MARKET RESEARCH: Fancy Foods

One of the fun things about being a designer can be the research. This week I am attending the Fancy Foods specialty food trade show in New York City. One of my favorite clients, Eddie's of Roland Park, is a small, locally-owned, gourmet grocer. I am attending to research new products for sale in their stores, as well as to observe and collect signage, packaging and marketing ideas.

The show features: 140,000 products including confections, cheese, coffee, snacks, spices, ethnic, natural, organic and more - and 2,300 exhibitors from 75 countries! I can't wait to taste my way around the world!

http://www.specialtyfood.com/do/Home
http://eddiesrolandpark.blogspot.com/ or www.eddiesofrolandpark.com

LOGO DESIGN

Sometimes, if a logo is an odd shape (say very vertical as the original version of this LuvWalks logo), it is necessary to create an alternate or secondary version which may be used to better occupy a different shape or space. The horizontal version of this logo works perfectly on fliers and bumper stickers, while the square version fits exactly on the front pocket of the employee t-shirts and a complimentary fresbee for the dogs.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

This being Father's Day, I'd like to take the opportunity to thank my Dad, William Kichline Jr., for being my go-to-IT-guy. His efforts to sort through OX10.4 vs 10.5 vs whatever the new one is called and which version of what software corresponds with which operating system has been a lifesaver to me. I can design for hours, but truly do not enjoy sorting through the technical details required to maintain a state-of-the-art workstation and up-to-date software. So, "Thanks, Dad!! You rock!!" And, beyond your IT skills, you're a pretty great Dad, person & friend as well. Thanks for your unconditional support and love. xoxo J

PS: That's the BIGGEST fish I've ever seen ;-)

MAGAZINE DESIGN

I was fortunate to have the extreme pleasure of planning, art directing and designing a magazine for over 10 years. If you'd like to view my work, go to www.harfordmagazine.com and look at any issue from Fall 2008 and earlier in the archives. Here are a few sample layouts from over the years. I had so much fun with the entire process that it's hard for me to pick just a few… There are so many elements that combine to create strong and effective publication design. In future posts, I'll pull out a few spreads and talk about them in more depth. In the meantime, take a look at the back issues for a preview if you get a chance.

BEFORE & AFTER

While Art Director at Homestead Publishing Co., I was responsible for transforming (while downsizing) The Record newspaper from a broadsheet to a tabloid. The newspaper, which serves Havre de Grace, MD and the bay region of Harford County, needed to maintain a community feel while appealing to a broader market. When addressing the redesign of this Classified Page Heading, adding vibrant color and local (recognizable) images, which changed seasonally, met both these needs. I also edited the information to align with the reduced attention span of today's media-savy society. This afforded more effective communication as well as visual appeal. Take a look at this "before" and "after" - wow, weren't newspapers so boring and limited back in the day?!!! I really hope the industry gets over this very large road block and finds a new way to thrive in today's electronic world.
LONG LIVE PRINT!!
(PS: Photo by Matt Button - a link to his amazing talents to follow soon.)

CREATIVE SPACE

In some industries, there seems to be a go-to format which has been used for years. For example, the classified section of a newspaper is grey with lots and lots and lots of boring listings. It's typically layed out with "filler" ads at the end to fill in the space not sold. Who says the filler has to go out at the end? I created a series of Classified Filler/House Promotion Ads which took a different approach. The series simply used a very old slogan "one call sells it all", but with a new twist. I took a "slice of life approach", showing real people actually on the phone (not the standard pix of an old table top telephone.) I also, added color and structured the ads in many different sizes. The, we put the filler in the middle or off-center in the rows of listings - not the end. So,they totally broke up the boring "grey" of the classified listing and added a focal point to the page. Picture this full-length vertical ad (1x21) in the 7 the column out of 9 on a classifed page of a newspaper. Much more interesting the stuck at the bottom of the page. Great for sales and a little visual stimulation. Here's a few samples. Feel free to contact me for any advise or suggestions for making your publication house (or any) ads more noticable and effective.

GREAT PRINTER

Gordon Graphics is my favorite printer. Owner, Jeff Herget, provides the most amazing customer service and he's a very cool guy. I highly recommend you give him a call [410.591.6365] and tell him Julie sent you. Check out his corporate identity package for a sample of my design: logo, business card & letterhead.

VOTE FOR EDDIE's

BEST OF BALTIMORE 2009 READER'S POLL

I love great food, and I love people/businesses who cater to my Meg-Ryan-food-selection habit. So, for amazing taste and custom service, I highly recommend Eddie's of Roland Park. If you agree:

VOTE FOR EDDIE'S OF ROLAND PARK TODAY!!
http://www.baltimoremag.com/whowonit/readers_poll.asp