Nine Nine Creative

About 18 months ago, I left my role as Creative Director at LEARFIELD and SME Branding to branch out and build a network of like-minded creatives to continue doing great work with great people. Throughout my career, I've been fortunate to work with brands like Samsung, Sam Adams, Microsoft, and AT&T, while also working with the PGA, MLB, NHL, many College Athletics programs, and Higher Ed brands on everything from brand strategy and identity to marketing, advertising, social, digital, and video. As an expert in blending strategy, design, and story to build unforgettable brands it would be a pleasure to work with you.

What is your ritual as a Creative – from ideation to final result?

As a creative with nearly two decades of experience my process has evolved but it always starts with getting as much detail and information from my clients to pencil sketches and moving to designing in black and white. I've always believed that if an identity can work in black and white, adding color is relatively easy and the end result will be artwork that can work across any touchpoints and mediums.

How has your work evolved since you began your practice?

When I started my career so much was made of identity and design systems needing to expand and look great at billboard size...everyone was thinking bigger. Today, I feel that simpler, or cleaner is better as the conversations have shifted to "how does it look as a social icon" and so the systems have expanded to develop more assets, but consistency in visual and verbal language is key to a successful brand.

Which popular comic character represents your artistic self the best?

I'm not a big comic character fan. I'd rather look at someone like Tiger Woods who is arguably the greatest in his field, he's constantly striving to get better.

When creating a brand identity, how important is target audience research?

Personally I love data and research. The importance of the target audience will vary based on the brand identity being created. As an example, I've done many identities in the higher ed space and often the identity is a projection of what the institution wants the audience to perceive them as. On the other side of things, my work is sports is more reflective of the target audience and community building with an eye towards licensing and merchandise.

When creating a brand identity, how important is target audience research?

How do you think quality, storytelling, and great teamwork come together on a project?

It's all about communication, strategy and goals. From start to finish, with honest/open lines of communication and layering all of the work back to the strategy and goals we can achieve the best results from our work.

How do you stay up-to-date with the latest trends & technologies in your field and how do you incorporate them into your work?

Reading and finding inspiration for new work. I'm constantly reading about trends in design, but also reading about the industries of my clients to keep them at the forefront of the market.