TWhite Design » Portfolio

TWhite Identity Package

trent — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 21:28:07 +0000

Designing an identity package is always challenging, but rarely more so than when trying to develop a personal identity package. I can understand that many agencies hire an outside design team to develop their identity. One would think that we would know ourselves better than anyone, but that often creates roadblocks in the conceptualization process as well as the decision making process. I seem to second guess myself more when doing personal work.

This is my newest attempt at creating a personal identity package, and one I am pleased with. I’m currently deciding on stocks and inks. These mock-ups were done on 32lb cotton resume paper.

UCM Website Redesign

trent — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 15:45:19 +0000

2009 marks the newest version of the University of Central Missouri website. Since the redesign in 2007, we’ve added a number of features including JQuery menus, rotating spotlights, and a video CMS. Increasing the width of the site as a whole provided a number of advantages. We could now target the majority of current user’s monitors, and add to the amount of info on the page without it feeling cluttered. Multiple landing pages replace the default home page. We’ve essentially created 6 targeted homepages which eliminate the need for generic ‘holder pages’. Now, visitors will be able to bookmark a specific, targeted homepage instead of one generic home page.

To see the main interaction points and get a sense of how things function, I have a link of how the site is progressing. I caution you that this is in HEAVY development and accordingly, will look different from day-to-day. Visit the development site.

UCM: Presidential Season’s Greetings

trent — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 21:10:04 +0000

This is the second season’s greetings motion piece I designed in 2009. Keeping with a commitment to the sustainability of the environment and available resources, UCM has embarked on an unprecedented project that will radically reduce energy consumption and the university’s carbon footprint on campus.

This piece was to be sent out around the same time as the UCM: Foundation motion piece, and will have a cross-over of recipients. While the piece needed to have it’s own look and feel, I felt it was important to share a family resemblance with elements and typography of the foundation piece. What I’ve created uses familiar typography, icons and tone differing mostly in photography. Each image relates to a specific message and gives insight into the project’s massive undertaking. This piece also needed to look like the printed holiday card that was sent. To save paper, energy, and waste, this year’s print run was sent only select individuals, and printed on recycled stock. The printed piece also shared elements of the online card.

The complex mask and transitions were difficult to show in the project screen shots. Please visit the link to see the live piece.

UCM: Season’s Greetings ‘09

trent — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 20:15:53 +0000

With the growing popularity of the season’s greetings flash pieces I designed over the last few years, the UCM Foundation was excited to begin this project for the 2009 season. Since it’s launch, (Dec. 7) we have received an influx of generous compliments and inquiries about its design and production. Humbling indeed.

I felt a need to push past the previous design direction, and create something a little more fresh. The animated snow often creates a disconnect when using outdoor photography, so I used this as an opportunity to create a series of juxtaposed campus’ which would end up helping the message of the piece all-the-more. This piece was sent to all alumni, which encompasses numerous generations. Since the UCM campus grows and changes each year, I used this progress as the focus of the piece. The message was “Though we may all remember UCM differently, we can never forget what it has given us.”

The screen shots don’t capture the animation sequencing or masking of elements very well, but the objects in each scene build, then move out. Please see see the link to the right to view the live piece.

Houston, we have a Problem

trent — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 02:29:54 +0000

This is from a series of serigraphs I made in college. The course asked us to explore a subject, element or idea that would be common across all of the projects throughout the semester. Scott Kaufman and I decided to create a series of diptychs and explore death as the common thread. Though in most cases, I don’t have the accompanying Kaufman piece, these single pieces stand alone fine. I can’t wait to get the screen back out and start printing again, this is a fantastic process I look forward to revisiting for prints, shirts and random walls.

This piece measures approx 9″ x 7″. If anyone is interested, I have 10-15 of each I’d be willing to sell/trade. Please contact me.

Taking your Last Breath

trent — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 02:27:32 +0000

This piece measures approx 7.5″ x 9″. If anyone is interested, I have 10-15 of each I’d be willing to sell/trade. Please contact me.

Self Control

trent — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 02:21:01 +0000

This piece measures approx 6.5″ x 7.5″. If anyone is interested, I have 10-15 of each I’d be willing to sell/trade. Please contact me.

Special Note: This imagery may look familiar… it was also used in a self-released Kosher Album

Dillinger Four vs. God

trent — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 03:48:34 +0000

When a booklet project came up in Package Design, I jumped at the chance of building something for my favorite album of the time; Dillinger Four vs. God. Knowing the lyrics, style of music, ideals of the songwriters and having a penchant for inappropriate hand gestures, I went to work. I entered the shop armed with Masonite, a spring and some finish nails. The idea was to make a book without the traditional spine. A piece of vellum was placed between the pages with a corresponding hand gesture (that Scott Kaufman and I shot ourselves). Flipping the book revealed upside-down hand gestures, adding another element of interest. This has been extremely difficult to photograph effectively for the portfolio. I hope you get the idea of how it functions.

