Brian Paul Nelson – Branding / Design / Illustration">Brian Paul Nelson

“If you can design one thing, you can design everything.”

That quote above pretty much sums up one of the true icons of design, Massimo Vignelli. As you can see most of his work is heavily defined within the Modernist tradition. He focuses on simplicity through the use of basic geometric shapes and forms.

Vignelli was born in Milano, Italy on January 10, 1931 and studied at Academia di Belle Arti (Academy of Fine Arts) in Milan and then at the School of the University of Venice. In 1957, he came to New York on a fellowship and then traveled to Chicago where he taught at the Institute of Design of Illinois Institute of Technology for 3 years. He also taught at the Umanitaria School of Graphic Design in Milan and at the Institute of Industrial Design in Venice.

In 1966, he traveled back to New York where he cofounded Unimark International and worked with high profile clients such as American Airlines, the Ford Motor Company, Gillette, JC Penney, Knoll, and the New York Transit Authority, who continue to use the trademarks and graphic standards produced my Unimark to this day. Then in 1971, he established his own studio, Vignelli Associates in New York with his wife, Lella where he continues to design to this day. Definitely a living legend.

• Career Characters

• Meridian Watches

• Phorm Motor Oil

• Suites

Some new work is posted under my portfolio where you will find a couple different projects I’ve got going on right now.

First up is my Career Characters set which is an on-going project of different careers that I would think would be cool to experience for a day or so. The Lumberjack has been up for a little while, but I just finished with the Pirate. More to come in the future.

I have also been developing the brand for Meridian Watches, an up-and-coming U.S. based watch company. A new identity as well as different collateral pieces are underway. I’m also working on packaging and a few other elements so expect to see that and more pretty soon.

Finally, there are some other new brands in the works that are in the very early stages of development. I have however posted the logos for them under my Logo Archive section. Phorm Motor Oil (pronounced “form”) and Suites which will be a seafood market based in Charleston, SC. Look out for more on both those projects later this year as well.

As always, thanks for taking the time to look through my work.

Some really nice branding and design work coming from Barcelona based Hey Studio. Most of their work has a restraining yet persuasive quality to it that I enjoy. Be sure to click on the images for larger sizes.

Simplicity is a prominent aspect of my life and my work. Some however think the word “simple” or the term “simplicity” means easy or unchallenging. While I’m not one to completely disagree with them, especially when the use of the word could be accounted for in that way, simplicity to me and within myself and what I do, is more about uncomplicating and genuinely understanding the world around you. Looking at something, someone or some occurrence in your life and understanding the true, undeniable meaning of it. Getting to the bare bones, unraveling and interpreting what or whom is presented in front of you and taking a step back and thinking before and after your actions and the actions of others. And that, in a lot of ways, is not always as easy or as effortless as you would hope.

The reason I’m explaining this above is because I reached a point in my career that my old Atlas identity wasn’t speaking volumes enough with who I really am and what I love to do with the art and design I produce. When I branded myself as Atlas it was because I wanted something unique, unabridged and my own. Their were other artists and designers out their with my name (Brian Nelson) and I didn’t want to be lost in that crowd. In some ways, when I look back on it now it was selfish of me to think that way. Atlas was crowned with profuse meaning and will always be special to me because it was me and it was my personal brand that I created at the start of my career. It has lasted for a few, unforgettable years that have been crucial in my development not only as a designer, but also as a man just trying to make his mark on the world. I wore that brand with pride and that pride will always be a part of me, but it was time for a change. It was time to simplify.

What could be more honest and uncomplicated than me, my name, my identity? I am who I am and I love what I love and there is no changing that. Learning to embrace who you truly are takes courage and that courage leads to a passion-filed life. Design is just one passion of mine, but it’s a substantial one that reverberates throughout my everyday life. It’s a part of me, it’s a part of my brand as a designer and as a human being and it’s something I can’t change and don’t want to. This is where I have landed within my thoughts, my career and my life. It’s all umbrellaed under who I am, Brian Paul Nelson.

brianpaulnelson.com
A bunch of new work is coming over the course of this year…stay tuned.

Seattle’s own Hilliard’s Beer is a relatively new startup with some nice branding underway that is being produced by Mint Design. From the beginning they have been detailing the process of creating this beer and evolving the brand over at their site. Their approach with allowing the public to see the behind the scenes work as this startup is brought to life is intriguing and helps instill a deeper personality within their brand.

Simple and smart concept for Natalie Ebnet’s identity designed by Ty Mattson.

I just stumbled across the work of Mike McQuade and I’m glad I did. He is multi-talented and definitely has a sharp eye for branding that expands across each of his projects. His work for Tom, Dick & Harry is one of my favorites. Loving the nostalgic factory feel, especially the type and color palette he introduced to the brand.

The quality of work coming out of the London based “design consultancy” Collective Agency is truly top notch. Their attention to detail and ability to keep a modern restraint on their work really helps focus in on the concept behind each project. Emphasizing a modern approach is no easy task; sometimes it can feel very limiting, but only if you allow it to be. However in Collective Agency’s case they make it seem like it’s cakewalk.

Also be sure to check out their project & Again. It’s an image bookmarking site with a twist. Each click creates a random composition of images from a carefully selected and up to date archive that provides a unique source of inspiration.