Algorithm Design
Freelance Projects & Experiments, 2002-2010
In 2002, I’d recently relocated to Philadelphia from London, and was working through all the cultural adjustments that come with such a move, when a small group of us at QVC were chatting one lunchtime about personal projects. Many of the videographers, animators and editors worked on side projects, either for friends and family, or in their spare time for a little extra cash each month. I was currently working as the Graphics Manager for QVC, the first job which, even though I spent a lot of time in the day-to-day support, deliberately took me away from being hands-on with design.
I was creatively struggling with this transition (something I later got over and learned to embrace and love), so decided to start up some of my own projects, just for fun, and just for me. Housed under the umbrella of Algorithm, and continuing through my tenure as Creative Director at Music Choice, they served as an outlet for me to scratch the creative itch, while enabling me to meet new people, work on some exciting projects, and of course, over time earn a little extra. These projects are scattered, messy, and often incomplete, but they serve an important place in my development as a designer, especially the work I did in building portfolios, designing posters and authoring DVDs. Ultimately much of the work slowed as I got busier during my time at Corcoran, and especially after I became a dad in 2010, but I’m still happy with much of the work here, especially the projects I was able to build for small indie bands around the country.
Algorithm Portfolio Website & DVD Menus
This was a small personal portfolio website that I used to speak about my work and share with potential clients. It housed a variety of work, from samples of my QVC experience, to identity design, poster design, interactive projects and advertising initiatives. I still enjoy developing a good set of thumbnails, something that’s still in place today.
Poster Design
I’d always loved Peter Saville’s designs for The Factory, and had long wanted to be able to create posters for indie bands. These projects were some of the most rewarding and creatively fulfilling I’ve ever worked on. Initially started just for fun, for shows I’d either been to or would have liked to have been at, this grew into producing real posters for real bands all around the country. It was never a lucrative objective, more a labor of love, and has recently resurfaced ten years later in the form of designing CD covers for bootleg recordings I make for the commute back and forth from CNBC each day.
Liveshop: On-Air Broadcast Demos
Website Design & Production
DVD Covers for Independent Films
I really love designing DVD and CD covers, and much of this work was either for personal projects (improving lousy bootlegs I’d bought during trips to Canal Street in Manhattan), DVD portfolios, or for friends looking to present their reels in a better way. I eventually made hundreds of these over time, and I still love to make them for small personal bootleg projects.
Black Bob Fanzine Prototype
Made during a particularly brutal Philadelphia winter, I took a couple of snow days to work at home and ultimately ended up designing a fanzine for bands that were playing in Philadelphia at the time. Combining live reviews and a highly designed production, I only ever got to the prototype stage with this, as I had the idea of handing these out for free after shows, and perhaps even building a website to house all of these things. This was a fun thing to work on, but ultimately was unrealized.
PhillyArt.net Projects
Music Videos
The Shopping Channel: On-Air Identity
Big Red Party Invitations
Riven Portfolio Interface
Algorithm Greetings Cards
Logotypes & Identities
The Show with ZeFrank: Logos
Algorithm Logotype Explorations & Wallpaper Collections
Series One
Series Two
Ian Brown: Custom F.E.A.R Poster
Andrew Powell Collaboration: Fictitious Books & Portfolio Website Identity
Toy Skin Design (Qee & Trexi)
Reuters World Television Website (1998)
K.E.G. Systems Full-Page Magazine Ads
Siggraph 2006 (Boston)
“Matthew is on my short list of talented designers that always bring something new to any project they are involved in. His turnaround time is incredibly fast and he's also one of the easiest designers that I've ever worked with, and someone that leads his ego at the door and delivers actually what the client wants. I've worked with him over a dozen times and have never been disappointed, in contrast I'm generally surprised and amazed by the results. I would highly recommend Matthew for any project.”
Larry Little
Owner, Future Sounds & From The Future Management
”Matthew is an exceptionally creative and perceptive person. His enthusiasm and passion are reflected in his work, which he approaches with a high degree of professionalism.”
Ron Yurman
Senior Director, Business Development, Music Choice
