about

History

Following college I stumbled into a corporate job that taught me everything I needed to know about being self-employed. I was routinely handed responsibilities that were over my head. My employers were inspirational, driven and entirely too busy to explain things to me. Their collective capabilities turned a small San Francisco construction and mining equipment distributorship in to a $750 million international enterprise. I just happened to be at the right place at the right time.

I founded Jim Moon Designs in 1990. It became clear to me that my 20 years plus on the corporate side taught me everything I needed to know about putting new ideas into print.  When an opportunity came my way for the Napa Valley Vintners’ first international marketing event, I was ready to meet the challenge. The successful execution of that campaign introduced me to vintners not only in the Napa Valley but other wine growing regions in California, Oregon, New Zealand, Greece and Argentina.

I also focused on Bay Area hospitality clients. Most notably Real Restaurants Group, the owners of Mustards Grill, Tra Vigne, Fog City Diner, Buckeye Roadhouse, Bungalow 44 and other well-known fine dining destinations. Other national award winning projects followed for the Huntington Hotel and Timberland Eyewear.

Today Jim Moon Designs creates distinctive package, advertising, logo/icon, collateral, web and digital media designs for U.S. and international clients in the wine and hospitality industries as well as for corporate clientele.

Capabilities

My corporate experience involved planning, creating and implementing marketing communication solutions for a US based company with subsidiaries in California, Papua New Guinea, Australia, Singapore, United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia. The job entailed a massive international travel benefit that took me to many unimaginable destinations.

This experience transitioned into branding and label design, as well as other identity projects for wine and hospitality clients. I also am a copy writer, crafting both the visuals and the words. The process was the same; listening to client objectives, exploring possible solutions and presenting new ideas within the framework of client expectations. Putting a visual face on a consumer brand is often personal. Defining “comfort levels” was and continues to be critical to problem solving.

Seeing a project through to completion is, in my opinion, essential. Monitoring and managing each step of the process, from photography and illustration to printers and digital media implementation, assures quality control and a successful project.

Recognition

My work has been featured in print and online publications. I have been asked to contribute to industry trade publications, invited to speak at industry events and served as a judge for the San Francisco International Wine (and Spirits) Label Competitions. I have won awards from the San Francisco International Wine Label Competition, Addy Awards, New York Society of Illustrators, American Advertising Federation, Hotel Sales & Marketing Association International, New York Art Directors Club, Award of Excellence – Communication Arts Magazine, Cable Car Awards – The Advertising Club of San Francisco and a San Francisco International Film Festival Golden Gate Award.

In-Person or Electronically

I have been in a Napa Valley conference room sitting in front of my computer with 12 people simultaneously requesting design changes. I have also provided design solutions for international clients I have never personally met. Be it face-to-face or electronic, lines of communication were open and we arrived at the destination. Much, if not all of what I do, is visual. My focus is to make sure clients see what I am seeing throughout the design process. Conversely, I need to discover client expectations at the earliest possible date. If we can accomplish this in a meeting or in an email, I am all for it.

Partial Client List

Anders-Lane Artisan Wines (Waterstone Study in Blue, Ceviche, Z-52 & Bucatini), Benton-Lane Winery, Beckmen Vineyards, Bonterra Vineyards, Chimney Rock Winery, Cleair Corporation, Cummins West, Honig Vineyard & Winery, Iris Vineyards, Joseph Phelps Vineyards, Landmark Vineyards, Ledson Winery & Vineyards, Lost Draw Cellars, Mill Valley Market, Mustards Grill, Napa Valley Vintners, Perry’s Restaurants, Quixote Winery/Pretense, Samos Winery, Semeli Wines, Stags’ Leap Winery, Real Restaurants Group (Buckeye Roadhouse, Bungalow 44, Tra Vigne, Picco, Betelnut, Fog City Diner, Bix et al), Timberland Eyewear, Tres Sabores Winery and Wines & Vines