by Tim Girvin | Concepts, Storytelling | Feb 11, 2026
A brand allegory reveals itself in an ancient practice A question for you might be—”have you ever stacked stones?” “And, what for, why did you arrange them?” Start at the bottom, rise up. Stacking stones is a symbolic act and it’s a global proposition—...
by Tim Girvin | Concepts | Feb 5, 2026
And a good question: what are you paying attention to—and why? As brand people—idealists, founders, makers, strategists, writers, designers, customers and guests—we focus on how our experiencers are paying attention. It’s interesting [as it always is, in my historical...
by Tim Girvin | Concepts, Storytelling | Nov 26, 2025
And gratitude in being. I was talking to a theatrical advertising designer at Paramount Studios about making. And, as creatives, “how do we make?” Imagination, mind, fist, fingers, lips—mouth and tongue, eyes and ears. What we absorb, as humans, and what we express is...
by Tim Girvin | Concepts, Motion Pictures | Nov 21, 2025
What sways to blandishment? A lot of discussions around last week’s blog— and the notion of brand blandism, and some asked, “wait, so you’re saying that san serif is too bland, too plain, not… ‘exciting’ enough?” No, that’s not the point. As I’d mentioned before, in a...
by Tim Girvin | Concepts | Nov 12, 2025
Modern Clinicality, Emotional Heritage and Blandism In my history as a designer, lettering artist and calligrapher, I’ve spent decades studying the history of the alphabet, from pre-Christian Greek letterform development, cut in stone and inscribed in pottery, to...
by Tim Girvin | Brand Mysticism, Brands, Concepts | Apr 18, 2025
The GIRVIN | Strategic Branding & Design team have a long history in creating pathways to humanize the strategic impressions— and tactical outcomes, in technology brand experience—for enterprise employees, community relationships and customers. In a legacy of...
by Tim Girvin | Brands, Concepts, Designers, Storytelling | Oct 12, 2023
We’re rolling into 50+ years of continuous involvement in brand strategy and integrated design— and as coffee connoisseurs—we’ve savored this brewed beverage all over the world, from Seattle to NYC—Maui too, LA to Vancouver,southwards to Costa Rica, east to...
by Tim Girvin | Brands, Concepts, Interior Design, Retail, Storytelling | Jan 17, 2023
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, A KEY POINT OF RESONANCE IN BRAND EXPERIENTIALITY* COMES DOWN TO THE HOLISM OF SENSATION. How does it feel? How unforgettable is the holism of your feelings— or your guests feelings—about it? For many of us, that would be what we see—but...
by Tim Girvin | Concepts, Designers, Interior Design | Nov 30, 2022
GIRVIN’s Symbolic Patterns for Interiors and Meaningful Graphics in Placemaking Any designer knows that a simple plane, an empty piece of paper, a coverless book, an empty package or the “undefined” skin of a shopfront is a presence without place—there’s no story,...
by Tim Girvin | Concepts | May 13, 2020
THE REPETITION OF DESIGN AND SYMBOLICAL PATTERNING: ALLEGORICAL BRAND DESIGN. IN THE EXPLORATION OF THE DESIGN, PRINCIPLES OF EXPRESSION AND THEIR TRANSLATION OF IDEAS, THERE ARE PATTERNS THAT EMERGE. In the journey of the work, the act of designing—that is, the...
