product design

about the work

The year was 2009. “The Great Recession” was wreaking havoc on the economy and seemed to be eliminating jobs in every industry daily. My role at the EXPRESS Home Office was eliminated. When I was laid-off I moved from Columbus to Cleveland, OH - my childhood hometown - and began to re-learn the city as an adult. Between filing unemployment and applying to countless jobs, I learned how to build a website (the first iteration of ianbeers.com) and started dabbling in graphic art, product development, and even did some freelance design work.

Cleveland - once a booming rust belt city - often depicted itself as the victim of a depressed economy, a broken school system, and a population fleeing to other big cities. But you would not find that mindset in my work. Rather, my perspective was shaped by the architecture of skyscrapers, cultural institutions, and bridges which created the city’s rich history. I wanted my art to spark civic pride. Partnered with my belief in the resiliency of Cleveland, the juxtaposition of pop culture, electric atmosphere, and the pounding pulse of the city served as both my inspiration and as a mentor.

My product range included stretched canvas, matted prints, Polypropylene posters, graphic t-shirts, Tyvek wallets, bumper stickers, mugs, pint glasses, and keychains all featuring my original art. The following is a sample of my work from those wild and crazy times known as the early 2010’s.