Blog

We design for love.

But, having a stand-out mission doesn’t always come with a stand-out budget. That’s why we take on pro-bono LOVE PROJECTS. We want you to stand out! View our newest project below and then, make your pitch. Submit an idea for MGD to design pro-bono.   Inspiring a Divided Nation MGD’s Most Recent LOVE PROJECT   In 2016, after one of the most…

Read More

The Value of Our Voices

January 16, 2017 Branding, New Work

After such a divisive and vitriolic presidential campaign, a hole started to grow in my heart. I felt hopeless. Saddened. Selfishly, I longed for comfort. Selflessly, I prayed for national unity. I became desperate for a dialogue centered on what we all value as Americans: respect, love, acceptance, common good, compassion. As a designer, I wondered how…

Read More

Building Bridges

November 30, 2016 Books

We were thrilled when Eisenhower Fellowships approached us to create a book inspired by the “This I Believe” series. They collected 34 essays from Eisenhower Fellows who live across the globe including three local fellows, Lucinda Duncalfe, Jane Golden and Sister Mary Scullion, who have made a profound difference in our world. The foreword was written by General Colin L….

Read More

Exuberant Junior Designer Wanted

October 16, 2016 Job Opening

We are seeking an eager and enthusiastic junior designer to provide daily support to our creative team on a variety of diverse projects. This position is part-time, five days a week with a minimum of 18 hours per week. Responsibilities include project research and organization, concepting, layout, revisions, preparing jobs for press, vender coordination, job trafficking and working with…

Read More

Festival Disruption

September 9, 2016 Event Graphics, New Work

FringeArts partnered with Masters Group Design for the 8th consecutive year to craft a memorable and distinct look for their 2016 Fringe Festival. The Festival’s world-class curated presentations never conform to a shared mood or theme but, this year, many present dark subject matter that can make audiences a bit uncomfortable and inspire questioning and discussion….

Read More

Designing a Revolution

March 31, 2016 Event Graphics, New Work

MGD was hired by Philly Friendship Circle to design the materials for their 2016 benefit: “Start a Friendship Revolution”. A Brief Background The Friendship Circle connects teens and young adults to youth with special needs and their families. The organization offers a full range of Jewish and social experiences including creative arts group activities, Jewish…

Read More

BZBI’s True Colors

March 8, 2016 Branding, New Work

Last year, Philadelphia’s Temple Beth Zion-Beth Israel (BZBI) received a brand refresh when we designed their new website. We were inspired by the synagogue’s Neo-Gothic building and their extensive roster of community programs that aim to educate, engage and foster a feeling of belonging. To capture the vibrancy and excitement found in their engagement efforts, we infused the site with…

Read More

marketplayce

December 1, 2015 Branding, Logos

Two years after branding The Play Café in Bryn Mawr, we were approached by owner Lauren Ainsworth to assist with the naming, design and implementation of their new retail component, code-named “the shop” at the time. We brainstormed a handful of possible names and sketched visual representations of each one. Some solutions are solely typographic,…

Read More

Redefining The Phelps School

June 26, 2015 Books, Branding, Publications

The Phelps School in Malvern, Pennsylvania is a unique and extraordinary boarding and day school for boys in grades six through 12. But it faced a challenge. The School’s external identity was not reflective of its true character—it didn’t capture what differentiates Phelps from other educational institutions, nor did it clearly communicate why a prospective…

Read More

L’chaim—TO LIFE!

April 21, 2015 Branding, Logos

Nine months ago, Masters Group Design was selected to create a new name, tagline, logo, visual identity and positioning language for the Klein JCC in Northeast Philadelphia. Today, the fruits of that labor are being realized as the organization’s new identity is officially launched and a new life begins. It was nearly 40 years ago…

Read More

Who Should Have a Seat at The Table?

