ZorroSign, a digital signature and digital transaction management platform, approached Tombras for a website redesign as well as a logo refresh. With my vast knowledge and experience in the branding world, we decided to do an entire brand design overhaul with a new logo, color palette, typography set and photography style guide — all featured in their updated brand guidelines.

Our web team did a great job redesigning their website as well.

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Branding, Logo Design, Iconography, Brand Guidelines

THE TEAM (Tombras Agency)

Heather Thrash, Creative Director

Steve Hamaker, Design Director

Carol Holsinger, Copywriter

Jason Reyna, Digital Designer/3D Modeling

After the successful rebrand of Calypso Lemonades, we were asked to redesign the Calypso Tea packaging to help rejuvenate sales and shelf presence. I was tasked to create a new logo and bottle cap color for product differentiation as well as illustrate fruit, tea leaves and a beach wood sign to accent each unique tea flavor.

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Packaging Design, Illustration, Typography

Since BB&T and SunTrust banks merged to become Truist Bank, I was tasked with the job of brand guidelines oversight and design direction for all designs created at Tombras from print ads to social videos to digital ads.

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Video Design Direction, Print Design Direction, Social Media/Digital Design Direction, Print Advertising Design

THE TEAM (Tombras Agency)

Allen Richardson, Creative Director/Copywriter

Brett Hawkins, Designer

Antonio Guadagno, Animator/VFX Artist

Ellen Lucchesi, Animator/VFX Artist

In 2018, I was hired by Tombras to help elevate the logo and packaging of a stagnant brand, Calypso Lemonade. By working with a variety of designers, we created an updated logo and I finished up the project by illustrating and designing new labels for each of the 21 flavors of lemonades, limeades and tea/lemonades. The packaging was such a hit with consumers, Calypso’s sales went up 33% in one year.

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Identity Design, Packaging Design, Illustration, Website Design, Design Direction

THE TEAM (Tombras Agency)

Tony Ciampa, Creative Director

Steve Hamaker, Designer/Illustrator

Maddy Lane, Designer

Mark Daniel Roettger, Copywriter

Ryan Dailey, Photographer

PureCycle converts polypropylene plastic waste (designated as No. 5 plastic) into like-new plastic. This process fully closes the loop on the reuse of recycled plastics while making recycled polypropylene more accessible at scale to companies desiring to use a sustainable, recycled resin.

Before going public in 2021, they wanted a brand refresh so they approached Tombras for just that — a logo update, new color palette, website and animated videos for the NASDAQ digital billboards in Times Square.

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Branding, Logo Design, Brand Guidelines

THE TEAM (Tombras Agency)

Garrett Munz, Associate Creative Director

Steve Hamaker, Design Director

Carol Holsinger, Copywriter

My friend and talented photographer John Bamber approached me about rebranding the Town of Spring City, TN as more than just a small town between Chattanooga and Knoxville but as a thriving fishing and outdoor destination. With the Cumberland Mountains in its back yard and the Piney River flowing into Watts Bar Lake, Spring City is a center piece for the outdoor enthusiast!

The main identity serves as the town seal and visual anchor for the various city departments and utilities. I was also tasked with creating separate logos to promote Spring City as a sport fishing destination as well as a Visit Spring City to promote the town’s chamber of commerce.

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Logo Designs, Illustration

I had the privilege to work with my good friends at Harvest Creative to develop a community mark (store specific logo) as well as the entire decor system for a new Whole Foods Market in Lexington, Kentucky. The overall design was inspired by the bourbon, horse racing and bluegrass influences of the city of Lexington and Kentucky while still complementing the Whole Foods Market look and feel.

CREATIVE DIRECTION
Andrew Holliday & Daniel Brown, Harvest Creative

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Branding, Logo Design, Signage Design, Interior Design
 

My client and friends at Heaven & Ale – a growler store and tasting room – decided to take their knowledge of craft beer and open a new brewery featuring their own recipes of beer wizardry. They approached me during their early planning stages to take their well recognized store logo and revise to be the new brewery identity. 

"Path To Paradise" lettering:  Sarah Nee, Blissberry Design

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Identity Design, Packaging Design, Apparel Graphics, Menu Design, Interior Graphics
 

Back in 2017, the fine folks at Common John Brewing Co. wanted a new identity for their brewery-in-the-works. They wanted a logo that spoke to the common, hard working people of Manchester, TN and beyond.

“You work hard, care about the folks around you, and enjoy a cold beer at the end of a long day, before the big game, at your favorite concert, or just for the heck of it. Whether you wear a blue collar, a white collar or no collar at all, there’s a little bit of Common John in all of us.” – Common John Brewing Co.

