The Riddle Report - My Portfolio

My Graphic Design Gallery: The Condensed Collection
Below is an overview of my design work. Click on any of the images to see an enlarged version and read a detailed description.

Apple's Bakery Northside Market Newsletter	Brewster's Comedy Club Brochure	Bradley University French Club Flyer
Bakers Square Ad	Hayloft Shops Ad	Bradley University French Club Flyer

My Essays and Counsels: The Abridged Anthology
The following semi-informative, somewhat-persuasive writing samples are written in the style of Francis Bacon and could be considered short op-ed pieces. All files are viewable in Adobe Reader.

	Of Scientific Exploration	A Critique of Our National Space Program
	Of Political Campaigns	An Argument Against Attack Ads
	Of Customer Service	An Indictment of the Airline Industry

My Tract of Treatises: The Oversized Omnibus
These papers are quite long and rather large. In them I explore complex topics that are debated by many but understood by few. I assume no liability for any boredom-induced injuries you may sustain while reading them. All files are viewable in Adobe Reader.

1.0MB	Campaign Proposal This is an online marketing campaign proposal I prepared on behalf of an independent public relations agency for Cintas Corporation. The company was soliciting ideas about how it could build buzz for its products among businesses and end-consumers. My suggestion may seem too far-fetched, but it could also be seen as far-sighted.
2.5MB	Service Audit This paper examines the banking services offered by National City from a marketing standpoint. Normally such audits are supposed to be impartial, but since I actually used the service that would have been impossible. So I incorporated my personal experience into the review. Even though the average reader may not get much from it, I include it here to show that I'm capable of market research and prove I can enliven any subject.
1.5MB	Book Review This paper tries to distill the essence of Bowling Alone, a 540-page book by Robert Putnam that discusses the decline of social capital in the United States. It includes a two-page primer, of the style used by most research studies, which functions like a table of contents for the rest of the review. If you don't have the time, or the resolve, to read Putnam's full work, this paper offers a succinct synopsis.

Laughing for Life: A Case Study
To take a look at some of the press materials that accompanied the campaign, visit www.laughing4life.org.

No Laughing Matter In early 2006 most Peoria residents knew nothing about Brewster's Comedy Club, and the few who did know something called it a "traveling circus." The club had moved to four different locations in less than five years and it lacked a solid customer base. Brewster's needed to improve its company reputation and increase its customer retention.
Red Ribbons to the Rescue Building up the club's image required a community relations campaign that linked it to a local issue. At the time, Peoria had the highest rate of HIV infection in Illinois, and health centers struggled to treat everyone suffering from AIDS. But the city also had a history of contributing to charitable causes (as the hometown of Nancy Brinker, founder of Race for the Cure) and a network of nonprofit organizations dedicated to treating AIDS. By hosting a fundraiser for one such group, the FRIENDS of PWA, Brewster's could alleviate a major problem and connect with concerned citizens. Since proceeds from a comedy show would be donated to fund life-saving treatments, the event became known as Laughing for Life.
Fortune Smiles Articles about the event appeared in the Peoria Journal Star, Bradley Scout, Midstate Magazine, and Prairie Flame and announcements for it aired on radio stations including 95.5 GLO, 99.9 X, and 89.9 WCBU News. As a result of this coverage, Laughing for Life attracted nearly 160 people and raised over $2000. Attendance was twice that of average and exit surveys indicated 80% of attendees planned to return, which was happy news for Brewster's. But the best news of all was how Brewster's went from being perceived as a rambling laughingstock, to a respectable business.