Capabilities, Logo Case-studies, Curriculum Vitae

1. ¿who am i?

3. I am that powerful combination of left-brain detail and
right-brain creativity: An organized, deadline-driven, de-
tail-oriented and highly-motivated problem solver. For
me Design is a constantly evolving and ever-changing
ephemera.
As a classically trained typographer, I have developed
a keen sense of communicating with type. It is not
enough to simply put text on a page. The manner in
which it is done should be intriguing, inviting, powerful
and captivating. I am highly influenced by the Bauhaus
and Swiss schools, and I consciously try to counterbal-
ance form and function, with the desire to liberate the
page by pushing the boundaries of conventional and
formal considerations—taking from what works and
discarding what does not.
Designs are best when they are the fruit of inspirational
team collaborations: copywriters, image-makers, strat-
egists, developers, clients and audiences. Young, raw
talent and old, sage wisdom, are equally capable of
asking, “Why?”—As well as deciding, “Why not?” Rules
certainly have their place, but “No Left Turn”, does not
exclude additional options!
As a 20-plus year industry veteran, I have broad-range
of experiences in Creative Direction of Marketing Com-
munications, Branding Identity, Brand Management,
Design and Illustration in corporate and agency envi-
ronments.
Independently and collaboratively, I have developed
Logos, Brand Identities and Corporate Branding Stan-
dards for large, multinational concerns, start-up and
established, small and mid-sized business.
Branding is the most valuable asset in any organization,
making it one of the wisest areas for a business to in-
vest. Positioning a brand to resonate myriad audiences,
creating a memorable experience is what I do. I am pas-
sionate about helping corporate decision-makers better
understand the value of their brand and the power of a
well-executed visual communication strategy.
Think. Plan. Execute.

4. There are two times in the life-
cycle of any company when it
considers the importance of
its logo:
1. In the beginning,
when it has everything
to gain
2. In the end,
when it has nothing
to lose.
Some years ago, I came upon a quote concerning the importance of logo design.
I can neither remember its exact wording, nor its authorship.
I keep it mind when I design logos…
I recognize the business truths in these statements.

5. From concept, through
development—until
the public unveiling…
to these measures I
do abide!
Logo design is the most important element in building brand
recognition. A logo conveys a message about a company
and its product to an intended audience. It should do so
without additional explanation or context.
simplicity
Less is more. Incorporate as many messages about a company
and what it does, in as few elements as possible. Overly ornate
logos generally have limited versatility because they try to say
too much and cover too much territory.
memorability
Create a unique concept, strip it down to a basic level—and the
logo will have more impact.
The design should be simple, easy to recall and use imagery or
typography that resonates with the intended audience.
timelessness
Rebranding should not be considered a normal part of busi-
ness. To insure brand equity, a logo should withstand the test
of time. When designing a logo, I avoid trends, unnecessary
effects and gimmicks.
flexibility
A logo should be scalable to different sizes without losing qual-
ity. It should also work in one color and against a dark back-
ground without losing integrity. A logo should work across vari-
ous media and within different contexts.
relevance
An integral component of creating an effect logo is understand-
ing your target audience. Knowing what is appropriate for a
target audience will typically dictate font, color and associated
imagery.

6. client: artisan medical devices, inc.
Cosmetic dentistry tools
Each tool has a soft, interchangeable, translucent shaping-tip
that is used to apply dental bonding material to the surface of the
tooth. The handle is fitted with a UV light source that illuminates
the shaping-tip, while hardening the material.
In the logo, the tittle has been replaced with a triangular “tip”
that alludes to the tip shape. Blue is used to imply the UV light
source—with the font, Rotis Semi-serif, suggesting the sculpting
technique by which the material is manipulated.

7. client: hero house, inc.
Artists on the Edge
HERO House is a place where people recovering from severe
mental illness, come to rebuild their lives and rejoin their commu-
nity. Artists on the Edge, is a program offered by HERO House,
to facilitate self-therapeutic recovery through artistic expression
in various media.
The name, Artists on the Edge, and the logo design are intended
to convey a deliberately cheeky ambiguity as to the purposes,
products and participants of the program.

