Me In Sunny Carolina

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

I am anxiously awaiting delivery from the printer of my first redesigned issue of Converse magazine. This is my sixth major redesign and I have to say it's a process most people dislike, but I love. A redesign involves not just a new dressing, but an analysis of the editorial content and focus, as well as an exploration of the target audience. New communication and marketing goals emerge in the process and then comes the fun of trying to meet those goals. I tend to study my peers and competition thoroughly so I launched a Facebook campaign requesting friends (and friends of friends) send me their alumni publications for my study. I learned something from each of the 80+ magazines I received...and more from those I studied online (as I was also researching alternative delivery methods). Redesign is a wholistic approach that often involves such a bare-boned deconstruction that missions and branding are also examined and more clearly, strategically defined. This first issue is a very different kind of magazine for Converse and I am anxious to see how it will be received!

UPDATE 3/21/13 Delivery from the printer and the magazine is a roaring success! Here are some sample spreads:

The opening spread is a 2012 Year in Review. This has to be the most popular spread in the magazine. What fun (and how useful) to see the entire year at a glance!

A new approach to articles uses larger, professional photography.

I tailored the editorial direction of the redesign to inform and engage alumnae. For example, the traditional president's message transformed into this Q & A between the alumnae association president and the college president. The end of the article calls for alumnae to submit questions for the alumnae president to consider for the next issue.

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References

I have known and worked for Cindy Faber Smith since 1998 when she, as the art director for Science magazine, commissioned me to do the cover art for the magazine. It was a bit of a surprise since my artwork is geared towards the children’s market. Typical of Cindy, she wanted to bring a different approach to that month’s cover of a rather dry, technical publication. What at first seemed to be a rather impossible assignment (a “hidden picture” type of piece, incorporating many diverse elements) turned out to be one of the most satisfying assignments I have had in my career. She contacted me again a couple of years later with another fresh approach to the cover art utilizing the red queen from Alice in Wonderland as the theme.

I was surprised, when a few years later, she contacted me as the new art director of Highlights. As a child I had a subscription to Highlights, so I had quite an affection for this magazine. Cindy has brought her many skills as a designer to give this 60+ year-old magazine a fresher, more updated look, while still keeping the trademark Highlights style.

Working with Cindy is always a pleasure. She is simply the best art director I have worked with in my 30-year career. She does not over direct and she allows the artist enough freedom to make them feel that they are adding something of their own selves to the illustrations. She is not heavy handed with her suggestions which produces a very positive collaboration.

Because Highlights hosts an annual party for their illustrators, I finally was able to meet Cindy in person. She is a delightful person, filled with humor, intelligence and warmth. I cannot sing her praises more boldly.

David Galchutt

Illustrator

I’ve known Cindy Smith for 25 years. Over the years, I’ve come to rely on her for her humor, earnestness, and enthusiasm in countless situations.

Aside from being an artist, she is a keen observer who thrives on the challenge of dissecting problems and always seems to find a creative solution. She also has the ability to guide others in solving problems that seem insurmountable. In many ways, I’ve become a better person through observing her at work, in our community, and at play.

I admire the way Cindy experiences life and am proud to count her among my closest and most trusted friends. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her for any job. I know she would embrace any challenge and undoubtly rise to any occasion.

Sincerely,
Dolores Motichka

“In the cynical world of illustration, I hold Cindy as a ray of light, a turning point in my hopes of a career in illustration. The über belief she had in my work encouraged me to chase after my dreams. My illustrations have now appeared in The New Yorker, for Major League Baseball, in hosts of magazines and children’s books.”

David Leonard