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Identity Design, Apparel Graphics, Brand Guidelines

The CSU Creative Services department needed some additional help creating graphics for the new football stadium that opened in the Fall of 2017. I was hired to create 2 similar murals on the North end zone side of the stadium representing the city of Fort Collins and Colorado State University. The Fort Collins tribute piece includes things we love about Fort Collins, Colorado – breweries, bikes, outdoor life, Horsetooth Rock & Reservoir, music and historic Old Town. The CSU side was a tribute piece to the CSU Rams football team, the Aggies (their nickname), various familiar places around campus, and school pride. The mural was very well received has become a centerpiece for fan selfies and group pictures. 

CREATIVE DIRECTION
Elias Martinez, CSU Creative Services

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Illustration, Typography, Logo Design
 

Community Pie specializes in authentic Neapolitan and traditional New York style pizza making, hand crafted, homemade gelato, and a huge selection of craft beers. Back when their restaurant was just an idea on paper, restaurant owners / geniuses Mike & Taylor Monen hired me to create a brand that would visually tell their story.  

Hand-painted murals: Shawn LaRose
Milk & Honey branding: SeeMe Design

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Identity, Menu, Signage, Murals, Apparel, Website Design, Garlic Breath

Bremen’s Wine & Tap is a vibrant restaurant and wine bar located in Denver, Colorado. Featuring hand-crafted American cuisine, craft cocktails, and wines on tap. The owners wanted the visual branding elements of the restaurant to be centered around the “Town Musicians of Bremen” – a fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm about a donkey, a dog, a cat, and a rooster who leave their respective farms to travel to the town of Bremen, Germany to live without owners and become musicians there. The animals stand on each others back to scare off would be robbers in the story. 

Each animal was illustrated to have a classic woodcut look to keep the brand playful while giving the logo a casual restaurant feel. 

Wall mural design and application:  Ann Marie Auricchio

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Branding, Menu Design, Apparel Graphics, Website Implementation

A variety of logos I've designed over the years for various clients, ad agencies, employers and interactive companies.

Founded in 1998, New West Records boasts a number of Grammy®-award winning artists including Buddy Miller, Delbert McClinton, Patty Griffin, and Steve Earle. 

I had the privilege to redesign their logo with a hip new look and attract more talented artists to their label. New West Records as since released albums by well known artists Ben Folds, Sara Watkins (formally with Nickel Creek) and John Hiatt.

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Identity Design

The guys at Abbott & Wallace Distillery wanted to update their new Longtucky Spirits brand. They already had a solid script font in place but wanted to create a lockup that symbolized the heart of Longmont, Colorado. With Longs Peak in the distance and the work-hard-play-hard Longmont attitude, Longtucky Spirits was born to play off of the owners personalities and love for the outdoors. The new logo includes the majestic Longs Peak as well as bookend mountains Meeker and Lady Washington. The badge shape and 3 pine trees finish out the logo badge design. I also wanted to make the logo the prominent piece of each label, which was created to enhance the unusual bottle shape. 

Script lettering:  Sarah Nee, Blissberry Design
Lusca monster illustration:  Lindsey Karnuth, Lindseyland

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Identity Design, Branding, Label Design
 

Batch Seven is a craft cannabis company in San Francisco, CA that believes in the small-scale care they put into their organic farms and our artisan production methods. I was asked to create a logo symbolizing the seven chakras, the wheel of self-care, and their method of delivery via bicycle. The logo, color palette and typography were all considerations in collaboration with the client to create a brand that speaks more to the mindful audience while breaking out of the cannabis stereotype.

Brand illustrations:  Alex Campbell
Packaging design:  Betsy Filson

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Identity Design
 

DEMDACO, a gifts and decor boutique brand that specializes in hand-curated artisan gifts, needed some packaging design for a new product they were about to release. I was asked to design a box for “Lil Reindeer and The Santa Key”—a plush toy Christmas reindeer for children. The idea was to create a box design that is both playful, somewhat elegant, and also conversation piece for children and their parents or grandparents.

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Logo design, packaging design, typography

During my 2 years as a lead designer with Otter Products, I was tasked to create various logos, icons and graphics for the LifeProof brand. LifeProof designs and sells waterproof, dirt proof, snow proof, and drop proof cases for smart phones and tablets. 

CREATIVE DIRECTION
David Oldfield

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Product Logo Design, Packaging Icon Design, Promotional Identity Design

I had the privilege of working with Night Agency out of NYC on a new identity project for Schweid & Sons — a family-owned and operated fourth generation, gourmet ground beef purveyor. Their artisanal burger meat is now sold in nearly 5000 stores across the country.

