November 21, 2017

Layout Design – Recap 2017

As another year comes to an end, it's nice to take a quick pause and look back. It's easy to get caught up in the day to day of running a business and designing all the things, you quickly forget all the amazing things you got to design during the past 12 months.

This year was one of immense growth for my business, with plenty of ups, and equal, if not more, downs. I guess every year kind of is, but this year especially, I was really strict with myself, saying no to a handful of projects that didn't seem in-line with where I want to take my business, and instead, actively seeking out projects I wanted to work on.

Ever since graduating from design school I have been incredibly passionate about layout and editorial (preferably print!) design. But truth is, I haven't done much of it over the past few years. Last year, as I was deciding on what kind of projects I want to do more of it was clear to me - more layout design. I put myself out there, shared similar projects that I had done in the past and finally put it front and center on my new site " I specialize in typography and layout design".

After much trial and error, attempting to figure out pricing structures, proper processes, and plenty of mistakes I am now finishing off 2017 with over 10 layout based projects I am happy to show off. Most of these have since made it into my portfolio, but there are a few more recent ones which I haven't shared yet.

Below is a roundup of some of my favourite layout based projects for 2017. I hope you enjoy them!

Wedding Photographer Inquiry Package Design | www.alicia-carvalho.com

1. Client Inquiry Package

The Nickersons reached out to me to help them put together a print and web inquiry package for potential clients. This mini-magazine is an extension of their portfolio, showcasing their work, but also does so much more. It's a warm and friendly introduction to The Nickersons, outlines their process and various photo packages and add-ons, such as connection shoots, custom albums, and photo booths, as well as an extensive FAQ and ultimately, what steps to take to book them.

Vancouver based Jewelry Line sheet, Lookbook and Catalogue Design | www.alicia-carvalho.com

2. Fashion Linesheet

I've been designing for Vancouver based jewelry brand Lover's Tempo for a handful of years now. For 2017 we decided to give the brand a bit of a re-fresh, in particular, the logo and packaging pieces. And as always, I got to work on the Lover's Tempo Spring/Summer 2017, as well as the Fall/Winter 2017 lookbook and product linesheet which goes out to all wholesalers and is extremely handy for tradeshows.

Vancouver based Portrait Photographer Inquiry Package Layout Design | www.alicia-carvalho.com

3. Portrait Inquiry Package

After Alexa launched her new brand and website she contacted me to design a digital and printed magazine style booklet she could send out to inquiring clients. Having been a fan of Alexa's work it was such a pleasure to design this for her.
In Alexa's words:
"Working with her (Alicia) was collaborative and thorough. She was patient and attentive and really got my brand. Since implementing what we created together I've doubled my bookings. The catalogue exemplifies professionalism, trust, and answers many common questions."

Layout Design and Iconography for The Focus Journal | www.alicia-carvalho.com

4. Printed Journal

This was basically a dream project come true. Sabrina and Matej did a bunch of research and came to me with the idea of the Focus Journal: designed to increase productivity and achieve your goals while balancing work, happiness, and well-being. Together we established a visual language for the journal, thoroughly tested it and ensured that the design was minimal, making planning and getting organized easy and intuitive. The Focus Journal ran an incredibly successful Kickstarter campaign over the summer and is currently in production for its first print un! Stay tuned, as I'll be adding this project to my portfolio as soon as the final journals arrive.

Editorial Magazine Design | www.alicia-carvalho.com

5. Magazine Design

Earlier this year I had the opportunity to lead the design team over at Flurt Magazine. Previously just an online magazine the publication expanded into print this fall. Besides a few key colours and typefaces, the magazine was really lacking in visual hierarchy and brand consistency. I had the chance to re-design the whole magazine for the fall issue and will be involved in the design of a few of the following issues into 2018.

6. Wedding Planning Package

After successfully working together on the Nickersons inquiry package, we then moved forward with the design of a mini-magazine that couples who have booked received before their wedding. Based on the previous design, this mini-magazine covers everything from wedding timeline, to general photo tips, a whole section on helpful lighting suggestions, how to handle a potential rainy day more. All content is written by Sarah Nickerson from her years of experience, not only getting married herself, but also shooting a number of weddings over the years.

Simon Fraser University Research Report Design | www.alicia-carvalho.com

7. Research Report

This summer I worked with the creative team at Simon Fraser University to design and layout this 40-page printed research report for the Centre of Dialogue SFU. I worked closely with the editors to create various visual assets, complex graphs, source photographs and more, to visually complement the research and concepts throughout. These type of projects are oftentimes my favourites, corporate documents don't need to look boring!

Fine Art Photography Layout Catalogue Design | www.alicia-carvalho.com

8. Product Catalogue

As the year came to an end I got to work with Alexa Mazzarello once more. Just in time for the holidays Alexa launched her limited edition online print shop, Solstice Series. As part of the collection, I got to design an interactive product catalogue, featuring beautifully styled images of the prints, their names, sizes, prices, and even suggested frames for each print from Ikea! Perfect way to make your holiday gifting easy.

With the holidays right around the corner, I am already booking into 2018. I am so happy with how all these layout projects turned out. I've had a year of experimenting with various types of layout projects for both print and web and am excited to take on more of the like for next year.

I'll be putting together proper layout packages for next year, outlining the processes, content briefs, pricing and more to make the process easier for my clients and myself. If you want to take advantage of my current 2017 pricing please get in touch before the holidays and let's chat!

Comments: 0

Categories: ,


Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.