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Design is a small planet, often self-referential, with well-worn paths for
exposition, criticism and analysis. When we contemplated devoting an
issue to self-promotion, we were acutely aware of certain tropes. The
usual way of portraying self-promotion by designers would be to focus
on the projects they use to market themselves and their firms—the
postcards, the tchotchkes, the e-newsletters, etc. But we decided right
away this issue would not be about that stuff.
» Continue
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STEP Design 100 Annual 2006: Product and Service Booklets (cont'd) |
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85. SAMATAMASON, INC., CHICAGO
Part travelogue, part self-promotion, the brochure designed by SamataMason for photographer Stephen Wilkes offers a unique view of artists’
lives in modern-day Cuba. The Caribbean island, once a tropical playground
for the world, now stands faded, reduced by poverty, economic
sanctions, and travel restrictions brought on by policies toward
Cuba’s government. “In spite of these difficulties, or maybe because of
them, there is an inner spark of the irrepressible, of freedom of spirit in
Cuban culture that Wilkes captures in these photos,” explains Greg Samata,
creative director.
The brochure features full-bleed, double-page images interspersed
amongst a collection of smaller images—some are panoramas
of beaches and architecture, some focus on small details of
people’s passions. A center gatefold contains a mosaic of portraits
of young Cuban artists, giving the reader a sense of real people living
real lives. All the photographs work together to tell a story,
and the narrative pacing illustrates the cover theme of Cuba Libre
(Free Cuba). Throughout the piece, bold type printed in gloss varnish
over the matte imagery serves as section headers for a subtle
effect. The sewn binding technique, typically used underneath
a glued cover, is left visible in this self-cover brochure, working
nicely with the raw cover graphics.
“Freedom is still to be found in the hearts of the people,” concludes
Samata.
Terry Lee Stone
SamataMason, Inc., Chicago
CREATIVE DIRECTOR, ART DIRECTOR: Greg Samata
DESIGNER: Goretti Kao
CLIENT, PHOTOGRAPHER: Stephen Wilkes
CONTACT: www.samatamason.com
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