About
Our people are our company; with a depth and range of experience many competitors are missing. People who are talented and perceptive, but more important, people you enjoy working with, even if harried to meet a critical deadline.
We are driven by the recognition that our success is our client’s success. We have a passionate focus on quality and take pride in our work — doing it on time and on budget. The development of long–term client relationships is priority; short–term projects are of little interest. We want our clients to be satisfied for years into the future.
Randall Smith
I’ve been in business for myself for 30 (mostly) exciting years in graphic design and marketing. I’ve got two bachelor’s degrees (which is odd, I know) in advertising and design from the University of Utah. Prior to forming modern8 in 2001, I was a principal in Smith Sligting Partners, a traditional and interactive design firm. Before that I did my own thing at Randall Smith Associates, a graphic design firm formed in 1989. Previous to that I was in a partnership and senior designer for a multinational corporation.
I was the founding President of the Salt Lake chapter of AIGA, the professional association for design. I’ve had the benefit of over 20 years of teaching as an adjunct instructor in Graphic Design at the University of Utah and have taught classes at Brigham Young University and lectured at others. I belong to SMPS, AAF and AIGA.
My design or the work of my team has been recognized in national publications and exhibitions, including Communication Arts, New York Art Directors Annual, the AIGA Communications Graphics Annual, the New York Type Directors Annual, Print magazine, the Addy’s and local organizations.
Recent Tweets
- "Don't just brand, but bond with customers" Good article from @AskAlanEHall in the local paper http://t.co/yE6494Mw
(about 14 hours ago) - Thanks for the RT @typebot Architectural Signage: An Obsessive Comment on Typographic History The modern8 monthly essay http://t.co/sVasPHC1
(about 2 days ago) - RT @bradknapp: MUST Watch: Bruce Springsteen's 2012 SXSW Keynote Speech : NPR http://t.co/AIBgvMOA
(about 3 days ago)
Contact
Bryan Wilson
No, I am not a Beach Boy.
My talents as a designer far exceed my talents as a singer, so I’ve stuck with design instead. My life at modern8 began shortly before graduation from the University of Utah in Graphic Design and although I have been doing this a while I still stumble when asked “what do you do?” I do design graphics, but this typically follows a fair amount of research, strategic development and planning. Perhaps brand designer is a better descriptor than graphic designer. Meaning I help clients articulate their brand’s core message both verbally and visually.
In my years at modern8 I have helped create successful, award winning designs and have seen the benefits to our clients.
Outside of modern8 I occupy my time starting countless projects on my home and yard, and occasionally finishing those that my wife reminds me about. If I’m not at home I’m probably hiking, camping or at the garden store.
Derek Boman
I admire all design: architecture, furniture, etc (though it’s good I stick to practicing only graphic design).
I draw on both sides of my brain to produce creative work that makes strategic sense. I try to approach every project anew. Each project is different, and each deserves its own custom solution. Before modern8, I worked as designer at two non-profit organizations. I received a BFA in Graphic Design from the University of Utah. While in school, I served as Programming Director for the school’s AIGA student group. My work has earned me a pair of Copper Ingots Awards from the “Salt Lake AIGA 100 Show”. For me, one of the greatest feelings comes from working on projects so engaging that I think about them wherever I go.
Contact
Tara Smith
After being with this company from its inception, and also being the one responsible for its name (which no, doesn’t have any real meaning, but it was, apparently, the best, or perhaps, only suggestion offered, so Randall rolled with it), I pretty much run this place. Of course I don’t do any design (unless you count my occasional napkin doodles, which as of yet, no one does). I’m really just the girl who sits at the front desk, with a pile of clutter (because I am so busy and I can’t work in a clean environment), who also occasionally answers the phone.
But I am not the receptionist. I am the office manager. A few years ago I graduated from the University of Utah with a Bachelors in Psychology. A major that has served no real purpose here other than to try to psychoanalyze my fellow coworkers and more importantly to annoy my boss. In addition to being the office’s most liked employee (an award I bestowed upon myself), I keep myself busy with bookkeeping (fun in a hand basket right there), help track jobs and try to keep us on budget. I also work a little with vendors and sub-contractors. In my spare time I… ha ha that’s like a funny joke. No, I have some occasional spare time, and I spend it all in front of the TV, or wasting money on itunes, or not sleeping. And then I come back to work so that this place doesn’t fall apart with out me.
