Mattson Creative

Pocono Modern Brand Identity Development

With attention to detail and a commitment to sustainable practices, Pocono Modern is building homes in the Poconos with a fresh, modern twist. Here is an inside look into the creative process that went into designing the Pocono Modern brand identity.

This was the original logo that the client was using. It played off of the dynamic modern angles of the architecture and the topography of the Pocono Mountains which was interesting, but we decided that we wanted to explore how we could evolve the mark into more of a distinctive icon.





The aesthetic of The Martindale – one of the first Pocono Modern homes to be completed — inspired a lot of my initial concepts for the mark.





Like every project, I begin by sketching concepts. This process is very freeform. The drawings are quick and loose, and all over the page. I try to generate a lot of ideas quickly, exploring as many different visual concepts as I can. I will play with shapes and forms in multiple configurations until something interesting takes place, or another idea emerges. It’s a difficult process to describe, but I think this may be my favorite part of logo development.

After I create sketches, I evaluate the ideas and then start exploring more refined versions that integrate type and color. This next series represent the initial logo concepts that were presented to the client. This concept integrated the silhouette of The Martindale house with the mountain in more of a retro way.





I thought is concept could be interesting to explore as a seasonal mark that could have different colors to represent different seasons in the Poconos. Ultimately, these felt a little too kitchy.





This concept is a much more graphic abstraction of the landscape. We liked this direction, although we determined that it didn’t work well as a stand-alone logo. The idea of the triangle pattern made its way into the overall visual language of the brand as a supporting graphic element.

I really liked this concept. I loved the simplicity and the transparency. Maybe a little plain, but it has a very modern sensibility which we liked.





This idea was much more playful. The icon is comprised of different elements that combine to represent The Martindale, and the tagline type is vintage and fun. This was a little too whimsical, but we wound up using the wood texture in the final mark.





Another variation on the abstract mountain concept. I thought the relationship between the hand-drawn texture and the solid field behind it was interesting.





A different variation on some of the same themes. Mountains, seasons and amenities of the Poconos.





This was an interesting type treatment, but legibility was a concern — and overall, we felt like the identity needed an symbol element.





After the initial presentation, we decided that these three concepts were the strongest. Pocono Modern is the vision of Kraig Kalashian, who is a really incredible architect and designer, which makes all of our collaborations very creative. He has a great eye for design and we tend to gravitate towards the same aesthetic which is fun. Kraig wanted to integrate the idea of “homes” or “community” into the concept on the lower left.





This was a challenge until saw this incredible cover illustration for Fortune Magazine by Erik Nitche, which inspired the simple geometric style that I used below.

I really loved the way this logo design turned out. We had a hard time deciding between this idea and the one we eventually went with.





Along with the Nitche-inspired logo, I explored this stationery concept for the logo above. I introduced the abstract triangle pattern, which ultimately made us feel that this direction was stronger overall.





So here is where we ended up. The mountains are represented, but are abstracted into simple, strong shapes. There is some interesting positive/negative space created in the middle of the mark by the intersection of the angles. The wood texture evokes the organic nature of the Poconos and the color-fields represent the minimal, modern aspect of the brand.





After we finalized the logo, we applied the look and feel to an array of applications including packaging and stationery.





Currently, we’re working on the interior of the Pocono Modern corporate office and design studio in Jim Thorpe, PA. I will post some photos and updates on this project in the next few days.

Mattson Creative Featured in Logo Lounge 5

Just got my copy of Logo Lounge 5. I am thrilled to be featured in the portrait section! It’s pretty incredible to be highlighted alongside firms like Lippincott, Chermayeff & Geismar, Interbrand, Landor, and Duffy — what a huge honor!

There are two full-length articles that profile Mattson Creative. One features the Grace Cathedral brand identity and the other profiles the logo I designed for The Collective.

These are the other logos I designed, that are also included in the book. It really is an honor for me to be included in this collection. The LogoLounge series is an incredible resource for designers and marketing directors who are interested in seeing the year’s best identity work. You can pick up a copy here.

Congratulations to some of my friends and colleagues who also have some fantastic work in volume 5: Paul Howalt , Von Glitschka ,  Sherwin Schwartzrock , Tim Frame, Jon Flaming, Luke Mysee, Craig Johnson, Shawn Hazen, Jason Pearson. Nice job!

New Site! New Blog!

Just launched the new site and this blog! Thanks to Normalcy and Angry Bear for making it happen. Lots of new work to see… Pocono Modern, The Refinery, Lenny Kravitz, The Lab. And lots more to come. Take a look around. Can’t wait to hear what you think!