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Combining skillsets, cultures, and experiences into one, Tyler & his partner/wife built a nomadic creative agency focused on premium product stories, engaging O2O experiences, brand story design, & lifestyle content for regional, national & international clients.
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Creative design, brand content & marketing consulting agency
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Traveled the U.S. (3x), capturing outdoor lifestyle photo/video content for national marketing & social purposes for clients including Snow Peak, Campspot, Roadtrippers, Campendium, Togo RV & others.+
Consulted & developed marketing, social & content campaigns, PR news stories, brand story, & strategic business planning for various clients & industries.+
Created memorable & versatile brand identities, marketing content & retail sales collateral with a focus on authentic storytelling, brand purpose, manufacturing transparency & craftsmanship.+
Established affiliate marketing relationships with Snow Peak, Patagonia, REI, Peak Design, Campspot, Filson, Pelican Products, END Clothing, Nike, and others.+
Presented keynote lectures & design-focused presentations at conferences, corporations, organizations & universities.+
Developed company website, brand identity, pitch decks, marketing assets, business planning & accounting practices. -
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Snow Peak (Brand Lifestyle & Product Photography)+
Roadpass (videography)+
Campspot (creative content)+
a|organics (brand development)+
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Footscapes (photo series)
PROJECT: Brand Identity
DESCRIPTION: Sketch & Digital Exploration
Tyler collaborated with partner Kendra Clapp Olguin and brand design expert Seth Herman to create the oneyone identity system. Representing the convergence of two individuals, backgrounds, cultures & skillsets, the “y” means “and” in Spanish and connects each “one” together. In addition to the wordmark, an “eye-con” was established for more playful uses.
PROJECT: Brand Identity
DESCRIPTION: Color Stories & Identity System
The final brand identity system included a custom color palette pulled directly from photographs from oneyone travel experiences, along with personal stories inspired by loved ones. These colors were combined to create a variety of boxed logo colorways to be utilized in multi-colored rows, flashing GIFs, decal packs & more.
PROJECT: Creative Nomad Agency
DESCRIPTION: Nationwide Work
Tyler and his wife/partner Kendra evolved their creative agency to travel where the work is, which enabled them to travel the country 3-times for a variety of collaborative design projects, marketing campaigns, brand content creation, and more.
PROJECT: Everything We Packed
DESCRIPTION: Affiliate Brand Partners
Photographed every item packed for living/working on the road as separate images with the ability to be organized & reorganized as lay-flat images for digital content, brand partnerships, & affiliate marketing opportunities, including:
Snow Peak
Filson
REI
Peak Design
END Clothing
Nike
Etc.
CAMPAIGN: #FindYourCampspot
CLIENT: Campspot
Tyler and his wife/partner Kendra were contracted by Campspot, a tech startup designed to help bring the campground industry online through its booking software. In addition to doing a brand consultation, #FindYourCampspot campaign creation, and a variety of PR stories and marketing partnerships, they lived/worked on the road driving 28,000+ miles, staying at 85 campgrounds in 27 states.
PROJECT: Outdoor Lifestyle Content
CLIENT: Snow Peak
Partnered with Snow Peak USA to capture outdoor lifestyle content for social, blog, & website use.
Built affiliate marketing partnership, expert advice on how to build your own outdoor kitchen layout, & inspirational outdoor video content.
Featured on Customer Stories series at www.snowpeak.com
PROJECT: Video Content
DESCRIPTION: Filmed & Edited Online Videos
Click to watch more videos: www.vimeo.com/oneyone
PROJECT: Film & Digital Photography
DESCRIPTION: Travel & Outdoor Lifestyle Visual Storytelling
Through digital and film photography, Tyler has captured outdoor, lifestyle, travel, product, and more, including:
PROJECT: Business Plan
DESCRIPTION: Retail & Coffee Shop
Tyler created a 40+ page business plan for a potential retail and coffee shop opportunity he and Kendra considered owning and operating in Washington near Mt. Rainier National Park.
