• Uncommon-ly Fun iPhone Cases
• 18 January 2012

Do you love Chicago as much as we do? Perhaps you should show off your love affair with the windy city by sporting a custom iPhone case from our friends at Uncommon. Our collection represents our deep admiration for the vibrancy and character that makes Chicago our kind of town. Uncommon’s site allows you resize, rotate and customize the artwork of your choice. We’re partial to the hot dog case, but maybe that’s because we can’t wait for our next trip to Hot Doug’s.

• Whole Foods Campaign for Valentine's Day
• 27 January 2012

Coming soon to a Whole Foods Market near you: our Valentine’s Day campaign, designed to encourage foodies and romantics alike to make something special for their loved ones on cupid’s favorite day of the year. The campaign included everything from online ads to in-store chalkboards and was a spirited and exciting collaboration with the Whole Foods team... in fact, we’re working on our homemade Valentine’s card for them as we speak and we hope they check “yes”.

• Site Launch for BabbaCo
• 03 February 2012

We were thrilled to work with the inspired — and inspiring — Jessica Kim and her team at BabbaCo to design and launch a new site. Jessica is the hardest working mom we know and her new venture with BabbaCo, called the BabbaBox, is a subscription-based program consisting of a monthly delivery of theme-based boxes with activities, stories, and experiences designed to engage kids to learn in new and exciting ways. Check out the new site and get the BabbaBox for your kids, nieces & nephews, grandchildren, or neighbors. It's a great way to learn, share and connect with those young people in your life.

• Red Streak Cider brought to you by Virtue Brands
• 15 September 2011

We’re happy to announce our partnership with Virtue Brands, the savvy cider-makers behind RedStreak, coming soon to a bar near you. Following the recent announcement from Greg Hall revealing his plans to transition from Goose Island’s expert brewmaster to a farmstead cider pioneer, he established his own cider house, Virtue. We are currently working on rolling out the first product, RedStreak. With plans to release several varieties of cider in the coming months, we’re anxious to taste — er, we mean, work on packaging — for all of them. We’re excited to spread the word about this new cider and it’s “branch to bottle” deliciousness. Cheers!

• Marwen site launches
• 12 August 2011

We couldn’t have been prouder to work on the recently launched site for Marwen, an organization that educates and inspires under-served young people through the visual arts. We were inspired ourselves by the work they are doing with local Chicago youth — and beyond impressed by the very talented and enthusiastic student body. Working closely with the staff at Marwen and our programming partner, The Good Lab, we developed a site that showcases the creative work as well as the student experience. Each user group at Marwen has their own special section on the redesigned site, allowing these diverse groups — from teaching artists to potential donors — to find the information and inspiration they need.

• Perennial Virant Site Launch
• 28 July 2011

Although working on the site for the recently re-launched restaurant, Perennial Virant, did make us want to drop everything and head straight to Lincoln Park for some farm to table goodness, we resisted the urge (for the moment at least) and we’re proud to show you the new site. Paul Virant, chef extraordinaire, was brought on board by our friends at BRG and the restaurant was re-opened to rave reviews. We worked on everything from the new identity to the staff tshirts, and had a blast seeing it all in action at friends and family night, where we enjoyed the many perks of having such “delicious” clients.

• CASE Awards for Grip + Woodlands
• 24 June 2011

Two publications we developed for Woodlands Academy—Mes Amies and Coeur a Coeur—recently won CASE Awards (2011 Circle of Excellence) and we’re proud to share a celebratory high-five with the hard-working marketing department at Woodlands. Check out the work we’ve done with them over the years.

• FRAME YOUR LOOK — EYEFLY LAUNCH
• 03 June 2011

Buying new glasses is no longer a chore or a drain on your budget — check out Eyefly.com, a brand new endeavor from the creative minds at Bluefly. From the initial pitch and concept meetings to the celebrity-hobnobbing at the launch party, we were happy to be involved in every step along the way. And now that Eyefly has launched, we couldn’t be prouder of the final results. Plus, we look very sharp in our new Tortoise Corso Como frames!

• UPDATE: GT FISH & OYSTER OPENS
• 31 March 2011

We were looking forward to the opening of this new hotspot for months and we’re happy to say, that day has arrived. We were thrilled to help chef/partner Giuseppe Tentori, along with Kevin Boehm and Rob Katz of Boka Restaurant Group, bring this restaurant to life. You should go there for the great ambiance (555 Design – bravo!), the delicious oysters, the tasty cocktails... but you should stay for the key lime pie. Ever visit thereafter, you’ll seriously contemplate having dessert first.

