Sep 28, 2015

Josh White

You may have noticed the new Olive Green banner? Quite cool, isn't it?

So here is a little story.

Josh White, who is a graphic designer from Boulder Colorado contacted us some time ago kindly asking for a permission to use some of our photos in his study project, Aleksander Nielsen Paint Collection. We said yes, of course.

Paints (photo by Josh White)

Brushes (photo by Josh White)

Ideabook (photo by Josh White)


Browsing through Josh's portfolio, we found we really liked his style - instantly he seemed like a guy with an eye for MCM (you can check out some of Josh's work here). So we asked if he would be interested in helping us with the blog graphics. To our delight, he was.

After exchanging some ideas we agreed Josh would draft us a couple of concepts to get started. He sent them with a note that we could pick, choose and mix elements. But we didn't need to do any of that - this creative genius nailed the design at the first time. We were ecstatic.

So far, sounds very simple and straightforward, doesn't it?

The only thing missing was the blog tag line. In the draft it said "Olive Green - an interior design blog". Yes - but no, too obvious. This is when it started getting complicated. We just couldn't come up anything intelligent. Days passed (distracted perhaps by work). Then weeks (work and kids). And finally months (work, kids, dachshund, renovation). Nothing.

Finally we reached the breaking point. We had this cool new graphic ready to go live, so how difficult could it really be to come up with something? After all, one of us works as a marketeer and another one is a creative professional. Yet we were lacking the big idea.

So we sat down (something we should have done months ago), took a blank piece of paper and started making a very traditional mind map. And funnily enough, after five minutes, we had locked "MAD for MCM". Yes, only in five minutes. One could turn it around and say for each letter, we took about a month of consideration. Crazy.

Then, back to Josh. It wouldn't have been surprising if he would have completely forgotten us after all this time. But no. Josh, who seems to be the most easy-going and flexible personality on earth, sends the updated material with his compliments on the tag line in his reply the next day.

So, thank you Josh, you are the best! We are really happy that our paths crossed and we had an opportunity to work with you! And needless to even mention - if you ever need a recommendation, you know who to ask.

Meet Josh White (photo by Gabrielle White)

"I'm a graphic designer who grew up in the plains and recently fled for the mountains. I share a cozy apartment with my significant other—Gaby, also a designer. Together we enjoy DIY, the outdoors, and the dream of starting a design studio."