LOGO

A logo’s purpose establishes a business’s identity making it easily recognizable to its customers.

Identity is achieved through visualizing a business’s unique story, values and offerings. Lets look below at client examples and view the symbolisms they utilize – categorized by logo type.

Combo Logos

are a blend of text and a symbol, for  VCD’s combines initials and foliage. WLM’s full logo fuses allegory shapes and clarifying text.

Lettermark

is typographic logo that focuses on initials or abbreviations. Gluckle Insurance’s icon highlights the owners full name Dave Gluckle.

Mascot Logos

feature an illustrated character or figure; in further honoring Cordelia Martin achievements, she inspire the image of her health center. 

Emblem Logos

combines text and imagery within a unified shape, as Stratman’s shield encompasses interchangeable backgrounds and athletic text. 

Village Care Doula Program at NHA, Toledo

The Village Care Doula Program at NHA is all about supporting families through one of life’s most important journeys—bringing a new baby into the world. They focus on creating a safe, nurturing environment for expectant parents, offering culturally sensitive care, education, and guidance.

DELIVERABLES

OBJECTIVES

 The logo was intended to serve as a recognizable symbol for the program, helping to raise awareness and visibility. It needed to be versatile enough to be used across brochures, signage, and other print materials, representing the program’s values of support, empowerment, and community care.

Its a thoughtful design that symbolizes the three key phases of a doula’s role in a mother’s early years: prenatal support, labor support and postpartum support. These are represented through three flowers in various stages of bloom, three types of plants, and three overlapping circles. The overlapping circles highlight companionship, while the layered vegetation reflects the nurturing and educational aspects of the program.

Gluckle Insurance & Financial Services

Gluckle Insurance Agency isn’t your typical insurance provider—it’s a family-run business that puts people first. Whether you need coverage for your home, car, or business, they take the time to understand your unique needs and find the right fit.

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OBJECTIVES

The client sought a logo that was professional yet distinctive, aiming to differentiate Gluckle Insurance Agency from other agencies.  A visual identity that reflected the agency’s family values, as approachable interactions and available assistance.

This typographic approach not only aligns with the client’s request for a professional and distinctive design but also creates a strong, recognizable identity. The integration of the client’s initials adds a personal touch while maintaining the polished aesthetic that reflects the agency’s commitment to trust and reliability.

Cordelia Martin Community Health Center - NHA Toledo, Ohio

The Cordelia Martin Health Center, part of NHA, is dedicated to providing high-quality, compassionate healthcare to individuals and families. With a focus on accessibility and community wellness, their team offers comprehensive medical services tailored to diverse health needs.

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OBJECTIVES

Referred by the Village Care Doula, they aimed to establish a stronger identity within their local community. This became particularly relevant when their hygiene care bag program for local high school students was leading to misunderstanding about their outreach programs and NHA services. Making the goal – increasing awareness while continuing to honor Cordelia Martin.

The health center, named in honor of a dedicated community leader, wanted to continue her legacy in the logo. They provided a digital scan of a historical image of Cordelia, making it the main focus. To highlight her impact, I designed hands embracing her from behind, symbolizing the community’s gratitude.

Since NHA operates several centers, it was important to create unique branding while still connecting to NHA. I used a color from the NHA logo to build a new color palette for the health center, establishing its own identity.

Midway through the design, they added content for the bag in both English and Spanish. I created designs for both front-and-back prints and single-side prints to provide budget flexibility.

Stratman Sports St. Louis, Missouri

Stratman Sports is a premier destination for competitive and recreational sports enthusiasts, offering top-tier leagues, training, and events. Whether you’re a seasoned athlete or a newcomer, their programs provide the perfect blend of skill development, teamwork, and fun.

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OBJECTIVES

A completely rebranded logo that better reflected their identity. They had explored previous design concepts and wanted to collaborate with another designer to refine the final look. As a recognized volleyball league facility, they required a versatile design that allowed for the integration or removal of sport-specific icons, ensuring adaptability across different leagues and programs.

