Karl Sili

Tinton Craft Coffee Roasters began with a simple goal: to bring delicious coffee to the people of Spearfish, South Dakota.

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Paste Advertising (Lexington, KY) approached me to develop logo and branding concepts for a new start-up, Tinton Craft Coffee Roasters. The client requested a clean, type-driven logo that felt modern, minimal, and hip.

Based in Spearfish, South Dakota—just north of the Black Hills—Tinton is surrounded by forests, waterfalls, mountains, and abundant wildlife. The packaging design reflects this rugged, natural landscape, appealing to outdoor enthusiasts who appreciate a quality cup of coffee.

Tinton offers two packaging lines: a premium blend and an in-house original blend, each tailored to different experiences while staying true to the brand’s adventurous spirit.

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• Art direction/design

Chops is a casual restaurant and sports-bar atmosphere serving comfort-food, craft beer, and cocktails located in Harpersfield, Ohio. 

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"Chop’s was looking for a bold, creative campaign to promote their daily specials and happy hour—something that would break free from the usual, forgettable promos and truly stand out."

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• Art direction/design
• Copy

Ducky’s Pub & Grill is a small town restaurant and pub in Butler, Ohio.

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My friend Greg recently purchased Ducky’s Pub & Grille in Butler, Ohio. Shortly after taking ownership, he began remodeling the space and approached me to help rebrand the business. The original logo featured a cartoon style that no longer aligned with his vision. Greg wanted the new branding—particularly the logo—to convey a clean, classic aesthetic with the character of an established pub.

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• Art direction
• Design
• Photography

Level One Bar + Arcade is a vibrant 1980s-themed hangout that combines craft beer and alcoholic beverages with a nostalgic lineup of classic arcade games and pinball machines. The accompanying print and social media campaign cleverly played on the concept of "Bar + Arcade" by swapping out iconic imagery from retro games like Mario, Pac-Man, and Donkey Kong with illustrations of alcoholic beverages. The creative twist resonated with fans of vintage gaming and craft beer alike—making the campaign a standout success

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• Art direction/design
• Illustration

Audia is now Adecco.
Same people, different name.

Our name may have changed, but we’re still the same people with the same purpose.

Adecco remains the world’s leading talent advisory and solutions company, committed to making the future work for everyone. We help people unlock—and exceed—their potential by building employability and connecting them with life-changing opportunities.

To bring this message to life, we leaned into a powerful concept: sometimes, a name changes for the better. Think of someone famous who rebranded for stardom—same talent, same drive, just a new name. That’s us. Still who we’ve always been. Just reintroduced to the world.

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• Art direction/design

Einstein (The Black Dog)

Einstein, the namesake black dog, was adopted by the Write family—owners of The Black Dog Tavern, located at the Deer Ridge Golf Course in Bellville, Ohio. I took on this rebranding project independently, approaching the owners to see if they were open to refreshing their visual identity. While they were deeply attached to their original logo, I proposed maintaining its essence while giving it a modern, fresh look.

I developed a series of creative assets—including print ads, social media content, and outdoor signage—infused with playful, humorous headlines to capture attention and reflect the tavern’s welcoming personality. I also designed branded gift cards that featured witty, dog-themed copy on the back, playing off Einstein’s charm and character.

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• Art director/designer
• Copy
• Illustration

I collaborated closely with The Catholic Foundation to design their 2023 Annual Report, ensuring it reflected their newly established brand identity. The report was crafted to clearly communicate the Foundation’s mission, core values, and the impact of their work throughout the year.

Xfinity is a trade name of Comcast Cable Communications, LLC, a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation, used to market consumer cable television, internet, telephone, and wireless services provided by the company.

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GO2 Partners in Cleveland approached me to assist with the concept and design of a brochure and a personal pocket guide notebook for Xfinity. The goal was to support "The Awesome Experience" program, which is designed to enhance the relationship between Xfinity employees and customers. From creating a warm welcome to ensuring customers leave feeling excited about Xfinity, the program emphasizes personalizing every interaction and putting the customer at the center of the experience.