Favorite Sites
Maralee Nelson
In college, I realized I wasn’t like the other design students. They seemed to wait until the last minute to complete projects. They weren’t organized, they weren’t bothered by clutter, and they certainly didn’t edit and correct text as they worked on projects. And they all doodled. I read somewhere that people who doodle tend to be creative. I can’t doodle. I’ve tried. If I start to doodle something, I end up finessing and fixing it, (which automatically disqualifies it as a doodle). Sure I was different, but it didn’t stop me. I just incorporated these “rare” traits into my own design style. I decided that they make me really awesome at being consistent, detail-oriented, and well, less cluttered. My design solutions are classic, clean, and whenever I can get away with it, they use typography as a strong element. I’m a self-diagnosed font-freak. I have a wall of various M’s in my home office and I finally had to ban myself from buying any more wood block printing type from eBay.
I started working with Randall in the days of Bernoulli disks, and ordering film before going to press. If you don’t know what any of that means, well, it just means I’ve been working with Randall for a really long time. Some people might think the term “senior” in my job title means “old”, but it doesn’t. It means that even though I’m the shortest employee, I’m the cool “big sister.”
Speaking Availability
Randall Smith has spoken at professional organizations and educational institutions for many years, including the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG), the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS), Associated Building Contractors (ABC), Partners in Business, AIGA, Utah State University, Utah Valley University, and his alma matter, the University of Utah. Randall and other team members are available for lectures and award judging.
Lecture topics include:
“Your Brand Is Not Your Logo”
“Dressing the Part of Your Core Values”
“Design as a Business Tool”.
Invite us to participate at your event.
In The Press
All published articles are available as PDFs for downloading and printing. For more information or request for copies of these articles please contact us.
The Dieline–October 2011
The Salt Lake Egotist–September 2011
Letterhead and Logo Design 12 book
Communication Arts—Sept. 2011
Lovely Package—Apr. 2011
Utah CEO—Aug. 2009
Connect Magazine—Oct. 2006
Concrete Construction—Oct. 2006
adnews Magazine—May 2006
Connect Magazine—Dec. 2004
Connect Magazine—Feb. 2004
Connect Magazine—Jun. 2003
8Second News
News from the Office
March 2012
Bryan got back tanned and fit from an extended (10 days—count ‘em up) vacation in Hawaii last week. / Derek traded in apartment life for a mortgage and just in time, because his apartment burned down the week after he left. / Spring is just around the corner and bikes are getting tuned up for the Bertolini Building Cycling Team (yet to be organized).
February 2012
Two weeks ago, Randall Smith, modern8 Creative Director, spoke at the University of Utah’s emerging program for multi-disciplinary design on “Design as a Business Tool”. / modern8 picked up two Gold Addys at the annual awards of the Utah Chapter of the American Advertising Federation. / Randall’s annual go-to-lunch-with-our-clients month is nearly over, as is his goal to eat healthy this year.
January 2012
The modern8 Christmas party was a New Years Eve brunch this year instead of an evening event, due in part to late planning and Bryan and Marianne Wilson’s baby, who hasn’t yet figured out how to sleep in the evening hours. You can see photos on our Facebook page. / We’re excited we’ve been asked to design the graphics for the AIGA 100 show, the annual design competition in Salt Lake City. / Pretty soon, we’ll be able to show off what’s been keeping us busy the last few months. We’re excited about that too.
December 2011
We’re very busy this fall, but can’t talk about it yet / Our clients often ask us to design custom greeting cards and this season is no exception. To be politically correct, we invariably have to express our holiday wishes non-religiously. We however don’t have the same compunction: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
September 2011
The “boys” in the office marked the end of summer with a visit to the Miller Motor Sports Park for multiple go-kart races, trying to beat each other on a winding track without spinning out in the dirt. Derek claimed he had a bad machine on Round 2, but Bryan and Randall agree it was a weak excuse. / Our business neighbors in the 120-year-old Bertolini Building have moved out, leaving space available for another like-minded business (we’re all designers of some sort.)
August 2011
Cyclists in the building joined together for the Cache Valley Century two weeks ago. If you’re going to ride a 100 miles on a bike with an unobstructed view, it’s nice to have the Cache Valley as a backdrop. / We decided we’d have the summer party when we kick off the new modern8 Web site. We’re hoping that doesn’t happen in February. / Working with a number of new clients lately. Watch for fun stuff to come soon.
July 2011
We got a notice that our work for the Nucleus software launch for HealthCare Insight will appear in the design annual of Communication Arts magazine. That’s an exciting first. / Randall Smith spoke at the Society for Marketing Professional Services two weeks ago on the subject of this month’s eNews main feature.