Brian Paul Nelson – Branding / Design / Illustration">Brian Paul Nelson

Simplicity is a prominent aspect of my life and my work. Some however think the word “simple” or the term “simplicity” means easy or unchallenging. While I’m not one to completely disagree with them, especially when the use of the word could be accounted for in that way, simplicity to me and within myself and what I do, is more about uncomplicating and genuinely understanding the world around you. Looking at something, someone or some occurrence in your life and understanding the true, undeniable meaning of it. Getting to the bare bones, unraveling and interpreting what or whom is presented in front of you and taking a step back and thinking before and after your actions and the actions of others. And that, in a lot of ways, is not always as easy or as effortless as you would hope.

The reason I’m explaining this above is because I reached a point in my career that my old Atlas identity wasn’t speaking volumes enough with who I really am and what I love to do with the art and design I produce. When I branded myself as Atlas it was because I wanted something unique, unabridged and my own. Their were other artists and designers out their with my name (Brian Nelson) and I didn’t want to be lost in that crowd. In some ways, when I look back on it now it was selfish of me to think that way. Atlas was crowned with profuse meaning and will always be special to me because it was me, and it was my personal brand that I created at the start of my career. It has lasted for a few, unforgettable years that have been crucial in my development not only as a designer, but also as a man just trying to make his mark on the world. I wore that brand with pride and that pride will always be a part of me, but it was time for a change. It was time to simplify.

What could be more honest and uncomplicated than me, my name, my identity? I am who I am and I love what I love and there is no changing that. Learning to embrace who you truly are takes courage and that courage leads to a passion-filed life. Design is just one passion of mine, but it’s a substantial one that reverberates throughout my everyday life. It’s a part of me, it’s a part of my brand as a designer and as a human being and it’s something I can’t change and don’t want to. This is where I have landed within my thoughts, my career and my life. It’s all umbrellaed under who I am, Brian Paul Nelson.

brianpaulnelson.com
A bunch of new work is coming over the next couple of months…stay tuned.

Simple and smart concept for Natalie Ebnet’s identity designed by Ty Mattson.

The title says it all. Retro Logo Goodness.

Vintage Bus is exclusively devoted to the vintage Volkswagen buses built from 1949 to 1967, otherwise known as split-window buses, splitties, splits, microbuses, micros, transporters, bullies, sambas and transporters. The shape of the buses really lend towards the branding of them with many different companies where they utilized the space with color and type in very intriguing ways. VW needs to start producing these again, at least for the sake of design like this.

Via Original Linkage.

A nice array of Belgian design work dating back to the late 19th century and up through the 1980′s courtesy of Veerle. It’s awesome seeing the variety of style and approach throughout different decades and how different time periods influenced specific trends and techniques. What’s great however is that most of the work looks like it could of been created yesterday. Quality design is that which can stand the test of time.

Check out more work at Veerle’s Belgian design gallery.

You definitely don’t come across these gems on the road all to often, but when you do, you just can’t help but look and be taken in by their iconic status. What’s great about these vintage gas signs is how minimal in nature they are. The simplistic, yet paragon quality of their heyday still shines through amidst the decades of wear and tear. As you can see, Gulf has always been a favorite of mine.

The 76 Gasoline sign might be the one that is still around the most due in part to this “Save the 76 Ball” campaign.

Recently, I completed the logo above for Blog Your Wine, which is an up and coming blog that is dedicated to everything wine and the culture that revolves around it. The project had a solid concept from the beginning when it was agreed upon that the identity had to somehow evoke a technical side to reference the blog, while also holding true to its main purpose with wine and its community. After numerous brainstorming sessions that pushed aside some initial ideas, the logo evolved into what you see here. While the company has barely scratched the surface, there are big plans for the future to push the site into new markets. I felt that with a strong identity from the beginning and one that could be easily recognized once out in the public, it would only help the company gain exposure sooner with a logo that can be synonymous with the brand as a whole and sustain a lasting impression no matter how far it goes in the future. View in the Logo Archive.

Chromeography is an on-going site dedicated to chrome badges, emblems and logos on vintage cars, cameras and appliances. To me, this kind of stuff is what really adds soul to items like these and makes them feel as if they are one of a kind. Type just isn’t set like this on most of this sort of stuff these days and definitely not in chrome — well true chrome. I pulled some of my favorites from the large, continual list of the site that’s worth checking out.