Part 1: ‘Once Twice Melody’ Event Posters

Hello! My name is Dylan Griff. I am a graphic designer and printmaker based in the Spokane area. With goals of working as a graphic designer within a larger team and continuing to experiment with my printmaking practice, I am finding my place within the world of art and design. When I am not working on new designs, I enjoy traveling with friends, collecting and listening to new vinyl (I always appreciate album suggestions!), and a good game of cribbage over coffee.

This is an unofficial series of event poster designs for the band, Beach House. The posters take on gold and silver color schemes that mimic the release of the two vinyl album cover editions for the new album ‘Once Twice Melody’. Each poster is connected to one another by visual likeness, compositional elements, color, and typography.

When working on design projects, there is a high likelihood that I will be listening to a Beach House record… I tuned into all of that listening to really try and create work that could be used as promotional material for the musical duo. The result was repeated circles incorporated in both pattern elements and in the stylized typeface. The slightly different colored circles that appear on each design was oriented to visually represent the album title ‘Once Twice Melody’ though their positioning as a single circle, a pair of circles, followed by a simplified representation of a melody arrangement as it would be seen on sheet music.

All seven posters interact when displayed together, meanwhile they can also communicate effectively alone in both print and digital media.

More work at www.dylangriffdesign.com

Part 2: Cleanline Surf Co. Branding

This is an unofficial rebranding project based on Cleanline Surf Co. It demonstrates the clean, structured, and reliable nature of the company. As well as its commitment to good vibes and the stoke of board sports.

Beginning with a rebrand of the company’s primary logo, I designed it with similar elements of the surf shop’s current logo while also giving it a new, fresh feel. The line work creates multiple ‘C’ shapes and a representation of a curling wave.

Other components of this project show the potential for print media in their advertising and marketing. Some include screen printed t-shirts and promotional posters, as well as more pointed designs like the Cleanline Catalog which targets the shop’s audience by displaying their current selection of surfboards and other merchandise.

The business cards depart from the standard rectangular style and utilizes the semi-circle to enhance the logo design.

More work at www.dylangriffdesign.com

Part 3: Whitworth Art + Design Branding

An unofficial branding project for Whitworth University’s Art + Design Department, this project includes brand guidelines, color and font usage, design elements, and logo creation. Whitworth’s Art + Design Department enables students to make work that expresses themselves, tells a story, poses a question, solves a problem, and is backed by the history of the medium. 

Whitworth University’s official brand guide was referenced in this project by maintaining usage of the university’s color palette for primary and secondary colors. However, this project departs from their brand guide in typography usage in order to create a look that is signature to the Art + Design Department.

The brand logo is a reflection of the place that brings the department together, the Lied Center for the Visual Arts and our Bryan Oliver Gallery. Representing Lied’s triangle beams and descending hallway, the logo has familiar ties to the space where students spend their studio time.

With the addition of ‘Design’ to the department name, using the plus symbol as a recurring design element was important in visually communicating how the department is taking on the graphic design program with more emphasis and recognition.

More work at www.dylangriffdesign.com

Part 4: Optics Series

This body of work is an optics series inspired by artists like Bridget Riley and Victor Vasarely of the Op Art movement of the 1960’s. They also pull from compositional and stylistic choices that mimic animation styles like that of Pink Panther in The Pink Phink. As a launching point from a study I did on optics, this series of work further incorporates the use of the laser cutter to create detailed linoleum blocks. 

It’s a continuation of designing an entirely visual experience for the viewer. Themes of perception apply in that directness of visual content. My hope is that this work is approachable in its non-specificity and lack of narrative which this form of abstraction lends itself to.

Working with relief printing I am combining this very old process with new methods of developing these prints. I am exploring what can be done with line and shape, and how their arrangement can create visual movement from a still image. Being in the studio and printing these is a slow and repetitive process that has been a really incredible space for personal reflection and growth in my art-making.

Shout out to my professor, Rob Fifield, for his investment in my art and design practice and his efforts in helping me develop my usage of our printmaking studio’s laser cutter for this series. Also, for recommending so many albums to listen to as I worked on this print series.

See prints Benign Understanding, Congruence, and Latency as a part of the Myriad exhibit at the Bryan Oliver Gallery until May 21st, 2022.

More work at www.dylangriffdesign.com