When redefining the pitstop and truckstop dining offer and reinventing the FSR experience for Travel Centers of America into more of a “Roadside Reprieve”, we wanted to create an experience that not only catered to professional truck drivers, but also the motorist travelers, becoming the “Laid back lounge” that is Fork & Compass. The design aesthetic speaks to travel lounge and the romance of travel, but a communal co-working and sports bar vibe was also explored.
I worked with Rubber and Road Creative as an Associate Creative Director/Senior Design Consultant, and in addition, provided a series of color renderings.
Tapping into Margaret’s Irish heritage, the concept of Handcrafted fiber art, and idea of the space as the Designer’s studio, atlelier, or loft., we strived to capture the brand essence of Margaret O’Leary.
I worked with Barriscale Design Studio as the Design Director of Interior Design on the concept store prototype & continue today as a design consultant working directly with Margaret O’Leary, evolving the look across new stores and retrofits.
Originating in 1990 with a street cart at W. 53rd & 6th St. NYC., The Halal Guys have been going strong, spanning 3 decades. That rich heritage was explored through a few lenses, taking a stab at visions stemming from the original food cart to becoming the “Downtown Counter”: an Upbeat Urban aesthetic, a more Streamlined take, and a nod to more of the Grill experience; all preserving and evolving a “cool, elevated street-ish brand”.
I worked with Rubber and Road Creative as an Associate Creative Director/Senior Design Consultant, and in addition, provided a series of color renderings.
New York meets the Bay Area…..we brought the heritage of Noah’s Bagels (back) to life. That heritage was explored through a few concepts, each taking a stab at visions stemming from “Brooklyn”: a Loft aesthetic, a more Modern take, and a nod to more of the old school Brownstone feel; all preserving and evolving the feeling of community.
I worked with Tesser as a Senior Design Consultant, and in addition, provided a series of color renderings.
Since 1956 with more than 500 shops, Jersey Mike’s has offered “A Sub Above”. We took the beloved Jersey Shore brand and celebrated it with a signature blend of being Jersey Born, Jersey Shore elements, a relaxed vibe and exceptional quality ingredients becoming the “East Coastal Deli”. That concept was explored through a few lenses: an Eclectic layered artisanal feel, a more Simple, casual, modern take, and a nod to a more Rustic, earthy, informal aesthetic.
I worked with Tesser as a Senior Design Consultant, and in addition, provided a series of color renderings, continuing work with Rubber and Road Creative as an Associate Creative Director/Senior Design Consultant.
I’ve worked with Banana Republic as a rendering resource and design consultant on various store formats in the US, as well as projects in international locations, including a new flagship mall prototype, shop in shops, pop-up shops, factory stores, and urban studio stores. This included brainstorming, sketching, rendering, managing the 3D rendering process with an external consultant, and working on 3D Rendering edits via Photoshop.
Ben & Jerry’s is an iconic brand, known not only for it’s creatively procured premium ice cream, but for it’s long time dedication to social justice. Although being represented in shops around the world, Ben & Jerry’s decided to come back home to their first shop in Burlington Vermont and give it a well deserved refresh!
“PEACE, LOVE & ICE CREAM”!!!
I worked with Tesser as a Senior Design Consultant, and in addition, provided a series of color renderings.
The Shops, at the Universal Islands Of Adventure, in Orlando, Florida, needed to continue and complete the seamless experience that was set up on the exterior facades and related ride experiences.
Toon Lagoon / Photo Funnies - Inspired by the world of the Sunday funnies. Imagine that they have come to life and everything around you is very 2-D, covered in wacky colors, speech bubbles, and all outlined generously in black. This shop is an emporium where you’ll find all of your favorites on everything imaginable.
Lost Continent / Treasures Of Poseidon - Inspired by the many lost treasures of Poseidon, jeweled ornaments, and driftwood marked with faded Atlantian hieroglyphics, this shop offers everything you might find on your sub-oceanic exploration.
Port Of Entry / Island Market & Export - Inspired by 19th century wood blocks, vintage English colony postage stamps, tea picking imagery, and the spice trade, this shop offers delicacies such as candy, spice, coffee, & tea. A single taste has the power to transport you.
