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One of the challenges I love is designing for clients who have virtually no budget.  And no expectations. It’s a chance to be creative quickly, because they can’t afford for me to spend a huge amount of time on the project… and I can’t either. It’s a chance to see something come to fruition with a minimum of fuss, and often maximum impact compared to what the client is used to.

One recent project in that vein was the identity and promotional material I created for the Santa Monica High School production of 12 Angry Jurors. The play is an adaptation of Reginald Rose’s classic 12 Angry Men that includes both sexes.

The director is Samohi teacher James Altuner (one of the original co-creators of Tony ‘n Tina’s Wedding), who guided his students to help each actor develop his or her own character in depth, and to adapt and interact by double-casting all the roles. When you might be performing with a whole different cast each time, you’d better stay on your toes and stay in character. The near theater-in-the-round staging and the incorporation of the audience into the play are exciting and innovative. Fun, too.

My design was done on a shoestring. Or maybe just the aglet of a shoestring. (Look it up.) But it was a hit with the cast and their friends, and seems to have helped set the tone for the whole production.

Tickets are available through May 30. The t-shirts?  With only five left, perhaps not even that long!