Warner

When the Cruisin’ Downriver committee was thinking about this year’s log, it didn’t take News-Herald freelance photographer Dave Chapman long to come up with an image.
Chapman suggested using a 1932 Ford owned by Chuck Watson of Grosse Ile, who owns Watson Engineering in Taylor. From there, the logo was left in the able hands of Doug Warner, a Trenton native and former News-Herald employee, who is now a Web designer with Greater Media Detroit.
“The overall design of the logo was influenced by the car itself,” Warner said. “The colors and overall feel of the typography is meant to mimic the vehicle. Having worked Cruisin’ Downriver in the past, I know that the car is what everyone cares about, so visually, it was important that everything else complemented it rather than compete with it.”
The illustration was created on a computer using a photograph of the vehicle as a guide. The challenge was simplifying the car while still capturing its detail.
Warner enjoyed working on the logo because it combines two of his interests — design and cars. He attends automotive events like Cruisin’ Downriver or the North American International Auto Show on a regular basis.
Warner still lives in Trenton. Check out his Web site at http://www.dwarnerdesign.com or his car-specific work at http://www.mtrcty.com.