PDXCross

Here are a few projects I designed for the photographers behind PDXCross. It was a great idea and execution by photographers Rob Finch, Tim LaBarge, Jamie Francis, Torsten Kjellstrand, Pam Royal and Mike Davis. I had a lot of fun watching cyclocross races. I still have my cowbell!

Challenge: What began as a creative outlet for a group of friends who are also award-winning photographers turned into something completely unexpected. In the fall of 2008, PDXCROSS’s photographs, posted on their blog-based site, became the talk of the Portland cyclocross community. As demand for their photography grew and their relationships with racers and supporters formed, they realized they needed a few designers to help and asked me to come on board. Their goal: to build a more cohesive identity around their brand.

Solution: In 2008, I designed a simple logotype which has been applied to print collateral, a cycling jersey, and cycling caps. For the 2008 Christmas holidays, my husband (a PDXCROSS photographer) and I edited and designed the first volume of “Dirty Pictures.” Just before the 2009 cyclocross season, I redesigned the site to be a more seamless brand experience, more user-friendly, and more accessible, and eventually migrated PDXCROSS.com from WordPress toSquarespace. For each phase of the work I did, turnaround time was tight, with no budget, and all design was a work from my heart.

Results: Response each year has been out of this world. For two seasons, the cross and cycling community has graciously welcomed PDXCROSS to their races and into their lives. Many have become good friends. PDXCROSS, in one form or another, has collaborated with Oregon Manifest,Chris King and the Bend Oregon Visitor and Convention Bureau in helping to bring attention to handmade bikes, builders, breast cancer, and the US Cyclocross Nationals. Their first book, “Dirty Pictures: Volume I” (which we designed and edited) was honored as a staff pick at on-demand photo book printerBlurb and has been enjoyed by many, nationally and internationally.

Update: The photographers have since disbanded (due to personal life changes but continue to make pictures on their own. Visit their websites:

+ Torsten Kjellstrand

+ Mike Davis

+ Tim Labarge

+ Jamie Francis

+ Rob Finch