dwell

Just finished this logo+flyer design for 6:22 ministries for their 2009 spring lineup. They really wanted an emphasis on "unified worship" and Matthew Lilley presented the concept of UNdignIFIED worship, so I'm pretty happy w/ how this came out.

recent work

Gotta give a quick shoutout to my boy brothasoul of SouLsounds Entertainment. A loooooonngg-time friend, I had the great privilege of developing the logo + bizcards + fully customized blog layout. You can check his blog @ SouLsoundsEntertainment.com. Here's his logo:

the christmas conspiracy

the video speaks for itself.



whether you choose to do the water thing or not, be challenged by the core message...

when cultural relevance goes too far...

death by salsa

Last weekend, Kerri and I took a few days to head to Myrtle Beach, SC, with some friends. For dinner one night, we went to this massive entertainment/shopping district called Broadway. After dinner, we strolled around the shoppes and just enjoyed the evening. One place we went into had a massive collection of salsas and dips, with quite a few available for sampling. Needless to say, we sampled.

The range of sauces was amazing; from sweet to hot, they had it all. Just before leaving, however, I saw this one called "Death by Salsa" and had 3 X's on the label. I inquired as to why it had XXX as I've never known salsa to be pornographic in nature. Her response was simple: "It's the hottest salsa we carry," at which point my wife asked me if I was going to try it. Heck yea I'm going to! I'm a man's man, right!?

With some hesitancy, I dipped (not scooped) my chip into the juice, took a bite, and all was fine.



For 15 seconds.

And then death hit. I have never felt so much pain in my life. Okay, maybe not, but you get the idea. My mouth was literally on fire, and with every breath, the air that passed over seemed only to mimic the Santa Ana winds of the California wildfires! It only got hotter and hotter. I was literally crying. Obviously, I was done, so I walked out of the store to get some fresh air - like that would help.

I ended up going into a restaurant two doors down and asked the host, crying all the while, for some sugar packets. Thank God for sugar. It took about 15 minutes for the pain to finally subside. And all this was from only dipping the chip into the juice. I cannot possibly imagine who would scoop that salsa for pleasure.

So what about you? What's the hottest thing you've ever eaten?

why i love google!

About 6 weeks ago, the passenger-side automatic sliding door on our van stopped working. Put simply, with three boys, that was a pain! I've been dreading taking it to the dealership for fear of an astronomical repair bill. Something in me always likes to say, "I can fix it myself and save hundreds!" Well, tonight, I had to move the van in our driveway, which brought on the other major annoying side effect of the door not working. For some reason, even with it closed, it didn't send a signal, so the warning buzzer constantly sounds whenever you put the van into gear.

So, tonight, I decided it was time to fix it. I did a simple google search and lo and behold, I found a forum of threads all discussing this very topic. I read on about the $999 bill from one dealership, the $150 diagnostic fee from another, and so on. Needless to say, I was not excited and quite discouraged. UNTIL...until I found a posting from "Steve" whose only advice in the forum was to remove a specific fuse (clock backup, mind you) for 30 seconds, then replace it. What followed were dozens and dozens of happy satisfied people who found this post and it worked! Loaded with excitement, I ran outside, pulled the fuse, waited, put it back in and........nothing.

Dejected, I went back inside, as if I had overlooked something. I read it again. I hadn't missed anything, so I figured maybe it was the wrong amp fuse or something. So, back out I went, opened the fuse box cover, checked to make sure I had the right one, and realized that I was off one. So, I found the correct #13 fuse, pulled it, waited, put it back in, and YES!!!! My van door works again!

Who's the man? Who's the man? Who's the man? (Repeat lyric in your head with a syncopated rhythm while imagining me doing the cabbage patch). It's a great night!

barack obama mash-up

if only i had the time to do stuff like this...

modified logo

I recently had a local Hispanic church contact me about "updating" their logo. With a little hesitancy, I agreed to take a look at it. As it turns out, it was a color copy of a hand-illustrated logo that someone in their church had done. Thankfully, they finally asked me what I thought of their original logo, and I gave them some suggestions, which they readily accepted. So, in the end, I'm very happy with the logo, but they wanted to keep the dove from the original version even though I offered a half dozen other variations of it. Anyway, here it is. Your thoughts?

ecu campaign

Okay, many of you have been asking about the campaign for East Carolina University that I mentioned a few months back. Well, if all goes well, it will be completed this coming week. It has been a great honor and privilege to do this. I was told that the Director of Marketing for ECU recently saw one of my pieces and commented to the department chair how much he thought of it and complimented the designer!! That's me!