Trent White vs. Holly Davenport

trent — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:31:36 +0000

When I proposed marriage to my now-wife Holly, I didn’t think twice about having “Save the Date” cards made or the maps, invitations or programs. I just assumed that since design is my profession, I’d make them… Actually, that’s a lie. I never thought about any of that until we realized we needed to send something out.

The Save the Date cards were very simple. Holly and I were in Europe after speaking at a conference in Paris, and decided to travel down to the south of France for a little vacation since we were already overseas. I proposed in the Pope’s Garden in Avignon. After she accepted, she took a picture of the bench we were sitting on and, voilà! Save the Date: check.

We decided on an outdoor wedding a little over a year from the date I proposed which put the ceremony in July. We knew July to be pretty dry in MO. but unbearably hot. This drove our decision to make the programs functional. In an outdoor Missouri wedding in July, you’ll need a fan. I created a template for a die, sent off to have it made, and an awesome friend from Chicago took care of our printing needs. Thanks again Dave!

Legends of the Wild West

trent — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 15:11:55 +0000

This ad series was completed for a Design for Advertising course. Students were partnered together as an exercise in communication, cooperation and teamwork. I was lucky enough to be paired with Scott Kaufman, who is a fantastic illustrator/designer now based on the east coast. The project was to complete an ad campaign for a new series on PBS and design a 4-color magazine ad, a black and white newspaper ad and a 4-color roadside billboard. Our 3 subject choices were programs from the 60’s, the history of horror, or the wild west. After choosing the wild west, we decided to focus on the criminal aspect of the era. We found a recipe for fake blood, and the rest is history. We shot the photos for the 4-color ad and black and white ads ourselves (that’s me, holding the gun; and local blues legend Billy Beale holding the cards). While the blood may be a little too gratuitous, I was very pleased with how they turned out.

Kansas City Ballet

trent — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 20:55:47 +0000

This brochure was completed for a Publication Design. The Kansas City Ballet was nice enough to provide photography as well as their logo and standards document, so we could maintain the high quality design work they had already established. There were no limitations on this project; dimensions, paper, and number of colors were up to each student designer. Many of the photographs provided were in back and white, so in order to maintain a unity, I left the imagery as-is, and treated the headings graphically for each section.

Useless Trivia: Three years later I would teach this course and hand out an updated version of this project to my students. So that students’ project’s are not inadvertantely influenced, I never show my work until after a project has been completed.

SubUrbia Book Jacket

trent — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 20:55:05 +0000

This dust jacket project was assigned in my Publication Design class. We were free to pick the subject, so I chose the play SubUrbia by Eric Bogosian. I went for a gritty look by crumpling paper and photocopying it for the interior and exterior textures.

Super Black Market

trent — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 02:55:27 +0000

Super Black Market is a Missouri-based punk rock band formed in late 2005. I played guitar and sang backup vocals until early 2007; leaving due to other commitments. The website is mostly Flash that pulls calendars, news, lyrics, etc from a SQL database.
The initial concept was to portray the band members as giant ‘monsters’ looming over various juxtaposed buildings and landmarks. I decided to make the site a ’side-scroller’ so the landscape would fit together as if it were almost a 360º panorama. This project was extremely challenging, but very rewarding.

Monkey Boy – Puppet

trent — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 03:05:40 +0000

Being a designer as well as a musician, I am constantly asked to create posters for shows, CD covers, websites, and ads for bands I’m in, or shows I’m playing. I really enjoy having the opportunity to marry my two passions.

Monkey Boy – Flies

trent — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 03:04:34 +0000

Kosher: Self Control

trent — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 03:03:20 +0000

Kosher is the band that I started with some friends in 1995. Over the years we built quite a song library and toured all over the country releasing 5 albums and various EP and vinyl releases. Just before we signed to BYO Records we recorded an album entitled Self Control. This album was later re-mastered and released on the BYO roster.

A friend and I were brainstorming ideas for the CD package when he mentioned having a contact at Hammerpress. I have always admired their work and was thrilled to receive the plates after printing. They make fantastic wall art themselves.

Secure Investigative Services

trent — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 03:01:29 +0000

Secure Investigative Services was a fictitious company that provided home and business security and equipment. The concept for the logo was a ransom note with finger and thumb prints added as it might appear after a crime investigation unit dusted a document for prints. Brown paper gave the project a hand-crafted feel that complimented the logo.

