¿who am i?

I am that powerful combination of left-brain detail and

right-brain creativity: An organized, deadline-driven, de-

tail-oriented and highly-motivated problem solver. For

me Design is a constantly evolving and ever-changing

ephemera.

As a classically trained typographer, I have developed

a keen sense of communicating with type. It is not

enough to simply put text on a page. The manner in

which it is done should be intriguing, inviting, powerful

and captivating. I am highly influenced by the Bauhaus

and Swiss schools, and I consciously try to counterbal-

ance form and function, with the desire to liberate the

page by pushing the boundaries of conventional and

formal considerations—taking from what works and

discarding what does not.

Designs are best when they are the fruit of inspirational

team collaborations: copywriters, image-makers, strat-

egists, developers, clients and audiences. Young, raw

talent and old, sage wisdom, are equally capable of

asking, “Why?”—As well as deciding, “Why not?” Rules

certainly have their place, but “No Left Turn”, does not

exclude additional options!

As a 20-plus year industry veteran, I have broad-range

of experiences in Creative Direction of Marketing Com-

munications, Branding Identity, Brand Management,

Design and Illustration in corporate and agency envi-

ronments.

Independently and collaboratively, I have developed

Logos, Brand Identities and Corporate Branding Stan-

dards for large, multinational concerns, start-up and

established, small and mid-sized business.

Branding is the most valuable asset in any organization,

making it one of the wisest areas for a business to in-

vest. Positioning a brand to resonate myriad audiences,

creating a memorable experience is what I do. I am pas-

sionate about helping corporate decision-makers better

understand the value of their brand and the power of a

well-executed visual communication strategy.

Think. Plan. Execute.

There are two times in the life- cycle of any company when it considers the importance of its logo:1. In the beginning,

when it has everything to gain

2. In the end, when it has nothing to lose.

Some years ago, I came upon a quote concerning the importance of logo design. I can neither remember its exact wording, nor its authorship.

I keep it mind when I design logos…

I recognize the business truths in these statements.

From concept, through

development—until

the public unveiling…

to these measures I

do abide!

Logo design is the most important element in building brand recognition. A logo conveys a message about a company and its product to an intended audience. It should do so without additional explanation or context.

simplicity

Less is more. Incorporate as many messages about a company and what it does, in as few elements as possible. Overly ornate logos generally have limited versatility because they try to say too much and cover too much territory.

memorability

Create a unique concept, strip it down to a basic level—and the logo will have more impact.

The design should be simple, easy to recall and use imagery or typography that resonates with the intended audience.

timelessness

Rebranding should not be considered a normal part of busi-ness. To insure brand equity, a logo should withstand the test of time. When designing a logo, I avoid trends, unnecessary effects and gimmicks.

flexibility

A logo should be scalable to different sizes without losing qual-ity. It should also work in one color and against a dark back-ground without losing integrity. A logo should work across vari-ous media and within different contexts.

relevance

An integral component of creating an effect logo is understand-ing your target audience. Knowing what is appropriate for a target audience will typically dictate font, color and associated imagery.

client: artisan medical devices, inc. Cosmetic dentistry tools

Each tool has a soft, interchangeable, translucent shaping-tip

that is used to apply dental bonding material to the surface of the

tooth. The handle is fitted with a UV light source that illuminates

the shaping-tip, while hardening the material.

In the logo, the tittle has been replaced with a triangular “tip”

that alludes to the tip shape. Blue is used to imply the UV light

source—with the font, Rotis Semi-serif, suggesting the sculpting

technique by which the material is manipulated.

client: hero house, inc. Artists on the Edge

HERO House is a place where people recovering from severe

mental illness, come to rebuild their lives and rejoin their commu-

nity. Artists on the Edge, is a program offered by HERO House,

to facilitate self-therapeutic recovery through artistic expression

in various media.

The name, Artists on the Edge, and the logo design are intended

to convey a deliberately cheeky ambiguity as to the purposes,

products and participants of the program.

client: cannuflow, inc. Flexible arthroscopic cannulas

Cannuflow, fabricates flexible arthroscopic cannulas that facil-

itate minimally-invasive knee-surgery, while reducing recovery

periods.