March 11, 2015 Tips

    Shortly after submitting a proposal for a project, one of the first questions a client will ask me is, “Can we stay within the budget and on deadline?” My answer: “We’ll do everything in our power to help you.” The truth, however, is that controlling the budget and timeline usually has…

Read More

Creating The Visual Connection For LBBC

March 3, 2015 Branding, Logos

This fall, Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC) will be celebrating 25 years of service and support. They are also planning a major move to accommodate their growing enterprise, followed by the launch of a new, more responsive website—a critical tool in their suite of exceptional information products. The confluence of these three major milestones…

Read More

Baby on Boardroom

February 14, 2015 Philosophy

Before you assume that a baby in the office is a distraction, intrusion, or nuisance, spend some time with the team at Masters Group Design, and with the one-year-old resident of their spare front room, Paul. Paul has been coming to the office with his mother, creative partner Vicki Gray-Wolfe, since he was three months…

Read More

The Importance of Being Celebrated

February 4, 2015 Philosophy

My parents taught me that all things momentous are cause for grand celebration. Most times, their definition of a milestone stretched rather generously to include “graduating” from Brownies to Girl Scouts, getting a two-line role in the eighth-grade play, and even winning the Rotary Club’s drawing contest. They saw all of these precious moments as opportunities…

Read More

A New Year’s Resolution!

January 25, 2015 New Work

NEW WORK In 2014, Masters Group Design was selected to redesign Perspectives, Einstein Healthcare Network’s community newsletter. We upsized it from a traditional letter size to a more attention grabbing format — 9″ x 12″. The layout was transformed to appear like a magazine with large engaging photographs and multiple sidebars with rich support content. On a…

Read More

Jingle All The Way!

January 22, 2015 Just for Fun!

The winter holiday season is a time for our hard-working MGDers to let loose and have some good, old-fashioned fun! To that end, we posed a challenge to the creative team this past December: design a Christmas Playlist puzzle for all to enjoy. We each selected our favorite better-known songs and found visual ways to…

Read More

Stand and Deliver!

November 18, 2014 Tips

You know the saying, “creativity never sleeps.” Well, it’s true. There’s no such thing as a 9 to 5 job when you’re a designer. “Work” means exploring a bottomless trough of ideas while forgetting to move, eat, and in some instances, go to the bathroom. We are in creation mode day and night, hunched over our…

Read More

Monday Marks: #1

  Every Monday, for twenty-one consecutive weeks, we have blogged about a graphic mark (or marks) designed by our creative team. This series started on our 21st birthday—May 19, 2014 and officially ends TODAY with our final mark. The animation above features the graphic mark that launched this series—an origami fortune teller. Why you ask? Excellent question. We challenged…

Read More

Monday Mark: #2

September 29, 2014 Branding, Logos, Monday Marks

CLIENTS Next Egg, Philadelphia, PA Philadelphia Sinfonia, Philadelphia, PA Kleinbard Bell & Brecker LLP, Philadelphia, PA Ortner-Unity, The Center on Family Violence (University of Pennsylvania), Philadelphia, PA ReMarks Today we’re visiting a few marks that have something in common—a graceful calligraphic shape. These examples explore how a hand-drawn swirl or an arc can communicate different ideas based on the context, color…

Read More

Monday Marks: #3

September 22, 2014 Branding, Logos, Monday Marks

  This Wednesday evening, Jews around the globe will be ushering in year 5775. To mark the new year, we’re featuring logos that we’ve created for three very different synagogues—one reconstructionist, one reform and one with no movement affiliation. ReMarks Kehillah Synagogue, Chapel Hill, NC In Hebrew, Kehillah means community. In this community, congregants enjoy a true sense of belonging, are valued as…

Read More

Monday Marks: #4

September 15, 2014 Branding, Event Graphics, Logos, Monday Marks

CLIENT Community Legal Services of Philadelphia (CLS), Philadelphia, PA BACKGROUND Over the past twelve years, we’ve had the privilege of working with CLS, a local non-profit organization that provides free legal services, in civil matters, to low-income Philadelphians. Providing equal access to justice is their daily mission. It is also a theme that has united several of  their fundraising initiatives…

Read More

Monday Marks: #5

September 8, 2014 Branding, Logos, Monday Marks

CLIENT: FringeArts, Philadelphia, PA CREATIVE BRIEF Create a graphic mark for FringeArts, an organization that commissions, develops, and presents the world’s most cutting-edge, high-quality performing artists. The mark should be a bold representation of a groundbreaking organization driven by a passion to explore and discover the future of art. DESIGN RESPONSE The wordmark was designed as a symbol. It represents…