To achieve the rebrand, I merged elements from a previous design with my own, integrating the “S” typography from the original concept while incorporating my shield, colors, and fonts. The shield became the key to versatility—it allowed for interchangeable sports icons while maintaining a cohesive brand identity. To ensure consistency, all variations, including the St. Louis flag, volleyball, pickleball, and other court games, were adapted to the two reds from the main logo.

The font choice balanced boldness with an athletic feel, achieved through outlines and double outlines—a widely recognized design technique in sports branding.

WLM Diversity and Cultural Comm.

WLM consults with colleges and universities on strategies to retain and graduate students of color. His services included an equity assessment with the diversity administration and calculating the retention achievement rate. Continued relationships lead to inclusivity programs, classroom presentations, arrival programs, and summer bridge programs.

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OBJECTIVES

The goal was to capture Willie’s lived experience as a first-generation, low-income, African American male, using his story to spark dialogue and change. His stories as a professor, administrator, and Alpha Phi Alpha stressed his service-driven purpose to improve lives by fostering access. Key roles and topic to incorporate in the logo and website.

The logo embodies Willie’s purpose and experience. Focusing on purpose, the torch’s silhouette reflects the image of an individual reaching down to pull others up, and remains a symbol of enlightenment and liberty. The shield shape represents strength and strategy, while the highway-inspired star honors urban migration and Willie’s archaeology thesis.

The site emphasizes clarity and transparency, reflecting the client’s values and services. Layout draws inspiration from the fraternity’s upper window design, using a balanced 1/3 column structure for organization and accessibility. It presents compelling data and insights upfront to engage visitors, followed by the client’s expertise and accomplishments. This approach demonstrates a willingness to share knowledge before promoting services, creating a trustworthy experience.

www.wlmicu.com

Blues, Beers & Brats Festival Waterville, Ohio

Blues, Brews & Brats is a celebration of music, craft beer, and delicious food, bringing together the best of blues culture in an unforgettable festival experience. With live performances, local brews, and a vibrant atmosphere, it’s a must-attend event for music and food lovers alike. It is organized every year by the Waterville Rotary Club and Third Street Cigar.

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OBJECTIVES

The poster is updated annually featuring the new lineup and sponsors. The posters serve as advertisements leading up to the event. My role included designing the festival posters each year and, in the second year, reformatting the festival logo to create a fresh visual identity.

The poster was updated by separating the festival’s logo into distinct textual and graphic elements to enhance readability and impact. The title was enlarged to immediately draw attention, while the graphic portion was also scaled up, ensuring a balanced visual hierarchy. Below, dates and ticket information were added for clarity, and the festival lineup was offset to the right, displayed as a fan of album covers to symbolize the diverse musical acts.

Choosing the background was a challenge, as it needed to reflect the festival’s spirit. Having attended the event multiple times, I wanted something that captured its nostalgic and communal essence. The perfect representation came from the lawn chairs that attendees bring, rent, and scatter throughout the venue. To reinforce this connection, I recreated a vintage lawn chair design, colored it blue, and added a sunray effect behind it, evoking both nostalgia and the warm, lively atmosphere of the festival.

Lori Duke, Frederick Realtor Frederick, MD

A highly skilled real estate professional dedicated to delivering an elevated home-buying and selling experience. With a client-first approach, she combines market expertise, strategic negotiation, and personalized service to ensure every transaction is seamless and rewarding. Specializing in Downtown Frederick, Lori’s deep understanding of the market allows her to guide clients with confidence

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OBJECTIVES

Refining her real estate brand to enhance lead generation, maintain autonomy, and elevate her online presence. She seeks to establish a cohesive identity that reflects her values—relationships, community engagement, education, and approachability—while ensuring seamless transitions between software platforms when needed. 

The branding began with colors inspired by a cherished painting, making them both personal and meaningful. The chosen font ensured legibility across platforms, reflecting her preference for clear communication. Photography sourced through trusted connections influenced the overall style, contrast, and tinting, reinforcing her relationship-driven approach..

The website established Lori’s online presence. The homepage featured her on a doorstep, mirroring a client introduction. Professionally dressed and framed by potted flowers, she appeared warm and approachable. A square overlay became a key brand element, while her name and title followed a structured format, reflecting a quality-over-quantity approach that highlights her efforts to exceed industry standards.

