This project started close to home. In fact it started right at home. MY dad, Zeke, is an avid cyclist, he's raced both road and mountain bikes and to this day rides like a maniac. He raced into my childhood and always built and maintained his bikes. I thought what better way to bolster my portfolio than to create a brand to represent my dad and his passion.
i took a step back and thought about the sort of things I associate with my dad and his cycling when i see them. It didn't take me long to think of the chain ring. They are everywhere in the basement. From there I just had to decide on what sort of lettering he would like. I went with a single family of fonts because within this group I could see the retro lettering style my dad likes as well as options that took the same basic anatomy while having a more contemporary look. My thinking being a combination of these traits would create a product that would both function well commercially and get my dad excited.
It took awhile for me to find the perfect fit for the vision I had in my head for this project. I tried pairs of typefaces but when i stumbled across Alkaline digging through typekit it provided the perfect solution. from there I decided to go with a wider palette than usual using 4 colors. I made the lightest color an extremely light gray and paired it with A navy blue and red as a highlight. The lighter blue sort of just developed out of necessity because of the varying designs I was creating.
I was able to develop a light and dark look for this brand and diversify my deliverables, providing this brand with both a great line for potential employees to wear and use, and for a potential future business to sell as merchandise as well. a Staple of small bike shops.
