Having fun,
doing good work,
exercising options.

My exercise philosophy is “Always keep moving — never break a sweat.” Sometimes this approach is even appropriate for design.

Since 2010 we have had the privilege of working with International District Energy Association, IDEA, designing and producing their quarterly magazine, District Energy (in publication since 1915!) We inherited the existing design, and without interruption kept the magazine moving “as is” while we learned about the energy industry and its customer base. But being designers, we naturally wanted to exercise our options…

By 2011 (our third issue), we had reworked the cover as a full page image, moved the address panel to the back, and simplified the typography and color palette on the editorial pages. What we gained was increased efficiency in the mailing and production routine — not to mention an overall sleeker look. Over the next two years we continued to slim down the production process, standardize ad sizes, and strengthen the graphic standards for imagery. By 2013 we did a comprehensive make-over of the magazine without missing a beat. Not only does the magazine look buff, but the number and quality of the ads increasingly add muscle to the bottom line.

So what’s next? A refresh for 2017 to adapt to the ever-evolving energy industry.

Contact us. Let us walk you through your next project so you can take off running — no sweat!

Joy Yoshikawa