The rental and sales property campaigns continued to reinforce Lori’s brand identity through structured text orientation and square-blocked layouts. These campaigns encompassed MLS listings, postcards, flyers, email marketing, Facebook and Instagram posts, and engagement-driven social media strategies.

Lori’s social media content was curated to establish her as a knowledgeable resource in real estate, local events, and the housing market. Client testimonial posts further reinforce her trustworthiness. The brand’s core green tones are consistently used throughout posts, while pink serves as a strategic accent, drawing attention to key content—most notably her name.

Lori’s newsletter underwent two revisions, with the final version truly capturing her brand essence. It opens with a welcoming message from Lori alongside her picture set against a pink background. The layout is structured for readability, with alternating white and light green backgrounds organizing each section. The text is predominantly left-aligned for consistency and encourages readers to give additional attention for it is atypical. The conclusion reuses the first image from her website, reinforcing other digital presences.

Black Swamp Driving School Pemberville, Ohio

Black Swamp Driving School is committed to shaping responsible, confident drivers through expert instruction and hands-on training. Their certified instructors provide comprehensive lessons tailored to both new drivers and those seeking refresher courses, ensuring safety and confidence on the road.

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OBJECTIVES

Business card design were to coordinate with their newly purchased logo. And one side of the card should serve as a reminder for scheduled driving lessons, ensuring students have a convenient reference for their appointments.

The frog icon influenced the circular design element on the front – it resembles a lily pad reinforcing brand identity. It divided the card into two-thirds white and one-third light green, maintaining a clean, professional look. 

On the back, a large, transparent icon over a light green background added depth without overpowering the appointment reminder section. The white appointment blanks created a 1/3 white, 2/3 light green split, mirroring the front’s color balance. The structured layout ensured the card remained visually appealing while functioning as a scheduling tool for students.

Rebel Chiropractic Waterville, Ohio

Rebel Chiropractic is redefining spinal health by empowering individuals to live pain-free through precise, evidence-based chiropractic care. Their holistic approach focuses on long-term wellness, offering customized adjustments and education to help patients reclaim their vitality.

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OBJECTIVES

Two promotional materials: a postcard to advertise their “$100 for 100” deal—offering a full chiropractic check-up with X-rays for $100, regardless of insurance status—and a business card that includes all their social media profiles while featuring all three doctors on the card.

These business cards and postcards presented a unique challenge due to the large amount of textual content the client wanted to include in a limited space. To maintain readability and visual appeal, I structured the information into clearly defined sections and strategically paired related content. Icons replaced long social media links to reduce clutter.

For the business card, it was essential to keep all three doctors’ names alongside the contact information, ensuring convenience for clients when booking appointments. 

Trisun Land Services, LLC
Title & Closing Specialists

TriSun Land Services is dedicated to transforming outdoor spaces with expert land clearing, grading, and maintenance. Their team specializes in creating sustainable, functional landscapes tailored to residential and commercial needs.

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OBJECTIVES

A biography flyer was requested for an employee’s Business Networking International (BNI) profile, highlighting their expertise and services. It was required to clearly separated his personal contact information from the company’s while ensuring his details stood out. 

I separated the information by placing the business details at the top on a white background and the client’s information at the bottom, where contact details are typically expected. A colored background behind his section drew attention while ample spacing gave it prominence. For the business details, I highlighted key services using the logo’s icon as bullet points and included a brief company description to keep the flyer concise yet informative.

Ortinau Art - Screen Print Shop Pemberville, OH

Ortinau Art is a small but mighty screen print shop in Pemberville, OH, dedicated to bringing bold designs to life on high-quality apparel and merchandise. With a passion for craftsmanship and attention to detail, they specialize in custom screen printing for businesses, events, and creative projects, ensuring every print is as unique as the people who wear them.

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OBJECTIVES

Infographics developed to explain the workflow process for new employees and machine maintenance procedures for a large-format printer and a DTG machine. Some will later be transformed into stickers for easy placement. Additionally, the shop requests flyers to send out in the mail and hang around town to promoting and list their services.