Read More

Monday Marks: #6

September 1, 2014 Branding, Logos, Monday Marks

CLIENT: dcTrunk, Washington, DC BUSINESS: Invitational trunk show and sale of wearables and jewelry reMARKS: dcTrunk was developed for longtime client and friend of MGD, Steve Ford. He and principles David Forlano, Biba Schutz and Valerie Hector requested a mark for an invitational trunk show that would run simultaneously with the Smithsonian Craft Show, held each spring…

Read More

Monday Marks: #7

August 24, 2014 Branding, Logos, Monday Marks

CLIENT Wall House, Gustavia, Saint Barthélemy CREATIVE BRIEF Create a mark and graphic identity for Wall House, a seaside restaurant in Saint Barthélemy. The resident chef at Wall House serves French cuisine infused with Asian and American influences. Patrons include loyal locals as well as tourists and wine enthusiasts. The restaurant is named after…

Read More

Monday Marks: #8

August 18, 2014 Branding, Logos, Monday Marks

CLIENT Elfant Wissahickon Realtors, Philadelphia, PA BACKGROUND Coinciding with the opening of their company headquarters at 8039 Germantown Avenue, Elfant Wissahickon Realtors hired us to transform their long-time logo into a mark that would better reflect the image of the growing company. The mark needed to help redefine their status as a local, northwest…

Read More

Monday Marks: #9

CLIENT Eisenhower Fellowships, Philadelphia, PA CREATIVE BRIEF Create logos for the Eisenhower Fellowships “unConference” to be held in two cities—St. Louis and Philadelphia. Each location should have its own mark referencing the host city in some way, while appearing modern, fresh, smart and simple. UnConferences are, by their very nature, more open, innovative and participant-driven…

Read More

Monday Marks: #11

July 28, 2014 Branding, Logos, Monday Marks

CLIENT Nigro Insurance Agency, Philadelphia, PA CREATIVE BRIEF Create a visual identity for a boutique agency providing auto, business, health and homeowners insurance to customers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Nigro, an established and well-recognized family name in Philadelphia, should be the focal point. DESIGN REQUESTS “We’re looking for a logo that is professional and confident. The ‘N’…

Read More

Monday Marks: #12

We are often hired by not-for-profit organizations to create a graphic mark and coordinated materials to promote an event. Each event is unique—requiring our careful understanding of the agency’s goals and target audience. All of the graphic packages have a distinct personality thread consistently through multiple pieces, which include save the date cards, invitations,…

Read More

Monday Marks: #15

June 30, 2014 Branding, Logos, Monday Marks

It’s Monogram Monday! Monograms represent names. They can be creatively orchestrated to capture one’s unique identity, essentially serving as a shorthand signature. Here are four monogram marks pulled from the MGD archive to celebrate Monogram Monday (which is not an official holiday, in case you were wondering).   CLIENT: Jewish Communal Fund (JCF), New York, New York BUSINESS: Not-for-profit organization…

Read More

Monday Marks: #16

June 19, 2014 Branding, Logos, Monday Marks

[test][singlevideo site=”vimeo” id=”98475039″ width=”520″ height=”292″][/test]   CLIENT: The Philadelphia School (TPS), Philadelphia, PA DESIGN reMARKS: Graphic marks created for TPS are responsive to the existing visual identity, most notably defined by a logo that features bricks and a vine. The font—Myriad—is consistently used, especially in the display of the school’s name. The official school colors—red and warm gray—are always present. We…

Read More

Monday Marks: #17

June 16, 2014 Branding, Logos, Monday Marks

CLIENT Aleph Society, New York, NY CREATIVE BRIEF Global Day, a worldwide day of Jewish education, was created in 2010 to celebrate the completion of 40 years’ work by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz in translating the Talmud. This ambitious event is driven by a desire to recognize Rabbi Steinsaltz’s monumental accomplishment in translating the Talmud, and seeks…

Read More

Monday Marks: #18

June 9, 2014 Branding, Logos, Monday Marks

CLIENT Fitler Square Improvement Association, Philadelphia, PA CREATIVE BRIEF Create a visual identity for Fitler Square, a quaint urban park dating back to 1896 and beloved by neighbors as Philadelphia’s perfect square. Nestled between 23rd and 24th Streets along both Panama and Pine Streets, Fitler Square features a beautiful cast-iron Victorian fountain at its center, surrounded by…

