Long publications come with a different set of design challenges.  It takes a special kind of persistence to make sure that each and every page looks good, by itself, as part of a spread, and as part of the whole document.  I find that I develop a familiarity with the material over the time that I work with it and, like a good book, I miss it when I’m finished.  Deadlines are certainly important in this work, because print schedules can be tight.

The over-riding goal of a longer publication is to make the material visually accessible and cohesive.  There are usually a number of small choices regarding the use of typography, placement and style of images and diagrams, and setting up conventions appropriate for the document in hand. Like the process of designing anything else, these choices are made with the artist, client, or editor of the work.  However the bigger challenge involves understanding the hierarchy of content and the relative value of different components and articles and how they relate to each other.  Managing this effectively usually involves a close working relationship with the editor or author of the content.

Included here are just three examples, although I have produced many others.  The first example is a family project that I worked on for two years.  The final publication of a 200-page book of writings about the history of the Mead family, written by family members over the years, and including pictures dating back to the 19th century has been personally very rewarding.

The second example is the Boston Arts Academy Handbook. I have designed and produced this 40+ page book every year for five years for the Boston Arts Academy. The biggest challenge on this publication was working with the committee to stay on top of details that normally would not fall under the purview of a designer.

The third example is a 44-page newsletter for the Massachusetts School Library Media Association.  I have designed and produced this document for two years running and it is always a fun and interesting design challenge to try to squeeze all the articles into the 44-page format, yet include pictures and graphics to provide respite from the text heavy pages.