The maintenance stickers  had two distinct sections—Daily and Weekly—to simplify machine upkeep. Each section featured a clear diagram of the machine, highlighting button locations and providing visual references with screenshots to guide users on which buttons to press. They included maneuver actions and tools required for cleaning, assisting employees to follow correct procedures. A visual comparison was incorporated showing the ink head before and after cleaning, plus swab color visuals for comparison.

The workflow infographic was developed to streamline understanding of Ortinau Art’s two main services: direct orders and webstore purchases. I used two distinct color-coded columns to clearly delineate each service path, guiding employees through the various stages involved—Sales and Payment/Confirmation, Artwork and Web Products Built, Ordering and Staging, PRODUCTION, Packaging, and Customer Retrieval. Each step was visually represented, with corresponding paperwork listed to the right, ensuring clarity and efficiency in the process. This infographic served as a quick-reference in team meetings.

Lastly, the flyers were tailored to serve dual purposes. The original flyer was intentionally designed to function with large blank space for note taking, encouraging clients to sketch designs and jot down garments preferences. This approach fostered client engagement and made the flyer a practical keepsake. The second flyer shifted focus to showcasing Ortinau Art’s services and story.

Body & Sole Massage Therapy Perrysburg, Ohio

Body & Sole Massage Therapy is a sanctuary for relaxation and healing, offering expert massage treatments that restore balance to the body and mind. Their skilled therapists specialize in a variety of techniques to alleviate tension, reduce stress, and promote overall well-being.

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OBJECTIVES

A business card incorporating the employee’s certifications, contact information, social media handles, and a lengthy business URL—all on one side. The reverse side should serve as an appointment reminder card with a disclosure statement. Additionally, they seek a brochure on cupping therapy, developed in collaboration with their trained cupping therapist, to educate clients on its benefits.

To maintain brand consistency, I selected a second serif font for textual content, ensuring easy readability while complementing the logo’s elegant typography. The leaves from the logo were transformed into a subtle background pattern, reinforcing brand identity without overwhelming the design.

To organize content, I incorporated paper fold effects with shadows, creating natural divisions between sections. On the front of the business cards, these folds structured the layout into three sections: contact information include employee name, certificated, business number and address; the new logo, and the website, while the back featured the business name at the top and an appointment reminder at the bottom, ensuring clarity and function.

These elements from the logo were used to strengthen Body and Sole’s brand identity. The leaves represent a grounding connection to the earth, while the circles symbolize continuity and connected energy. These shapes were applied throughout the designs, from photo cropping to icons like the “&” sign, creating a unified visual language. This approach deepened the brand’s message of holistic care and natural healing while maintaining design consistency.

For the brochure, the paper folds continue separating key details, particularly on the back, where they structured the list of cupping therapy health benefits. Circular elements were also utilized throughout the design—to crop photos, highlight skin reaction samples, and represent symbols such as question marks—maintaining a cohesive visual language.

Typography in the brochure focus on boldness and capitalization. Capitalization, reflecting the style of the logo, was strategically used in headers to emphasize important keywords, enhancing readability and reinforcing branding.

These project further developed Body & Sole’s brand aligning with core values of connection, grounding, and holistic healing.

Alliance Francaise de Toledo

Alliance Française de Toledo is a vibrant cultural organization dedicated to promoting the French language and francophone culture in Northwest Ohio. Through engaging language classes, cultural events, and community gatherings, they provide a welcoming space for learners and enthusiasts to explore the richness of French heritage and connect.

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OBJECTIVES

The brochure was for a booth event, created in collaboration with a copyright and grant writer. The brochure should highlight their mission, main language courses, and an events calendar to attract and inform potential members.

For the Alliance Française de Toledo brochure, I expanded on the logo’s colors, incorporating a second, darker red for contrast and adding grays and a gradient to bring depth and sophistication. To highlight the organization’s mission—bringing French education to Toledo—I wanted the design to emphasize Toledo’s local presence. I sourced a city shot of Toledo, provided by the client, to span the entire back of the brochure, creating a seamless view from bridge to bridge when the brochure was fully unfolded.