After plenty of discussions, reflections, and explorations, they decided it wasn’t the right time in their lives for such an adventure — even though it seemed like a dream opportunity.
PROJECT: Air Jordan Sketches
CLIENT: Personal Project
Tyler brushed up on the entire Air Jordan signature collection by researching & sketching each model ranging from the Air Jordan I released in 1985 to the Air Jordan XXXVII released in 2022.
The minimal blue pencil sketch of each shoe captures the lines, components & materials that the designers, developers & countless others handcrafted, marketed & distributed around the world over the past 30+ years.
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In 2010, Tyler met U.S. Navy veteran Michael Hyacinthe for coffee & immediately realized the disconnect between their two worlds. Together, they built a NPO to utilize the mediums of art, design, & fashion to benefit, uplift, & support veterans. Tyler has actively led the grassroots organization in numerous capacities, including directing all design efforts, event planning, fundraising campaigns, exhibit, retail, & pop-up shop execution, & more.
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Nonprofit organization sharing veterans’ stories through art, design & fashion
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Managed and led design teams, partners, and volunteers in brand marketing initiatives, photo/video campaigns, brand message and storytelling, product design and development, marketing partnerships, and inventory management.+
Designed & planned exhibit, retail, coffee shop & event spaces, including Saugatuck Center for the Arts (Saugatuck, 2021), ArtPrize (Grand Rapids, 2012-2020), Starbucks Reserve Roastery & Tasting Room (Seattle, 2017), Detroit Holiday House (Detroit, 2016), & Forbes Art Galleries (NYC, 2014).+
Established national brand partnerships, collaborative design projects, grants & corporate sponsorships with 9/11 Memorial & Museum, AIGA, Airstream, Alpha Industries, Bates Footwear, Detroit Pistons, Madcap Coffee, Nike, Schultz Family Foundation, Starbucks, Shinola, Threadless, USAA & others.+
Conducted nationwide tour, including planning, facilitating, photographing, designing, pitching, promoting, & marketing collaborative design projects on the 50 States: Veterans + Artists United tour.+
Created, designed & maintained brand website, online shop, marketing materials,exhibit layout/design, brand identity, custom-designed brand typeface, brand camo patterns & more.+
Worked with manufacturing partners, creating product tech packs, retail displays & marketing collateral. -
PROJECT: Brand Identity, Camo Pattern & Custom Font
CLIENT: [HAS HEART]
Led a collective of designers & advisors in a collaborative workshop to conceptualize a brand name for the organization: [HAS HEART].
Collaborated with designer Seth Herman & copywriter Adam Barr to create the brand logo & tagline: Veterans + Artists United.
Designed a custom brand camo pattern & worked with Monotype designer Terrance Weinzierl to build a vintage-inspired custom typeface.
PROJECT: HERO[series]
CLIENT: [HAS HEART]
In 2011, Tyler worked with a quadriplegic military veteran who was unable to speak due to injuries suffered in his vocal cords. Through asking a variety of ‘yes or no’ questions, Tyler was able to translate a graphic design that told the veteran’s story.
The final question Tyler asked the veteran was what his definition of a “hero” was to him. Through an alpha-numeric communication code, the veteran spelled out:
T-O-T-A-L S-A-C-R-I-F-I-C-E.
PROJECT: HERO[series]
CLIENT: [HAS HEART]
After Tyler first partnered with a paralyzed veteran to share his story in 2011, he has developed a multi-day collaborative design process that includes a project brief, a detailed workshop packet & a specialty sketchbook.
In addition to leading each project, Tyler creative directs photographers, videographers & copywriters to capture the meaningful collaborative process through interviews & behind-the-scenes content, then works with US-based manufacturing partners to develop & launch each product.
