Visual Communication

MENSDEPT. is an exclusive men's grooming brand committed to providing clients with an authentic and sophisticated grooming experience. TODA created the company's brand identity by repurposing the black circle from the head of the international male symbol into the period at the end of "dept." to interact with a clean modern logotype.

TODA worked with MENSDEPT. to design a 44-page comprehensive brand brochure for stakeholders involved in the national expansion of the brand. The brochure includes photography by David Raccuglia that features the most recent trends in men's grooming, product information, and details on marketing packages for salons. The new piece continues to build the brand style and identity previously established by TODA.

TODA worked with the MENSDEPT. flagship salon in Minneapolis to design a website that reflects the style and authentisity embodied within the salon experience and brand identity. The modular layout works great on a computer browser or on a handheld device.

As MENSDEPT. continues to grow form a single salon to a nationally recognized product line, TODA continues to expand the brand by creating materials—such as brochures, promotionals and retail/signage—that presents the brand's range of services, products, and philosophy to a wider audience.

TODA is excited to announce the product launch of MENSDEPT., an exclusive brand of grooming products that targets a high-end male clientele. Over the past two years TODA has been developing the MENSDEPT. brand, creating identity, print, signage and web experiences to give shape and voice to the next evolutionary step in men's grooming.

Pinkstaff Photographers is a New York City based commercial photography agency. TODA created a new identity based on the founder's strong and colorful personality and the obvious visual implied in the company's name. The visual identity combines a strong and simple typographic direction with a pink color palette which was used throughout its business collateral, advertising and website.

TODA consulted with film editing and finishing company Treehouse Edit, part of the Filmworkers Collective, to redesign their website. Treehouse needed a site that would be easily sorted through, using large, full-screen views and plenty of video embedding to establish the strengths of each member featured on the site. TODA designed a clean, interactive, and easily accessible site and mobile version that caters to the media-savvy clients Treehouse attracts.

The New York based, Fordham School of Law, is renowned for its high educational standard and dedication to public service. TODA's approach to the design of their annual report considered the connection between physical dynamics and the spirit and energy of the school. The report was designed with a simple and bold approach, combined with a series of abstract still life photographs that symbolize the values and vision of the school while presenting the content of the report in a simple and concise manner.

By approaching ROOM Studio from all facets of branding and design, TODA developed a unique concept for this lifestyle photo studio. Working this way ensured that the visual identity, interior architecture and marketing campaigns would collectively realize the promise of the ROOM Studio brand. TODA collaborated with Daniela Stallinger on the brand development and interior design.

This year, ROOM Studio decided to approach the holiday season in a
different way. In the Chinese zodiac, the Rat is traditionally associated with wealth, charm, and . To celebrate this year’s animal, TODA designed a simple, clever 2008 holiday greeting that was easy to produce and highlights ROOM’s friendly, approachable personality.

TODA's latest ad campaign for ROOM Studio needed to highlight the photo studio's prop collection. In the ads, The props are brought to life through the insertion of statements and conversations. Attributing human thoughts to the props taps into the minds of stylists in an unexpected way and emphasizes the creative opportunities that ROOM's prop collection affords.

In an effort to increase prop rental business, ROOM Studio approached TODA
to create a promotional campaign. TODA developed an incentive program that celebrates ROOM's stylist clients by awarding them a "Prop Star" t-shirt. TODA's custom designed tee gives frequent renters a token of appreciation that they can proudly wear, while driving a more profitable rental business.

The Chicago based photographer Tony D'Orio aimed to evolve his brand with
a new logo, website and stationery system. TODA created a logo that merged
bold letterforms to create a modern, minimal mark, and incorporated it into
a website and stationery system with a clean motif.

TODA's promo for Chicago based photographer Tony D'Orio was recently recognized with the Neographics Power of Print 2009 Franklin Award of Excellence. The promo's large format and full bleed spreads create a striking showcase for his bold imagery.

This year's print promotion for Boston-based commercial photographer Margaret Lampert is a set of four booklets, each with their own unique theme. The booklets highlight Margaret's eye for color, her ability to capture different personalities, and an overall sense of joy. Ranging from portraits to environmental shots, the imagery of each piece is told through a visual narrative that is revealed through the accordion-fold booklets. These promotional mailers extend Margaret's overall brand through a direct mail campaign, and play off of her recently redesigned portfolio.

TODA has been working with Margaret Lampert, a Boston-based commercial photographer, for many years in her branding, editing, and promotional efforts. A new portfolio book has been launched that features oversized prints of her images that are packaged in a bright, optimistic hard cover. The cover design layers in the values of Margaret's work through a subtle typographic treatment that pervades the cover, spine, and back of the book.

