When there is a lull in freelance projects I have typically sought out what I call discovery projects. Sometimes it's a brand in need of rework or other times it may be an innovative app to prototype. As a lifelong Toronto Blue Jays fan, it was abundantly clear to me that the branding of their Triple-A Buffalo franchise was arguably the most dated and flat identity in all of minor league baseball. So I researched and came up with a new direction.

Buffalo has a rich history in grain production. In fact, Buffalo once transported more grain than any port in the world, resulting in it earning the moniker of one-time grain milling capital of the United States. One of the more demanding jobs in the mills was that of the stone dresser. The dresser was responsible for sharpening the grooves (called furrows) in the massive millstones at least twice weekly. The dressers were often asked by mill owners to "show their metal," referring to the steel chips embedded in their forearms from the sharpening process as a way to prove how hard they were working. This artisans were determined to keep the mill working at max efficiency and they were one of the most important cogs in the mill's success.