Portfolio
:format(webp)/http://s3.amazonaws.com/projects-files/45/4577/457712/e4a7b77b-aa93-41cc-8112-4a793595b5ab.jpg "Skyrym is a technology-centred cybersecurity start-up that came with an existing mark and sought a premium and sophisticated business card.
After amending the mark for greater geometrical integrity, we explored a number of business design concepts, the client settling on this one.
Evocative of a landscape of flows, like ripples in a data stream, the design gives a luxurious feel in an otherwise more basic business field.")
:format(webp)/http://s3.amazonaws.com/projects-files/38/3804/380460/abd4224e-d80a-4a6e-b173-5bd2deb1846e.jpg "Dovetail is a furniture design studio that stands opposed to contemporary throwaway culture. The studio aims to preserve the traditions and practices of modern masters like George Nakashima, Hans Wegner, and Charles and Ray Eames, inspiring an emotional connection between the customer and the finished piece.
The mark is an abstract composite: elements that fit together, shifting between three- and two-dimensional perspective; and a bird, confirmed in a minimalist curve. I wanted to emphasise connection, and to echo the business name from two directions.
The mark is paired with an elegant monospace font. Professional but lowkey, like the craftsman it does not advertise. It speaks of plans, technical drawings, and execution.
In terms of color, the brand is constructed around neutrals with a strong but infrequent accent. I wanted to echo the gentle elegance of Wegner, paired with the bold and striking innovations of Carlo Scarpa.")
:format(webp)/http://s3.amazonaws.com/projects-files/38/3804/380460/33b8c369-dbee-4181-8cf0-fb47290d3f1b.jpg "This is an example of a basic brand book I offer as an add-on to my logo and brand identity services.
Aside from the standard gathering of technical and application guidelines in one place, the brand book is a reminder and analysis of your origin story, and the deployment and development of that story in the logomark.
Brands are unifying ideas. I lay out the basis of a brand ecology on the conceptual and technical levels, to be a reference point and anchor as you grow, extend and deepen your brand.")
:format(webp)/http://s3.amazonaws.com/projects-files/64/6403/640398/a4f16f77-72ef-425f-afd4-41ecde61d17d.jpg "Nimble Photons is the online presence of a San Francisco-based photographer. The main focus of his work, and his passion, is art nudes.
Originally, the client was using a bitmap image of a solar eclipse as a logo. I combined this idea with the hint of a traditional lens shutter. The outcome is a delicate mark, minimalist and abstract, and feminine. An eye? A wing? There is movement. Something is unfolding, revealing.
Amid the vulgarity of our times, Nimble Photons stands as a counter-point. I appreciate the pursuit of the signature of beauty.")
:format(webp)/http://s3.amazonaws.com/projects-files/37/3799/379968/ecc21826-0e55-4d33-afb2-f6beffd121ee.jpg "Adham Zidan is a sound engineer and member of The Invisible Hands, founded by Alan Bishop (Alvarius B, Sun City Girls) in Cairo in 2011. Adham works widely as a studio and live producer, mixer and musician. He was looking for a monogrammatic mark to use across different media. The mark I created uses the natural geometry of the letters A and Z, in a contemporary and clean style with dimensionality. Flattening the top of the pyramid allows the mark to have an esoteric feel, similar to pyramids found throughout Mesoamerica and Asia, and not simply Egypt.")
:format(webp)/99designs-contests-attachments/78/78759/attachment_78759607 "The client was looking for a luxurious, high end mark that would relevant to his location in Finland. I created a composite abstract letter form (A) that would also invoke \"mountain.\" The typeface is customised to get a clean balance between the traditional and the modern — in effect, a custom semi-serif. The outcome is a refined, memorable and slightly edgy mark that speaks of elegance, high value, precision, and expanse.")
:format(webp)/99designs-contests-attachments/101/101393/attachment_101393299 "Metaphysics is a sports-focused company that goes beyond standard psychology and training programs. It challenges coaches and athletes to depart from a daily physical grind, promoting freedom, spontaneity, and preparation to take risks.
Promoting honor, other athletes are not competitors, but enablers in an environment of mutual growth.
The client sought a mark that would speak to the past and the future: from what we were, to who we are becoming.
I started to think about arrows. I recalled the Persian legend of Arash: the archer who died releasing an arrow that would set the border between Iran and Turan after 60 years of war. The arrow traveled from Mt Damavand for 2,000 kilometres.
He put everything into that moment.
After exploring a number of ways to depict Arash, we came back to a much more abstract concept. An arrowhead pointed up, but also a path, a pyramid, an enigma.
Limits to be determined. A metaphysical question mark.")
:format(webp)/http://s3.amazonaws.com/projects-files/43/4335/433514/bb054ee9-9654-464c-b86d-fdd8475fb394.jpg "\"Justlikeu\" is a new project for an artist and producer of electronic music. Disenchanted with the mainstream electronic music scene, this artist with worldwide exposure wanted to go deeper, to produce a more authentic music and experience, centred around universal themes that touch us all.
