Title: 10-11-07 OC Life: Stage Layout

Client: Churm Media, in association with OCMETRO BUSINESS Magazine

Program(s) Used: Phototshop & Quark

Time Span: 1 Hour

About: Prior to the redesign of OCMETRO BUSINESS magazine, the section OC LIFE was the place to get on the pulse of what’s going on in Orange County, California. This particular layout was was written for a review of the Slidebar Rock N Roll Café.

Designer Notes: Early in my career at Churm Media, as a Graphic Designer (Now Art Director), I played things safe, by the book. I soon learned that i had a lot of insightful, fresh new ideas to lend to the editorial pages that had been assigned to me, whereas previously i was strictly designing ads. This was one of my early chances to show the company something new, something they’d shyed away from before, for whatever reason. Large images are ALWAYS eye catching, so with my newfound responsibility I set out to make a name for myself in the staff boxes and directories of Churm Media and OCMETRO BUSINESS magazine.

Title: 1-08 Feature Story Spread (ADHD)

Client: Churm Media, in association with OC Family Magazine & Inland Empire Family Magazine

Program(s) Used: Quark & Photoshop

Time Span: 3-6 Hours

About: A small feature story (full story on ocfamily.com) that was run in OC Family magazine.

Designer Notes: Point. Set. Match. I wanted to design something fun, but serious. I think the content speaks for itself, thanks to the editor Lynn Armitage, and the layout lent itself to the imagery making it fun to read, even though the subject matter is anything but. Children’s health issues are always a huge concern for parents and i wanted them to get a sense of connection with the story, not just pages of information, but something showing that there’s people out there who care and have dealt with this issue too.

Title: 2-08 OC Family Cover

Client: Churm Media, in association with OC Family Magazine

Program(s) Used: Photoshop & Quark

Time Span: 5 Hours (Including the photo shoot)

About: Cover for the February 2008 OC Family Magazine. The feature was “What is Love?”. Students from 4 different grades were asked the question and the best/cutest/most heart-warming answered were published as the cover story.

Designer Notes: This cover and January’s cover were for a photo shoot all rolled into one day, my first. Needless to say i was a bit nervous, not 100% sure what i was doing, but had some great guidance from Sonia Chung (Art Director for OC METRO BUSINESS magazine) to help me along my way.

Title: 12-07 Feature Story Spread (Annual Family Photography Contest)

Client: Churm Media, in association with OC Family Magazine & Inland Empire Family Magazine

Program(s) Used: Quark and Photoshop

Time Span: 4-8 Hours

About: Throughout the year OC Family and Inland Empire Family magazines run a feature called Picture perfect, which collects submissions from readers of their children’s photographs. Come December of every year they run an annual feature for the winners. Read, and see, the entire 2007 story on ocfamily.com

Designer Notes: My idea was to make this layout look like a worn family scrapbook or photo album. Seeing as this was an annual feature purely dealing with reader submitted photographs, i wanted to make it look fun and inviting. I used a parchment paper background and an image border with frayed edges, to simulate those wacky scissor cuts that people do now. End result, i’m happy with.

Title: 12-07 Cover Story Layout Spread

Client: Churm Media, in association with OC Family Magazine & Inland Empire Family Magazine

Program(s) Used: Quark, Photoshop

Time Span: 4-5 Hours to completion (entire layout (8 pages))

About: Every year Churm Media puts out it’s annual issue in OC Family & Inland Empire Family Magazines. This year was the “20 Best Totally Terrific Toys”. Yes, I know, that’s two too many adjectives, but what are you going to do? What client wants, client gets.

Designer Notes: This entire layout was quite the piece of work for photoshop clipping masks! Boy do i love still having to be lulled down by the back and forth of Quark to photoshop… when will they learn that InDesign is the bridge between that gap! But, what doesn’t kill us as designers, will make us always remember the golden rules…. never, EVER, EVER use Papyrus in your designs. You have (or should have) and entire library of fonts, GET CREATIVE! And also, learn from our clients blunders. By the time i finished this layout i knew the intimate ins and outs of the photoshop pen tool. I even “took it out for a romantic seafood dinner… and never called it again!”

Champ Kind: I will take Dorothy Manstooth out to a nice seafood dinner and NEVER call her again!
Wes Mantooth: Dorothy Mantooth is a Saint!
Ron Burgundy: Hey, let’s leave the mothers out of this.

Title: 12-07 Feature Story Spread

Client: Churm Media, in association with OC Family Magazine & Inland Empire Family Magazine

Program(s) Used: Quark, Photoshop

Time Span: 2-4 Hours

About: OC Family & Inland Empire Family Magazine’s ran a special “Fire Feature Story” after the huge fires in Southern California this past year (2007). One of Churm Media’s writers (Pictures in the spread) was directly affected by the fire and was one of the families that had to evacuate their home. Luckily everyone was safe and she still writes for the magazine today.

Designer Notes: The text overlaid over a full truck spread was something new for OC Family Magazine, at least in my time at Churm Media. I wanted to really capture a readers eye as they were thumbing through the pages of the magazine. Great photography and subject matter really helped to pull this whole spread together.

Title: November 2007 OC Family Magazine Feature Story Spread

Client: Churm Media, in association with OC Family Magazine

Program(s) Used: Quark, Photoshop

Time Span: Working on deadline, this entire layout took around 2-3 hours.

About: 4 page layout done for a story written about moms who’ve started their own businesses, successfully.

Designer Notes: I had a lot of fun with this design. It was one of my earlier layouts that I was able to have a lot of freedom with. I wanted to bring a new look to the magazine as the newly appointed Art Director of OC Family Magazine & Inland Empire Family Magazine. The idea was to get a good amount of type to imagery balance.

Title: January Cover Story

Client: Churm Media, in association with OC Family Magazine & Inland Empire Family Magazine

Program(s) Used: Quark, Photoshop

Time Span: (Cover) 1-3 hours, (layout) 3-4 hours

About: Cover Story spread and Magazine cover for Inland Empire family 1-08 Issue. The cover story was the “heroes” issue.

Cover Photography: Uncredited due to legalities

Designer Notes: The “Heroes Issue” is a very important issue for the Churm Media family of magazines. It signified the launch into the new year and another great place for me to show off my sea legs ar OC Family & Inland empire Family magazine’s Art Director.

Title: PAHR & The Riv, Golf Advertisement

Client: Churm Media, in association with Southland Golf Magazine

Program(s) Used: Quark, Photoshop, Illustrator

Time Span: 2-3 hours to completion

About: Wanted a fresh new look to compete with other clothing ads in their chosen advertising magazine (southland golf magazine). Direction was for something modern, cutting edge, with supplied logos and photography.

Designer Notes: Finally, an ad that has that “National” feel to it. This was the diamond in the rough of design assignments at Churm Media.