Musings from N-K projects. How do you find a graphic designer? Review the portfolio, read client testimonials and blog posts.
Sometimes the most impactful design projects arise from modest beginnings. Recently, I had the privilege of working on a small catalog project for a group of dedicated Sisters who manage bookstores and publish materials for a religious order. Targeting the vibrant and diverse Hispanic community, this project yielded successful results at a recent conference. Meeting the Challenge The Sisters…
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The task of redesigning the book cover for Corinne’s poetry collection, The Rings of Nature, was an exciting opportunity to breathe new life into the visual representation of her book. The existing cover, though depicting a scenic outdoor landscape, lacked the visual impact needed to capture the essence of Corinne’s poetry. The goal was to create…
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Setting the table for success is a phrase I heard on the Book Marketing Tips & Author Success podcast. This thought was fitting for a post-Thanksgiving episode. The podcasters, Penny Sansevieri and Amy Cornell said, “Look at everything you’re doing as a way to present your book to the reader—setting the table for success. You can’t force…
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Elegantissima, the Design & Typography of Louise Fili by Louise Fili is a beautiful book filled with impressive designs—a compilation of identity projects, branding, and logo designs. While I was watching an online course called, “Expressive Lettering with Swashes and Flourishes,” the speaker, designer Dan Forster, was inspired by Louise Fili and showed examples from her book. I was…
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When co-authors Bob Stuckey and Ken Cooper contacted me about designing their business book, The Control Catastrophe: Why your organization is wasting money and how to fix it, they gave me a brief description of their manuscript and identified their target audience—corporate executives, managers and supervisors. The Design Process I began my process by looking at other books…
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First-time author James Gibson contacted me about designing his memoir, Just a Long Walk. I asked if his manuscript was finished and if it was professionally edited.* It was not, so I suggested that he contact Andy Doty (Editwright.com) for editing and book coaching services. Andy got the project and circled back to me to design…
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Seasonal holiday promotions begin in summer, way ahead of fall. “Pumpkin Spice” is everywhere, and Christmas displays are popping up already. All of these products are competing for buyers’ attention, and one of them certainly captured mine. While I was shopping at Target, I saw new boxes of Halloween cereal that stopped me. A separate…
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Today we purged the majority of old printed samples we have kept in the basement for more than twenty years. Why did we purge? The shelves were full, and we needed space. Recently, we talked about how to manage those shelves. What should we do with all this material we had once thought was so…
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