Helveticka

Getting Down and Dirty
Hecla Mining Company, 2024

LOOKING BACK: For decades we’ve relied on Jim Van Gundy to capture compelling images for Hecla Mining Company, the largest silver producer in the U.S. and Canada. Shooting above ground is one thing, but descending more than a mile below ground is another entirely. It’s very warm, dark, loud, and dusty. And hard on camera gear. So whenever we travel with Jim to provide art direction, we know he’s game to do whatever it takes to get the best photos possible.

What’s Old is (Always) New Again
The Davenport Hotel, 2003

LOOKING BACK: Sometimes projects come from being in the right place at the right time. In 2001 we designed an exhibition featuring the Davenport Hotel for the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture. As part of our research, we visited the historic property to look for artifacts to display. A chance encounter with the hotel’s owner, Walt Worthy, led to designing the Davenport’s new identity. We discovered a few coats of arms the hotel had used previously, and the logo was inspired by one from the 1930s.

Curating History and Hospitality
The Davenport Hotel: The Glory Years 1914-45
Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture, 2001

LOOKING BACK: This exhibition coincided with the grand opening of the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture’s facility expansion. It focused on the period when Louis M. Davenport led what would become a landmark of hospitality known worldwide. The gallery featured a hotel timeline, profiles of Davenport and architect Kirtland K. Cutter, Cutter’s architectural sketches, and construction photos. Narrative panels showcased hotel amenities, employees, special events, and famous guests, along with artifacts and historical documents.

Drawing is something all kids do. And like pizza, even when it's bad it's good. Ahead of Drawing Day on May 16, team helveticka dug in our personal archives (thanks, Mom!) for a little reflection on raw creativity. See our old art and connect to your inner child on the blog: https://helveticka.com/blog/what-we-can-learn-from-our-childhood-masterpieces/

Make it an Even Dozen
Lilac Bloomsday Association, 1992-2002

LOOKING BACK: In 1992, local artist Ken Spiering was commissioned to create the Lilac Bloomsday Run poster. And for the next 11 years, he teamed with our firm’s cofounder John Mraz to conceptualize and design the commemorative posters. Each edition featured a Spiering watercolor depicting the 7.5-mile racecourse. The illustrator and designer collaborated one more time on the 2026 poster, their 12th, to celebrate Bloomsday’s 50th anniversary last weekend.

Congratulations to Shirlee Roberts-Downey on her Lifetime Achievement Award from American Advertising Federation Spokane (AAF Spokane).

At the 2026 ADDY Awards, Shirlee was surprised with the night's top honor – awarded only eight times in the local ad club’s 125-year history. It recognizes her as an exceptionally driven and talented professional, and as someone who has given untold energy to mentoring, volunteering, and fixing other people’s problems.

Here’s to you, SR-D. You’re officially a legend, and we’re grateful so much of your “lifetime” has been spent with us.

For anyone wondering why there's a tarantula on the plaque, let’s just say Shirlee is the reason pets aren’t allowed at the office.

Happy International Design Day to all who celebrate. Hit the blog for our quick tribute (and idea for the next great greeting card). Thanks to International Design Day for the image of the 2026 theme, and for bringing the community together.

Hooray for International Design Day | tyblography Honk if you love functional art.

LOOKING BACK: We’ve long admired this typeface for its approachability, longevity, and influence on modern visual communications. Released in 1957 as Neue Haas Grotesk, and later changed to Helvetica in 1960, it continues to be the typeface for the people.

Besides inspiring our firm’s name, it’s also the namesake of Helveticahaus – our nonprofit arm offering Helvetica-themed products to fund scholarships for Spokane Falls Community College graphic design students. Since 2014, 20 recipients have received a total of $14,500. Visit the Hh store to purchase something that makes you happy and puts a smile on a young designer’s face: https://helveticahaus.com/

A Sign of the Times
Luke Williams Tribute
Spokane Public Facilities District, 2006

LOOKING BACK: When Luke Williams passed away in 2004, his family set out to honor one of the area’s foremost entrepreneurs and civic benefactors. Luke and his brother Chuck invented the alternating time and temperature sign in 1951, launching what became the world’s largest electronic sign company: American Sign & Indicator. By the 1980s, their signs were all over the world. The tribute still stands inside the Spokane Convention Center.

Learning From the Past
Sacajawea Middle School
Spokane Public Schools, 2023

LOOKING BACK: We partnered with district representatives and Sacajawea staff to refresh the school’s logo and mascot. Adopted in 1960, the thunderbird mascot did not reflect Sacajawea’s heritage. Native patterns, shapes, and colors needed to change from Coastal to Great Basin tribal motifs. To guide the process, we enlisted a member of the Lemhi Shoshone tribe and an eighth-generation descendant of Sacajawea herself. The outcome was a complete identity system with a suite of logo applications.