To balance the local representation with the French heritage, I incorporated the fleur-de-lis as a pattern throughout the design, using it as bullet points to subtly connect the French influence with Toledo. This combination of design elements ensured the brochure was both visually striking and meaningful, reflecting the organization’s mission to connect French culture with the Toledo community.

Looking back, several improvements could enhance the design of the Alliance Française de Toledo brochure. Increasing the margins at the top and bottom of the calendar event section would create balance and readability, while moving the March event over would decongest the middle panel. On the first inside panel, reducing separation between content would create a more cohesive layout.

Increasing the contrast between the text and the grey gradient background is crucial for better legibility.  Repositioning the “Group Instruction” title within the grey box would improve organization. For the front page, adding spacing between the organization’s name and text below would make the design cleaner. Softening the white line along the city image would improve the transition, and adjusting the size of the fleur-de-lis pattern would balance the design. These changes would improve both readability and aesthetics.

Chris Canas Band's Detroit

The Chris Canas Band brings the soul of the blues to life with electrifying performances and masterful musicianship. Known for their dynamic stage presence and heartfelt sound, they keep the blues tradition alive while infusing it with a modern, high-energy twist.

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OBJECTIVES

Referred by Third Street Cigar, I worked directly with Mr. Canas to design his album. As the “Prince of Detroit,” he wanted to showcase the urban essence of the city. He hired a photographer to capture images in a graffiti setting, emphasizing Detroit’s raw energy. 

This project was one of my favorites due to the excellent collaboration with Chris Canas. His communication was outstanding, and his enthusiasm for the project was evident in the material he provided. Chris sent an abundance of content, including 40-50 photos, a custom-made font for the album, and a heartfelt description of the album’s meaning to him. 

The custom font was used solely for “Detroit” and “Chris Canas” to make those words stand out, while a second font was used for the rest of the content to ensure clarity.

The first step was selecting photos with ample space for textual content, as I needed to fit in details like the album description, track list, his logo, the studio’s logo, and credits for contributors. Since Chris is the “Prince of Detroit,” every image featured him, ensuring that he remained the focal point of the cover, CD, and inside label.

After discussing with him, we chose a half-body shot for the cover to differentiate it from his previous albums. The title and names were added, but the inside was where I really wanted to create cohesion. I designed the inside so the image spanned across both sides of the booklet, with Chris centered on the left. The left side included his personal description of the album, giving it an intimate and personal touch. The right side listed musicians and producers, arranged neatly to maintain balance and readability.

For the back cover, I used a photo of Chris walking away with a guitar slung over his shoulder, symbolizing the end of the album. The track list, album title, and artist name were highlighted, followed by legal product identification text.

Jerry Dugger's Don't Crow,
Don't Cry

Jerry Dugger is a seasoned bluesman whose rich vocals and deep grooves embody the essence of American roots music. His performances create an intimate connection with audiences, bringing raw emotion and authenticity to every note.

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OBJECTIVES

Don’t Crow Don’t Cry was a deeply personal project—a tribute to a late blues musician and dear friend. The design needed to capture Jerry’s essence, portraying him as a generous friend and storyteller. It also aimed to subtly included the folk music genre while maintaining his blues roots.

The illustration provided was central to the album’s design, with text modifications to ensure clarity and emphasis. The full album title was too long for the banner, so only Jerry Dugger’s name was placed there, reinforcing his presence and making him the focus—fitting for an album that celebrates his connections and storytelling. To maintain cohesion, elements from the illustration, like the guitar and leaves, were recreated and incorporated on the back cover, complementing the track list while keeping a visual link to the front.

The interior design was intentionally personal, using a warm orange background that evoked a sense of depth and intimacy, much like peeling open an orange to reveal something meaningful inside. This choice added a tactile, emotional layer to the experience, reinforcing the album’s purpose as a memorial tribute. The black-and-white image of Jerry’s late friend, paired with a heartfelt dedication and song description, further emphasized this. 

Typography also played a role in conveying meaning. Jerry’s name, the tribute song, and the dedication statement shared a distinct font style, visually tying together the personal aspects of the album. The rest of the text used a bold block font with subtle variations, such as a shadow effect on the album title and track list, while contributor names and titles were kept simple for clarity. These design choices worked together to honor the album’s deeply personal and reflective nature.

