An independent freeski brand
2003-2010

Ninthward Skis was an independent freeski brand born out of the early newschool era, when skiing was being pulled away from race rooms, instructor culture, and traditional mountain marketing into something louder, younger, stranger, and more rider-driven.

It was part ski company, part art project, part crew, and part refusal to let the old ski industry define what freeskiing was supposed to look like.

The brand lived in the same world as park jumps, rails, road trips, ski films, underground media, hand-drawn graphics, oversized hoodies, pro models, and riders figuring it out in real time. It was not clean corporate ski design. It was raw, graphic, loud, imperfect, and built around the people actually pushing the sport.

Ninthward made real skis with real product development behind them: park twins, all-mountain twins, big-mountain skis, powder shapes, junior skis, and pro models. The line included names like Butterlicious, First Blood, THA 187, MIP, Rory Silva Pro, Henrik Harlaut Pro, Max Peters, Laurent Thevenet, Le Comte, and others.

The graphics were a major part of the brand. They were not afterthought topsheets. They were the identity of the skis. Much of the early work started as large pencil or pen illustrations, then moved through scanning, inking, color, layout, production files, and final manufacturing through screen printing or sublimation.

Ninthward also reached beyond skis into softgoods, outerwear ideas, skate-influenced design, team media, and athlete promotion. It was a full independent freeski brand built before that lane was obvious, when the sport was still deciding what it wanted to become.

Past Line-Up of skis 

Production File w/detail view

Illustrated Silouhette

Nelson Walley Brand Story 
2018-2020

Nelson Walley Real Estate recently hired me to create a brand design and logo for their new real estate firm. Ned Walley and Debbie Nelson, two of Summit County, Colorado’s top-grossing brokers with over $60 million in annual sales, wanted to establish a new agency and needed a solid brand to represent their professional reputation.

To begin, I researched the top three regional competitors and analyzed their use of logotype, typography, images, and layout. This information was used to construct a set of needs for the brand design. The ideation process started with several logo examples presented to the ownership team for feedback. We narrowed the options and eventually chose the method that best represented their business and theirs.

I also chose brand colors based on the ownership team’s input and incorporated them into their brand standards. The logo design process involved several iterations before finalizing the one that satisfied the needs.

Competitor research mood board

SUMMARY

I informed ownership of current competitor marketing trends and how these trends will influence future marketing endeavors. Next, I led brainstorming sessions which included mood boards, competitor rank, typography, and color. Finally, I ensured that their brand represented their expected goals.

How Team Summit doubled engagement and followers in one year.

Team Summit Colorado is a youth-based non-profit.

I started as a coach, then transitioned to social media content coordination. We have increased overall engagement and followers by 300% in 3 years.