When Pulaski citizens drive through the county, several landmark signs let them know they are “home.”
But what they probably don’t realize is that many of these signs were all designed by the same group of people–Kirby Stephens Design Inc.
What would downtown Somerset be without its trademark lightpost banners, the nostalgic entrance to Somerset Fountain and Pharmacy, or the “L” shaped book pages that identify the library?
What would Christmas Island be without the symbolof the Christmas tree floating above the water?
And who doesn’t immediately recognize the logos of Alumitech, Amon’s Bakery, Sumerset Houseboats, Parker Insurance, AmCon, The Center for Rural Development, Fun Country, and Alton Blakley?
These are just a few of KSD’s local customers. The group has also designed identities, signs, brochures, posters, and other materials for businesses and organizations statewide and nationally.
KSD has been in business for 13 years–although Stephens has been practicing design longer than that.
One of his first local designing stints was to create a sign for his parents’ business–Amon’s Bakery.
Stephens attended the University of Kentucky and Rhode Island School of Design. His co-workers have varying backgrounds, ranging from design to art to photography to English.
Stephens compares his group of workers to a musical group–he may be the “leader,” but it takes input from each member to create the finished product.
“We have a talented group that can pick up the ball, who ahve strengths where I don’t have strengths,” he says.
Perhaps the comparison of his business to a musical group provided the inspiration for his latest project–designing the artwork for the Master Musician’s Festival 2000.
This year, Kirby Stephens Design Inc. is the featured artist at the festival.
Beginning July 20, the group will have the opportunity to display a studio exhibit at The Center for Rural Development. The exhibit, accompanied by a Louisville Orchestra concert, is themed “The Rythm of Design.”
This theme is taken from another of Stephens’ musical analogies.
“I look at design the same way I look at music. When you have a good design, you feel it. You work with it and then once you’ve got it, you know it,” he says.
The coordinators of the Master Musicians Festival must feel like Stephens has “got it”–this is the second time they have asked his group to design their logo.
KSD dsinged the festival’s brochures, posters and signs in its first year of existence. This year, the festival’s design features a guitar and flower combination. The logo can be seen on posters and banners as well as T-shirts.
“We’re really pleased to be involved with the festival again, “ Stephens says.
While the group at KSD is brimming with talent, they aren’t solely responsible for the success of their designs. “The clients are a big part of what we end up with,” Stephens says. “We try to put a face on what they’re about.”
When the group is approached by a client, thorough interviews are conducted to ensure that a design will be created which truly reflects the client’s mission.
After much brainstorming, sketching and reviewing, a final idea is presented to the cilent, and then it is often tweaked some more before the final design takes on a life of its own.
Using another musical metaphor, Stephens sums up the reason he’s in business. “We enjoy what we’re doing. Most musicians play because they love to–we design because we love to. And we’re proud of what we do.”