This project ran for almost two months. We considered over 70 symbols and logomarks. In the end, we returned to the first symbol I created: the incomplete circle.
A wholeness that is missing, the symbol represents the struggle we have to find ourselves in the world and to understand ourselves. I wanted to say that we all have something missing, and in this we share a deeper solidarity, one we find reflected in others.
We help each other to fill in the gaps, to reach acceptance, and we move forward together, imperfect though we may be.
The artwork here is custom made generative art, created by manipulating source images with Javascript in Processing app.")
:format(webp)/99designs-contests-attachments/114/114435/attachment_114435465 "Cherry Tree is a real estate investment company targeting institutional investors, banks, pension funds and high net worth individuals.
My approach here is \"the least design possible.\" Literally, cherry plus tree, and the barest bones of each.
With the mark in place, I then focused on its context, the typography, and decided on a Bauhaus/Swiss International Style approach, to add youthful verve in an often staid business field.
Sometimes a more traditional all caps sans serif really works. But I also recognise the penetrative effectiveness of other approaches.
Eminently legible, clear, and clean, this lower case approach pairs nicely with the mark, creating both a foundation and space for developing the brand.")
:format(webp)/99designs-contests-attachments/93/93067/attachment_93067521 "Alethea in Ancient Greece concerned disclosure: a coming into appearance; an unfolding within oblivion. As though something had been conceded in an eternal game of truth and knowledge, with disclosure new questions open. In knowledge, we advance, and mystery plays its next hand.
The Owl of Minerva — symbol of the keeper of knowledge — was a natural reference. I wanted to evoke the owl and focus on the eye, abstracting core characteristics without an intent that these be anatomically proportionate. Focus on the eye reinforces what Alethea — the company — does: deep level data analysis in the medical field, discerning patterns and revealing new questions.
The mark itself is unusual. I intended that it be seen as an eye looking right. But depending on where you focus (bottom right or top left of the pupil), it can also be seen as looking directly at the viewer. In its negative, the mark is incorporated into a triangle, reinforcing the relation to knowledge and echoing an A.")
:format(webp)/99designs-contests-attachments/76/76591/attachment_76591989 "I was thinking of two things: 1) the concept, and lived reality of the \"speakeasy,\" and the incredible history and culture associated with them; 2) the notion of \"caveat\" as a disclaimer, or warning. Melding these two concepts together, I add an exclamation mark on Caveat, to denote an interjection, and I change the lead C into an ear, to denote the quiet speech that attended the first speakeasies, but that now are places where people can gather to talk and experience the richness of a modern urban culture. I wanted the C/ear to function as both: to be balanced between these two. Along the way, it also occurred to me that the C/ear and the exclamation mark could be used together, in certain circumstances, as an abbreviated mark, or a mini logo that might be useful in-house.")
:format(webp)/http://s3.amazonaws.com/projects-files/46/4602/460247/ac7468a6-9327-4e4e-80ff-6e7fe668a90d.jpg "SYLVA is a Colorado-based pop/funk group, inspired by progressive rock/metal (Frost, Anubis Gate, Porcupine Tree, Dream Theater), fusion artists (Return to Forever, Snarky Puppy, Dave Weckl), and more mainstream pop/funk groups (Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Jamiroquai).
The project — which dates back 10 years — has had many faces. The band, wishing for something simple and yet powerful, graciously gave me creative freedom to dream up something new.
The initial need was cover art for the band's upcoming debut release, \"Come Alive.\" I created a vector graphic that at once could be a burst, and also an eye, denoting wakefulness and a force of presence.
The project further expanded to include a 16-page CD booklet, and a revised wordmark. The art will become the basis, also, of merchandise, posters and the group's online presence.
Vector graphics aside, the artwork here is custom made generative art, created by manipulating source images with Javascript in Processing app.")
About
Senior Cairo-based designer, influenced by Rothko, VOMIR and Bill Viola. Great design is closer to sculpture than painting. I'm always trying to take something away — to reduce things down to their essence.
1-to-1 project invites only.
Here’s the truth: Contests are a terrible way to source design. Why? Designers don’t have time to invest when they work for free. You'll get 5% of their mental energy at best. ⭢ Read more
Member since:
July 23, 2011
Reviews
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"Absolutely incredible to work with. Brings the true meaning and purpose of your business to life in one masterful visual. Thank you Ian for an awesome experience. Looking forward to working with you again!"
aotfm
reviewed about 2 months ago
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"I am very happy with Ian's design. He gave me lots of logo suggestions and hit the mark straight away."
berndplitt
reviewed about 2 months ago
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"When you hire Ian, you're hiring more than a graphic designer—you're hiring a brand architect. Ian expertly shaped how people see, think, and feel about engine.fm, showcasing his exceptional talent."
rezy.io
reviewed 3 months ago
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