Johnny Rawls's Going Back to Mississippi

Johnny Rawls is a legendary blues artist whose soulful voice and timeless storytelling captivate audiences worldwide. With a career spanning decades, he continues to honor the roots of blues while sharing his passion for music with new generations.

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OBJECTIVES

The CD was centered on its title. The studio provided professional photos of Rawls, with a specific request to incorporate new backgrounds while featuring an image of him pointing. They also supplied previous CD designs as references, ensuring continuity with Johnny’s preferred aesthetic.

For Johnny Rawls’ album, I focused on a modern, clean look that aligned with his previous designs—emphasizing typography alongside his image while keeping the color palette minimal. Given the album’s theme of returning to Mississippi, I chose the Mississippi River as the new background, reinforcing the connection to his roots. The river image was converted to a dark green monochrome, with two shades of gray layered in to create subtle depth and define the ground and wall elements. The grays helped reduce texture and visual noise, ensuring the album title remained the focal point.

The color scheme was pulled directly from Johnny Rawls’ shirt—dark green, gold, and red—to create cohesion and a natural flow throughout the design. The album title became a key typographic element, combining two fonts into a single unified image used consistently across the album. The same font from the title was applied to the track list and contributor credits, maintaining visual harmony.

A defining line was placed beneath the album title, giving it structure and balance. Additional lines were strategically used to organize the contributor credits on the back cover, placed around a Photoshopped image of Johnny’s guitar, which featured the same Mississippi River background as the front cover. This approach ensured that both imagery and typography worked together to create a cohesive, professional, and timeless design.

After thoughts include improving the grey background by adding subtle texture, softening edges and tweaking shadows to make it appear more realistic, as well as adjusting Mr. Rawls’ shadows for a more grounded feel.

It's a Nice Day, Mommy by Stephanie Adams

“It’s Nice to Be a Mommy” by Stephanie Adams is a heartwarming children’s book that celebrates the joys and wonders of motherhood. Through engaging storytelling and charming illustrations, it captures the magic of a mother’s love in a way that delights both parents and children.

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OBJECTIVES

A passion project from a family friend who wanted to see greater representation of individuals like herself in children’s literature. She envisioned a book that reflected her and her daughter as everyday people, creating a meaningful impact in the industry for young Black girls. The character designs were directly based on them, making the project highly personal and culturally significant.

To meet the objectives for It’s a Good Day, Mommy, the first step was designing the characters based on photo references and outfit preferences provided by the author. I requested 3-4 additional children’s books that showcased artwork they found appealing to help narrow down the visual style. The goal was to create simple, clear illustrations with a focus on key characteristics, such as hairstyles, that would make the characters relatable for young POC readers. Once the characters were finalized, I applied the same style to the book’s interior and cover illustrations, maintaining consistency throughout the project.

The illustrations in the book highlight simple activities, such as going for a walk in the park or having pancakes for breakfast, showcasing inclusivity in everyday moments and adventurous through the eyes of a child. To emphasize the characters and interactive elements, I used vibrant, bolder colors, while opting for lighter or dulled tones for the background and environment. Two fonts were selected: one for dialogue and another for narrative text, helping children clearly distinguish between the two and enhancing their reading experience.

A Man and His Music - The Legendary Life of Jerry Thomas
by Liberty Writes

Liberty Writes, founded by Ayana Thomas, is a platform dedicated to empowering voices through literature, storytelling, and advocacy. 

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OBJECTIVES

The book cover design is to honor the memory of Ayana Thomas’s late father. Upon his passing, she received hundreds of stories and memories from individuals across the music industry. To preserve and celebrate his legacy, she planned to curate these stories into a book, with the cover reflecting his influence and impact.

Several photos were provided for the cover and back, with a close-up of Mr. Jerry Thomas chosen to identify him as the subject of the book. The cover was split between his image and bold typography for “A Man and His Music,” reinforcing his deep connection to his craft. The back continued this theme, featuring a statement from Liberty Writes paired with an image of his hands playing music, visually representing how his legacy continues to shape the industry. The layout and imagery worked together to create a design that was both personal and reverent, ensuring the book’s message felt intimate and celebratory.