PROJECT: HERO[series]
CLIENT: [HAS HEART]
When a designer couldn’t make it, Tyler collaborated with U.S. National Guard veteran Lisa Morrison to share her faith-filled journey of being a linguistic specialist in the military & overcoming immense difficulties in her personal life, including a rare heart condition of her young son.
This design process is one example of the 60+ collaborative projects Tyler has planned, executed & facilitated as multi-day workshops between designers & veterans with photographers, videographers & other partners.
CAMPAIGN: 50 States: Veterans + Artists United Tour
CLIENT: [HAS HEART]
Planned, fundraised & executed a nationwide working tour to lead a design collaborative project in each state between a veteran & graphic designer.
Researched, creatively directed & managed a team of 120+ designers, photographers & videographers throughout the country.
Built brand partnerships & worked with manufacturing partners to produce designs into US-made consumer products & marketing campaigns.
PROJECT: 50 States: Veterans + Artists United Tour
CLIENT: [HAS HEART]
With 39/50 state projects completed and one art museum exhibit already installed, the ultimate goal of the national tour included compiling every project, design, and veteran story into a coffee table book, a documentary film, and a traveling art exhibit.
PROJECT: Exhibit Design & Retail Shop Experiences
CLIENT: [HAS HEART]
In addition to publishing each project online (article, photos, video, products & social posts), Tyler led the exhibit & retail shop design process, including layout, story curation, visitor experience, retail displays & product selection. Past shops & exhibits have included:
Saugatuck Center for the Arts, 2021
Starbucks Reserve Roastery & Tasting Room - Seattle, 2017
Detroit Holiday House, 2016
Forbes Art Galleries - New York City, 2014
ArtPrize - Grand Rapids, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
PROJECT: Coffee Shop Design & Development
CLIENT: [HAS HEART]
For the past decade, coffee has been a catalyst for collaboration between veterans and graphic designers at the start of every HERO[series] project.
Tyler helped [HAS HEART] pitch a coffee shop to business partners, city officials, foundations & donors to raise $1.2 million to enable the NPO to serve the Grand Rapids community for decades. Tyler led the creative process, including brand elements, product design, & worked with the architecture firm on the store layout, interior & exterior design.
His work extended beyond the renovation process to build the menu, create the SOPs, and hire & train a team to operate the coffee shop.
PROJECT: Limited Edition Products
CLIENT: [HAS HEART]
Tyler pitched a collaborative [HAS HEART] boot project to Bates Footwear, the leading military footwear supplier. The concept was to combine a military dress oxford with a tactical boot in a limited run made in Michigan.
Utilizing existing equipment, Tyler worked with a select group of five wounded veterans to design the chukka embedded with symbolic meaning behind each component. 100% sourced & handcrafted in the USA, these call-outs were screen-printed on the recycled cardboard box top.
Turns out, well-designed products only get better with age: Renewed y Resoled.
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The heritage Sebago brand was founded in 1946 & sold in over 90 countries. As the Senior Footwear Designer, Tyler managed the design & material teams to conceptualize, design, develop, & present Men's and Women's seasonal collections utilizing premium materials.