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• Art direction/design

GreenSeed is a seed company built on dedication, reliability, and innovation. As a newcomer to the industry, GreenSeed set out with a simple vision: to offer clean, fresh, and straightforward solutions—reflecting who they are at their core. They understand that farming is more than a job—it's a way of life. You've poured everything into your work, and GreenSeed is driven by that same commitment to excellence. Their mission is to support your success by providing dependable products and listening to your needs, helping you grow stronger through innovative solutions. Your dedication inspires theirs.

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• Art direction/design

As Big Lots expanded with a new TV campaign, print materials, and in-store renovations, it became clear that a full rebrand was needed—starting with their existing logo. At the time, the brand was focused on educating customers about the closeout shopping experience, where name-brand products were available at great prices, but only for a limited time. The new identity needed to capture that urgency and excitement. The exclamation point in the logo was introduced to reflect the energy and spontaneity of the ‘get-it-while-you-can’ closeout shopping experience.

kiu natural sparkling water.

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A former client referred me to a Toronto-based startup to help conceptualize and design packaging for Kiu Natural Sparkling Water. Over the course of four months—and through several rounds of collaboration and revisions—we arrived at a final design that captured the brand’s vision and stood out on the shelf.

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Art direction/design

Elzy Milling & Trade: Ohio’s Premier Feed Store | Bellville, Ohio

This logo study explores a refreshed brand concept for Elzy Milling & Trade. The goal was to retain the familiar essence of their existing logo while introducing subtle updates to modernize the design and strengthen brand recognition. The first logo shown is their current version, serving as the foundation for the revised concept.

Save the Date & Wedding Invitation

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Brittany, my step-daughter, asked me to design her “Save the Date” and wedding invitation — a request that means the world to me.

Every summer, our family made cherished trips to Traverse City, Michigan to visit the grandparents. It quickly became one of Brittany’s favorite places, and now it’s the destination for her wedding — a perfect choice rooted in love, adventure, and memory.

Save the Date
Inspired by their shared love for the outdoors and all things adventurous, the design captures the spirit of exploration that brought Brittany and her fiancé together.

Wedding Invitation
Their story is one of connection — spending time together, growing close through shared experiences (and their dogs), leading up to their engagement and now, their wedding. The invitation reflects that journey with warmth and charm.

Both the Save the Date and Invitation were created in the style of a vintage/retro travel poster — a nostalgic nod to their favorite place and the adventure ahead.

We’ve also created themed keepsakes:

Posters for the bride and groom

Stickers and magnets for guests

Custom playing cards for the wedding party and family

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• Announcements
• Invitations
• Itinerary/map
• Posters
• Magnets
• Stickers
• Playing cards

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• Design
• Illustration (Save the Date)

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Nathaniel Underwood

• Illustration (Wedding Invitation)

http://www.underwood-illustration.com
http://www.nathanielunderwood.com

How do you inspire people to move beyond joint pain in a fresh, engaging way? With the theme “Get Moving,” we launched a vibrant, feel-good campaign that celebrates motion and mobility. Through eye-catching print, outdoor, digital, and social ads, we created a colorful and energetic reminder of what orthopedic care is really about: helping people return to the activities they love. This campaign isn't just about treatment—it’s about reclaiming the joy of an active life.

Your one-stop shop for BIG deals that make your dollar holler! Big Lots, Inc. is a leading American retailer headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, with over 1,400 stores across 47 states. The company specializes in brand-name merchandise at unbeatable closeout prices.

I designed print advertising that reinforced the message: you don’t have to break the bank to get quality, brand-name furniture. The creative focused on value, accessibility, and the excitement of great deals—core to the Big Lots brand.

