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Monday Marks

Monday Marks: #1

  Every Monday, for twenty-one consecutive weeks, we have blogged about a graphic mark (or marks) designed by our creative team. This series started on our 21st birthday—May 19, 2014 and officially ends TODAY with our final mark. The animation above features the graphic mark that launched this series—an origami fortune teller. Why you ask? Excellent question. We challenged…

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Monday Mark: #2

September 29, 2014 Branding, Logos, Monday Marks

CLIENTS Next Egg, Philadelphia, PA Philadelphia Sinfonia, Philadelphia, PA Kleinbard Bell & Brecker LLP, Philadelphia, PA Ortner-Unity, The Center on Family Violence (University of Pennsylvania), Philadelphia, PA ReMarks Today we’re visiting a few marks that have something in common—a graceful calligraphic shape. These examples explore how a hand-drawn swirl or an arc can communicate different ideas based on the context, color…

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Monday Marks: #3

September 22, 2014 Branding, Logos, Monday Marks

  This Wednesday evening, Jews around the globe will be ushering in year 5775. To mark the new year, we’re featuring logos that we’ve created for three very different synagogues—one reconstructionist, one reform and one with no movement affiliation. ReMarks Kehillah Synagogue, Chapel Hill, NC In Hebrew, Kehillah means community. In this community, congregants enjoy a true sense of belonging, are valued as…

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Monday Marks: #4

September 15, 2014 Branding, Event Graphics, Logos, Monday Marks

CLIENT Community Legal Services of Philadelphia (CLS), Philadelphia, PA BACKGROUND Over the past twelve years, we’ve had the privilege of working with CLS, a local non-profit organization that provides free legal services, in civil matters, to low-income Philadelphians. Providing equal access to justice is their daily mission. It is also a theme that has united several of  their fundraising initiatives…

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Monday Marks: #5

September 8, 2014 Branding, Logos, Monday Marks

CLIENT: FringeArts, Philadelphia, PA CREATIVE BRIEF Create a graphic mark for FringeArts, an organization that commissions, develops, and presents the world’s most cutting-edge, high-quality performing artists. The mark should be a bold representation of a groundbreaking organization driven by a passion to explore and discover the future of art. DESIGN RESPONSE The wordmark was designed as a symbol. It represents…

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Monday Marks: #6

September 1, 2014 Branding, Logos, Monday Marks

CLIENT: dcTrunk, Washington, DC BUSINESS: Invitational trunk show and sale of wearables and jewelry reMARKS: dcTrunk was developed for longtime client and friend of MGD, Steve Ford. He and principles David Forlano, Biba Schutz and Valerie Hector requested a mark for an invitational trunk show that would run simultaneously with the Smithsonian Craft Show, held each spring…

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Monday Marks: #7

August 24, 2014 Branding, Logos, Monday Marks

CLIENT Wall House, Gustavia, Saint Barthélemy CREATIVE BRIEF Create a mark and graphic identity for Wall House, a seaside restaurant in Saint Barthélemy. The resident chef at Wall House serves French cuisine infused with Asian and American influences. Patrons include loyal locals as well as tourists and wine enthusiasts. The restaurant is named after…

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Monday Marks: #8

August 18, 2014 Branding, Logos, Monday Marks

CLIENT Elfant Wissahickon Realtors, Philadelphia, PA BACKGROUND Coinciding with the opening of their company headquarters at 8039 Germantown Avenue, Elfant Wissahickon Realtors hired us to transform their long-time logo into a mark that would better reflect the image of the growing company. The mark needed to help redefine their status as a local, northwest…

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Monday Marks: #9

CLIENT Eisenhower Fellowships, Philadelphia, PA CREATIVE BRIEF Create logos for the Eisenhower Fellowships “unConference” to be held in two cities—St. Louis and Philadelphia. Each location should have its own mark referencing the host city in some way, while appearing modern, fresh, smart and simple. UnConferences are, by their very nature, more open, innovative and participant-driven…

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Monday Marks: #11

July 28, 2014 Branding, Logos, Monday Marks

CLIENT Nigro Insurance Agency, Philadelphia, PA CREATIVE BRIEF Create a visual identity for a boutique agency providing auto, business, health and homeowners insurance to customers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Nigro, an established and well-recognized family name in Philadelphia, should be the focal point. DESIGN REQUESTS “We’re looking for a logo that is professional and confident. The ‘N’…

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Monday Marks: #12

We are often hired by not-for-profit organizations to create a graphic mark and coordinated materials to promote an event. Each event is unique—requiring our careful understanding of the agency’s goals and target audience. All of the graphic packages have a distinct personality thread consistently through multiple pieces, which include save the date cards, invitations,…

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Monday Marks: #15

June 30, 2014 Branding, Logos, Monday Marks

It’s Monogram Monday! Monograms represent names. They can be creatively orchestrated to capture one’s unique identity, essentially serving as a shorthand signature. Here are four monogram marks pulled from the MGD archive to celebrate Monogram Monday (which is not an official holiday, in case you were wondering).   CLIENT: Jewish Communal Fund (JCF), New York, New York BUSINESS: Not-for-profit organization…

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Monday Marks: #16

June 19, 2014 Branding, Logos, Monday Marks

[test][singlevideo site=”vimeo” id=”98475039″ width=”520″ height=”292″][/test]   CLIENT: The Philadelphia School (TPS), Philadelphia, PA DESIGN reMARKS: Graphic marks created for TPS are responsive to the existing visual identity, most notably defined by a logo that features bricks and a vine. The font—Myriad—is consistently used, especially in the display of the school’s name. The official school colors—red and warm gray—are always present. We…

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Monday Marks: #17

June 16, 2014 Branding, Logos, Monday Marks

CLIENT Aleph Society, New York, NY CREATIVE BRIEF Global Day, a worldwide day of Jewish education, was created in 2010 to celebrate the completion of 40 years’ work by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz in translating the Talmud. This ambitious event is driven by a desire to recognize Rabbi Steinsaltz’s monumental accomplishment in translating the Talmud, and seeks…

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Monday Marks: #18

June 9, 2014 Branding, Logos, Monday Marks

CLIENT Fitler Square Improvement Association, Philadelphia, PA CREATIVE BRIEF Create a visual identity for Fitler Square, a quaint urban park dating back to 1896 and beloved by neighbors as Philadelphia’s perfect square. Nestled between 23rd and 24th Streets along both Panama and Pine Streets, Fitler Square features a beautiful cast-iron Victorian fountain at its center, surrounded by…

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Monday Marks: #19

June 2, 2014 Branding, Logos, Monday Marks

CLIENT Jewish Learning Venture, Melrose Park, PA CREATIVE BRIEF Create a visual identity for Jewish Learning Venture,  a community agency  passionately committed to Jewish education and engagement. The logo should be bold and dynamic—emblematic of an organization that empowers the community to connect to Jewish life. As the Jewish Learning Venture serves as a central hub for educational…

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Monday Marks: #20

May 26, 2014 Branding, Logos, Monday Marks

CLIENT Valley Green Bank, Philadelphia, PA CREATIVE BRIEF Create a visual identity for a community bank in the Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia.  It will be led by a local team of business leaders who know and understand the residents as well as the nuances of the business community. Their personal connection, dedication to…

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Monday Marks: #21

May 19, 2014 Branding, Logos, Monday Marks

CLIENT The Play Cafe, Bryn Mawr, PA CREATIVE BRIEF Create a visual identity for The Play Café, a 4,000 square foot indoor play space for children (age 5 and under) and their caregivers.  Visitors can play, relax, eat, learn, and party. We want The Play Café to be known as a safe and comfortable…

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