So, I'm really excited to see if this opens up new opps at ECU with other departments or something. so we'll just have to wait and see. But once I get everything finished, I'll upload a featured section to the main site and post the update here on the blog.

Also, I ran into a VP from a local ad agency this week...he said he had been on my site recently looking at my work. Don't know about you, but knowing that some guys from another agency are checking my work made me feel quite good!

i heart atypical church clients

I have some of the best clients in the world! I really love working with the churches that I do because none of them take a typical approach to things and they like to push the envelope as much as we can together. I'm really excited about the new ad I just did for Reimage Church that is going to be in The Pirate Preview (a pre-release newspaper for ECU's The East Carolinian). This paper goes to every incoming freshman/grad student/xfer student (and maybe returning students). Anyway, I've seen other church ads in there, and we knew we didn't want to take the expected approach. So, thanks to Brian Maciaszek, aka Assistant Sthlye Director, this is the result:

mac virus

happy birthday buddy

Luke turned 6 yesterday! With all the challenges of parenthood, it's still amazing to watch them grow up.

it's hot

I know this isn't AZ or anything, but seriously...

june 1 has passed

Finally. I haven't slept as well in a long time as I did this past Sunday night.

For the last few months, I've had the great privilege of working with a phenomenal team of people from one of my church clients. We had a simple task at first: assess the efficiency and effectiveness of all communication strategies for the church. What began as a simple process soon uncovered the reality that there was much more to be done. After months of research, prep, implementation, and more, Faith & Victory Church has undergone a complete identity makeover that is well beyond just a new logo and look.

This is part of a complete shift in look, style and culture. Adaptive Design provided style direction and implementation in each of these areas: branding and identity development, print management, interior & exterior signage, website development, stage design, lighting design, technical equipment for production and overall communication strategies. June 1 was the launch date, but we are unveiling new elements each week for the next several weeks. These are exciting times for the church congregation.

Faith & Victory Church is now Reimage Church. To read the story, visit FVC's old site.

become legendary

this has to be one of the best, most inspiring commercials i've seen in a long time. enjoy. his last statement could be applied to most any area of life.

new logos

I've added 4 new logos to finish out Set Two. Click here to see them. #'s 12-15. #14 is the final Crutchfield Photography logo as well. I was able to modify her blog and website to reflect the new colors/logo.

"v" is for vacation

Okay, so last weekend we finally got some time to head up to the mountains and do some camping. We found out the day before we left that the campground we were planning to stay at would not open for another 3 weeks! So, we ended up staying about 20 miles further down the Blue Ridge Parkway at Linville Falls Campground. Our site backed up to the Linville River, so we had a constant sound of flowing water, which was super calming. The boys learned how to skip rocks for the first time! The only downfall to the whole weekend was that right after we had started our campfire the first night, the park host came over and told us there was a burn ban in effect and we had to put the fire out AND we couldn't have any more fires the rest of the weekend. Let me just say my wife is pure genius. We managed to cook most of our meals in one single saucepan over a propane burner.

We just had a great time camping and hiking and going to Tweetsie Railroad. One of the pics below is on the hike at Linville Falls. There are trees in the forest there that are about 5' in diameter! The boys found a good stump. The other pic is on the trail above the Linville Falls Gorge. You can see the river on the left, and if it looks like a straight down drop, that's because it is! Literally, if you look over the side of that overlook, it drops straight down about 200-300 feet. Needless to say, we were a bit nervous with the boys and held on very tightly.

Anyway, was a great weekend and one of the best ever!

double dawg dare

It's amazing how entertaining a sprinkler can be. If you haven't played in one in a while, I double dawg dare you to run through one this week, just for the fun of it. You'll laugh and it will bring a smile to your face. These are 2 shots of Nathan and our neighbor, Abby, taking full advantage of ours this morning. So, here's the challenge: find a sprinkler, even if it's not your own, and just run through it. Don't fight the smile that ensues in the process. Then, come back here and post a comment about your newfound liberation for the rest of us to read.

looks very interesting...

just watch the trailer

am i the only one...