Orrefors asked TODA to develop a series of advertising campaigns to build brand awareness in the US. The new campaigns paired crystal product imagery with visual elements evoking joyful, familiar or anecdotal situations. The resulting communication reinforces the brand’s promise of joyful interaction with the product, fine crystal.

77 Films is a Chicago based documentary film production company. The founder of 77 Films drew creative inspiration from the 1970s, based on which TODA designed an identity that embraces this decade rich in graphic and cultural references. The identity was designed to help create brand recognition for 77 Films and better position it as an established film production company.

Alan Kaplan is a lifestyle photographer represented by Marge Casey + Associates. True to his unique photography philosophy and personality, TODA designed a
system of larger-than-life collateral including direct mail promotion, book, and an
award-winning website. Check out more at alankaplanphotography.com.

TODA worked with Bockos Creative to extend their new brand to the web. The smart, new site features Bockos Creative's talented roster of commercial photographers with a full-screen design. Bold typography and pops of yellow bring the brand's presence to the site, working harmoniously with their talent's photography.

TODA has created a new visual identity for Bockos Creative, a photographer representative based out of Chicago. The visual identity is modern and minimal with bold fields of yellow, working well as a strong stand-alone brand or accommodating the presence of the featured photography of Bockos' clients.

The Japan based stock photography company, Photonica, asked TODA to create a series of publications that feature the company's photos in a comprehensive and inspiring way. TODA created HOTO, a multi-formatted, magazine-style series of publications with a unique theme that is complimented by both the structure of the format and the content of text and photos.

Media & Culture is a widely popular college-level communications textbook. Quickly approaching their seventh edition release, Bedford/St. Martin's wanted a fresh, new design that would secure and maintain Media & Culture's reputation in universities across the country. TODA employed the use of bright, bold color and simple graphic devices throughout the book to highlight as well as visually organize an enormous amount of information and facts. Set alongside a striking matte silver cover,
Media & Culture 7 proves to be an impressive addition to the Bedford/St. Martin's library.

Selim Koder Architects´ identity was designed to express the versatile and timeless qualities of the firm's work. The adaptable nature of the logotype lends itself to the simple, smart approach that Selim Koder employs. To further build upon these characteristics, TODA applied the bold, new logotype across the firm's collateral, branding, and website.

Purvis Young is a highly acclaimed contemporary artist with a fascinating story of personal hardship turned success. Recently, 77 Films founder David Raccuglia and videographer Shaun Conrad captured this drama in the documentary film, Purvis of Overtown. TODA participated in the project by creating the visual identity and promotion materials including the design of the film titles, promotional postcards, screener DVD, website and movie poster. For more on Purvis Young, go to www.purvisofovertown.com

TODA worked with the MoCADA Museum to rebrand their visual identity. Our processes and interactions were then documented for an online series, American Express OPEN: Project RE:Brand. TODA was inspired by the concept of diaspora, the migration of people from one place to another, in the development of the new visual identity. The rebrand included 10 year anniversary materials, outside and in-store signage, merchandise, and membership materials.

TODA honors the 11 year anniversary of the events of September 11 2001 by looking back at the book project we helped create. The September 11 Photo Project started out with photos which were contributed by amateur and professional photographers, displayed in a gallery space in Soho, New York. Published by Regan Books, the book is a permanent record of this spontaneous project, and documents the events surrounding the tragedy. TODA chose to present the photographs as they appeared in the gallery, conveying the spirit of the exhibit by showing the walls of the gallery, and enlarged views of individual images. The book was published by Regan books and is available at Amazon. TODA also designed the Sept. 11 Photo Project website.

Added Value is a community farm located in Red Hook, Brooklyn. As part of DesigNYC's pilot program to make "A Better New York City by Design", TODA was matched with Added Value to improve their overall brand communication efforts, as well as to create proposals to help develop their new farm outpost on Governor's Island. Part of TODA's phase 1 proposals included a large "Grow" sign, larger-than-life garden marker signage, and an overall identity system. Next steps are to develop design concepts into finished pieces for Added Value's next season in June 2011.

Darrin Haddad is a New York based still-life photographer who needed to evolve his brand in to keep up with his growing client base. TODA
developed his identity to be a simple, effective mark that communicates his name in a minimal way. The cropped last name uses ascended letterforms to bridge the vowels in Darrin's last name. An accidental result is a logo that alludes to a sans-serif Arabic typeface, hinting at his Lebanese heritage.

