Bearded | A Design & Web Development Studio | Branding : Applications : Web : Print | Pittsburgh, PA

Almono is a riverfront investment opportunity combining residential, office, and industrial zones organized by Pittsburgh land development company RIDC. The site has been in the works since 2002, and is finally ready to be unveiled to the general public.

Bearded was asked to create a website that would present the sometimes bewildering parcel information of the site to potential investors and developers. We chose to create an interactive map that was easily navigable by users, and flexible enough to allow the Almono staff to update site information as needed.

The Almono website also has a community feedback system that allows members of neighboring communities to voice their hopes and concerns, and be directly involved with the site development process as at it evolves.

Using responsive design techniques, Bearded created a mobile-specific layout for the website to make it more user-friendly to the growing audience of smart phone users. You can see the mobile layout in action by going to the live site and simply re-sizing your browser window to a mobile-sized width, or by visiting the site on your smart phone.
The digital fonts are now available on the Wood Type Revival online store. The fonts are also available for web use through Typekit, and one of the fonts is even available as a spell-your-own temporary tatto from Tattly.

The Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) is a national non-profit organization that has been helping community residents transform distressed neighborhoods into healthy and sustainable communities for 30 years. Their primary initiative, Building Sustainable Communities, is a wholistic approach to the revitalization of underserved communities that includes expanding Investment in housing and other real estate, increasing family income and wealth, stimulating economic development, improving access to quality education, and supporting healthy environments and lifestyles.

Bearded was approached to develop an iPad application for LISC's 30th anniversary to help tell their story through an engaging, interactive experience. We worked with our contacts at LISC to develop the concept and structure of the app, and then created a design and interface that supported the needs of LISC and the app's users.

The app features a timeline of the LISC organization, expandable navigation, photo viewers with a fullscreen option, and interactive statistic panels (they flip over when tapped to reveal more information).

Creating the application as a native iPad app would have caused a number of practical problems, not least among them a tight timeline and the difficulty of getting Apple App Store approval.

Our solution was to develop the project as a web-based javascript application which takes advantage of native iPad hardware features. This approach allowed us access to touch-screen commands such as touch, scroll, tap, doubletap, swipe, and pinch – while also giving us the ability to reuse elements of the app later for LISC's 2010 online annual report.

The LISC iPad application was chosen as a winner in the 14th Annual HOW Interactive Design Awards.

AIGA Pittsburgh is the city's chapter of AIGA, the professional association for design. Every year AIGA Pittsburgh holds a contest for the city's best design work. For 2012, they decided to change the name of the contest from Context to PGH365, bringing it in line with AIGA national naming conventions.

Bearded was asked to brand PGH365 and develop the print materials for the contest's first year. Our approach combined original wood type letterpress prints created in our studio with digital layout tools, resulting in eye-catching pieces that speak to the aesthetic sensibilities of designers.

The narrative we developed for the series also conveys a sense of renewal and fresh starts: "We've forgotten who you were. We want to know who you are now."

Wood Type Revival began as an idea for a Kickstarter project between Bearded designers Matt Braun and Matt Griffin. The two Matts promised to scour the globe for lost historic typefaces that now only exist as old letterpress wood type. Once the type was found, they started printing it on their antique printing press, and faithfully recreated those faces as modern digital fonts for modern designers. They then gave the digital fonts back to the Kickstarter project's backers in return for their contributions. The project received incredible support from the world's design community, easily surpassing it's initial funding goal.

The digital fonts are now available on the Wood Type Revival online store. The fonts are also available for web use through Typekit, and one of the fonts is even available as a spell-your-own temporary tatto from Tattly.

Rodef Shalom is a Reform Judaism congregation located in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh. Though steeped in historical importance, they are a progressive and forward-thinking congregation. This vision is currently under the direction of their young, articulate senior rabbi, Aaron Bisno.

The issue that Rodef Shalom approached Bearded with was one of perception. Though the congregation espouses modern progressive views, with a focus on initiatives for the social good, they had become known more for their historical standing – lending them a mustier image than their activities and policies deserved.

Launched on the heels of Pursuer of Peace, the Rodef Shalom rebranding and website are the first part of a comprehensive effort to position them as the big, open, progressive congregation they are. The site provides a wealth of information on the congregation and its activities, including a comprehensive events calendar, online newsletter articles, blog posts from Rabbi Bisno and others, and profiles of staff and board members.

The logo redesign shifts the focus away from the sometimes imposing facade of the synagogue, towards the open, inclusive nature of the congregation. The figure / ground relationship between the colorful interlocking forms and the negative space emphasizes the spiritual nature of the organization

The Rodef Shalom logo won a Silver Award in the 2011 International Davey Awards.