• COMMUNICATION ARTS WEBPICK OF THE DAY
• 21 February 2011

What a nice surprise to be recognized by Communication Arts for our work on the Death’s Door Spirits website. The site was chosen as the webpick of the day for February 21st, which, as of this very moment, will forever be known as Death’s Door Website Day. We’ll see if we can make that a national holiday and get you the day off. Communication Arts had this to say about the site: “Beyond drink recipes and brand story, the site for this Washington Island, Wisconsin, producer of premium spirits, also features a robust mapping tool to locate the quickest path to Death's Door products.” Check out more webpicks on the CommArts site.

• DESIGN BUREAU
• 03 January 2011

Published by Alarm Press, and easily one of our favorite new magazines, the fashionable, forward-thinking Design Bureau, featured Grip and our work for Death’s Door in their January/February issue. DB visited our studio and asked all sorts of questions about the process of creating new packaging for the vodka, gin and whisky. We are proud to be included within their pages of design stories, inspiration, and innovation. Thanks, friends at Design Bureau.

• 40th ANNIVERSARY OF CHICAGO MAGAZINE
• 02 December 2010

Chicago Magazine asked us to participate in the design of their 40th anniversary issue and we happily obliged. After all, when else do you come across the opportunity to build a giant 4-0 piñata and hang it from the studio ceiling? And we’re happy to say, you can see the results on the opening spread of the cover story “40 Reasons We Still Love Chicago”. Check out a few behind-the-scenes photos.

• PRINT REGINAL DESIGN AWARD — DEATH’S DOOR GIN AND VODKA
• 01 November 2010

We were thrilled to be included in this year’s Print Regional Design Annual for the design of the Death’s Door Gin and Vodka bottles. What lovely company we are keeping with all of those other winners! (We thought it appropriate to pour ourselves a cocktail and toast all of the fine work in this year’s issue). Brian Ellison, CEO of Death’s Door Spirits, stated recently that since the redesign of the bottles, sales have increased tenfold! Learn more about Death’s Door — and see the site we just launched for them.

• GT FISH & OYSTERr
• 15 October 2010

Named after chef/partner Giuseppe Tentori, GT Fish & Oyster is scheduled to open in winter 2011. Created by our friends at Boka Restaurant Group, the team behind Landmark, Boka, Perennial and Girl & the Goat, so it’s destined for greatness. We’ve created the logo and will soon be busy with everything this new Chicago hotspot needs to hit the ground running: menus, signage, website, wearables, and more. Then, we’ll meet you there for some tasty oysters. Yes, we know they’re allegedly an aphrodisiac. No, we’re not hitting on you.

• UPDATE: GIRL & THE GOAT — THE PLACE TO BE!
• 21 July 2010

We were treated to an absolutely delicious meal at Friends & Family Night for Girl & the Goat, and saw, again, first-hand why Stephanie Izard was the winner of Top Chef. Wow, what a meal — we ’re still full and happy! It was fun to see the brand & identity work we did for G&TG in the gorgeous new space and alongside the delectable menu items. Our advice: as soon as you can, get yourself a reservation.

• STA ARCHIVE10
• 19 July 2010

The Archive is an incredible record of Chicago designers and their work, spanning decades and including many legendary designers. We were asked by the STA to promote this year’s Archive and participate in all aspects of the events, from the creative campaign to selecting the judging panel to planning the Gala. It’s been a pleasure to work with the STA on such an exciting and worthy project and we encourage you to get involved as well: enter your work by July 30th, come to the Meet & Greet on August 26th, attend the Gala on October 21st. More here...

• DEATH’S DOOR HOLIDAY PACKAGING
• 04 June 2010

Our holiday packaging for Death’s Door wins the HOW Promotion Award! We figured what better way to spread the holiday spirit than with holiday spirits... literally. After talking about how great it is for months, we finally broke down and shared the loot and packaged up Death’s Door Vodka and Gin for our clients to enjoy over the holidays.

• ARCADIA ALES AT THE GAGE
• 06 April 2010

Celebrating the launch of entirely new packaging and a brand identity refresh, Arcadia Ales hosted a get together of the country’s top “ale-vangelists” at The Gage in beautiful downtown Chicago. Known nationally as one of the top craft brewers, Arcadia Ales brews in the English tradition but with a decidedly local flair. Head Brewer Josh Davies can boldly shift gears from classic London Porters to the deliciously intriguing Blueberry Stout, made with over a ton of fresh-picked Michigan blueberries. It was our pleasure to take their quest for brewing perfection and give it the face it deserves. Celebrating with more than a couple of their beers in our bottles and packaging… well, let’s just say that hilarity, hugging and cab rides home ensued.

• GIRL AND THE GOAT ABOUT TO OPEN!
• 04 April 2010

Stephanie Izard is a busy woman, and we are extremely happy to be a part of the team helping her business. What’s a Girl and a Goat to do with all that talent, ambition and the title of Top Chef? Simple: find the best restaurateurs in a chef-loving city and open one of the most ambitious new joints in town. Lucky for us, we were given a front row seat to the unveiling of Top Chef Stephanie Izard’s latest endeavor when she and the Boka Restaurant Group selected Grip as the firm to create the identity for Girl & the Goat. Slated to open this summer, we are proud to be a part of her success by providing an identity as beautiful as her food is delicious. See you there!

