Federal Realty is the nation's leading builder of mixed-use development properties with one of the most enviable real-estate portfolios in the country. Their residential arm—still very much in its infancy—was growing rapidly, and they were seeking to give it a true brand platform and presence. 

The Insight
My team determined early on that if we focus the brand on location, price and features, we would be in the fray duking it out with everyone else. We needed to think bigger. And we needed to change the conversation. Enter A Life Above. Both physically and metaphorically, this brand concept elevated the message, and offered the tools to convey, support and promote the Federal Realty living experience.

My Role
Brand Concept & Positioning
Creative Direction
Corporate Messaging

Client / Agency
Federal Realty Investment Trust / hzdg

The Walt Disney company was reclaiming control over the Disney Store retail experience, and tasked us with creating an iPad app that captured the Disney story, generated new relationships, and guided users through their vast array of storied products and franchises.

My Role
As the creative and interactive lead, I developed the user experience for the entire application. Additionally, I functioned as the lead visual designer and led the efforts on the entire look, feel and functionality of the application.

Key Responsibilites
Creative Director
Lead UX/UI Designer
Technical Liasion

Client / Agency
The Walt Disney Company / Rock Creek Strategic Marketing

WGL Holdings is a massive utility holding company with nearly a century's worth of experience, and a steadily growing portfolio of diverse energy assets. The brand, however, was fractured and inconsistent across their affiliate organizations, and required true clarity and consistency in the marketplace.

The Insight
Energy is never the ends, it's the means. It's the catalyst behind progress, and the fuel that drives growth. WGL was not looking to quietly tiptoe into the energy conversation, they wanted a position that was big, bold and impactful. A brand that took the tired, predictable concepts of energy and gave them new life and purpose.

Key Responsibilities
Creative Direction
Brand Concept & Positioning
Brand Voice and Messaging
Visual Design Support

Veev is a scrappy upstart liquor company with a rich backstory, and a unrelenting desire to loosen the iron-grip that the established vodka brands held in the marketplace.

My Role
As a heavily conceptual business development effort, my team came up with the ideas and the expressions that could clearly distinguish Veev in a cluttered marketplace, and help them forge their own unique identity. We sought out ways to humanize the mythical characteristics of their Brazilian heritage and mission, and bring a vivid, fully saturated experience to life.

Key Responsibilities
Creative Direction
Brand Concept & Positioning
Voice & Brand Messaging
Visual Design Support

Ridgewells Catering is one of the area's oldest—and most iconic—catering organizations. They sparked an industry, defined the standards, and have created some of the most dynamic and memorable celebrations in the DC area. The challenge was that their brand was not an accurate reflection who they were, and more importantly, who they aspired to become.

The Insight
The brand needed more than just a superficial visual update—it needed to convey a sense of purpose and aspiration. We immediately realized that Ridgewells was not just in the business of serving food and coordinating logistics, they were in the business of celebration and memories. Thus was born, A Passion for Celebration.

My Role
Creative Direction
Brand Concept & Positioning
Brand Messaging
Visual Design Support
Copywriting

The Standard Meat Company was founded in 1935, and had quietly evolved into an industry innovator and powerhouse. The challenge, however, was that their brand had not scaled with the organization, and new competitors, regulations and opportunities were looming on the horizon. 

My Role
As the lead strategist and creative in business development, I was tasked with concepting and creating a communications tool to help their company leadership understand the value and potential that a new brand could provide. We created this tool to help reflect our interpretations of the Standard Meat organization and provide their leaders with an insight into our philosophies and creative abilities. 

Key Responsibilities
Creative Director
Visual Designer
Copywriter

Client / Agency
The Standard Meat Company / hzdg

Officially opened in 1983, Strathmore has become a fixture on the DC area's cultural scene. An eclectic collection of programming and experiences, with an absolutely unparalleled music venue. The brand, however, was lifeless and flat, and the organization was seeking to infuse it with new energy and spirit.

The Insight
It became apparent early on that Strathmore was much broader than just a venue and a sound stage. They were playing an integral role in reconnecting people with the arts, and spreading more of the arts back into the community. Unlike many of their competitors, the experience at Strathmore was personal and highly intimate. Thus was born Get Closer—a brand position, yes, but more importantly a brand promise. 

My Role
Creative Director
Brand Concept & Positioning
Brand Messaging
Visual Design Support

Agency / Client
Strathmore / hzdg

 

bobble is a revolutionary step towards sustainability — a refillable portable water filtration system that saves both money and the planet. When Seventh Generation approached us with their newly acquired bobble brand, the question was simple: How do we capture, clarify and convey the promise of this product in the marketplace?

The Insight
The first thing we determined is that we would need to look far beyond utility. More than just a beautiful product, bobble is a symbol. It's a statement about who we are, and a declaration about what we value. It is a product that is as much about personality and self-expression as it is about use and functionality. We helped bring that dimension to life.