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Sebago — a premium footwear brand sold in over 90 countries
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Managed product design & material teams while working closely with company executives.+
Conceptualized, designed & developed Men’s & Women’s seasonal collections, including concept sketches, 3D renderings, tech pack creation, blueprint revisions, sample alterations, material selection & final spec writing.+
Co-built seasonal product briefs & made seasonal product line decisions for US & international markets.+
Updated carryover collections with modernized patterns & cohesive material stories throughout the line.+
Presented seasonal Men’s & Women’s collections to international partners at global brand conferences, milestone product line meetings, & throughout the sketch review & development process.+
Conducted primary market research & curated industry trend analysis into seasonal collection stories, inspiration mood boards & seasonal trend booklets for internal brand & retail sales team purposes.+
Traveled regularly to work alongside global manufacturing partners, material suppliers & factories throughout China, Portugal, Mexico, India, Dominican Republic, and the United States.+
Initiated and co-operated the official Sebago brand Instagram account. -
PROJECT: Footwear Designer, Developer & Product Line Builder
CLIENT: Sebago
While at Sebago (Wolverine Worldwide, Inc), Tyler worked with a small product team that enabled him to wear numerous hats throughout the seasonal line-building process, including:
Consulting on product briefs
Conducting market research & trend analysis
Building seasonal mood boards
Sketching original concepts
Creating detailed techpacks
Presenting at internal milestone meetings
Updating carryover collections
Selecting materials & colorways
Revising patterns & outsoles
Presenting at Global Brand Conferences
PROJECT: Updating Brand Classics
CLIENT: Sebago
Founded in 1946, Sebago had a rich history and brand heritage that had to be honored while evolving to remain relevant in the market. As a designer, Tyler pulled plenty of inspiration from the company archives and reinterpreted design elements and brand DNA into modernized classics for today's and tomorrow’s consumer.
PROJECT: Concept Ideation
CLIENT: Sebago
Tyler’s favorite projects were the Wild Card briefs allowing him to develop new concepts and collections for the Sebago line. Much of these concepts started with market research and trend analysis to first understand the consumer’s needs, interests, and wants. With a customer, purpose, and target retail pricepoint in mind, Tyler ideated and collaborated with internal partners and factories to create original concepts that could push the brand forward and/or reach a new target demographic in the US and internationally.
PROJECT: Collection Stories
CLIENT: Sebago
While designing new collections each season, Tyler had the opportunity to create unique product stories featured in brand marketing collateral, industry media articles, and merchandised retail displays.
PROJECT: All-Seasons and Uses
CLIENT: Sebago
Being a global brand, Sebago’s product lines spanned borders, climates, seasons, and wearing occasions. From tailored dress shoes, to casual boat shoes, rugged outdoor-ready chukkas, and cold-weather boots, Tyler designed and developed footwear for all weather patterns and functional needs.
PROJECT: Special SKUs and Collections
CLIENT: Sebago
Tyler worked on various SMUs for specific retail partners, target markets, collaborations, and special occasions. Many of these mini-collections were based around color and/or material stories to be specially marketed and merchandised together to tell a brand story for marketing and/or retail displays.
PROJECT: Merchandised Collections
CLIENT: Sebago
Building a strong seasonal collection required a clear overall story and product strategy that could be split into multiple sub-stories to sit well together online and in retail stores.
Many of these concentrated stories pulled SKUs from different collections to sit together from a color and material perspective or as a cohesive brand story to open new retail doors.
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Tyler developed a unique pointillism style for commissioned artwork & custom-designed sneakers for public figures, including LeBron James, Phil Knight, Chris Paul, Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Jason Richardson, Lynn Merritt, Worldwide Wes, Mike Posner, & others.
The large-scale canvas pieces required extreme attention to detail, months of patient day-to-day progress, & overall artistic vision. While also establishing & maintaining special client relationships, he produced, collaborated & pitched various projects, designs, products, & campaigns to athletes. His entrepreneurial responsibilities included designing & maintaining his company website, mobile site, regularly updated blog, social media accounts, & online shop.
In addition to working with professional athletes, Tyler created a collegiate-licensed apparel brand while still enrolled in the university. He designed & sold products directly to students while also breaking through barriers to sell wholesale inside college retail shops and bookstores. While in college, Tyler led a team of college interns & managed senior & graduate-level classes on special projects & campaigns for his business.
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PROJECT: Wedding Portrait
CLIENT: LeBron & Savannah James
Tyler was commissioned by Nike founder, Phil Knight, to paint the top-secret wedding portrait for LeBron and Savannah James utilizing his unique pointillism technique.
Alongside Mr. Knight, Tyler presented the artwork to LeBron at Nike’s world headquarters. The last Tyler has heard from LeBron, the painting is displayed at the entrance of LeBron & Savannah’s bedroom.