CREATIVE DIRECTION
Evan Slater & Darren Paul, Night Agency

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Identity Design

Since 2007, the Folds of Honor has carried forth this singular, noble mission. To provide educational scholarships to spouses and children of America’s fallen and disabled service-members. Their motto is Honor Their Sacrifice.  Educate Their Legacy. In 2016, Stevaker was approached by Marc USA to create a poster commemorating the launch of the Folds of Honor "Dreamship" – a hot air balloon that's literally made from the dreams of the children of fallen and disabled military heroes. It was a privilege and an honor to create this poster for such a great cause. 

CREATIVE DIRECTION
Bryan Hadlock

In 2012, I was hired by Scripps Network to design a logo for a new show called Brother vs. Brother — a competition show airing in primetime on HGTV. Now entering its 4th season, Brother vs. Brother is the ultimate renovation showdown pitting two teams against one another with twins Drew and Jonathan Scott mentoring their teams in a race to the finish. 

ART DIRECTION
Stewart Pack, Lisa Menardi, Scripps Network

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Identity Design

Five Points Pizza is a neighborhood pizza joint in East Nashville's Five Point community specializing in New York style pizza, pizza by the slice and a great beer selection. Before opening their doors in 2011, they hired me to design their new identity and promotional materials. It's still one of my favorite go-to spots when I visit Nashville.

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Identity, Marketing, Collateral, Pizza Box, Menu, Apparel Design, Sampling The Goods

It started out as a dream — to legally distill whiskey in Hamilton Co. Tennessee for the first time in 100 years. When Tim and Joe approached me 5 years ago to create an identity and label design for their new distillery project, I was thrilled to be apart of history. Now distilling and operating as the Tennessee Stillhouse, Chattanooga Whiskey Co. has been bottling and selling whiskey (legally of course) in downtown Chattanooga since 2015. The logo and label design were a tip of the cap to the design style of the early 1900's. The 1816 name is the date of the establishment of the first trading post along the Tennessee River which became Chattanooga, TN.

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Identity, Bottle Labels, Glassware, Apparel, Website Design, Learning about Copper Stills

When I was approached by the fine folks at Appalachian Country Store to design their new identity and product labels, they were really wanting to create a unique line of handcrafted, local products from the Lost Cove Creek area of North Carolina. By working with a variety of diecut shapes, colors, typography and graphics, I was able to create a family of product labels for their Southern inspired pickled products, juices, honey, jellies and moonshine.

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Identity, Product Labeling, Style Guide Design

Branding, signage, menu and collateral design for Urban Stack Burger Lounge — a hip restaurant featuring gourmet burgers and killer drinks. With locations in Chattanooga and Nashville, Urban Stack takes great pride in their wide variety of meats that are either all-natural, organic, grass fed, free-range or from sustainable and humane farms.

Menu design featured in Art of the Menu.

Photography by Rich Smith

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Branding, Naming, Menus, Signage, Apparel, Collateral, Website Design, Burger & Whiskey Sampling

Various poster designs for events, client promotions and for fun.

I was hired by a client in Boston to develop the identity, packaging, marketing materials and website for a new all-natural, Mediterranean style rice and sauce line which will (hopefully) be carried in places like Whole Foods and other organic/natural grocery stores.

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Branding, Packaging, Strategy, Product Photography, Food Styling, Website Design, Eating The Samples

A school founded half a century ago to serve kids with learning differences had drifted from its focus, and faltered. But working together, the board and administration restructured their model, deepened their knowledge, gained new certifications, and retooled their curriculum. With a bright day dawning, they asked us to rebrand and rename the school and give it a strong verbal identity.

A branding collaboration with Caleb Ludwick of 26 Tools.

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Branding, Naming, Collateral, Website Design

Taco Mamacita is a “Fresh-Mex” restaurant specializing in funky-fusion tacos, Peruvian chicken, fresh made guacamole and amazing margaritas. With 3 locations across the Southeast, Taco Mamacita has become a destination restaurant in Nashville, Chattanooga and Sullivan's Island, SC. 

In what would become my first of many design and branding projects for restaurant wizards Mike & Taylor Monen, I was tasked with creating retro-modern Mexican flavor graphics for each restaurant.  

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Menu, Poster, Signage, Apparel, Website Design, Tacos!

During my 3 years at the Johnson Group advertising agency, I was the art director for Krystal Restaurants. From point of purchase displays to packaging design to menu boards, I was responsible for almost all of their visual design and direction. 

CREATIVE DIRECTION
Pat Buckley

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Packaging, Point of Purchase, Advertising, Displays, Menu Boards, Food Photography Art Direction, Eating Way Too Many Krystals

In 2012, I was asked to create a brand marketing package for the Chattanooga Lookouts minor league baseball team. The goal was to create a color palette, font family and design templates that the Lookouts' marketing department could work with throughout the season. A custom illustrated "Looie The Lookout" mascot was created as well. 

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Ticket Book Design, Newsletter Design, Illustration, Typography, Promotional Identity, Peanuts, Cracker Jacks