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• Art direction/design

Vision Communities hired me to create a branding and logo design for The Makley Place, ensuring it aligns with the unique character of the Victorian Village neighborhood.

Victorian Village is renowned for its charming, tree-lined streets adorned with late-19th and early-20th-century homes. The area showcases an eclectic blend of architectural styles, including Gothic Revival mansions, Second Empire villas, and Queen Anne houses—each contributing to the neighborhood's timeless elegance.

For the logo, I drew inspiration from the intricate wrought-iron details that are prominent throughout Victorian Village. The design is both sophisticated and stylish, seamlessly blending classic architectural elements with a modern twist, ensuring that it resonates with the historic charm of the neighborhood while maintaining a contemporary edge.

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• Logo and brand design

buy buy Baby, Inc. is an American chain of stores that sell clothing, strollers and thousands of other items for use with infants and young children.

Shortly after leaving the big agency world to begin freelancing (for the first time), I was contacted by a former client from buybuy BABY. She reached out to have me develop a series of print concepts for an upcoming campaign.

With thousands of products available at buybuy BABY, listing them all wasn’t realistic. Instead, the campaign focused on highlighting just one item per ad—without ever showing it directly. The visuals were designed to cleverly hint at the product mentioned in the headline. The supporting copy then reinforced the idea that this was just one of the many must-have items you could find at buybuy BABY.

PACIFIERS
Buy a gift for yourself this holiday season.

MOBILES
Just one of the many things you’ll find at buy buy Baby.

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• Art direction/design
• Copy

American Automobile Association provides its members a full range of travel bookings, vacation planning, insurance, emergency road side services maps and more.

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The campaign reminds us that there’s a whole world beyond our everyday routine. It's time to leave "Here" behind and discover the wonder of "There." With AAA by your side, you can explore endless destinations with confidence—enjoying peace of mind, trusted safety, and exclusive savings wherever your journey takes you.

Here’s to There.

Enough with here.
We all know here.
Normal is here.
13 hour weekdays are here.
There, that’s where you’ll find the action.
Here will always be here, waiting for us.
Start your engines.
There, here we come.

Discover endless destinations with a peace of mind, safety and valuable discounts wherever you travel.

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• Art direction/design

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Copy:
J. Scott Mylin
https://www.mylinltd.com

Freelance Designer – Bath & Body Works

Note: Some projects involved concept development. Per Bath & Body Works policy, unproduced concept work is not approved for public display.

Contracted to create label concepts and packaging designs for seasonal personal care collections, ensuring alignment with brand strategy, quality standards, budgets, and timelines.

Presented concepts to design directors and merchant teams; collaborated closely to integrate feedback and guide designs through refinement to production.

Delivered final production-ready artwork, including Design Turnovers (DTOs) and print layouts detailing color separations, varnishes, and other specialty print finishes.

Worked cross-functionally with product sampling teams to ensure design integrity from concept through final product.

Contributed to trend and pattern research to inspire and inform future seasonal direction.

Maintained thorough documentation of all in-progress and completed design projects.

Oversaw planning, scheduling, and tracking of all design deliverables to ensure timely and accurate execution.

Red Team Investments (RTI) was founded on a clear and disciplined philosophy: to seek out and capitalize on investment opportunities by maintaining objectivity—cutting through bias, noise, and market hype.

A cornerstone of RTI’s success is the cross-disciplinary expertise of its team. True to the "Red Team" concept, the firm thrives on diverse perspectives and unconventional thinking to uncover hidden gaps in traditional analysis and challenge prevailing assumptions.

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I was commissioned to reimagine RTI’s logo and brand identity to better reflect the firm’s strategic, asymmetrical approach to investing. The new design features a clean, modern aesthetic and integrates a refined version of the chess pieces from the original logo—symbols of strategy, foresight, and decisive leadership. The updated branding aligns with RTI’s core values: analytical rigor, bold thinking, and relentless pursuit of investor success.