Augustus Butera is a high-end lifestyle photographer based in New York. For this recent direct mail promotion he depicts scenes from various photo shoots. The silkscreened cover functions as the envelope, while tearing the perforated edge revealing the french folded pages inside the book. The piece makes a strong statement about Butera’s photographic expertise and status in the industry.

Fristam, a German based company specialzing in industrial pump systems, is driven by high quality, precision engineering. In an effort to realign their visual language with their company goals, Fristam partnered with TODA's German office to redesign their visual communication materials. TODA's German office collaborated with TODA's London partner to create a modular trade show space. TODA's New York office is currently working with Fristam's American division to refresh their printed materials, unifying the company's global presence.

This year, TODA designed campaign materials for the Global Galician Film Festival. The film poster for Any Kind of Infinite directed by Roi Fernández was designed in Galician, Spanish, and English. TODA also designed a website to host the film that was screened on December 28 to a global audience online.

TODA designed the 2013 Annual Report for American Foundation for the Blind (AFB), Your Bridge to the Future. This year, AFB celebrates the 10-year anniversary of its Huntington, West Virginia office. The Huntington office increases AFB's web accessibility across desktops to handheld devices, and oversees technological advancements for the visually impaired. TODA brought AFB's accomplishments to life with infographics—utilizing a visual communication language of the web that can live in places other than the report, such as on social media or on AFB's website. TODA also art directed a photoshoot with Seth Olenick that shows visually impaired individuals at work interacting with different forms of technology. The sunny, yellow cover epitomized the optimistic tone of the report.

TODA recently designed the 2012 Annual Report for the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB). This year, AFB created a mission statement that defines the company's objectives in a precise, actionable tone. Almost like a manifesto, the mission voices their intentions to the community, is a guiding component for AFB, and stands as the leading theme for this year's annual report. The report also accommodates the special needs of the visually impaired through legible content while successfully communicating the entire story of 2012 to AFB's stakeholders.

TODA recently completed the design and production for The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) 2011 Annual Report. AFB sought to create a communication piece that celebrated their 90th Anniversary as well as reporting on the organization's activities, growth and accomplishments over the past year. TODA designed a timeline, reflecting on the organization's highlights, as well as communicating the current successes of the organization. The report accommodates the special needs of the visually impaired while successfully communicating the entire story of 2011 to
AFB's stakeholders.

TODA recently completed the design and production for The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) 2010 Annual Report. AFB sought to create a positive communication piece that reported on the organization's activities, growth and accomplishments over the past year. TODA developed a theme for the report, "We are Helen Keller", and created a striking black and white design that corresponds with the vintage Helen Keller imagery. The report accommodates the special needs of the visually impaired while successfully communicating the entire story of 2010 to AFB's stakeholders.

Amidst this year's financial crisis, non-profit organizations felt enormous pressure to continue their important work while functioning under tight budgets and extremely limited resources. For AFB's annual report, TODA wanted to address the long-standing work that this organization has accomplished and continues to implement while also asking people to look forward to the future, together. The report is printed as two halves, "The Present" and "The Future" that come together under the support and dedication of AFB's network.

TODA worked with therapist Tracy Solomon to design a website that communicates her personal philosophies and approach to therapy while maintaining her unique perspective and voice. Within the site, TODA created visual metaphores for each section, from an ampersand cake to colorful empty picture frames. The modular layout is designed to work seamlessly on both computer browsers and handheld devices. See the full site at therapyand.com.

TODA partnered with our vendor, Innovation Printing, to create a printed promotion announcing Innovation's new digital press. The new press features a large digital press sheet. To show off the high color output of the new press, TODA featured the photography of Thomas Fichter which is composed of rich and detailed landscapes and scenes of everyday life.

TODA worked with Fundacion Cisneros, a nonprofit devoted to improving education throughout Latin America, to produce branded tote bags for their book series event, Conversaciones/Conversations. TODA created bold, simple graphics derived from their logotype to be printed on a small tote that rolls up to a convenient travel size.

TODA recently updated the brand identity and promotional pieces for Peter Rodger, an award-winning British director and photographer who is represented by Pinkstaff Photographers. Peter's epic style of documentary photography is sought out by the international advertising industry, who features his photographs in numerous global campaigns. To strengthen Peter's brand, TODA created a distinctive mark that works across all of his promotional pieces. The mark was then applied to his portfolio book and website that TODA designed and edited. His website showcases both his still photographs and moving imagery.