8. client: cannuflow, inc.
Flexible arthroscopic cannulas
Cannuflow, fabricates flexible arthroscopic cannulas that facil-
itate minimally-invasive knee-surgery, while reducing recovery
periods.
The organic shape, replacing the crossbar, along with the color
combination­, are meant to invoke the fluidity with which the can-
nulas are manipulated, their flexible construction—as well as to
reflect the blue color of the silicone device.

9. client: hitachi data systems, inc.
Channel One Reseller Marketing
The logo incorporates Hitachi Red, to provide a direct tie-in to
the established, brand identity standards of both Hitachi, Ltd.,
and Hitachi Data Systems—its wholly-owned subsidiary. The
split-complement, violet color has substituted for the secondary
Hitachi Grey, to establish the program as separate from, but sup-
ported by, both parent-organizations.
This logo is featured in the book, Bullet-Proof Logos, by David E.
Carter and James R. Higgins.

10. client: the company theatre
Performing Arts Troupe
Letterforms, are utilized to create the visual metaphor for the-
atre: with the audience in burgundy-velvet, loge seating, and the
stage offset with a neutral-platinum tone.
This logo was accepted into the 1990 Print Design Annual.

11. client: donald pedersen, aia
Architecture
The initials of Architect Donald Pedersen, are interwoven in three-
dimensionality, and are anchored on an island of soft, neutral
green that mimics that of a draftsman’s surface.

12. client: the duncan group, inc.
High-technology Marketing Services
The logo is set in ITC Bodoni, to connote a tempered and tested
level of services. Colored in split-complements: orange, distin-
guishes the organization’s founder, Len Duncan, while violet rein-
forces the timbre of The Duncan Group brand. The ligature of the
lowercase “u” and “n” was incorporated to provide an additional
nuance of visual interest.

13. client: hero house, inc.
“A place where people recovering from severe mental illness,
come to rebuild their lives and rejoin their community.”
This logo redesign maintains the original concept and color-
scheme of its predecessor. It has simply been updated to in-
crease the sophistication of the original execution.

14. client: hitachi data systems, inc.
The effort was a collaboration between internal HDS Corporate
Marketing Communications group and Craig Frazier Design.
Hitachi Data Systems, Inc., is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hi-
tachi, Ltd., dedicated to the sale of mass-storage devices. The
company had originally commissioned the design of its own
unique identifying logo. In rebranding analysis, it was determined
efficacious to capitalize on the significant brand equity of Hitachi,
Ltd.­, by using its existing logo and corporate colors—fitting it
with Data Systems to establish the company as a subsidiary.

15. client: hot shots
A Children’s Hair Salon
Big shapes and bold color are meant to be bright, attractive and
easily interpreted by adults and children alike.

16. client: marketbound
Product-launch services
Different weights of ITC Futura, and a stark color combination
accentuate the purpose, direction and active, imperative nature
of this Time-to-Market service organization.

17. client: artists’ open studios: san josé, california
The icon is derived from the AIGA sign-symbol for access—or
ingress. It has been simply, and uniquely modified to serve as
a quickly identifiable logoform for each piece of marketing col-
lateral, as well as a sign marker for each stop, on the annual
tour event.

18. client: sancastle technologies, inc.
Storage-area network solutions
The logoform and its ocher color, establish and solidify the
metaphor invoked by the company name. The SAN acronym is
emphasized by boldface, all-capped and then, set in x-height to
ensure that the company name and its product services, main-
tain an integral hierarchy.

19. client: worlds, inc.
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game
The classic engravers display face, Serlio, in a muted earth-
tone—with a dual-orb iconography inset, in bright yellow—
evoke the anachronism of fantasies-future and fantasies-past.

