Fish McGill Studios:
Featured Projects
My work as a playful dynamic media designer features interactive projects, branding, drawing, and more.
Fish McGill Studios has been in business in Boston for over two decades working with educational institutions, design firms, video game studios, musicians, & more. I have a polymath approach to my design practice and enjoy expanding my repertoire with each project I take on.
Some of the things I love that influence my work include:
- Robots: a lifelong obsession, the lovable intersection of technology and affection.
- The NBA: Basketball junkie, particularly fond of Jackie MacMullan, Slam Magazine, NBA Desktop/Takeline, Spinters, Dunktown.
- The X–Men: Worldwide mutants with civil rights roots.
- Daily Drawing: I began daily drawing on January 1st 2012 and haven't missed a day since.
- Biking: single speed, free wheel, no spandex.
- My Taste in Music: Prince, MJ, ATCQ, any song played at a roller skating rink, songs with instructions or hand clapping, jazz records from my Gran Da.
Build BPS Exhibtion
INTERACTIVE | DESIGN RESEARCH
Client: Agncy + Boston Public Schools
A set of life-sized interactive dioramas about the future of Boston Public School learning experiences in the 21st century for the Build BPS Exhibition, designed and fabricated with Agncy.org.
FMcG AtoZ
PRINT | BRANDING
Client: Trifecta Editions
A limited edition print set of 26 drop caps featuring references to some of my favorite bands (Prince! Talking Heads!) and lyrics. The two color silkscreen prints were sold as a set or individually in glow-in-the-dark seafoam green, metallic blue, or neon hot pink.
The Enchanted Forest
INTERACTIVE | INSTALLATION
Client: Hubweek Boston
This project transformed a small grove of trees in Government Center into a magical respite from the hustle and bustle of Boston. The trees featured interactive birds that were networked to sonically share calls when shaken, stations for playing with light, and a series of xylophone tables for playing music. Designed and fabricated with Andrew Ringler and Saul Baizman.
Anything is Popsicle!
INTERACTIVE | INSTALLATION
Client: Illuminus
An installation of animated letters shivering within popsicle shapes for the Illuminus Bostonfestival. Each popsicle kiosk features a different letter dancing within the frozen treat when a viewer approaches. The popsicles cycle through letters and can spell out four-letter words on demand, wiggling inside the sweet cool shapes. Special thanks to Kevin Garnett for passionately screaming “ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!” in 2008 and inspiring the title. Designed and fabricated with Nathan Wilson & Saul Baizman.
Play, Process, & Reciprocity in Dynamic Media Experiences
PRINT | INTERACTIVE | DESIGN RESEARCH | SPECULATIVE DESIGN
Client: The Dynamic Media Institute at MassArt
This book features playful & joyful techniques for prototyping and designing dynamic media experiences by moving fluidly between analog and digital forms of making. Design methods include using toys to develop projects in Proto-toy-ping, move from pen and paper into developing interfaces for drawing in the Drawn Experience, ways to add documentation into the creative process in Pen Point of View, and how to turn a drawing project into an interactive experience about germs in Germ'd.
Barter, Faster, Stronger
PRINT | DESIGN RESEARCH | SPECULATIVE DESIGN
Client: Continuum & MAAM
House of Z is a book about the life of a family during a full year in 2050 in Jamaica Plain, MA. It envisions the future of the domestic life using human centered design research with present day Gen Z kids and forecasts a potential future. The story of a bilingual family of five (grandfather, two mothers, son & daughter) highlights ways we can consider designing of our spaces and cities to grow from a holistic and community centered perspective.
House of Z was in the juried MassArt Alumni Design Exhibit at the MAAM (The MassArt Art Museum). Designed and developed with Jason Lee, Kristin Heist, Sabrina Dorsanvil, Lee Hydrick, Joanna Luo, among others.
Porch Beer
BRANDING | PRINT
Client: Aeronaut Brewing Co & Somerville Arts Council
I designed the beer labels for Aeronaut's "Porch Beer" in 2018 & 2019 given out during the official Somerville Porch Fest in my hometown. The labels feature joyful iconic porch fest scenes of enjoying live music in the connected neighborhoods of Somerville. The free beer encouraged the festival visitors to support local music education foundations in the Somerville community.
Hot Audio by Radio Control
BRANDING | PRINT
Client: Radio Control & Polk Records
Album art and design for Radio Control's album Hot Audio by Kristina Otero (DRMS & Vox) and Matt Studivan (GTR & Vox). The CD packaging features RC branding, a custom typeface designed for the band, and a foldout view featuring their recording setup in a classic New England triple-decker where they ran wires from the basement to the attic to make their record.
HueMenorah
INTERACTIVE | INSTALLATION
Client: Jewish Arts Collaborative Boston & Boomerang's
HueMenorah is an interactive mural that envisions people as its source of light and life, it was featured in an exhibition entitled “8 Nights 8 Windows” at the Boomerang's storefront in the South End of Boston.
Nicknamed, “The Selfie Menorah," by the Boston Metro; viewers take a selfie on Instagram or Twitter, tag it #huemenorah, and instantly see their face in the Boston skyline mural. The web-based project uses nine screens and a single PC for the menorah candles and shamash.
Designed & fabricated with Sheryl Pace, Kim Maroon, & Saul Baizman.
Step to Lights Hanukkah
INTERACTIVE | INSTALLATION
Client: Museum of Fine Arts Boston & JArts Boston
Step to Hanukkah Lights celebrates Hanukkah by inviting the community to engage with an interactive menorah in the MFA Shapiro Family Courtyard. The 8ft tall and 24ft wide mural features color changing flames atop a menorah mural that cycle through colors as visitors walk past. The piece uses a mix of technologies including, Processing, Philips Hue Lights, a freestanding mural installation, and more. Designed and fabricated with Andrew Ringler and Saul Baizman.
Porch Beer:
Process
PRINT | BRANDING
Client: Aeronaut Brewing & Somerville Porchfest
Take a look inside the creative process of designing a beer can with the amazing folks at Aeronaut Brewing. See how we go from sketches, to label design, to printed cans, to beer in the hands of adults old enough to enjoy a brew at Porchfest in Somerville, MA.
Designed by Fish McGill with Aeronaut Marketing Manager Alisa Bunin.
Patriots Gameday Poster
BRANDING | PRINT
Client: The New England Patriots
New England Patriots home games will be a bit more creative this 2023 season. For each home game of the 2023 season, the Patriots tapped nine local artists throughout the region for their new Game Day Poster Series. Each design will be available for purchase, allowing fans an opportunity to collect them all while they last. My design for the Jets vs. Patriots game will be revealed in January 2024.
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Let's work!
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