My Role
Creative Direction
Brand Concept & Positioning
Brand Messaging
Lead Visual Designer

Client / Agency
Seventh Generation & bobble / hzdg

In a city teeming with landmarks, Rockefeller Center remains among the most beloved. Their website generates millions of unique visitors a year, and draws in traffic from all over the world. The challenge was both obvious and immediate — how do we create a digital experience that captures and reflects the physical one?

The Insight
Rockefeller Center is not just something you do when you visit New York, it's a reason to go there in the first place. The website needed to reflect the visual tapestry and energy of the place, but do it in a manner that remained focused and intuitive. We devised a series of comprehensive UX structures that offered users true depth of content, while still preserving the illusion of simplicity.

My Role
Interactive Creative Direction
Lead UX Designer
Visual Design Support

Seventh Generation approached us with the raw idea of creating a physical catalog that focused as much on lifestyle as it did on product. "What would it look like," and "How would you approach our brand" were the two key questions they posed to us. Twenty-four hours later, we had our response.

The Insight
As a conceptual business development effort, we needed to operate primarily on our instincts and our assumptions. And our gut told us that this was a brand with real purpose, and an organization squarely positioned at the forefront of change. We devised a presentation that helped reflect our interpretation of their organization, and offered a visual teaser into how we would approach the brand challenge.

My Role
Creative Direction
Brand Concept & Positioning
Visual Designer
Copywriter

HelloWallet was a fast-growing startup in the financial space, looking to gain credibility and clarity in an already saturated marketplace. We were among three agencies working alongside one another, with our team being tasked with defining the visual look and feel of the brand and the platform.

The Process
As with all interactive efforts, we began by creating a visual system of design and structure that could then be used to guide digital efforts. We developed patterns for content, typography, colors and iconography and created an visual mood board for our development partners to use as the foundation for the website design.

My Role
Creative Direction
Lead UI/UX Designer

Client / Agency
HelloWallet / chief

The leadership team at Clark Construction had one simple directive—design and build a website that would vault them far beyond their competition. A tool for both business development and recruiting, the site needed to impart their wide spectrum of their expertise and experience, and create an commanding presence to attract and engage the next generation of company leadership.

The Insight
More than anything else, Clark's case studies were the most effective vehicle to express the quality and credibility of their experience. And that is precisely how we began our design efforts. By making each case study a comprehensive insight into their processes and purpose, we were able to build a UX structure from the bottom-up that would effectively cascade into all other areas of the site.

My Role
Interactive Creative Direction
Lead UX/UI designer

The Newseum is, quite simply, one of the coolest museums in DC. A rich narrative that reveals humanity in all of its complexity through the lens of the media. My team was tasked with helping define their conceptual brand positioning. 

The Insight
The Newseum isn't simply a collection of stories and events, it a a journey through the rich, unfolding tapestry of history. An odyssey that at turns is both heart-breaking and wonderful at the same time. 

My Role
Brand Concept & Positioning
Creative Direction
Brand Messaging
Visual Designer
 

Levick is a crisis and PR communications powerhouse — a rolling juggernaut led by some of the sharpest minds in the industry. The website needed to not only communicate their range of services and expertise, but it also need to reflect the intensity of the organization and the gravitas of their mission.

The Insight
As with most crisis agencies, time was the critical factor. Levick needed a site up, and they needed it up immediately. We employed every facet of lean discovery and UX, and created a comprehensive visual style guide to streamline the design and development of the site. We finished the site in record time, and a short period later, it was awarded 2012 Digital PR and Social Media Award for Best New Website.

My Role
Interactive Creative Direction
Lead UX & UI Designer

Client/Agency
Levick Communications / chief
 

Sous-video preparation is one of the most ancient forms of cooking, and Cuisine Solutions perfected the art. But new trends and competitors were beginning to emerge, and Cuisine Solutions needed to elevate their brand and their message to position themselves as true leaders and innovators in this space.

The Insight
In the food industry, there is no shortage of brands that seek status and chase trends. But Cuisine Solutions was not about to become one of them. While others were busy chasing foodies, we realized we needed to focus on food. Cuisine Solutions has a love for what they do, and every touchpoint of the brand needed to reinforce their passion and integrity.

My Role
Brand Concept & Positioning
Creative Direction
Visual Design

Client / Agency
Cuisine Solutions / hzdg

Mobomo is a fast-growing team of engineers, artists, and developers with the hunger to challenge the impossible, and the structure and skills to actually pull it off. They had recently completed a significant merger with a partner agency, and approached us to help define and capture their new brand experience.

The Insight
Mobomo needed to showcase their abilities and their outcomes, but just as importantly, they needed to speak to the defining values and principles that had paved the way to their success. Through conversations and interviews, we conceived and created the Mobomo Code book — a series of eight guiding mantras that unified their messages and aligned their behaviors.

My Role
Creative Director
Copywriter
Designer

Client/Agency
Mobomo / LEVICK