Sanctuary for Families is New York's largest nonprofit agency for victims of domestic violence. This year, TODA joined in Sanctuary's efforts to raise money and awareness for their cause by designing the graphic identity for their newly formed New York City Marathon team. TODA principal Marcos Chavez took the extra step by joining the team and successfully running the marathon while raising money for Sanctuary for Families efforts to fight domestic violence.

Sanctuary for Families is New York's largest nonprofit agency for victims of domestic violence. For the second year in a row, TODA joined Sanctuary's efforts to raise money and awareness for their cause by designing race gear for their New York City Marathon team. The marathon pieces included wrist bands, signage, a campaign sticker, and an updated t-shirt announcing their 25th Anniversary. TODA's principal, Marcos Chavez, joined the team again this year and successfully ran the marathon while raising money for Sanctuary for Families.

The Institute for Plastic Surgery (Institut für Plastische Chirurgie), located in Vienna, Austria, is led by one of Europe's finest surgeons, Dr. Artur Worseg. After a complete refurbishment of its facilities in 2008, the Institute now provides quality service and care to its patients in an ultra modern and sophisticated environment. Looking to truly embody this unique organization, TODA has created a corporate design that reflects the Institute's personality and mission.

Capgemini, an international leader in consulting, technology, and outsourcing, approached TODA to develop a presentation for potential clients and investors. Together with TODA Hamburg, TODA New York created an extensive interactive piece that embodied Capgemini's mission and vision of "Business Transformation." Following the success of the presentation, an accompanying booklet was also designed to work in conjunction with the interactive piece.

Sage is the country's national social service and advocacy organization dedicated to LGBT senior citizens. TODA created a direct mail/fundraising campaign that targeted the three giving societies within SAGE. To create a connection between potential donors and the organization, TODA produced a series of dynamic black and white portraits featuring a diverse group of Sage supporters. The photos were designed to work within a large folded sheet that unrolls to navigate through stories from current SAGE donors. The pieces were mailed in a clear envelop and included remit devices.

Palmers, the Austrian based textile company, commissioned TODA to
re-imagine their brand with a proposal that would help them see their potential future. This unique and historic European brand, which offers “Close To Skin” hosiery and underwear collections, requested a comprehensive rethinking of their brand at all points in which customer interaction occurs. These include the Palmers´ corporate design, packaging, retail environments and online presence. TODA’s New York and Hamburg offices worked together to create a design proposal which communicated Palmers’ sense of quality and fashion forward vision. The final presentation featured concepts for an updated logotype, stationery system, retail packaging, in-store merchandising displays, interior design plan and website.

TODA designed a hard cover commemorative book documenting The New Yorkers Against Violence concerts, organized by Milarepa and the Beastie Boys which took place at New York's Hammerstein Ballroom. The concert featured performances by the Strokes, the B-52's, Moby, Michael Stipe and Bono with sets by N*E*R*D, Mos Def, the Roots and Beastie Boys. The book sales benefited The Milarepa Fund, a nonprofit organization supporting the Tibetan people's nonviolent struggle to regain independence.

For the second year in a row, TODA was asked to develop and design Endeavor's annual Impact Report. Endeavor is a global not-for-profit organization working to promote entrepreneurs in emerging markets. TODA created a visual metaphor that represented the journey of the entrepreneur, a journey that begins with a single sheet of white paper, the starting point for innumerable possibilities. It is the transformation of an idea that grows and takes flight. A series of photographs brings the concept to life, showing growth, networking and community as the support system for the successful entrepreneur.

Endeavor is a global not-for-profit organization working to promote entrepreneurs in emerging markets. The organization recently celebrated a decade of operation and in commemoration of this milestone, Endeavor approached TODA to design their 10th annual Impact Report. The result was a piece that gained exciting reviews, not only from the headquarters in New York, but also from their offices worldwide.

Educational publishers, Bedford/St. Martin's asked TODA to design a catalog to feature their newest composition readers. In designing the new catalog, TODA concepted and directed a photo shoot that presented the new books in the hands of editors, professors and students in their respective environments. The result is an authentic and engaging sales tool that presents Bedford/St. Martin's as intimate and accessible.

Bedford/St. Martin's Press recently released the fourth edition of "Step by Step to College and Career Success" which offers students proven information and straightforward strategies that they can apply toward their success. TODA created the visual standards for the entire textbook including photography art direction and designing the interior pages and cover. Step by Step was recently named as a winner of the 54th Annual New England Book Show for overall book design – hooray!