Team
Luke Morris
Emma Lawes
Sam Lawes
Maya Tacon
Hand Lettering
Luke Morris
Photography
Emma Lawes
Talent
Alissa Pegram
Cipher Divine
Andrew McShea
Alicia Pugh
CHALLENGE
Design a human-centered identity for an untitled Seattle contemporary dance company.
PROJECT TYPE
Advertising
STORY
Emma & Maya came to me as one perfectly operating unit, in business, dance, and life.
They wanted their movement given form, a design where each artist could recognize themselves within a strong, yet humanistic structure. We wanted it to be like “Wow”, and above all, to be completed by hand. A physical limitation—my paralyzed right hand—meant we had to have every step of the process in mind before the start.
I instructed them to send photos on a plain background with “wide, open, gestural movements”, creating a feeling like a valve of pure energy about to open. I traced them in Illustrator, created a "humanistic lined paper" effect in Photoshop, and used my left hand to write the copy. Digitally painting the color and cleaning up the lettering, I transposed it back onto the photo for final editing.
This was repeated for each artist, working with them to pick colors, photos, and arrange the copy in a way that highlighted each person. With the unveiling, the company experienced a surge in interest; the design encapsulated each performer, leading to soaring ticket sales and broader recognition.
