Frazer/Montague Design (FMD) is a two person design studio based in Buffalo, New York. Together we have a combined twenty five years of experience in graphic design. We have worked on a wide range of projects, from logos to books to full-on promotional campaigns. We take design seriously and are dedicated to working with our clients to meet their visual communication needs.

In these lean economic times, we believe small studios have advantages over the large agencies. When projects require additional skills or talents, we can make sure that the best person–whether designer, project manager, developer or writer–is assigned to the job. This flexible approach to staffing allows us to affordably achieve the best results. On to the third person bios!

For over 14 years Betsy Frazer headed design and production as Art Director for Artvoice, Buffalo’s largest weekly newspaper and second largest newspaper in the region. Under her direction Artvoice underwent a major overhaul—from a bi-weekly, paste-up arts review to an AAN-accredited alternative newsweekly. Frazer’s time at Artvoice included designing covers, ads, and editorial spreads, while simultaneously directing the frenetic fast-paced rigid deadlines of a weekly publication. With a reputation for impressive design, Artvoice’s advertisers often bypassed advertising agencies in favor of her art direction for their advertising campaigns.

Frazer is also a prolific freelancer and has designed logos, menus, brochures, posters, packaging, books and catalogues. Current and previous clients have included Buffalo Chophouse, Big Orbit Gallery, Soundlab, Brinks, CEPA Gallery, Clear Channel, Colter Bay, Crescent Manufacturing, Town Ballroom, La Marina, and SPoT Coffee. Her eclectic design skills were also put to use in two large-scale group projects displayed at Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center and the Carnegie Arts Center.

Julian Montague has been working in graphic design since 1998. From 2001 to 2006 he served as art director for First Hand Learning, Inc., a company that develops and markets science education materials. His decade long freelance practice has allowed him to work on a wide range of projects. He has designed logos, posters, brochures, packaging, books, catalogs and websites.

Montague also employs his design, illustration, and photography skills in a series of art projects that explore the peripheral features of the domestic and urban environment. He is best known for a project in which he developed a system of classification for stray shopping carts. His book, The Stray Shopping Carts of Eastern North America: A Guide to Field Identification, was published in 2006 by Abrams Books. His work has been featured in several books including design historian Steven Heller’s The Design Entrepreneurs (Rockport Press, 2008), Typography Sketchbooks (Princeton Architectural Press, 2011) and Gestalten's The Modernist (2011). His work has also received attention from Artnews, Art in America, Frieze, New York Magazine, The New York Times, The Toronto Star, the BBC World Service, and many others. He has pieces in the collections of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Martin Z. Margulies and the Progressive Insurance Company, as well as numerous private collections. Julian Montague is represented by Black & White Gallery in New York City.

Julian's art work can be seen at his Montague Projects site. He also has a blog project called Daily Book Graphics where almost every day (since February 21st 2009) he posts a book cover from between 1950 and 1980 (generally in the modernist style).