A branding cure for Pearl Brewery's historic Admin Building.

I got another chance to work with the talented team over at Föda Studio on a restaurant branding project in San Antonio. Chef Steve McHugh was opening a restaurant in the jewel of the Pearl Brewery campus, CURED is found in the old Admin building of the iconic San Antonio brewery. Smothered in history, the renovation of the 112 year old building by Jonathan Card and reappropriation of a 131 year old icon.

This multi-layered and many faceted project incorporated both the historical elements of the Pearl and the Chef’s personal narrative. An expert in Charcuterie, Salumi and all forms of preserves Steve is also a cancer survivor. As he cures, is cured, and continues to cure the needs to the community with his cooking and charitable work, it was not hard to determine a name and a path forward.

MacPlus Rebrand

This is another recent rebrand project that I just finished with the talented team over at Föda Studio. MacPlus is a local IT service company that received a new graphic system based on the endless transformations and messaging about growth and anxiety.

The MacPlus rebrand explores the concept of a customer only needing IT services in two phases of their business: growth & technical emergency. Along with the graphic rebrand challenges, we also provided resolution with the MacPlus name. The word "Plus" usually implies simple addition or software solutions, but we wanted to show that MacPlus goes beyond basic IT solutions: they provide physical, in-the-field education along with various other I.T. services.

We started with the "+" and placed it into a 3D grid matrix that allowed us to develop a system of ever evolving symbols, icons and color patterns to create a robust graphics kit for the brand. Our approach to the web was also radically different. Based off the user's experience, we knew that most IT providers get called when something bad happens. With this knowledge we knew that the mobile site would be the most used device for the MacPlus brand, so we focused on designing a simple, clean, easy-to-use mobile site that would allow quick access to MacPlus wherever they are needed. 

With MacPlus being an information technology company, we didn't want to forget about the importance of their print collateral. Our mission was to keep their printed pieces simple and clean, just like the Apple products that they provide support for. We used a printing technique called thermography and metallic inks to help elevate their print collateral system. To view the entire collection of work, click on MacPlus IT Services in the side navigation.

Buttoning up ByGeorge

With the wedding planning, invitation design and freelance work, I've been too busy to write a new blog post. So I thought to myself, how about posting one of the recent projects that I've been working on with Jett Butler and the team from Föda Studio. ByGeorge is a high-end retail fashion store with two locations here in Austin, Texas. While working on their rebrand, we were asked to design a print ad for the West Austin Studio Tour exhibition book. The West is an exhibition where multiple art studios and exhibition spaces open their doors to the public and allow guests to view their collection and meet local artists.

Because it's an art exhibit, we decided that the ad must be piece of artwork too. We were inspired by Stefan Sagmeister's typographic design and with over 5,000 buttons we photographed each letter separately. The wordmark was then assembled in Photoshop and then send off to the vendor. The project was a great way to introduce the new brand to Austin and the local art community. If you're interested in seeing more of the ByGeorge rebrand, please check back soon, or visit Föda Studio's website.