Port Of Entry / Defoto’s Expedition Photography - Inspired by etchings and engravings of the 16th and 17th century cartographers, as well as the odd ship’s curve, this shop offers items to record your explorations and maps to help you find your way back.
Although a Senior Designer at the time, my role for the 4 stores was also as lead creative at Fitch. Inspirational imagery and sketching, and photos of built work show my process. I was influential in the overall graphic content and placement in the space.
Korea’s first department store brand, originating in the 1930, needed a repositioning and major renovation of several stores, attracting a younger audience. The “Main Store”, Luxury Boutique department store, in Seoul was just the beginning. We continued with additional flagship renovations in Incheon and Yeongdeungpo.
I worked initially with RYA and continued with Barriscale Design Studio as the Design Director of Interior Design on these projects, and in addition, provided a series of color renderings.
Originally, Anchor Brewing Co.’s Fritz Maytag, requested we recreate his Potrero Hill tasting room within Terminal 3 at SFO, but after presenting to the airport design counsel, we were asked to come back with something modern.
We further developed the Anchor Brewing Co. brasserie using traditional materials in a clean yet modern way while featuring artifacts indicative of the Anchor Brewing Co. Brand. The concept included a Vintage map of San Francisco and iconic beer label imagery, waving panels of bearded wheat, leather upholstery with brass tack details, Carrara marble, ebony and mahogany woods, mosaic tile, and white washed brick.
I worked at FITCH as the Design Director of Environments in the SF office, and in addition, provided a series of color renderings.
The famous mouse needed an upgrade to his dining experience as well as his menu, striving to be more attractive to the adult customer, not merely to their kids. A few concepts were explored, each taking a stab at the idea stemming from “Neighborhood Pizzeria ”.
I worked with Tesser as a Senior Design Consultant, and in addition, provided a series of color renderings.
Haggar wanted to create a concept store that showcases all of what Haggar offers under one roof. The store design recalls the “basement hobbyist” with it’s unpretentious put-together edge, drawing it’s inspirations from the “Haggar - Stuff You Can Wear” campaign. This concept was rolled out at a time when very few brands were designing any character into their “outlet” stores. This was Haggar’s first retail venue aside from having a department store shop in shop.
Although a Senior Designer at the time, my role was also as lead creative at FRCH Design Worldwide, creating all concept sketches, plans, renderings, lighting, and imagining; direction on color and materials sourcing; client contact through presentations and daily phone conversations; design consultant on the construction documents; and influential in the overall graphic placement in the space.
“Taking an image, freezing a moment, reveals how rich reality truly is.”
— Anonymous
“You don’t take a photograph. You ask quietly to borrow it.”
— Unknown
“Taking pictures is like tiptoeing into the kitchen late at night and stealing Oreo cookies.”
— Diane Arbus
“The picture that you took with your camera is the imagination you want to create with reality.”
— Scott Lorenzo
“What I like about photographs is that they capture a moment that’s gone forever, impossible to reproduce.”
— Karl Lagerfeld
The Pizza Hut Italian Bistro concept is a place for gathering….where “every meal is a celebration of food, friends and family”. There’s an “Indoor meets outdoor cafe” atmosphere, where it feels more like a bistro than your typical pizza joint. There’s a warm and familiar feeling, from the expanded menu, inspired by home cooked Italian, and the friendly staff, to the interior and exterior elements inspired by Italian Design.
We developed the concept into a “Fieldguide” for both the Cityscape Decor New Build format, as well as for the remodel locations.
I worked at FITCH as the Design Director of Environments in the SF office, and in addition, provided a series of color renderings.
Although primarily a designer, over the years I’ve honed my skills as a visualizer or illustrator. These renderings represent some of my work as a Lead Designer &/or renderer utilizing marker, colored pencil, Photoshop & SketchUp.
Art has always been, in someway, a part of my life. When my hobby became my profession, I let creating “artwork” fall behind. My professional work lends itself to being very realistic & detailed, so it seems that my artwork tends to lean toward the more abstract, whimsical & textural.
— Caryn { Rae } Keller
“Life is a journey, not a destination.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