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• Art direction/design

Sometimes clients come with an existing logo and brand identity—but they’re ready for a fresh, modern update.

Bridgeway Pointe Assisted Living Community opened in 2000 and has been a stable organization throughout its existence – both financially and with staff consistency. The community is a non-profit organization and is owned by UC Health, the Cincinnati /Northern Kentucky region’s academic health system. The affiliation with UC Health affords the residents the choice to seamlessly utilize various UC Health services.

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I collaborated with UC Health in Cincinnati to rebrand Bridgeway Pointe, their senior living community. The goal was to create a clean, refreshed identity that reflected UC Health’s core values of stewardship, compassion, community, wellness, and security. The rebrand centered on the primary objective: fostering stronger connections between residents and their families.

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• Art direction/design

A curated selection of packaging designs created over the years for a diverse range of businesses, organizations, and individual clients.

Who doesn’t love bowling? If you grew up in a small town, chances are—bowling was the thing to do.

I created some pro-bono work for Park Lanes Bowling, leaning into the nostalgia and simple joy of a night at the lanes. The campaign features playful, truth-based headlines that capture exactly what makes bowling fun: the laughs, the competition, and the unforgettable moments in between

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• Art direction/design
• Copy

Vision Communities is a company committed to enriching the lives of its residents, employees, and the wider community. By offering a range of amenities and events focused on promoting healthy lifestyles and overall wellness, Vision Communities strives to create vibrant, thriving environments.

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As Vision Communities continues to expand its portfolio of rental properties, the company recognized the need to rebrand in order to stay competitive in the evolving market.

The new logo design reflects this forward-thinking vision. The forward-leaning line symbolizes momentum and progress, while the “C” in "Community" encircles the “V” in “Vision,” visually representing the idea of building and nurturing community around a shared vision.

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• Art direction/design
• Photography direction

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Photography:
Thompson Creative Imaging
http://www.thompsoncreativeimaging.com

Copy:
J. Scott Mylin
https://www.mylinltd.com

American manufacturing is becoming increasingly rare, yet Channellock, Inc. has been proudly producing high-quality hand tools right here in the U.S. since 1886.
Based in Meadville, Pennsylvania, Channellock is renowned for its pliers—offering over 140 varieties, with its iconic tongue-and-groove, slip-joint pliers leading the way.

Channellock takes pride in supporting American workers, employing over 350 associates who help drive the local, state, and national economy. While it may not always be the easiest path, American manufacturing is, without a doubt, the right path.

The campaign was proudly crafted in America by a company built in America. It maintained a nostalgic look and feel, using black-and-white visuals with a splash of color to highlight the products being made. The copy captured the essence of who they are and what they do, emphasizing their commitment to quality and American craftsmanship.

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• Art direction/design
• Strategy
• Photography direction

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Photography:
Thompson Creative Imaging
http://www.thompsoncreativeimaging.com

Strategy & Copy:
J. Scott Mylin
https://www.mylinltd.com

Digital design for various businesses, organizations and individuals.

We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but for kids, it’s crucial to their learning and academic success. A nutritious breakfast sets the stage for better focus, higher scores, and improved overall well-being. To support this, the American Dairy Association (ADA) aimed to raise awareness about the Ohio School Breakfast Challenge and its impact on student performance. They reached out for help in engaging key stakeholders—principals, teachers, parents, and students—to promote the message of eating right to learn better.

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To make this initiative a success, we developed a comprehensive campaign that included:

A Logo: A memorable and impactful visual to represent the Ohio School Breakfast Challenge.

An Informational Brochure: A tool to help school administrators better understand the benefits of school breakfast programs and how they can get involved.

A Microsite: A dedicated online platform where school administrators could sign up for the challenge, access resources, and tailor breakfast programs to meet their students’ needs.

