of blues, oranges and reds works particularly well when printed on newsprint paper. When designing an ad that will be printed in black and white, I stick to exactly that; black and white. Gray tones tend to get lost on newsprint and and as a result, decreases the visual impact of the ad.
- Directness -In order for a newspaper ad to work well, it has to divert the readers attention away from the article they are reading and explain in a few short seconds what the ad is about. A reader should know exactly what the ad is about with a simple glance. Being direct takes away all of the guess work for the viewer and increases the effectiveness of the ad.
- Highly Visible Offer – If people have to work to understand what is being offered, they will simply go back to the article they were reading, or turn the page. The offer should be designed in such a way that it attracts people attention and clearly illustrates what the offer is.
Here are a few samples that I’ve put together over the last few months:
Holiday Sale Newspaper Ad
Red Tag Sale Newspaper Ad
Labor Day Sale Newspaper Ad
Bullfrog Spas Series II Control Panel
This project was really a fun one to work on. Designing something that will be used by people on a daily basis meant that the final printed piece would get a lot of face time with people. This control panel is what consumers will use to control the jetting, temperature, and other spa functions on the new 2009 Series II Bullfrog Spas.
I had two goals when I set out to design the control panel:
- Design it in such a way that it flows with the design of the rest of the spa. This would be a bit tricky because the colors used on the control panel would have to work alongside a variety of different spa shell colors.
- Be as user friendly as possible. I wanted to make sure that the person using this control panel would fully understand how to use the various functions of their spa without being confused by abstract symbols, confusing layouts, or anything else.
After working through nearly 50 different ideas, I settled on using a subtle wave as the backdrop of the design. I did this for two reasons. The most obvious reason was because of its tie in with the flowing hot water of a spa, but the wave also worked with all of the smooth flowing lines of the spa itself. I based the color scheme on some light grays and blues and tested them against all of our spa shell colors. After a little tweaking, I found a combination that worked across the board.
The final piece was printed on a durable, waterproof plastic and die cut to fit within the designated space on the electronic portion of the control system. The buttons are embossed so they are easy to feel. And finally, each symbol is back lit so that they are easy to see even when using the spa at night.
Bullfrog Spas Series II Overlay
Promotion Posters
These posters were designed for various Bullfrog Spas factory sponsored promotions throughout the year. They are made available for Bullfrog spa dealers to to display in their showrooms during the promotional periods. Size: 11×17.
Bullfrog Spas Green Poster
Vacation In Your Own Backyard Poster
Year End Clearance Poster
Make The Fun Last Poster
Labor Day "Relax" Poster
Discover How to Relax
Bullfrog Spas Business Cards
I designed these business cards with two goals:
- Make an immediate visual and textural impact so that those to whom the cards were given would remember them as being drastically different from what they typically see. I figured that the longer the recipient holds the card in their hand and looks at the card, the more likely they are to remember it.
- Maximize the opportunity to brand the Bullfrog Spas “JetPak” logo by making it the center piece of the card. Doing this will give those handing the cards out the opportunity to explain the concept behind the product they sell.
The cards were printed on 100 lb. natural cover stock using Bullfrog’s official Pantone blue and gray inks. The Jetpak logo is die cut out of the paper and the corners are rounded. The contrast between each side of the card encourages people to flip it over in their hand.
Bullfrog Spas Business Cards