...who has ever noticed that on any Mickey Mouse show, Goofy can talk but Pluto can't?!? What sense does that make to a kid - one dog can talk, the other can only bark. Talk about species inequality. Where's Jesse Jackson when you need him?

hindsight 20/20

Okay, I'll try to keep this post short, but don't get upset if it isn't. This one could help a lot of us.

Most of you know that I am a follower of Jesus Christ and have given my life to loving Him and loving people. Because of that, I try to seek His will in most of my major decisions in life, both personal and professional. However, due to a recent situation where I had to part ways with a client, I have been reminded of this simple principle I first heard back in 2005: Everything that looks like a God thing and feels like a God thing isn't necessarily a God thing!

Eight months ago, I had just left my part-time job as a youth pastor to go full-time into my business. Simply put, I needed business to sustain the transition, when, lo and behold, a certain opportunity arose that seemed to be a direct answer to prayer. Not only was it new business, but it had the potential to be very lucrative. Everything in me seemed to say go for it. Now, eight months later, I wish I had taken those first few steps much differently. Maybe I was impatient. Maybe I was greedy. Regardless, I have learned a hard lesson that I might could have avoided had I listened to my wife and gone a little slower.

Let me briefly share with you some points that I picked up from Andy Stanley at the Catalyst Leadership Conference in 2005 (if only I had read and re-read those notes!):

- When opportunities line up with our prayers and passions, it is difficult to exercise restraint. Opportunities must be weighed against something other than the uniqueness of the circumstances surrounding them. It is very difficult to make sound decisions in emotionally-charged circumstances. We are not that great at evaluating circumstances, so open doors are not always an invitation.

- The most direct route to what you want is rarely the best route

The Application:
- Weigh every opportunity (even the obvious) against the law, principles and wisdom of God
- Decide every day that you will not sacrifice integrity for progress
- Give the right people and all-access pass to EVERY major leadership decision

- Being the leader does not exempt you from the need for wise counsel. It necessitates it!

We are only one decision away from sacrificing our integrity...
...which leads to a loss of credibility
...which undermines our influence

The wisest man in the world wrote more about the need for wise counsel than anyone else! Regardless of whatever your position on the job or in life, we all need to realize our need for wisdom. I can't change the past. I can only learn from it. May we all learn a whole lot more quickly and with as little pain/sorrow/regret as possible.

a good laugh at church

Okay, I know for some people that is an oxymoron - laughing and church. Luckily, I am part of a fantastic church that knows how to have a good laugh in life. Today was no different. Unbeknownst to the pastoral staff, I conspired with the music director to create this video (thanks to BMac for the idea). Needless to say, they were caught off guard in today's service, but everyone absolutely loved it.

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mma

...Mixed Martial Arts for those of you who do not know. A long-time friend of mine, Brad Larson is launching a website, SubmissionFighter.tv dedicated to the sport. The site has a lot to be developed still, but I had the great privilege of developing the logo for him.

crutchfield

A big THANK YOU to all of you who sent emails and left comments on the blog. I was totally surprised by the amount of feedback I received, so that was very encouraging. As no surprise to many of you, the overwhelming majority voted for #2 on the list. The ironic thing is that is precisely the one she has been leaning toward since day one, so when I told her the results, it gave her so much more confidence in her selection. So, we met yesterday and looked at a few modifications of that version and nailed down the official color scheme. With just a few tweaks left, we will unveil the final draft of the official Crutchfield Photography logo next week. Thanks again!

i need your feedback

Okay, everyone, I need your help. Actually, a client of mine needs your help. I'm working on a logo for Crutchfield Photography. We've narrowed the logo down to a couple of options and we'll be choosing final colors this week. However, she's having a hard time choosing which logo to go with and she has agreed to let me seek feedback from you, my readers. So, below are the final logo concepts in b/w only. Please drop a comment to let me know which you prefer and why. Thanks!

new logo + ecu

Logos can be so tricky sometimes. My problem is that I just when I think I've finished it, in a day or two, I want to go back and do more b/c I feel it's just not quite finished. So, I spend extra time playing with little details that most people may never notice. But, hey, if perfectionism in design is my curse, so be it, right. It ensures that my clients end up with a design they (and I) are happy with. Sometimes I go back to the previously "unfinished" state and realize it's fine just like it is, and sometimes, the adjustments are exactly what's needed.