• DEATH'S DOOR FEATURED IN MAXIM
• 28 March 2010

Death’s Door continues their march toward national recognition with a feature in Maxim Magazine. Although it has been awhile since anyone in our office subscribed to the “King of Lad-Mags,” Maxim Magazine, nonetheless we were thrilled to hear that they appreciate the quality of Death’s Door Spirits as much as we do. In the feature, several craft spirits are displayed, but in the words of Death’s Door owner and CEO, Brian Ellison, the packaging of DD Vodka “stood head, shoulders, cork and cap above” the other brands pictured. Thank you, Brian, we couldn’t agree more.

• DEATH'S DOOR ON THE DIELINE!
• 12 Jan 2010

Handcrafted from a small-batch copper still, this gin and vodka are perfectly suited for classic, pre-prohibition-style cocktails; inspiration for the design was drawn from historical examples of perfume bottles and apothecary labels. Communicating the Death‘s Door story was also pivotal to the bottles‘ success. The spirits are crafted from wheat grown on Washington Island, Wisconsin, and Death’s Door helps facilitate the island‘s return to sustainable farming practices. The new design has been very well-received and recognized by leading design industry experts. At last, Death‘s Door Spirits receives a bottle worthy of its contents.

• CHICAGO INNOVATION AWARDS
• 08 Oct 2009

Kevin helps kick off the the Chicago Innovation Awards with a cameo in the Opening Ceremony Video. Now in their fifth year, the Chicago Innovation Awards highlights the best and brightest product and service developers from every corner of our city. As a result of winning this award, many recipients receive grant and private equity funding. Recognized for his position facilitating innovation, Kevin provided a few words - via the opening video - forecasting the future of innovation in business. Check it out.

• HOW SELF-PROMO WINNER
• 30 Sept 2009

SAIC graduate catalog is featured in the HOW Self-Promo Annual. As the environment for attracting students to enroll in graduate programs becomes even more competitive, our work with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago has been recognized for excellence. Beyond the aesthetic beauty of the book and packaging, we are pleased to report that enrollment at the school as increased dramatically as a result of our work.

• AESTHETIC MEDICINE HITS THE SHELVES
• 25 Sept 2009

Aesthetic Medicine, by Marie Kuechel, hits the shelves and features cover design and content by Grip. Considered the definitive bible for Aesthetic Medicine Practice Management, we were deeply honored to be asked to contribute both design and content. Over the years our experience branding all manners of aesthetic-based practices afforded us the insight to give valuable advice to those in need of guidance. Combined with an appealingly understated cover design, we are as proud of this project as Marie is.

• KIRKWOOD SITE LAUNCHES
• 22 Sept 2009

New site launches for Kirkwood, one of our favorite Four Corners Taverns. Based on a robust CMS, this site was designed to be the model for efficient online marketing of all of their establishments. Grounded in the need to quickly add specials and event highlights, this site is as easy to update and amend as it is to use. We are happy to work with the very talented team at Four Corners on a project that emphasizes functionality as much as form.

• GET YOUR VEGGIES ON!
• 18 Sept 2009

Hooray Puree arrives at Costco freezers nationwide. Pick some up today and get your veggies on! Taking the pain out of puree has been no small task for the partners of Hooray Puree. Moving into the market space made possible by the success of such books as "Deceptively Delicious" by Jessica Seinfeld, Hooray Puree adds the convenience that working Moms and Dads so desperately need. Currently in the freezer section and soon to be shelf-stable, the full rollout is scheduled for early next spring.

• SAIC FEATURED ON FPO
• 11 Sept 2009

Armin Vit from Under Consideration writes about the SAIC graduate catalog on the For Print Only blog. One of the most important — and prolific — writers in design today granted us the distinct honor of a feature on the highly influential design blog known colloquially as FPO. It is an honor to be among the designers on this blog and once again emphasizes the strength of the Chicago design community. Although Armin is a Chicago ex-pat, we know he still keeps a little Fresh Coast in his heart.

• 2009 CASE AWARD WINNER
• 10 July 2009

The student viewbook we created for Woodlands Academy wins a 2009 CASE Award. Competing against major — and majorly funded — collegiate institutions, our small-format view book managed to sway the judges for its appropriateness and impact. Said the judging panel "Woodlands Academy‘s view book demonstrates quality all the way around… A reader can pick up the viewbook, glance through a few pages and still walk away with a sense of Woodland‘s unique environment." Our congratulations and thanks to the amazing folks at Woodlands.