COMPLEX NETWORKS –
BRANDING & ORIGINAL CONTENT
When I (and my partner Ryan Dunn) joined Complex as Creative Directors in 2017 at the behest of founder Marc Ecko, it was a company in transition. The last magazine had been printed in 2016, which also saw the launch of the game-changing cultural festival ComplexCon, and a rocketing trajectory for shows like Hot Ones and Sneaker Shopping.
As co-Creative Director, I oversaw all the visual output of the company, personally created the identities for many of the new properties like Everyday Struggle, and revamped many of the existing properties like ComplexCon, Sneaker Shopping, Covers, and more.
Collected examples of Complex identity and motion design.
Our initial mission at Complex was to codify a general aesthetic and creative approach that could be made quickly and consistently while still requiring experimentation and growth. Complex’s primary visual influences are street art, rap music, punk and skate graphics, sports logos, luxury goods, architecture and design history, and popular film – it was important to have an irreverence to the usage of these touchpoints, but a deep respect for their meaning and history.
The brand is built on black-and-white and the core box logo, with a bold typographic style incorporating purposeful twists. The result is clean, direct, and uncluttered, even if there is grime and texture. The following family of sub-brands, programs, and initiatives were my designs.
When we arrived at Complex, designers were scattered throughout the company and lacked common leadership. As we worked with each group and grew trust on the ground level, we cleared a path to unify all the teams under one structure. We were able to do so fully in 2019, alongside becoming Executive Creative Directors.
Around the same time, Complex Networks was due a brand refresh. Complex Networks, the parent brand, came about from an acquisition by Verizon/Hearst in 2016. At that time, Complex Networks was branded to match the other businesses in the Oath portfolio. Oath fragmented and fizzled, and we were free to make Networks more in line with the DNA of our constituent brands. I matched the legacy magazine header version of the logo with a simple chisel-serif treatment for Networks, while updating the messaging around Networks for a B2B audience, as evidenced in the overview video.
Complex Networks overview video. Script co-developed with Victoria Jordan.
As co-Executive Creative Director, the emphasis was on nurturing talent within Complex and getting out of the day-to-day, building the next layer of creative leaders to make their voices heard. I’m proud of the work done by all parts of the Complex design team, and by our various creative and art directors, including Gina Batlle, Sean Botwinick, Kevin Luyster, Warren Cochrane, Andrea Keeble, Nick Sultana, Kyle Garb, Ben Kopp, Patso Dimitrov, and many others.
After Complex Networks was acquired by BuzzFeed, Inc. in 2021, I served as SVP of Design across all brands in the portfolio, but exited the company before any substantial movement could be made.
Selection of Complex Covers created by the team between 2017-2022. Creative Direction by Gina Batlle and Ryan Dunn.
