PAST PROJECTS

Junk Mind series (available in the giftshop)

An abstract series, Junk Mind includes “Junk Mind” and “Junk Mind 2”. The pieces use limited color palettes and expressive shapes/non-shapes to guide the viewing eye as it wanders across the board.

I found these pieces to be versatile; I feel they work well on multiple mediums, especially matte paper and canvas.

My logos

I made two sets of logos for my identity. The doublecrown logo (the one without words) acts as my public-facing symbol and the “Reinfred Addo Central” logo is for applications that are more so behind-the-scenes. The red version of each logo set is for use on dark-colored backgrounds (I use red simply because it’s my favorite color), and the black/greyscale version is to be used on light-colored backgrounds.

Concept behind the doublecrown: my last name, Addo, comes from Ghana and it means “king of the road” or “king of the path”. It felt natural to have the name’s visual be that of a crown since that is a universal symbol used to represent king. Stylizing it in the particular way I’ve done serves two purposes:

1. It allows both my first name and last name to be supported (i.e., one crown for Reinfred and one crown for Addo), thus creating symmetry and balance.

2. It ideally allows for an easy-to-remember and ownable visual mark that can be firmly associated with me.

Concept behind the Reinfred Addo Central seal: using two concentric circular paths allows me to concisely state a somewhat long name (Reinfred Addo Central). Use of Bodoni as the typeface gives the mark a sense of seriousness, a quality that would be desired for behind-the-scenes type of work. At the same time, Bodoni gives a sense of warmth and is inviting. Incorporating the doublecrown accents the words and further draws a connection to me.

The Dedicadas poetry chapbook

Serving as my debut literary publication, The Dedicadas presented a wonderful opportunity for design and art direction. The poems in the chapbook are each unique but together themed in that they are all dedicated to someone or something. Consistent use of shapes, lines, typography (Shrikhand for display and Garamond for text), and a red-black-grey color scheme allowed me to create an exciting and unified identity through which to visually display the project. The Dedicadas also doubles as a mini identity exploration for the Reinfred Addo brand; my most ambitious work to date within any of my pursuits, the work gave me the opportunity to incorporate my public-facing and behind-the-scenes logos in different combinations, and to expand my red-black brand colors into several applications (some examples pictured above). This, by virtue, allowed me to directly fuse some of my visual DNA into the project.

• Pictured above: book cover (whole spread, back cover to front cover).

• Not pictured: website visual aesthetics, decoration for posts on social platforms (Instagram version), poster/flyer, advertisement, press kit, newsletter.

“Afadjato (Va Mí Dzo)” poster (available in the giftshop)

Afadjato is a mountain in the Volta Region of Ghana and is the nation’s highest peak. The name Afadjato literally means “Afadja mountain” in the Ewe language. The “va mí dzo” catchphrase means “come let’s go” and is popularly used to let someone know a preplanned journey is beginning. It can also be used metaphorically to indicate a readiness for progress and forward momentum in life.

This is one of the more personal projects I’ve done; I was born in the same region Afadjato is located. I partially grew up there and still have strong family ties there. Definitely experienced several waves of satisfying nostalgia throughout the research and design process for this project. This artwork relies heavily on coloring, shading, and patterning to create depth and dimension. The lines in the foreground are an interweaving of a stylization of Afadjato’s outline (the side that faces the town of Gbledi). The diagonal color bands represent the backdrop to the mountain. From top left to bottom right, the colors represent: gold=sun, white=clouds/fog/haze, blue=sky, grey=horizon, dark green=distant ridge and foliage, light green=nearby ridge and foliage, maroon=distant soil, tan=nearby soil, cocoa=immediate soil.

This poster is for sale in my online giftshop. I am donating a portion of the proceeds to Dream Africa Volunteer Service (DAVS), a nonprofit/NGO based in Ho in the Volta Region. Led predominantly by women from this region, DAVS operates locally, nationally, and internationally, primarily in the areas of biodiversity, climate change, and gender equality. They also head initiatives for skills development and civic education+democracy, particularly for and about women and children.

Justice Fist sticker (available in the giftshop)

In 2020 the world was witness to the horrific murders of three Black individuals at the hands of law enforcement: George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. These murders opened the eyes of the public to the ways in which prejudice and racism are entrenched in the systems that oversee society. These murders also sparked a series of mass protests all over the world to call for change to these broken systems.

One thing I felt I could do to be a part of the cause was to use the power of design to motivate people to vote, vote out officials for whom systemic change is not a priority and vote in those who will put change at the center of their leadership.

Letting the typeface Impact take a central role, this group of designs, which I call the Justice Fist Project, consists of attention-grabbing, boldly-delivered messages that strive to create an immediate, well, impact (e.g., the above image). Whenever I attended a protest or march in 2020, I gave out the stickers to people and, in return, took up money that I subsequently donated to one of my local chapters of the NAACP. I’m not affiliated with the NAACP in any way but I believe in their cause to make society more just and equitable for Black people so I felt good about donating to them.

I also offer Justice Fist items for sale in my giftshop and am donating a portion of the proceeds to at least one of my local NAACP chapters.

Spread The Vote x Addo apparel

“Vote small and big: local, state, national”. Originally part of my Justice Fist project, this design was later acquired by Spread The Vote as part of their merch catalog. Spread The Vote helps people register to vote and also provides education and empowerment about the voting process.

In the lead-up to the 2020 US presidential election, the nonprofit organization used this design for their EVERY office matters line of apparel. In addition to the t-shirts pictured above, the apparel line included long sleeve t-shirts, pullover hoodies, crewneck sweatshirts, and tank tops.