Be Involved
My career is a natural part of my life! (it is how I spend 40-80 hours of my week...)
I'm so thankful to work with such amazing people and support such incredible projects/organizations.
I give each of their projects my love, and here is some imagery
from some moments when I was able to capture any part of the process.photography: © alexandra brand equipment: nikon d90 + 50mm fixed lens or iPhone
My press "ok" for the cover of the World Nomads Morocco 2011 Spring Festival in NYC.
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Design Director & Production Manager
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allThere is only so much you can push and pull after the plates have been made.)
We knew we, A. were using uncoated paper, B. wanted her dress to pop, and C. that this press ran heavy magenta.
To get the brightest color possible on this uncoated paper, we knew we would run the cylinders hard into the paper, so we pulled back on the magenta in the rest of the image before the plates were made. This work kept the beautiful teal and cobalt blue moroccan tilings from turning brown and purple.
Know your output!
Video of me describing how I wanted a brochure to fold during the quoting processDesign Director & Production Manager
My knowledge of production allows me to create smarter pieces at better prices. The way a single piece of paper gets folded can effect the overall cost! Plus, it effects it's functionality. If this had been folded the way the printer had suggested, the shop would have been scoring the sheet three times, while my way proposed two times. Also, since it was 100# paper, the brochure would have been perpetually popping open from the middle (predicting sloppy piles of brochures!). My suggested folding method kept the five hidden panels tucked-in tightly and forced the viewer read it from top to bottom (because of the way it opened). To avoid a lengthy email chain of back-and-forths, I made a video for the printer to show him what I envisioned and wanted the quote to reflect.
My knowledge of production allows me to create smarter pieces at better prices. The way a single piece of paper gets folded can effect the overall cost! Plus, it effects it's functionality. If this had been folded the way the printer had suggested, the shop would have been scoring the sheet three times, while my way proposed two times. Also, since it was 100# paper, the brochure would have been perpetually popping open from the middle (predicting sloppy piles of brochures!). My suggested folding method kept the five hidden panels tucked-in tightly and forced the viewer read it from top to bottom (because of the way it opened). To avoid a lengthy email chain of back-and-forths, I made a video for the printer to show him what I envisioned and wanted the quote to reflect.
NYC overnight installation moment captured in Central Park of Ai Weiwei's Zodiac Ox Head sculptureExhibition Identity Designer
Four weeks after Ai's disappearance, his sculptures were being installed as scheduled, into the Pulitzer Fountain in Central Park, NYC. Luckily, they had been in the states for a few months already. Carefully wrapped and finally unpacked, each 800 lb. sculpture was moved with love and care, along with the help of a ninety foot crane. What I remember most from that night was the ever-present sense of responsibility in the air.
Four weeks after Ai's disappearance, his sculptures were being installed as scheduled, into the Pulitzer Fountain in Central Park, NYC. Luckily, they had been in the states for a few months already. Carefully wrapped and finally unpacked, each 800 lb. sculpture was moved with love and care, along with the help of a ninety foot crane. What I remember most from that night was the ever-present sense of responsibility in the air.
Fall 2010 Calendar of Events Cover for the French Institute Alliance Francaise in NY. Design Director & Production Manager
After the form has been approved, all the measurements of that sheet are recorded.
After the form has been approved, all the measurements of that sheet are recorded.
As the press runs thousands of sheets, every few hundred we check to see the density/color hasn't adjusted. I am for sheet #1 to print the same as #2,500.
On press for the FIAF World Nomads Morocco BrochureDesign Director & Production Manager
Here, we're making sure that the color and density of the page headers from form to form are consistent even though they are printed on different forms, on different days. A lot can change in that time, so my hawk-eyes are on it! When the book is finally put together, I want every page to feel the same.
Here, we're making sure that the color and density of the page headers from form to form are consistent even though they are printed on different forms, on different days. A lot can change in that time, so my hawk-eyes are on it! When the book is finally put together, I want every page to feel the same.
On-press for the World Nomads Morocco Brochure Design Director & Project Manager
One spread in the book had a single image across two pages. Since they are not printed side by side, we are putting them together (like you would see in the final bound brochure) to see if they blend seamlessly. I'm especially paying attention to the smooth gradation in the sky in this photo.
One spread in the book had a single image across two pages. Since they are not printed side by side, we are putting them together (like you would see in the final bound brochure) to see if they blend seamlessly. I'm especially paying attention to the smooth gradation in the sky in this photo.
Using old-school techniques on the FIAF cover of their Calendar of EventsDesign Director & Production Manager
The cover image retouching had been approved while I was away. But when I was on press, I saw something I could not get passed. Sadly, the client had approved the proof with this blemish.Within the photograph, there was a sign, and one of the large letters had a small area with a lot of extra grain. Since it was not the printer's fault, stopping the press to make another plate would have cost the print shop, as well as my company, a lot of extra time & money. Instead, we relied on some "old-school" techniques and got our hands dirty! Everyone was happy in the end. (It didn't hurt that I had showed up at 8am earlier that day with homemade cookies for the team!)
The cover image retouching had been approved while I was away. But when I was on press, I saw something I could not get passed. Sadly, the client had approved the proof with this blemish.Within the photograph, there was a sign, and one of the large letters had a small area with a lot of extra grain. Since it was not the printer's fault, stopping the press to make another plate would have cost the print shop, as well as my company, a lot of extra time & money. Instead, we relied on some "old-school" techniques and got our hands dirty! Everyone was happy in the end. (It didn't hurt that I had showed up at 8am earlier that day with homemade cookies for the team!)
Overseeing the installation of the Serge Gainsbourg exhibition CAD-cut Vinyl Wall Text in the FIAF Gallery Design Director & Production Manager
On-press for the FIAF Winter Cinema BrochureDesign Director & Production Manager
The photographic stills from most of the films in this series were very grainy, with very little color. To add some depth, I decided to run the black on this brochure very heavy. In anticipation for how that would effect the overall piece, we pulled out black in other areas of photos that we would want to make sure stayed bright (for contrast - otherwise they would have been very dark and flat). This worked out great, the brochure had lots of life in the end!
The photographic stills from most of the films in this series were very grainy, with very little color. To add some depth, I decided to run the black on this brochure very heavy. In anticipation for how that would effect the overall piece, we pulled out black in other areas of photos that we would want to make sure stayed bright (for contrast - otherwise they would have been very dark and flat). This worked out great, the brochure had lots of life in the end!
FIAF Calendar of Events Inside Cover of Building Hours and LocationsDesign Director & Production Manager
This blue is four-color process, not a pantone. And I assure you, you can not find this color in a process book, nor can you predict what it would look like on the uncoated paper from seeing the glossy proof. We worked hard with the printer to create a beautifully balanced and vibrant, smooth, deep blue for this page. More importantly, with the uncoated paper, you have to worry about that color bleeding and flooding the small type. You can see here how crisp our outcome was. The type I believe is 7.5 – 8.5 points.
This blue is four-color process, not a pantone. And I assure you, you can not find this color in a process book, nor can you predict what it would look like on the uncoated paper from seeing the glossy proof. We worked hard with the printer to create a beautifully balanced and vibrant, smooth, deep blue for this page. More importantly, with the uncoated paper, you have to worry about that color bleeding and flooding the small type. You can see here how crisp our outcome was. The type I believe is 7.5 – 8.5 points.
