Brody Lyons - Passion Project: Social + Design

A passion project of mine has been in the works since 2018, when I realized just how much I loved 2000s culture. Back then, it wasn’t as widely appreciated, and many people couldn’t quite tell the difference between the 2000s and today. So, I did what the internet does best and found a community of people who shared this interest. I created a 2000s-themed mood board Instagram account, @retro2000s, where I started posting and engaging with other 2000s-focused accounts. Over the years, the account has grown to over 9600 followers and developed a loyal following. It’s even been cited in multiple articles internationally, solidifying its influence in the 2000s nostalgia movement. In 2020, A highlight of the account occurred when I created the "You Better Vote Bitch" graphic to encourage voter participation. The design went viral during multiple elections, shared by accounts with millions of followers. Looking back, this project not only fueled my passion for design and marketing but also helped shape my career path, blending business marketing and design—an intersection I’m now studying and pursuing professionally. What began as a personal interest in 2000s culture has evolved into a defining part of my creative journey.

Account analytics and currency (as of 19 May 2025).

Articles where @retro2000s has been cited.

Some of the many places the "You Better Vote Bitch" graphic has been reposted.

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I was hired as a freelance photographer in Cedar Grove, NJ for Vue Magazine before I would later end up as their junior designer the following year. I ended up attending two of their luxury events as featured in their magazine! The bottom two are some of my favorites from my ongoing collge portfolio.

CD Single Project

One of my favorite mediums of graphic design is all of the detail that goes into CD design. Not just album covers, but all of the intricacies of a CD. I have redone one of my favorite songs’ CD single; Ex Girlfriend by No Doubt. I did my best to keep the band’s integrity as well as my own personal style, and I am proud of the result.

Playlist Covers

Revisiting Single Covers

For this exercise, I wanted to put skill and effort towards mastering the art of a single cover. I think single covers are some of the most underrated ways in promoting a song and giving its audience a taste of what is being sold. So often I feel that a single cover doesn't match the integrity that the single itself does. In this instance, I took a few songs that I am very familiar with, and decided to reimagine their single covers. I am in no way insinuating their originals are not great in any way! I just wanted to put my own twist on these songs that I love!

Self-Care Card Collection

In this design, I have exercised simple graphic design principles to create a marketable product. I utilized simple design concepts I practiced in my business card design, while also attempting mastering packing design.

Personal Branding

The following is my own personal branding. I have spent so much time perfecting my brand, knowing that as a designer it is so important and representative of my artistry. I created something that I am truly proud of. I made sure to keep it simple, with a pretty strict color scheme and not many varying symbols. Little details like the "r" in Brody and the "L" in Lyons connecting as one transformed my name into not just a name, but a logo.

Vue Magazine Internship

This is one of my proudest achievements. In the Winter and Spring of 2023, I was a hybrid intern with Vue Magazine in Red Bank. With them, I created advertisements for clients, shot photography for their events, and most notably designed my own editorial for Artaic, a pool company. I was given beautiful photos of tropical pools and was inspired to create something modern, but fun for readers of Vue Magazine. Seeing this work officially printed out is one of my biggest accomplishments in my graphic design career so far.

This is one of the most time-consuming challenging works I have created. I wanted to create a menu remodel for a restaurant, and I took the ultimate challenge by picking a sushi restaurant with an overwhelming abundance of items. I was inspired by the bright, fun colors of 90s Harajuku culture, a perfect match for a youthful, fun Japanese restaurant. I did my best to keep things bright and exciting, without compromising readability and functionality. I ended up pitching this design to Fuji 72, and while it was not the financial decision best for them at the time, it taught me how designing is not only about profit but growth.

Creative Magazine

This project is like a caricature of my own personal style. I am so inspired by the media of the early 2000s, and in this cover I wanted to articulate that. Using edgy photography, creative typography, vivid color and alternating effects, I created an exciting magazine cover that I knew would succeed at drawing people in.

Drink Brand Creation

For this design, I have created my own soft drink company as an example of my designs used in a very commercial sense. I saw this project as not only a design opportunity, but a marketing one. I created a drink completely from scratch, and designed it based off of my own imagination. Combining retro and modern styles, I created Beat.

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