Read More

Monday Marks: #19

June 2, 2014 Branding, Logos, Monday Marks

CLIENT Jewish Learning Venture, Melrose Park, PA CREATIVE BRIEF Create a visual identity for Jewish Learning Venture,  a community agency  passionately committed to Jewish education and engagement. The logo should be bold and dynamic—emblematic of an organization that empowers the community to connect to Jewish life. As the Jewish Learning Venture serves as a central hub for educational…

Read More

Monday Marks: #20

May 26, 2014 Branding, Logos, Monday Marks

CLIENT Valley Green Bank, Philadelphia, PA CREATIVE BRIEF Create a visual identity for a community bank in the Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia.  It will be led by a local team of business leaders who know and understand the residents as well as the nuances of the business community. Their personal connection, dedication to…

Read More

Monday Marks: #21

May 19, 2014 Branding, Logos, Monday Marks

CLIENT The Play Cafe, Bryn Mawr, PA CREATIVE BRIEF Create a visual identity for The Play Café, a 4,000 square foot indoor play space for children (age 5 and under) and their caregivers.  Visitors can play, relax, eat, learn, and party. We want The Play Café to be known as a safe and comfortable…

Read More

Speaking Up for Good!

April 23, 2014 Event Graphics

Gratz College in Melrose Park, PA, is a leading institute of Jewish learning, offering programs tailored to students—online or on campus. We recently completed an event package for the college’s annual fundraiser in memory of Jeffrey B. Plevan. The event features writer and humorist Randy Cohen, the inventor of the “Letterman Top 10 List.” Below…

Read More

Our Website Stands For…

April 2, 2013 News, Self-Promotion

The launch of our new website today STANDS FOR quite a lot. For starters, it represents twenty years of hard work. It showcases over 65 samples of MGD projects, giving viewers a broad overview of our capabilities in an easy-to-view format. And, it doesn’t end there! Since our site is built in WordPress, a…

Read More

A Voice for the Underserved

January 16, 2013 Annual Report

Community Legal Services of Philadelphia had a cool idea for their 2012 annual report. They wanted it to appear like a magazine. Four editorial spreads serve as the highlight of the report. They feature personal client stories, intended to raise up the voices of those who often feel invisible.  CLS’ dedication to improving their…

Read More

End It!

January is Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention month and, thanks to the efforts of WOMEN’S WAY, needed attention is being brought to this horrifying issue everyday. MGD was thrilled to develop the visual campaign which can be seen on banners around City Hall as well as bus shelters, subway posters, and store front posters in…

Read More

Beyond the Box

November 27, 2012 Event Graphics

Jewish Relief Agency’s Annual Event to End Hunger is tonight, and everyone here at Masters Group Design is excited to attend! We’ve been working on the event branding for this fundraiser. It’s great to see our work help JRA go Beyond the Box. See more views of this event package under Event Branding.

CLS Has Inequality On the Run

August 17, 2012 Branding, Event Graphics

Grab your running shoes! …unless you’re on the barefoot bandwagon. Community Legal Service’s JUSTICE FOR ALL! 5K will be here before you know it. We established the brand strategy for this event a few years ago, including the double-message logo (because justice isn’t just for some—it’s for “US ALL”). Each year we build the print collateral, helping to bring exposure to…

Read More

Photo ID. Ask me!

THIS JUST IN A request to design a poster for the Committee of Seventy in collaboration with The Pennsylvania Voter ID Coalition. THE PURPOSE As of November 6, 2012, all voters must show photo ID every time they vote. With the April 24th primary just around the corner (next week) Seventy and the Coalition…

Read More

Goodbye dot net. Hello dot com!

March 1, 2012 News

Being a dot net had its disadvantages. For starters, it was way too sporty for a bunch of creative designer types. The net imagery just didn’t work for us (know what I’m sayin’?). The biggest draw back, however, was the frustration from clients who assumed we were a dot com. They’d often complain that emails…

Read More

Basic Needs. Meaningful Results.

