I put together this design as a “logo” for a 5k sponsored by a local Traverse City church. As in past projects I did my best to incorporate the West Side compass rose into the design.

Sometimes with these illustrated type-shapes there is a risk the viewer may not quite “get it.” Luckily I’ve always found a way to make it just obvious enough (but not too obvious)

I’ve found a new test for this sort of thing though. I showed this design to my 7-yr-old sun and he told me it was West Side 5k and Fun Run and that it was for church.

Perfect!

My friend Bekah has been creating super cool bags and accessories from reclaimed materials for years… back when to the average person “green” was still just a color.

Her most popular items are the messenger bags, backpacks and other handbags made from recycled plastic grocery bags….

Since she started doing these I’ve seen them copied by big name brands like REI and Keen… even monster retailers like Target have duped us into thinking their similar products have the environment in mind.

Of course none of these come close to the artistry and soul that goes into Bekah’s handmade creations. In fact this past year you could have picked up one of her pieces in the San Fransisco Museum of Modern Art store (or just visited her own Etsy shop of course).

Besides all that, she and her husband are some of my favorite people and I was super-happy to help her design a logo that fits her personal style and represents her products well.

Her first round of business cards features a cool clean design with (what else?) a plastic bag textured look…

She’s hoping to create her own biz cards at some point in the future… in the same vein as her other work… recycling trash into something totally useful and beautiful.

Contrary to what most would consider common-sense marketing, We decided to use no “green” whatsoever in her identity. I love a client who wants to break the rules!