Adobe Remix
![Adobe Remix Featured Image](https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/adobe_pencil4-19-6.jpg)
In 2013 Adobe had the unexpected idea to ask a select group of artists and designers to remix their logo. We were honored to be included among some of our design heroes and colleagues like Sagmeister & Walsh, Alex Trochut, and Hiroyuki-Mitsume Takahashi to name a few.
Because we couldn't help ourselves, we re-interpreted the given brief (as you'll see). To date this has been one both one of our most challenging projects and one we're most proud of. In many ways it actually became a new thesis for our own process and approach to design.
Disciplines
- Concept & Strategy
- Illustration & Art
- Photography & Video
- Creative Direction
- Branding
![Adobe Full Group](https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_1920x1293_crop_center-center_82_line/adobe_full-group.jpg 1920w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_1440x969_crop_center-center_82_line/adobe_full-group.jpg 1440w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_1200x808_crop_center-center_82_line/adobe_full-group.jpg 1200w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_992x668_crop_center-center_82_line/adobe_full-group.jpg 992w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_768x517_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_full-group.jpg 768w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_576x387_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_full-group.jpg 576w)
Our challenge: How do you represent a diverse set of creative tools as a single graphic image?
![Adobe Sketch 2Up](https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_1440x468_crop_center-center_82_line/adobe_sketch_2up.jpg 1440w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_1200x390_crop_center-center_82_line/adobe_sketch_2up.jpg 1200w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_992x322_crop_center-center_82_line/adobe_sketch_2up.jpg 992w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_768x249_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_sketch_2up.jpg 768w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_576x187_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_sketch_2up.jpg 576w)
Our answer: You don't.
![Adobe Emptycube](https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_1200x894_crop_center-center_82_line/adobe_emptycube.jpg 1200w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_992x739_crop_center-center_82_line/adobe_emptycube.jpg 992w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_768x572_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_emptycube.jpg 768w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_576x429_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_emptycube.jpg 576w)
The best tools disappear. Adobe's creative tools feel like an invisible armature. An empty structure that you can fill with anything you want.
![68694Ade787351Ad2973Ef02 Rw 600](https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/68694ade787351ad2973ef02_rw_600.gif)
Rather than a single graphic image, we created a structure: An empty cube that we could fill with anything, day after day.
Seven Days in the Life of a Design Project:
![Adobe Tower](https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_1440x2312_crop_center-center_82_line/adobe_tower.jpg 1440w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_1200x1927_crop_center-center_82_line/adobe_tower.jpg 1200w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_992x1593_crop_center-center_82_line/adobe_tower.jpg 992w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_768x1233_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_tower.jpg 768w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_576x924_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_tower.jpg 576w)
Day 1: The Fishbowl
![Adobe Fish1](https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_992x661_crop_center-center_82_line/adobe_fish1.jpg 992w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_768x512_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_fish1.jpg 768w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_576x384_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_fish1.jpg 576w)
Starting work on any new design project is a vulnerable feeling — on display, exposed, learning the limits. So on the first day we turned the Adobe cube into a giant fishbowl.
![Adobe Fish3](https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_992x992_crop_center-center_82_line/adobe_fish3.jpg 992w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_768x768_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_fish3.jpg 768w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_576x576_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_fish3.jpg 576w)
![Adobe Fish2](https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_992x661_crop_center-center_82_line/adobe_fish2.jpg 992w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_768x512_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_fish2.jpg 768w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_576x384_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_fish2.jpg 576w)
We feel it's important to note: no fish were harmed in the making of this project.
Day 2: No. 2 Pencil
![Adobe Pencil5](https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_992x660_crop_center-center_82_line/adobe_pencil5.jpg 992w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_768x511_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_pencil5.jpg 768w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_576x383_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_pencil5.jpg 576w)
No matter what other tools you use in design, you've gotta start with the basics: the pencil.
![Adobe Pencil3](https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_992x992_crop_center-center_82_line/adobe_pencil3.jpg 992w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_768x768_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_pencil3.jpg 768w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_576x576_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_pencil3.jpg 576w)
![Adobe Pencil2](https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_992x661_crop_center-center_82_line/adobe_pencil2.jpg 992w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_768x512_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_pencil2.jpg 768w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_576x384_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_pencil2.jpg 576w)
Unexpected lessons learned: quickest way to sharpen a pencil? Power drill.
Day 3: Gumball Machine
![Adobe Gum2](https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_992x661_crop_center-center_82_line/adobe_gum2.jpg 992w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_768x512_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_gum2.jpg 768w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_576x384_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_gum2.jpg 576w)
Just chewing, and chewing, and chewing on a problem... Until something pops!