The artwork came with a flipbook featuring each step of the process gifted to LeBron & Savannah, Phil Knight, and Lynn Merritt, who helped coordinate the project.
PROJECT: Nike x History
CLIENT: Phil Knight
Tyler painted a 96 x 48in. pointillism painting for Nike founder, Phil Knight. The three-panel piece subtly featured the history of Nike, including its origins at the University of Oregon.
PROJECT: CP3 Custom Sneakers
CLIENT: Chris Paul Foundation
Tyler created these 1-of-1 sneakers for Chris Paul’s charity auction. CP3 himself was outbid for them by his grandpa, raising over $3K for his charity in Winston-Salem, NC.
PROJECT: MVP Sneakers
CLIENT: LeBron James
Tyler custom-crafted these Air Force 1s to commemorate LeBron James’ first NBA MVP Award in 2008-2009. His season’s stats are featured along the rear quarter panels with a custom chalk "MVP icon painted on the lateral sides.
Tyler presented these in a custom-built glass display case to LeBron at his award ceremony in Akron, OH.
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After the Wolverine Company Store opened in downtown Grand Rapids, Tyler would go in so often and ask so many questions that the store manager invited him to become a part-time employee with keyholder responsibilities.
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Premium footwear boutique shop in Grand Rapids, MI -
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As a keyholder, Tyler was responsible for nearly every aspect of operating the retail store, from the front in sales to the back in inventory and reporting. Tyler gained an incredible level of knowledge about the product and brands, which soon enabled him to become a footwear designer for one of Wolverine Worldwide’s brands.
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Sneaker & streetwear boutique shop in Grand Rapids, MI -
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Tyler received special permission from the university to intern as a marketing specialist for the All City Kicks boutique shop that was the community hub for all things sneaker, streetwear, art, & music related in the city of Grand Rapids. His roles included working closely with the owners to handle customer relations, inventory, & product sales.
Tyler also assisted in marketing, event planning, & collaborative product design concepts that combined to become invaluable insight into retail business strategies & community-building practices.
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Tyler managed the Detroit Pistons and [then] Detroit Shock Year-Round-Hoops department, which included coaching basketball camps and clinics around the state of Michigan along with managing a specialty promotional truck touring the state's most significant summer events & music festivals.
Tyler worked closely alongside the Director of Youth Programming and gained valuable insight into the importance of internal networking & community engagement.
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My emphasis on first-hand experience has led me to work with NBA players and military veterans, national brands and nonprofit organizations, and global suppliers and domestic production partners. My desire to be immersed in my work has driven me through all fifty U.S. states impacting individuals and bridging communities together through art, design, and fashion.
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Through an endless journey of personal growth, I’ve learned that while some leaders blaze paths in front, I excel from the back, where I can observe, direct, align, guide, and help push the pack onward. Much of my creative process and leadership style begins by listening, asking questions, and researching further into the details behind the story I’m designing to share, a project I’m building to launch, or a problem I’m helping to solve.
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Passion and purpose have always been my guides. My career experience may seem unorthodox on paper, but it is diverse by design to become a well-rounded creative that can lead from any position and at every step.
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My vision always begins with the ultimate goal in mind, but then my focus quickly shifts to the process required to get there. Practicing patient progress has enabled me to enjoy a vastness of meaningful work, including:
Painting custom sneakers & pointillism artwork for NBA athletes,
Designing & developing footwear for a global corporation,
Facilitating design projects between veterans & graphic designers,
Conceptualizing & curating art museum exhibits,
Designing retail store layouts & displays,
Capturing content for national marketing campaigns,
Backing up an Airstream trailer into a tight campsite.
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While my entrepreneurial, creative spirit fuels my internal drive and unending ambition, my heart desires to be part of the team. Because of my diverse experience, I excel in cross-functional groups and enjoy the power of collaboration.