To encourage school participation and spotlight alternative breakfast options, we crafted a compelling message underscoring the role of school breakfast in boosting students' learning abilities. We also highlighted the cost-effectiveness of school breakfast programs as a solution to reduce anxiety, tardiness, and absenteeism.

Additional campaign materials included:

T-shirts for Teachers and Students: A fun way to create excitement and build community around the initiative.

Ohio School Breakfast Champions Award: Recognizing schools that demonstrate outstanding collaboration and innovation in creating, enhancing, or expanding their breakfast programs.

All-Star Recognition Banner: A prestigious banner for schools that successfully implement the program, proudly displaying their commitment to students’ success.

By bringing all of these elements together, we helped the ADA inspire schools to participate, support students, and foster a brighter future through healthy, accessible breakfast options.

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• Art direction/design

Shorelight Education partners with leading U.S. universities to extend their global reach and support international students in achieving academic success, graduating on time, and becoming globally engaged alumni.

Shorelight Education: Florida University Tour

Shorelight coordinated two university visits and interviews at Florida International University (FIU) in Miami and the University of Central Florida (UCF) in Orlando. They needed an internal itinerary and a cohesive promotional package for their team.

To support the initiative, I designed a retro-style postcard themed “From Miami to Mickey: Discover Florida with Shorelight Education.” The front captured the journey between FIU and UCF with playful, vintage-inspired visuals, while the back outlined a detailed road trip itinerary and interview schedule. Additional branded materials were developed to reinforce the theme and energize internal engagement around the tour.

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• Art direction/design

Lisa Pucci Delgado is a personal chef with roots in both Ohio and Puerto Rico, known for her vibrant, approachable style of cooking. She’s passionate about bringing people and food together in a natural, joyful way—whether through intimate dinner parties, curated catering events, outdoor retreats, or lively pop-up experiences. Her talent has earned her recognition in multiple publications, and she’s appeared on The Food Network and Chopped.

As Lisa’s profile continued to rise and she gained recognition as a celebrity chef, she felt it was time to elevate her brand with a more polished, professional identity.

I was brought on to craft a complete brand experience for LPD. The centerpiece: a custom logo featuring her initials, artfully intertwined to reflect both her personal style and creative culinary vision.

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• Art direction/design
• Copy

I was commissioned to design Abbott’s Pelotonia jersey and shorts. The final concept, titled CROSSROADS, symbolized the convergence of key values: life-saving technology (represented by dots), harmony and meaning (hexagons), and a greater purpose (the Pelotonia arrow).

The design brought these elements together in a bold, modern composition—capturing the spirit of innovation, unity, and impact that defines both Abbott and the Pelotonia mission.

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• Art direction/design

Shorelight Education partners with leading U.S. universities to extend their global reach and support international students in achieving academic success, graduating on time, and becoming globally engaged alumni.

I designed a series of guidebooks for Shorelight Education, created specifically for international students preparing to study at colleges and universities across the United States

Extensive experience creating high-quality concept and final artwork for clients through advanced Photoshop techniques. Projects include compositing multiple images, retouching, and image manipulation to produce cohesive and visually compelling final pieces. Skilled in transforming raw visual assets into polished imagery tailored to client needs and project goals.

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Queen Example:

• Photo 1 - Hospital exam room (stock image)
• Photo 2 - Queen (stock image)
• Photoshoot of a friends face (that fit
the demographic) photoshopped over the
existing queens face
• Photo 3 - Chair (stock image)
• Photoshop queen into chair
• Photoshop of hand holding staff
• Photo 4 - Infusion device
• Infusion lines photoshopped into arm

Correct all lighting, shadows and color for consistency.

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I’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with incredibly talented photographers from across the United States.

Down on the Farm
There’s always something fresh growing on the farm—and I brought that spirit to life with a fresh creative take rooted in Bob Evans’ farm-fresh heritage. Blending down-home warmth with rustic charm, I designed posters, placemats, and other branded collateral to support marketing campaigns and enrich the in-restaurant experience.