21. Curriculum Vitae
Michael A. McCann
425.803.6390
tristanztt@live.com
Portfolio
education
1987 BS Graphic Design
Illustration and Art Direction
Minor in Humanities and Literature
San José State University
certifications
2009 University Tutor
Bellevue College, Bellevue, Washington
The College Reading and Learning Association
1992
Project Management
The Boeing Company
1989 System Administration
Macintosh, Windows and UNIX environments.
Apple, Inc.

22. Curriculum Vitae
achievements
awards
Communication Arts
How
International Association of Business Communicators
Print
Printing Industries of America
Western Art Directors Club
collections
American Corporate Identity
Bullet Proof Logos
Creativity
Graphic Design USA
Logos 2000
Print Casebooks
Average savings on vended print collateral of $1 mil­
lion annually for Amdahl and Hitachi Data Systems.
Effective management of creative staff, vendors and
clients.
Trained, supervised and evaluated staff, coached im­
provement project management skills, resulting in
successful time-to-market campaigns product launches,
under tight deadlines.
Experienced Copywriter: Advertising and marketing
copy, and in-house newsletters and corporate organs.
Accomplished Presenter and Public-speaker: Design
presentations, public advocacy and peer training
Acceptance by portfolio review into Bachelor of Sci­
ence Design program. Graduated with distinction.

23. Curriculum Vitae
clients
Any Mountain
Artist Publications
Bendixen-Redding
Café de Flore
Cannuflow
Cognigine
Elemental Records
EXAC Corporation
The Fine Art of Feelings
The Goethe Institute
International Association of
Business Communicators
The Insider
HCM
Hewlett-Packard
KUSF College Radio
Mervyn’s California
Muccino Design Group
Pagliaro-Kuhlman Advertising
RV Parts Outlet
Ralph Records
Randall Crandall
Reckless Records
SANcastle Technologies
San José Institute of Contempo-
rary Art
San José Art League
Tandem Computers
The William and Flora Hewlett
Foundation
Yukon Inflatables

24. Curriculum Vitae
employment
2008-2014 Marketing Communications Volunteer | Board Member Representative
HERO House, Bellevue, WA
Specializing in Brand Identity development, General Art Direction and
Marketing Communications.
2000-2005 Creative Director
Red Circle Communications, Los Gatos/San Francisco, CA
Full-spectrum Design, Creative/Art direction; specializing in Brand Identity and
Marketing Communications.
1995-2000 Associate Creative Director
Hitachi Data Systems, Santa Clara, CA
In-house creative overseeing design and development of a broad range of Marketing
Communications Collateral, including: product brochures and specification sheets,
special-event collateral, posters, Branding Identity and branding standards, packaging
and web-media direction.
1990-1995 Senior Art Director
Amdahl Corporation, Sunnyvale, CA
In-House creative overseeing development of identity standards and implementation, and
maintaining integrity over all levels of Corporate Communications media. Design and
development of a broad range of Marketing Communications Collateral, including: product
brochures and specification sheets, special-events collateral and posters.
1985-1995 Freelance Creative
Design: Extremis, Los Gatos and San Francisco, CA
Freelance consultant: Art Direction, Design and Illustration for design firms, small studios,
corporations, art galleries and arts organizations, and small-business.

25. Curriculum Vitae
community involvement
Mental health advocacy
HERO House, Bellevue, WA
Homeless advocacy
Congregations for the Homeless, Bellevue, WA
affiliations
AIGA
IABC
WADC
SFADC
references
Roberta Lyon
Past Board Secretary: HERO House
425.898.9993
robertajlyon@comcast.net
Abe Kriger
Founder, Chair Emeritus: HERO House
425.868.7050
abekriger@aol.com
Phil Gerson
Past Board Member: HERO House
425.890.8685
pgerson_8@msn.com
Annie Holt
Public Affairs and Policy: Pfizer
206.920.6240
anna.k.holt@pfizer.com
Daya Astor
Arts Educator
425.652.9532
art.dba@comcast.net