by Tim Girvin | Brands, Motion Pictures, Retail, Storytelling | Feb 18, 2026
Classical lettercraft meets a precision draft, engraved in steel. In the spring cleaning of our moves to GIRVIN’s 16th office location, in the West Queen Anne Elementary School, in Seattle I was sorting through a grouping of files—like a large grouping, dozens of...
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 | Brands, Storytelling | Jan 28, 2026
50 years ago, I got my first passport, it was in 1976—a US Bicentennial year. This was my first international travel, alone. I was 23 years old. But it was the beginning of a journey that would change my life. I’d been corresponding with designers in the US, as well...
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 | Brands | Nov 6, 2025
As a Brand Expert, ever Get a KPI in units sold, or tonnage? What if you had a project that had a number of units for sale as a core goal—your KPI deliverable? I’m wondering, have you ever been in a situation where the expectation is in millions of units sold, or some...
by Tim Girvin | Brands, Concepts, Interior Design | Oct 16, 2025
Brand Identity Integration + Experience Design Logo design stylization in scientific experience strategy and guest journey at Omeros. When you think about identity, brand identity—the principle expressed with integrated, comprehensive design, message and color...
by Tim Girvin | Brands, Cool People, Human brands, Motion Pictures | Sep 8, 2025
Everyone has stories about logo projects. What’s yours? Speaking of recognizable brand relationships, working with Doug Osborn, an Oregon photographer and designer, and Cameron Healy—the founder of Kettle Brands. And there’s a story about a logo for new type of potato...
