Portfolio samples | rafael c. armstrong

Below are a number of samples of items and projects I’ve worked on over the years. The work was performed both in-house and freelance, and is grouped in categories for ease of viewing.

Please contact me here with any questions or project inquiries.

Case Study— Gutter line redesign

The look for the gutter accessories category had not been updated in quite a number of years, having been relegated to a “second class” category. The rollout of new items for one customer, as well as increasing activity in this category, called for an overall refresh.

The wordmark. Prior to the redesign, all type on packaging was a combination of Compacta and Helvetica (or, ion some cases, Swiss). This gave all the packaging a dated feel. After a main line and logo redesign, all other categories began to adopt the new look. Gutter items were one of the last. It was also requested that they stand alone a bit as a family, so unique, consistent wordmarks were created for each of the items in this category.
The Old packaging. The bellyband for this item had not been updated in over 10 years. With the development of a more cohesive look for the family, an updated design was called for.
The updated packaging. I took cues from already existing FK packaging, as well as other items already updated or designed with the “new” look.
The wordmark. Prior to the redesign, all type on packaging was a combination of Compacta and Helvetica (or, ion some cases, Swiss). This gave all the packaging a dated feel. After a main line and logo redesign, all other categories began to adopt the new look. Gutter items were one of the last. It was also requested that they stand alone a bit as a family, so unique, consistent wordmarks were created for each of the items in this category. Since this was also a new product, I was tasked with naming it. After many iterations, we landed on “Tilt n’ Drain”.
“Tilt n’ Drain” label packaging
The displayer. One of the requests was for retailers to be able to merchandise either as a floor display or on shelf. Shown here is how the carton would display on the floor.
On-shelf display… The simplest solution was best. Creating a perforation that left a lip allowed for the carton to be merchandised as a shelf displayer, giving retailers the choice.
The Old packaging. The art had not been updated in a while. With the development of a more cohesive look for the family, an updated design was called for.
Even with the constraints of printing on poly bags, I was able to maintain consistency by focusing on the major visual cues– the orange field on the bottom, which is used across most items in the FK main line; the use of the double teardrop shape; and the application of the word marks unique to this line.
The wordmark. Prior to the redesign, all type on packaging was a combination of Compacta and Helvetica (or, ion some cases, Swiss). This gave all the packaging a dated feel. After a main line and logo redesign, all other categories began to adopt the new look. Gutter items were one of the last. It was also requested that they stand alone a bit as a family, so unique, consistent wordmarks were created for each of the items in this category.
In the end, the refresh and the new items were successful, bringing in $2 million in new and incremental business.