The organic shape, replacing the crossbar, along with the color

combination , are meant to invoke the fluidity with which the can-

nulas are manipulated, their flexible construction—as well as to

reflect the blue color of the silicone device.

client: hitachi data systems, inc. Channel One Reseller Marketing

The logo incorporates Hitachi Red, to provide a direct tie-in to

the established, brand identity standards of both Hitachi, Ltd.,

and Hitachi Data Systems—its wholly-owned subsidiary. The

split-complement, violet color has substituted for the secondary

Hitachi Grey, to establish the program as separate from, but sup-

ported by, both parent-organizations.

This logo is featured in the book, Bullet-Proof Logos, by David E.

Carter and James R. Higgins.

client: hitachi data systems, inc. Customer Service and Support Annual Kick-Off

Theme logo for Hitachi Data Systems annual Customer Service

and Support Kick-Off meeting: One Team. One Target. Part sem-

inar and part-training session he “target” of the meeting was to

proffer team-building with an emphasis on singularity and co-

hesion. The color scheme was built upon the violet tone, with

yellow as the direct-complement and Hitachi Red incorporated

as the split complement.

client: the company theatre

Performing Arts Troupe

Letterforms, are utilized to create the visual metaphor for the-

atre: with the audience in burgundy-velvet, loge seating, and the

stage offset with a neutral-platinum tone.

This logo was accepted into the 1990 Print Design Annual.

client: donald pedersen, aia

Architecture

The initials of Architect Donald Pedersen, are interwoven in three-

dimensionality, and are anchored on an island of soft, neutral

green that mimics that of a draftsman’s surface.

client: the duncan group, inc. High-technology Marketing Services

The logo is set in ITC Bodoni, to connote a tempered and tested

level of services. Colored in split-complements: orange, distin-

guishes the organization’s founder, Len Duncan, while violet rein-

forces the timbre of The Duncan Group brand. The ligature of the

lowercase “u” and “n” was incorporated to provide an additional

nuance of visual interest.

client: hero house, inc.“A place where people recovering from severe mental illness,

come to rebuild their lives and rejoin their community.”

This logo redesign maintains the original concept and color-

scheme of its predecessor. It has simply been updated to in-

crease the sophistication of the original execution.

client: hitachi data systems, inc.

The effort was a collaboration between internal HDS Corporate

Marketing Communications group and Craig Frazier Design.

Hitachi Data Systems, Inc., is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hi-

tachi, Ltd., dedicated to the sale of mass-storage devices. The

company had originally commissioned the design of its own

unique identifying logo. In rebranding analysis, it was determined

efficacious to capitalize on the significant brand equity of Hitachi,

Ltd. , by using its existing logo and corporate colors—fitting it

with Data Systems to establish the company as a subsidiary.

client: hot shots

A Children’s Hair Salon

Big shapes and bold color are meant to be bright, attractive and

easily interpreted by adults and children alike.

client: marketbound

Product-launch services

Different weights of ITC Futura, and a stark color combination

accentuate the purpose, direction and active, imperative nature

of this Time-to-Market service organization.

client: artists’ open studios: san josé, california

The icon is derived from the AIGA sign-symbol for access—or

ingress. It has been simply, and uniquely modified to serve as

a quickly identifiable logoform for each piece of marketing col-

lateral, as well as a sign marker for each stop, on the annual

tour event.

client: sancastle technologies, inc. Storage-area network solutions

The logoform and its ocher color, establish and solidify the

metaphor invoked by the company name. The SAN acronym is

emphasized by boldface, all-capped and then, set in x-height to

ensure that the company name and its product services, main-

tain an integral hierarchy.

client: worlds, inc. Massively multiplayer online role-playing game

The classic engravers display face, Serlio, in a muted earth-

tone—with a dual-orb iconography inset, in bright yellow—

evoke the anachronism of fantasies-future and fantasies-past.

Curriculum Vitae

Michael A. McCann

425.830.6390tristanztt@live.com

portfolio:

education

1987 BS Graphic Design Illustration and Art Direction Minor in Humanities and Literature

San José State University

certifications

2009 University Tutor Bellevue College, Bellevue, WashingtonThe College Reading and Learning Association1992

Project ManagementThe Boeing Company 1989 System Administration Macintosh, Windows and UNIX environments. Apple, Inc.

Curriculum Vitae

achievements

awards

Communication ArtsHowInternational Association of Business Communicators PrintPrinting Industries of America Western Art Directors Club

collections

American Corporate IdentityBullet Proof LogosCreativity Graphic Design USALogos 2000Print Casebooks

Average savings on vended print collateral of $1 mil­lion annually for Amdahl and Hitachi Data Systems.

Effective management of creative staff, vendors and clients.

