5BYFIVE Creative

Part of our 𝗖𝗿𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗫𝗩 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 poster series, my Tower Grove Park poster is a tribute to a place that means a lot to me. I lived in Tower Grove for a few years, and the Piper Palm House was where I got married, so this one feels especially personal.

Visually, I challenged myself to work with only flat forms and four colors, stripping away anything extra so the composition could do the talking. I wanted to create something deceptively simple that still captured what makes the park so memorable: the trees, the pathways, the gazebos, and the feeling of moving through it.

- Derek

🧠 𝟱𝗕𝗙 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗹𝘆 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗶𝗽 🧐
A nice testimonial says people liked you. A strong testimonial proves you worked.

“Loved working with them” is sweet.
“Saved us 10 hours a week and doubled inquiries” is the good stuff.

Next time you ask for a testimonial, don’t stop at praise. Ask what actually changed. That’s where the proof lives.

⚜️ For 15 years, 5BYFIVE Creative has called St. Louis home. It’s been the backdrop to our work, our relationships, and thankfully, our growth.

To celebrate, we're doing a Crystal Clear for XV Years poster series honoring a few of the places that make STL the city we’re proud to call home.

Kicking things off is my Forest Park Forever poster. More than anything, it's about memories and how one place can hold so many versions of your life.

As a kid, it was Saint Louis Zoo days and school trips to the Saint Louis Art Museum. As a young adult, it was nights at the The Muny and afternoons at Boathouse at Forest Park with the girl I’d eventually marry. Later, it became a place to bring our kids, so they could start making memories of their own.

Visually, I wanted the piece to reflect that sense of time. The black-and-white photography roots it in history and memory, while the bold geometric color brings in movement, energy, and a sense that those moments are still alive. Look closely and the balloons might just float off the page.

-Justin

🧠 𝟱𝗕𝗙 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗹𝘆 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗧𝗶𝗽 🧐

White space is not wasted space. It’s where clarity starts.

A lot of layouts are trying way too hard. More copy, more boxes, more stuff, more noise. But usually, the thing that makes a design feel smarter is what you didn’t cram into it.

Because margins and spacing aren’t empty.....they’re working.