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NEW WORK: FEBRUARY 2020

A New Identity for the Birds

Behold our new identity program for the Ripley Waterfowl Conservancy, an international non-profit organization that conserves rare and endangered waterfowl from around the world.

With one of the largest collections in the United States, Ripley’s goal is to spark a passion for the natural world, inspire people to respect and secure the world’s ecosystems, and to safeguard biological diversity.

Ripley houses one of the largest and most diverse collections of waterfowl in North America. Over 80 species, totaling over 400 birds, are maintained at the Conservancy, including representatives from all major waterfowl sub-families.

Ripley's mission is expanding, and to go along with the streamlining of their name they asked us for a revamped identity that reflects their role as an urgently needed, globally relevant presence.

Our goal was to develop a look that would be bold, simple, and distinctive, keeping in mind "the world has enough engravings of birds circles."

Above: Ripley's previous logo incorporated a Wood Duck encircled by their previous, longer name — an approach that was not particularly distinctive.

As the organization's mission has expanded, and in recognition of the wide range of waterfowl sheltered at the Conservancy, we recommended featuring a diverse range of Ripley's rare and endangered species as part of a flexible identity system.

To create the initial four logo variations, we worked with James Prosek and Tony Henneberg, two of the world's foremost naturalists and wildlife artists.

Top row: Scaly-sided Merganser and Red-breasted Goose by James Prosek.

Bottom row: Gray Crowned Crane and Baer's Pochard by Tony Henneberg.

The logo has been designed to work as a clean standalone mark, coupling customized "Ripley" lettering with a single illustration. When needed, the "Waterfowl Conservancy" descriptive line can be incorporated as part of a lockup.

Each logo is prepared in a variety of formats: As a full-color version for general use, a simple line art drawing for embroidery, and as engraved and grayscale images for single-color applications. While the application techniques might vary, the approach remains consistent.

As the program is rolled out, we'll continue to commission new additions to our typographic aviary.

My First HESS Truck's Here!

For the past several years we’ve designed the packaging for the Hess Toy Trucks.

Every year around Thanksgiving time, a new, much-anticipated toy is released. It’s always a big deal, and we remain sworn to secrecy about what’s coming next. (So stop asking—we ain’t gonna crack.)

If you’ve never seen one of these toys in real life, the quality and craftsmanship that go into making these collectibles are second to none: All the pieces fit perfectly, the components are held together by screws not glue, and there are always a number of interesting moving parts, sounds, and bonus elements.

Over the years the line has expanded to include miniature trucks and special edition offerings.

Out now is a special bonus offering: The very first Hess plush toy truck for kids. (Proud parents have been sending in pictures of their little ones going to sleep cradling their plastic trucks. That’s cute and all, but the company decided it might be nice to offer something a little more comfy for their youngest fans.)

So with that, here’s the inaugural My First HESS Truck, the 2020 Fire Truck:

The package design follows the look we've established for the other toys: clean and simple, with hyper-detailed illustrations of each year's toy featured as the star of the show.

Our designer Matt Kaskel created the box illustration. (Pretty good likeness, don't you think? He really captured the eyes.)

A look back at some of the many boxes we've created over the years. Next one comes out later this year. It'll be a good one...and that's all we can say.

Quote of the Month:

“The artist in me cries out for design.”

— Robert Frost

And Exactly Why Did You Get This?

You got this email from us because:

(a) You’re a friend;

(b) We’ve worked together before — which means you're also (a);

We send these emails periodically to share what’s going on in our world. Please feel free to pass this along to someone who might be interested in what we do.

We share with you our love of inspiration, collaboration, waterfowl, trucks, toys, and overly wordy newsletters.

Who (or What) Are We?

Alexander Isley Inc. creates identity, communication, and environmental design for education, entertainment, and enterprise. We’re known for innovative and effective work that captures people’s imaginations and inspires them to take action.

What sets us apart is the way in which our work is strategically solid yet able to convey excitement, intelligence, passion, and purpose. All at once. (That and the fact that we work in a barn.)

Also: We start to think about what something should look like only after we determine what it should do. This is harder to do... but it’s better to do.

Learn more about us on our Web site, check out our Facebook Page, follow Alex on Twitter, or see our Instagram posts to learn how we make the sausage.

Alexander Isley Inc. D E S I G N E R S

(888) 634-6209
info@alexanderisley.com

The title panel for this month’s newsletter — and yes, we know it's late — is a celebration of love. And nature. (Don't worry, it's fake...as you can most likely tell.) There's more where that came from.

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