Trained, supervised and evaluated staff, coached im­provement project management skills, resulting in successful time­to­market campaigns product launches, under tight deadlines.

Experienced Copywriter: Advertising and marketing copy, and in­house newsletters and corporate organs.

Accomplished Presenter and Public-speaker: Design presentations, public advocacy and peer training

Acceptance by portfolio review into Bachelor of Sci­ence Design program. Graduated with distinction.

Curriculum Vitae

clients

Any MountainArtist PublicationsBendixen-ReddingCafé de FloreCannuflowCognigineElemental Records EXAC CorporationThe Fine Art of FeelingsThe Goethe InstituteInternational Association of Business CommunicatorsThe InsiderHCMHewlett-PackardKUSF College RadioMervyn’s CaliforniaMuccino Design Group Pagliaro-Kuhlman Advertising

RV Parts OutletRalph RecordsRandall CrandallReckless RecordsSANcastle TechnologiesSan José Institute of Contempo-rary Art San José Art LeagueTandem ComputersThe William and Flora Hewlett FoundationYukon Inflatables

Curriculum Vitae

employment

2008-2014 Marketing Communications Volunteer | Board Member RepresentativeHERO House, Bellevue, WA Specializing in Brand Identity development, General Art Direction and Marketing Communications.2000-2005 Creative DirectorRed Circle Communications, Los Gatos/San Francisco, CA Full-spectrum Design, Creative/Art direction; specializing in Brand Identity and Marketing Communications.1995-2000 Associate Creative DirectorHitachi Data Systems, Santa Clara, CA In-house creative overseeing design and development of a broad range of Marketing Communications Collateral, including: product brochures and specification sheets, special-event collateral, posters, Branding Identity and branding standards, packaging and web-media direction.1990-1995 Senior Art DirectorAmdahl Corporation, Sunnyvale, CA In-House creative overseeing development of identity standards and implementation, and maintaining integrity over all levels of Corporate Communications media. Design and development of a broad range of Marketing Communications Collateral, including: product brochures and specification sheets, special-events collateral and posters.1985-1995 Freelance CreativeDesign: Extremis, Los Gatos and San Francisco, CA Freelance consultant: Art Direction, Design and Illustration for design firms, small studios, corporations, art galleries and arts organizations, and small-business.

Curriculum Vitae

community involvement

Mental health advocacy HERO House, Bellevue, WA

Homeless advocacy Congregations for the Homeless, Bellevue, WA

affiliations

AIGAIABCWADCSFADC

references

Roberta Lyon Past Board Secretary: HERO House 425.898.9993 robertajlyon@comcast.net

Abe Kriger Founder, Chair Emeritus: HERO House 425.868.7050 abekriger@aol.com

Phil Gerson Past Board Member: HERO House 425.890.8685 pgerson_8@msn.com

Annie Holt Public Affairs and Policy: Pfizer 206.920.6240 anna.k.holt@pfizer.com

Daya Astor Arts Educator 425.652.9532 art.dba@comcast.net

Writing Samples

we are 1 in 4The stigma attached to those of us challenged by mental illness has lessened, but remains pervasive and leaves us ostracized from our communities. Far too many of us remain silent about our struggles. Fewer than 25 percent of us with a diagnosable mental disorder seek or receive help due to stigma, lack of information, cost or lack of health insurance coverage. Many of us are reluctant to ask for help or do not know where to find it. Mental illness often leave us unable to cope with the ordinary demands of life, making it difficult or impossible to maintain employment, pay bills or keep supportive social re-lationships.

Mental illness is real, common and treatable: 1 in 4 adults suffers from a diagnosable mental health dis-order in any given year. Mental illness is the leading cause of disability in the US. Mental illnesses com-prise 4 of the 10 leading causes of disability in the US and other developed countries, and are among the 20 leading causes of disability. Mental illness is a more significant contributor to the worldwide health burden than heart disease and cancer. By 2020, Major De-pressive Illness is expected to be the leading cause of disability in the world among women and children.

Each business, school, government agency, healthcare provider, organization and citizen shares the burden of mental health problems and has a re-sponsibility to promote mental wellness and support prevention efforts. Commit to increased awareness and understanding of mental health, the steps that can be taken to protect mental health, and the need for appropriate and accessible services for all people with mental health conditions.