L3 Leadership Legacy Life

trent — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 02:58:58 +0000

L3 is a peer-to-peer global leadership network for corporate executives 45 years old and older. Members must the senior most paid executive of an organization of at least 60 full-time employees or as a proven leader of an organization, who has significantly inspired others through management skills.
The organization was undergoing a re-brand, in which one of the components was their online presence. I was contacted to provide a mock-up of two pages, the homepage and an interior page. These mock-ups made nice use of whitespace, which I felt was important for the audience. The background would scale with the browser size, and a horizon line was near the bottom of the screen.

I was pleased with how they turned out, and the company that hired me to create the concepts loved them; however, they couldn’t persuade the board to go in this direction. I wish I could have presented these concepts in person. Live and learn.

UCM Confident Campaign

trent — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 02:57:54 +0000

This was one of the first campaigns that I was tasked with art directing. The campaign itself has been around for 3 years, but has evolved into this series. I’ve changed the look and feel from its previous iteration, utilizing more white space and updating the typography, as well as a shift in style of photography. Elements of the campaign include newspaper ads, billboards, magazine ads, posters, radio and television spots, updated webiste and online banners.

Fitter’s Pub

trent — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 02:54:06 +0000

These concepts were created to increase awareness of the specials and events at Fitter’s Pub. Fitter’s is one of the most popular spots in town, but they wanted to inform and connect outside of the bar. Elements of the site were to include, photos from last night, manager’s specials, drink menu and full food menu. The site never got off the ground but I liked the feel of the concepts.

UCM: Season’s Greetings ‘08

trent — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 02:51:49 +0000

The UCM Foundation came to me to create a digital postcard for an end of year mailing. The point of this was to create a warm and fuzzy feeling, and wish alumni a happy new year. It was important to avoid appearing that its purpose was to seek donations, though that functionality was built in as well. I also created a ‘forward to a friend’ button so alumni could pass the piece along to other friends, which I, of course captured in a database.

The look and feel was tricky. I wanted to use the animated snow, but felt there was a disconnect when it was placed in front of a photograph. I solved this issue by using live trace in Adobe Illustrator to give it a more illustrative effect. This also allowed me to make the dreary sky of a few of the frames more vibrant.

Useless Trivia: This piece won a Grand Gold Award at the national CASE Conference.

UCM Undergraduate Website

trent — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 02:51:16 +0000

Sometimes university websites can become stale in look and feel because of the wide range of audience (faculty/staff, current students, alumni, prospective students, etc). The undergraduate admission site is often where contemporary design is localized on a university website. Most of the ‘design-chances’ are taken here due to the age of users admissions is catering to.

The concept behind this site was to have a more youthful appearance and utilize video that I asked our production department to create. I had all of the students who were interviewed for this project simply look at the camera for about 30 seconds. Instead of having a static photo on the homepage, it would be a looping video clip. The idea was based on one of the elements from the Harry Potter movies in which all photographs are animated.

The problem I ran into was duration. In the Harry Potter movies, there’s a finite time the image is in frame. On a website however, the viewer could have the page open indefinitely; so the video would repeat… and repeat. The video clip looked slightly creepy. I personally liked it.

Tech Deck

trent — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 02:48:46 +0000

One of the first package designs I completed as a student was for Tech Deck. Tech Deck started as a company that made ‘finger/hand skateboards’ and moved into creating bmx bikes for a similar audience. I was never very good at playing with the thing, but had a lot of fun creating the package.

My idea was to create a container that could be played with instead of simply discarded. This package can be used as a full-pipe, or placed on its side and used as a table top, or grinded on around the edge.

I took a piece of 6-inch PVC pipe and some plexi-glass to create the package. Interior highlights include a 360º panorama picture of a cityscape.

Gavin’s Cafe and Bookstore

trent — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 21:47:53 +0000

Gavin’s Cafe and Bookstore was a fictitious company created in the vein of Barnes and Noble or Borders Books for a Package Design class. This multifaceted project gave us an opportunity to develop the logo and apply it to packaging, apparel and signage. Being clumsy myself, I decided to work with the ’spilled coffee’ concept. Elements I created for the project include a shopping bag, tissue paper, gift box, and t-shirt.

Aphex Twin

trent — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 02:38:15 +0000

For a Package Design class, we were to choose a band from a provided list to create a CD box set. I chose Aphex Twin simply because I was not familiar with his work, and thought it would be challenging. The style of music allowed for more significant experimentation than the other choices. I conducted research, listened to the music and started thinking about the look of the insert, but had no idea about the package. Rummaging around through my pop’s shop at home, I stumbled upon the aluminum housing for a water pump. The two pieces held a group of CD’s perfectly. A lot of measuring, a few drilled holes, a hinge and a few bolts later; this is what I came up with.