February 28, 2012 Annual Report

Our lives are complicated. The responsibilities of maintaining a family, a home, a job, and our health is a daily challenge. We are flooded with bills, forms, applications and important documents that pile up into our personal folder of life—a reflection of how hard it is to keep up. For our Philadelphia neighbors living below…

Read More

Conceived. Proposed. Re-branded.

February 6, 2012 Branding, Logos

The law firm of Cohen, Placitella & Roth, PC (CPR) approached us to strengthen their visual image. We began with an assessment of their print and digital collateral and concluded that the veteran law firm was replete with stunning results and compelling messages. We also saw opportunities for greater visual clarity and a clean, consistent…

Read More

Super Star Solicitation

December 15, 2011 Solicitation Appeal

Children have always had a STARing role in the work of Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Greater Philadelphia. Each year, thousands of vulnerable and at-risk children are helped by JFCS’ services which include Critical Needs, Special Needs, Open Arms Adoption Network, Child Welfare, Education and Outreach, and Jewish Community Services. To generate support for…

Read More

Redefining LBBC’s Look

December 7, 2011 Annual Report

For this year’s annual report, Living Beyond Breast Cancer sought a high impact product. Their theme, “Redefining Definitions,” inspired us to create a piece that could “live beyond” the organization’s yearly reporting. Dividing their content into two halves—one dedicated to outlining the programs and services of the organization and the other serving as a report…

Read More

Hats Off to Hands On

November 30, 2011 Branding

Jewish Relief Agency (JRA) was founded 12 years ago with one goal in mind, to bring vital food support to hungry, disadvantaged Jewish families in the community. Each year the organization plans a family-friendly fundraiser to bring exposure to their great work and raise the necessary funds to keep it going. This year, they’ll be…

Read More

Wine + Football –> Touchdown!

November 8, 2011 Branding

Wine by Design, a lifestyle marketing agency that develops signature wines to promote businesses and brands, introduced JETS UNCORKED last year in partnership with the New York Jets football team. They scored big with a 2008 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and are pleasing fans again this year with two new blends—a 2010 California Chardonnay and a 2009 Red Wine….

Read More

Around Town

August 10, 2011 Branding

Back in May we posted a concept presentation for The Philadelphia Live Arts Festival and Philly Fringe, an event that supports local artists and brings the world’s newest and most cutting-edge cultural experiences to Philadelphia. For most of the summer, we’ve been working on a ton of collateral for the festival. We’re exciting to see the guides, bus shelters &…

Read More

18 Years of Life at Masters Group Design

May 19, 2011 History

On May 19, 1993, I was in the 3rd grade, no doubt climbing trees in Kentucky (y’all!). Vicki, my future co-worker, was a junior in high school, probably painting her nails black or heading to the record store. Lisa, however, was beginning a new journey. Equipped with a Centris 610, a black and white laser…

Read More

Festival Fusion

May 19, 2011 Branding

MGD has the great pleasure of designing the marketing materials for the 2011 Philadelphia Live Arts and Philly Fringe Festivals. This includes the development of a festival graphic that helps define the relationship between the two festivals. Live Arts and Philly Fringe are, in fact, two different festivals. Live Arts takes the main stage and…

Read More

April Showers Bring May Flowers

May 13, 2011 Self-Promotion

This May as the flowers start to bloom, we are reminded of a colorful promotional piece we created during a stormy time in our recent history. Two years ago, many of our clients froze their marketing budgets and even considered closing their doors as a result of the recession. To give them a lift, we…

Read More

A Suitcase Makes a Case Against Domestic Violence

May 8, 2011 Solicitation Appeal

MGD’s passion has always been to raise the exposure and promote the services of non-profit organizations who seek to change the world—in ways both big and small. Each organization offers vital services to their constituents for which we create visual identities and marketing collateral. Regardless of their mission, they all have one thing in common:…

Read More

A Two-Faced Book

April 15, 2011 Books

Just in time for Passover 2011 is a two-faced book written by Rabbi David Silber and published by the Jewish Publication Society. What’s cool about A Passover Haggadah: Go Forth and Learn is that it opens from both sides—combining two books into one. We designed the book’s interior and created cover art that could work for…

Read More