Mental illnesses can affect persons of any age, race, religion or income. Illness management pro-grams reduce symptom relapses and hospitaliza-tions. With effective treatment—a combination of pharmacological, therapeutic and psychosocial reha-bilitation programs like Artists on the Edge and HERO House, those of us with mental illness can recover to lead full, productive lives.

Who is your 1 in 4?

Writing Samples

rogue monkey loose on the subway

My monkey was spotted hopping around by the auto-matic ticket gates passed a line of passengers. Then he ran downstairs to the entrance and into another line of waiting passengers, climbed up and down a pillar and ran around the ticketing machines before taking refuge on top of an information board for hours—winking and looking down at the crowd.Officials soon cleared the area and surrounded my monkey with green netting, but after a while, he jumped off the information board and escaped through the crowd. He always escapes! He is crafty that way.

It is not as if my monkey does anything bad—he is a monkey and he does make me a little dotty at times. He often runs amok, creating all kinds of nuisance, getting himself into mischief—bopping about and mostly giving everyone around a bit of amusement. This cheeky little monkey of mine is a real prankster and I have to live with him.

I am my monkey and my monkey is I. My monkey is my mind—my monkey-mind. That endless chatter-ing in my head—jumping from thought to thought—from daydreams and worries and back again. My monkey-mind never lets up! When he is not pacifying himself picking nits, he is taking a flight of fancy into the twelfth of never. Eventually, I start to feel a little

queasy. My thoughts are spinning in circles. He is a carnival sideshow attraction, my monkey-mind. It is quite often I am left much more than confounded and no less than completely confused.

I must tame the wild creature in my head by clear-ing out all of his playthings and the distractions that keep him focused on mischief making—although the paradox is that when I clear my mind it is an open invitation for my monkey-mind to play—and how he does love to play! Thought, after thought, after thought—I have too many scattered thoughts. One thought followed by another thought... And then by another... It is as he is swinging on a vine—my mon-key-mind! The constant cravings and the incessant ravings—while the eye can see, it cannot see itself. That for which it looks is for that which is looking—the seeker is the sought in the act of seeking.

Taming this mental pesterer means moving be-yond my thoughts. If I give him my attention—he settles right down and lets me concentrate. I am aware of my monkey, instead of he being aware of me. I become aware of a thought rather than thinking a thought. My thoughts rise and float away instead of pulling me in different directions. I can have my thoughts rather than my thoughts having me!

Writing Samples

Within its natural order and by its very nature, my monkey-mind will not be still or silent. He is actively going over the past. Recreating the past in this, the present moment as a figment of imagination based on reconstruction of a spotty recollection. If he can relax, I can relax. My thought process slows and I can focus on observing my thoughts—one thought at a time! My monkey-mind can breathe instead of pant.

By focusing on my breath, I can concentrate. Whenever my monkey-mind starts acting up, I ob-serve my thoughts and then return my focus to my breath. Sometimes I focus on the rise and fall. Sometimes I just concentrate on the sound. The monkey-mind of mine responds to taste and smell and color—and the resonance of sound. My mon-key-mind is the feeling and the knowing—emotive and expressive—where the resonance of sound that makes up the whispering sounds of soundlessness.

Fire can burn, but it cannot burn itself. A flame will mesmerize my monkey-mind. I focus on a flame to harness him—my monkey-mind. Keeping my gaze soft and unfocused while he watches the color, shape, and movement of the flame, and I try not to blink. Entranced is he—that monkey-mind of mine. Closing my eyes when I feel the need—I continue watching the flame in my mind and so does that mon-key-mind of mine!

However I choose to tame my monkey-mind, I do so with firm and loving-kindness. The taming is about becoming aware of the seen and the unseen, the con-scious, the unconscious and the subconscious—the sources of programs, patterns and beliefs that govern my life and my thinking as I strive in moving beyond them. I can resume to living this life instead of given to a life lived by proxy. The next time this chattering arises, I will notice it and then allow it to go away. With patience, I practice this with my monkey-mind—until it becomes quiet and eventually so do I.

Writing Samples

the abe kriger visionary award

We are proud to announce the creation of an award to recognize an individual for his or her service and involvement in the Mental Health community.

The Abe Kriger Visionary Award, is named in honor of Abe Kriger, whose passion, insight and dauntless commitment have gone into creating a safe and non-threatening haven–with the mission to foster a sense of community support for those in East King County, living with the effects of serious mental illness.

