MICHAEL JONES DESIGN

PORTFOLIO

About

I’m a graphic designer based in Brisbane. I specialise in editorial design and brand identity driven by compelling storytelling. I have previously worked as a journalist and magazine editor for almost two decades.

Contact Me

My Work

Work

The Last Dance: handmade

The brief
Design a movie/theatre poster,  book cover or record cover of your choice, exploring design principles, colour theory, lateral thinking and typography away from the influence of the computer.

The solution
The Nike Air Jordan 1 is one of the most recognisable shoes on the planet. This 3D collage aims to maintain the iconic aesthetic of the shoe, using images to highlight the underlying themes and layers of the The Last Dance documentary series.

An image of three posters on a brick wall promoting the documentary series, The Last Dance. The posters feature a handmade collage of the Nike Air Jordan 1 Chicago shoe.

Images of a thumbnail of the design and images to use for the collage.

An image of the collage showing the 3D layers.

An image showing the final collage artwork in full colour.

An image of the collage incorporated into artwork of a shoebox.

Conte de Fées: brand identity

The brief

French actor Guillaume Marini fell in love with the historic Parisian district of Montmartre and has decided to transform an abandoned townhouse into a 10-room hotel. He has requested a brand identity design ahead of the development.

The solution

Montmartre is known for its cobbled streets, rustic features and art scene. This brand identity highlights the district’s romantic atmosphere and rustic features, which resemble a scene from a fairy-tale book. The name of the hotel is Conte de Fées, which translates to 'fairy tale' in French.

An image of the hotel with examples of the 'fairy tale' tone of voice: "Once upon a time." "The beds are just right." "Fall in love with Montmartre." "Happily ever after."

An image of a boutique envelope, which houses the key to your hotel room. The envelope features the words: Our beds are just right. Find the the key to your dream suite and live like a prince or princess.

An image of of branded lavender oil and a bag of treats for breakfast.

The Conte de Fées website featured on three separate phone screens.

Runner's high: magazine article

The brief
Surfing magazine STAB has created an offshoot publication called CHASE, focusing on real stories around the mentality, future and culture of sport. Design an article for the first issue about those who are exploring the limits of their sport.

The solution
The article tells of the mental and physical challenges of running, while exploring what it takes to push yourself to your limits. The design aims to capture the raw and spiritual nature of running in its purist form.

An image of the opening spread of the magazine feature, called Runner's High. The spread features a black and white image of a man running through the hills.

An image of the second spread of the magazine feature, called Runner's High. The spread features a black and white image of a woman running through the rain and puddles.

An image of the third spread of the magazine feature, called Runner's High. The spread features a black and white image of a man stretching before beginning a run.

An image of the magazine cover, feature a woman staring down the camera.

Aero: packaging

The brief
Choose a product and corresponding demographic and design boutique packaging for that product. It is to be of good quality  and sold to a niche market who will desire something a little different.

The solution
Shaving cream for men who are obsessed with cycling. They have  all the gear and want to look like the professionals – even down to  shaving their legs. They spend a lot  of time in the saddle, but even more time at the café.

For legs as smooth as your morning latte. Aero is specially formulated to shave the hairs off your legs and seconds off your performance, so you can be first to the café. Be the envy of the peloton and show off those cyclist's legs you've always wanted.

An image of the Aero layered over an image of a group of cyclists sitting at a café.

An image of a tube of shaving cream feature the Aero branding.

An image of packaging dieline for a long box featuring the Aero branding.

An image of the Aero shaving cream boxes in different colours.

An image of a circular tin, featuring the Aero branding.

An image of a coffee and croissant with a customer testimonial layered over the top. It reads: "With less wind resistance, I was sitting down eating my croissant before the others had even parked their bikes."

Hold the front page: brochure

The brief
The British Film Institute (BFI) requires a foldout brochure for its Genre Film Festival Season. The  BFI’s festivals are all about visual inspiration, so the design must  mirror the genre’s theme, but not  a particular movie.

The solution
The movies showing in the Newsroom Film Festival genre are either made – or set – between the late 1960s and early 1990s, so the brochure design aims to encapsulate the ‘glory days’ of both print and broadcast media.

An image of the artwork featured in the foldout brochure.

The cover and first foldout of the brochure.

The cover of the brochure, featuring the title: Hold the front page.

An image of a banner hanging over the archway promoting the BFI film festival

An image of three vertical banners hanging over the entrance to a museum.

All hail the cab: campaign

The brief
Choose an organisation, business, group or institution that might benefit from a fresh campaign to help increase awareness, change perception or promote an existing product/service in a new light.

The solution
13cabs are quick, convenient and trustworthy, and this campaign highlights the ‘real-world’ benefits  of taxis at any time or in any situation. Stuck in the rain? Arms full of groceries? No phone reception?  All hail the cab.

An image of the 13cabs 'All hail the cab' artwork painted onto a brick wall.

An image of a sponsored Instagram story depicted over four phone screens.

An image of the 'All hail the cab campaign artwork featured on a poster at a bus stop. The poster features an image of a man standing in the rain.

An image of the 'All hail the cab campaign artwork featured on a poster at a bus stop. The poster features an image of a woman holding a handful of shopping bags.

Phone screen images showing the four-step user experience process of booking a cab on the 13cabs app.

An image of a maxi taxi wrapped in the 'All hail the cab' campaign branding.

Off the charts: microsite

The brief
Polyphonic is a music streaming and community company that prides itself on its indie, underground,  far-out approach. It wants to present its annual summary in the form of a microsite, which reflects that tone.

The solution
The design aims to bring the grungy, edgy feel of printed rock-music posters and magazines to the digital space. This is achieved with eclectic type arrangements and gritty textures, which have been hand-created.

An image of the different views of the website as one would see it on a desktop computer.

Creating the distressed texture of the type and background by hand.

An image of the different views of the website as one would see it on a phone screen.

An image of a man and woman wearing branding pink and black T-shirts.