Knob Noster Athletics

trent — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 02:32:12 +0000

This was the first time I ever “up-sold” a client (is that a word?). The school board in Knob Noster, MO called me to create a graphic for the new artificial turf football field that had recently approved. All they asked for was an end-zone graphic and yard markers.

After looking at numerous other football fields, I noticed the fields that really stood out had mascots or logos at the 50 yard line, and accent marks in other areas. I saw this as an opportunity for them to really outshine other teams in their conference. They liked the idea, however, they had no standard logo. In fact, the Knob Noster Panthers had 3-4 iterations of ‘panthers’ grabbed from various sources. My suggestion was to create a new identity for their sports teams that could be used on fields, uniforms, signage, online, and everywhere else.

For the next few weeks I researched and drew panthers trying to find the best pose, expression and level of detail. After a few rounds of revisions and meetings with the board, this is the result. I provided a standards guide to help ensure that the logo looked its best in multiple applications.

The school board, district and community all rallied behind the logo and started to implement the new marks everywhere; from the football field to coffee mugs. One of the faculty purchased custom car seat-covers with the logo on them as a Christmas gift.

I was honored to be asked to attend the field dedication ceremony where I helped pull the tarp back to unveil the new logo and field to the public.

Kokam America

trent — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 04:57:13 +0000

Kokam is the primary manufacturer of the patented Superior Lithium Polymer Battery (SLPB) technology. They are quickly becoming the world leader in low cost, high volume, high reliability lithium polymer battery manufacturing today.

I was hired to create site mock-ups based on their suggestions and examples. The site I came up with had a contemporary feel while still not feeling ‘too stuffy’ or cluttered. This XML-driven flash site had loads of interactivity while still having a small loading footprint.

UCM College Microsites

trent — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 02:56:47 +0000

The University of Central Missouri has 5 colleges inside of it. We wanted to create a ‘micro site’ for each college that would give prospective students a nice overview of what each college offers. We identified a number of students as well as faculty in each college and conducted interviews and photoshoots. These sites function well as a go-to point for prospective students, parents as well as the general public.

UCM Today Online

trent — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 02:56:02 +0000

UCM Today is the University of Central Missouri’s Alumni Magazine. In order to reach a broader base of graduates, we created an online version of this publication.

Today Online is released before the print version is mailed and has a Read It and Rate It feature allowing readers to give instant feedback on stories, suggest future topics and communicate more effectively with the alumni office.

Gelbach Manor

trent — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 02:36:04 +0000

Gelbach Manor is a bed and breakfast located in Warrensburg, MO. They hired me to update their web presence and create something that was more user friendly for updates. This was the first website I created using Textpattern as the content management system.

They needed galleries of each room, as well as a featured gallery showing off all Gelbach Manor has to offer. A professional photographer, and friend of mine, Brian Goodman, was hired to shoot the home and grounds, which really set the site apart from a typical bed and breakfast website.

The galleries were put together using Slideshow Pro, allowing the client to update photos as needed. I added a dynamic comment/testimonial page that guests can fill out, which, upon approval rotate throughout the site.

Write Plus Inc.

trent — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 03:00:15 +0000

Write Plus provides quality services in all educational areas to development houses and publishers. Additionally, Write Plus provides writing and editing services for purposes outside of the realm of education, including business and professional publications, book and web content development, and creative consulting.

Pet Quenchers

trent — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 02:59:36 +0000

Pet Quenchers approached me about designing a website for a new product they were developing. Pet Quenchers disposable bowls containing 14.5 ounces of purified water was developed, and is manufactured by a veterinarian to alleviate health problems while on-the-go with your pets. Pet Quenchers combines the bowl and water in one convenient, no mess, disposable package that can be recycled.

UCM: You’re Here

trent — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 00:17:40 +0000

The theater piece I created was the first piece I ever designed to be on the big screen. I never considered myself a motion designer, but was up for the challenge. The project consisted of two pieces to run at theaters in the Kansas City area. Knowing exactly which theaters the ads would appear in, was a tremendous advantage.

The piece starts with a ’self-drawing’ vector map which shows viewers at their exact location. This panned to the location of the University’s Summit Center less than a mile away. I then pulled out to a state map, then world map, closing with the tagline – “UCM: You’re here. So are we.”

I was asked to come to the theater to approve the piece’s debut, which was amazing to see on such a large screen. I didn’t however, stay to watch “High School Musical 3″.