After many hours of dedicated effort by a com-mittee of NAMI-Eastside members, the NAMI-East-side Clubhouse Initiative was born. This combined with generous financial and in-kind contributions from a number of individuals, corporate entities and Foundations–and the shared vision of an Eastside clubhouse, originally conceived as Project HEROES, was officially underway.

The Committee, under Abe’s direction, prepared the business plan, raised funds, hired Executive Di-rector, Erica horn, enrolled charter members and began the task of building the HERO House infra-structure. What began as the culmination of a shared vision became reality, with the HERO House doors officially opening in December 2005. HERO House is a place where those with mental illness can learn and practice work skills, meet new friends and build meaningful, supportive relationships. In an environ-ment of support, empowerment and with programs

designed to imbue a sense of belonging in a sur-rounding that helps to build self-worth, renewing a sense of purpose and bolstering confidence in indi-viduals who may otherwise be preoccupied with ill-ness, the emphasis is on ability–not disability. HERO House offers assistance in achieving educational, employment, life-fulfilling goals. Whether they are re-ferred by hospitals, psychiatric professionals, church-es, community-based organizations–or self-referred walk-ins–members receive vocational training and job placement, assistance in securing housing and medical care and a social network aimed at elimi-nating the isolation experienced by those living with mental illness.

The Abe Kriger Visionary Award, is in recognition of the invaluable contributions made by individuals whose actions embody this same spirit, energy, char-acter and dedication to enhance the quality of life for those suffering the effects of mental illness. Abe will personally present the award to the recipient, at our annual Harvest Luncheon fund raiser.

The formation of a nominating committee and the development of nomination guidelines are in process. If you are interested in becoming part of HERO House history by lending your services as a committee member, please let us know. For more information, send us an e-mail at visionary@herohouse.org and include “Award” in the subject line, or contact Erica Horn at 425.614.1282.

Erica Levine, President Board of Directors

Writing Samples

announcing…

Enclosed with this issue of TheHerald you will find time sensitive information concerning Abe Kriger Vi-sionary Award nominations.

The Abe Kriger Visionary Award, is named in hon-or of HERO House Founder, Abe Kriger, whose pas-sion, insight and dauntless commitment have gone into creating a safe and non-threatening haven, with the mission of fostering a sense of community sup-port for those in East King County, living with the ef-fects of serious mental illness.

The Abe Kriger Visionary Award is in recognition of the invaluable contributions made by an individual whose actions embody this same spirit, energy, char-acter and dedication to enhance the quality of life for those suffering the effects of mental illness.

Abe will present this award personally to the win-ner at this year’s Harvest Luncheon on Thursday, No-vember 8, 2012.

Please complete the enclosed nomination form and return it to the HERO House Nomination Commit-tee by Friday, September 14, 2012 for your nominee to be considered for this prestigious award.

Sincerely,Erica Levine, President, Chair of Revenue Development

Writing Samples

sowing the seeds of recovery

Each year HERO House continues to grow as an or-ganization and I am inviting you to grow with us! This year we are Sowing Seeds of Recovery at our annu-al Harvest Luncheon; emceed by Dennis Bounds, co-anchor of KING 5 News.

I invite you to join HERO House, on November 8, 2012, from 11.30am–1pm, at Lake Sammamish Four-square Church, in Bellevue. We will be celebrating our accomplishments as an organization, showcasing the employment success and artistic talents of our mem-bers and looking to our future. Consider this your op-portunity to help us sow the seeds of recovery for the members whose lives are changed through HERO House.

We will present our second Abe Kriger Visionary Award in recognition of the invaluable contributions made by individuals whose actions embody the spir-it, energy, character and dedication to enhance the quality of life for those suffering the effects of mental illness.

Our recipient this year is Jean Robertson, Assistant Division Director of the King County Mental Health, Chemical Abuse and Dependency Services Division. In that role she serves as the Regional Support Net-work (RSN) Administrator and Chief Operations Offi-cer of the publicly funded Mental Health Plan in King County. Jean understands the special needs of—and how to navigate the government programs to best serve—the interests of the mental health community.

HERO House is the What Now? for individuals who have become lost in the mental health system; for individuals whose current treatment has become stagnant; or for those who have found great success in clinical treatment of their illness but are left iso-lated, unemployed, and hopeless. We restore hope, empowerment, relationships and opportunities that people living with mental illness deserve, through

education, advocacy, pre-vocational skill building, socialization, employment placement and support.

As President and a parent of a member, I look for-ward to seeing you at the event.

Erica Levine, President, Chair of Revenue Development