Such is the case with a logo I've just finished for my friend, Chris Wilcox, who is developing a media internship program, titled "Emerge" at his church in Conway AR. We thought the logo was finished, but I just couldn't resist. What resulted was something he and I both knew was the "finished" version. Let me know what you think:




Several of you have asked about the East Carolina University deal. Well, I'm happy to say that I signed a contract this week with ECU to develop a multi-week promotional campaign that will target every incoming freshmen & xfer student for the Fall '08 semester, along with their families and some of the school faculty. ECU puts on six weeks of academic, social and cultural events the first few weeks of school to help new students integrate into the ECU culture of college life. The campaign I've been asked to develop is to not just inform them of these events but to market these events in such a way that students eagerly desire to be part of these Weeks of Welcome.

I'll show more as the project develops, but the campaign theme I proposed has already been approved, and this opening has already led to some other work for the school, so we'll see just how far this rabbit hole goes, I guess.

this is so much better

Okay, everyone. Adaptive Design v3.1 is now live! I just have to update the look-and-feel of the blog to match, but please let me know what you think.

adaptive-design.com

what will it be?

Wow, two days in a row! I know I'll make BMac happy and finally get him off my back.

Anyway, as I'm working on a new display method for my site's portfolio section, (which, by the way, is rockin'), I couldn't help but wonder what the next major design trend would be. Simply put, I think by now almost everyone with an internet connection has seen the "reflection" technique made so popular by Apple. I was in the post office today, and there on there posters hanging up was the reflection method. It's everywhere. It's even on my stuff now. And even though it really makes things look great and adds such a depth to a visual presentation, what will be next that will so dramatically shape the design world as we know it?

I guess we'll have to wait and see, and then I, like so many others, will most likely jump on the bandwagon and use it.

Anyway, that should give you a precursor of what to expect in the version 3.1

never satisfied!?

Why is it that as a designer, I'm never satisfied with my work: Well, sometimes I am, but when it comes to my own stuff, I can never make myself happy. Case in point: when I launched my new site, I was ready to change/modify it within a week. I feel that it doesn't fully showcase what I can do, but I also don't want to be an over-hyped site. Anyway, I ordered new biz cards to reflect the new look and even did a cool trick called "spot varnish" - if you want to see it, ask me for a card. Anyway, I got them in after weeks of waiting. I'm already planning my next card and will likely order them soon to replace the ones I just got!

As content as I am with so many other things, I have the hardest time being content with designs for myself. Maybe it's because I realize that I'm capable of so much more and that I probably rushed through some things just to get them done. Who knows...

Be ready for adaptive-design.com v3.1 very soon though.

On a completely separate note, I have had some great jobs recently, so I'll be posting their stuff, and I just landed a major contract, at least to me, for a department of East Carolina University!! I have the privilege of developing a campaign that is targeting every incoming freshman and transfer student for the Fall '08 semester! I'm so stoked. I'll keep you updated on that as the project moves forward.

Just remember, you're always one relationship away from success!

monday bloody monday

I know a lot of people who hate Mondays. I know why they do. They hate the drudgery of their jobs and don't want the weekend to end. I have to honestly admit that I love Mondays. I love a new week. New challenges. New projects. It helps that I love what I do. It also helps when I know I've had a very productive week and have been able to complete some key projects.

Last week had to be one of the most stressful weeks I've had in a couple of years. I had a major website AND an 8-pg magazine for the same client due at basically the same time. So yes, it required a lot of overtime hours, but I got the projects done; the site is up and the magazine is at the printer. If you're interested, check out HomeTraderGuide.com.

To top it all off, in the midst of all that, my son, Jacob had his birthday party for #7 Friday night too. Nothing like a house of 10 six and seven year olds running around wrestling.

Anyway, had a fantastic weekend. Looking forward to another great week.

some of my inspiration

Being a father of 3 boys ensures that there is no dull moment around the house. Because of their energy and enthusiasm for life, they can often be a source of inspiration for me. This particular video is of my middle son, Luke, at age 5. Gotta love his adventuresome spirit to try new things!