![Adobe Gum3](https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_992x992_crop_center-center_82_line/adobe_gum3.jpg 992w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_768x768_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_gum3.jpg 768w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_576x576_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_gum3.jpg 576w)
![Adobe Gum4](https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_992x661_crop_center-center_82_line/adobe_gum4.jpg 992w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_768x512_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_gum4.jpg 768w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_576x384_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_gum4.jpg 576w)
Adobe ended up installing our gumball cube in the lobby of their corporate headquarters.
Day 4: Late Nite
![Adobe Glow2](https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_992x661_crop_center-center_82_line/adobe_glow2.jpg 992w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_768x512_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_glow2.jpg 768w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_576x384_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_glow2.jpg 576w)
Inspiration can strike at any time... so I guess it just chooses the middle of the night to mess with us.
![Adobe glow4a](https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_992x992_crop_center-center_82_line/adobe_glow4a.jpg 992w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_768x768_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_glow4a.jpg 768w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_576x576_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_glow4a.jpg 576w)
![Adobe Glow1](https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_992x661_crop_center-center_82_line/adobe_glow1.jpg 992w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_768x512_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_glow1.jpg 768w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_576x384_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_glow1.jpg 576w)
![Adobe Glow5](https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_992x718_crop_center-center_82_line/adobe_glow5.jpg 992w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_768x556_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_glow5.jpg 768w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_576x417_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_glow5.jpg 576w)
LED balloons were donated to our daughters and lit up their bedroom for weeks afterward.
Day 5: Coffee & Sugar
![Adobe Coffee2](https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_992x661_crop_center-center_82_line/adobe_coffee2.jpg 992w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_768x512_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_coffee2.jpg 768w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_576x384_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_coffee2.jpg 576w)
After an all-night design sprint, the only design tool you really need is caffeine.
![Adobe Coffee4](https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_992x661_crop_center-center_82_line/adobe_coffee4.jpg 992w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_768x512_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_coffee4.jpg 768w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_576x384_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_coffee4.jpg 576w)
![Adobe Coffee5](https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_992x661_crop_center-center_82_line/adobe_coffee5.jpg 992w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_768x512_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_coffee5.jpg 768w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_576x384_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_coffee5.jpg 576w)
Apparently, designers are second only to medical students in caffeine intake. Seems about right.
Day 6: Idea Garden
![Adobe Flower1](https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_992x661_crop_center-center_82_line/adobe_flower1.jpg 992w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_768x512_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_flower1.jpg 768w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_576x384_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_flower1.jpg 576w)
After all the groundwork, a moment of ecstatic joy as an idea sprouts into life.
![Adobe Flower4](https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_992x992_crop_center-center_82_line/adobe_flower4.jpg 992w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_768x768_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_flower4.jpg 768w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_576x576_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_flower4.jpg 576w)
![Adobe Flower2](https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_992x661_crop_center-center_82_line/adobe_flower2.jpg 992w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_768x512_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_flower2.jpg 768w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_576x384_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_flower2.jpg 576w)
This was our favorite cube to create. For the whole day our shop smelled wonderful, and we all got pretend we were florists for a short while.
Day 7 : Release!
![Adobe Smoke4](https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_992x661_crop_center-center_82_line/adobe_smoke4.jpg 992w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_768x512_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_smoke4.jpg 768w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_576x384_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_smoke4.jpg 576w)
The final bang: beauty explodes in ephemeral release... and floats away into the world.
![Adobe Smoke2](https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_992x1299_crop_center-center_82_line/adobe_smoke2.jpg 992w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_768x1006_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_smoke2.jpg 768w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_576x754_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_smoke2.jpg 576w)
![Adobe Smoke3](https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_992x661_crop_center-center_82_line/adobe_smoke3.jpg 992w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_768x512_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_smoke3.jpg 768w, https://themadeshop.com/assets/work/_576x384_crop_center-center_60_line/adobe_smoke3.jpg 576w)
Initially this final cube went all wrong, smoke and fire burning the plexiglass and staining it. But in the end we realized this unpredictable colorful chaos made something more beautiful than we could have predicted.
Credits
- Creative Direction
Marke Johnson & Adam Blake
- Produced by
Kimberly Johnson
- Design & Build Team
Marke Johnson, Adam Blake, Kimberly Johnson, Amber Chiarelli
- Photography
Marke Johnson
- Video & Editing
Michael Chiarelli
Acknowledgments
Thank you to the entire Adobe creative team, and especially Karl Isaac, AJ Joseph, and Siri Lackovic at Adobe for managing and facilitating this whole project.