Math Workbooks – Design, Production, Project Management
A major project for 2010 was the design of interior pages for McGraw-Hill's Math (6–8). These 160-page workbooks are primarily designed for students to use during the summer to sharpen their math skills. Each page consists of some instructional material, followed by exercises.
After the initial design, I created all the templates used in production. The templates themselves were pretty sophisticated, involving several GREP Styles, Nested Character Styles, Text Variables, and other advanced techniques. The production of McGraw-Hill's Math also required extensive use of the InDesign plug-in InMath to generate fractions, equations, and other math-related formatting.
In addition to the design, I provided production on approximately 1/3 of the pages, from first pour, to final printer PDFs. I also split the project management (with Watch This Space, Inc.) to coordinate between production, proofreading, and art.
Here are some sample pages. Click on any image to see a larger version.
Logo Designs
I've had the opportunity to create numerous logos for a number of industries. Here is a small selection. Click on any image to start a slideshow and see larger versions.
Spelling Connections Program – Project Management, Photo Research, Production, Design
I was the project manager for six grade levels (1st – 6th grades) of Student Editions (SE) and Teacher Editions (TE) of Spelling Connections for Zaner-Bloser. The project also included Standardized Test Master Books, Teacher Resource Books for Differentiated Instruction, and English Language Learners Support Books. This was the largest single project in company history with over 10,000 pages. I was in charge of designing some page elements, developed protocols and production templates, conducted photo research, coordinated production among the staff, and did some page production. A large part of my time was spent solving problems, and making sure pages would print accurately at the two printing companies. I also interfaced with the client on a daily basis to make sure the project ran smoothly and was completed on time. Following are some samples of the Student Editions and Teacher Editions. Click on any image for details.
Reading Book Page Design
Here are some samples from a textbook series published by SRA / McGraw-Hill called Imagine It! I had the opportunity to design pages for a selection of the stories included in the book. This was a "get it done" type of job, not a lot of time for experimentation or refinement. For these samples I designed and produced the opening spreads, which included the image selection and logo treatment. I also designed and produced the subsequent pages of the story, typically about 10 pages. Click on any image to see a larger version.
Miscellaneous Projects
Here are a few random projects I've worked on. Click on an image to see a larger version and to read more information about it.
Website Design
These are a few websites I have designed and/or built recently.
Brochure Design and Printing
I've designed a lot of brochures in my time. I mean a LOT of brochures. So I'm digging through my files and samples to feature some of the more interesting ones here. In addition to designing and producing all the brochures, I have also handled all the printing. There are about six different printing companies across the U.S. I work with in order to get the perfect balance of quality, speed, and price. So PlanetGraham Design can provide a turnkey solution–design, production, printing, and shipping to the client location.
Click on any image below to start the slideshow and see a larger version. I've also included some comments where appropriate.
High School Chemistry Book Design
I was the designer of a high school chemistry book for a major educational publisher during the tenure at my previous (and now defunct) employer. Every page was designed by me, including all the feature treatments, graphs, charts, font styles, etc. We were more than halfway through the production of the book (page layouts, writing, art, and photo research), when a corporate merger of the publisher put the kibosh on the entire project. Untold hundreds of thousands of dollars were spent and the book never saw the light of day. Here are a few sample pages and features. Click on any image to see a larger version.
Spanish Textbook Design
Here's a sample chapter design for a middle school Spanish textbook. I used a festive streamer design element for most of the pages. Also included were two alternate designs of the chapter opener. I completely designed the pages, including creation of the page opener elements such as the "CULTURA" artwork, color palette, and font selections. Click on any image to see a larger version and start the slideshow.
Strategies for Writers Textbooks – Project Management, Production, Design
I was the project manager for three grade levels of Student Editions (SE) and Teacher Editions (TE) of Strategies for Writers for Zaner-Bloser (one of my favorite clients while I was at MCA+). These pages had a lot going on: each chapter had their own student "character" that would give tips and instructions; sample writing lessons had post-it like notes, arrows, editor's marks and such; there were a lot of icons, graphics, paper backgrounds. The Teacher Editions included a reduced image of the Student Edition spread. Between the three SE's and three TE's, it must have been at least 2000 pages total. I was in charge of designing some page elements, developed protocols and production templates, and coordinated production among the staff. I also interfaced with the client on a daily basis to make sure the project ran smoothly and was completed on time. Click on any image below to see a larger version.