From time to time, we are going to take a moment to talk about Hum’s creative process. It’s important to us to make sure that our clients are happy, that their voices are heard and represented, and that Hum’s voice fits with theirs. It’s an exciting, sometimes frustrating, and always rewarding process. So for our first case study, we are going to highlight Forterra’s Ampersand magazine!
Forterra is a Northwest conservation effort that is keeping our region beautiful through carbon mitigation and community involvement. We had developed a great relationship working with them on their annual fundraiser, and knew that Forterra was starting to think differently about how to approach marketing the idea of conservation. In that spirit, Hum was asked to design an annual magazine, Ampersand, that would promote Forterra’s town hall event, showcase their expertise, and build brand awareness. We wanted the magazine to be beautiful, reflect Forterra’s mission, and be the highest quality.
Two of Hum’s intrepid designers, Glenn Newcomer and Aaron Bloom, took the lead on the Ampersand creative, not only because they’re great at what they do, but because they spend most of their free time backpacking and scaling peaks and finding nature and then gazing pensively at majestic landscapes. Forterra’s mission was a perfect fit.
Goals for This Design
The goals for the design of Ampersand were to embody the following…
Visionary
Focused
Passionate about this region
Smart & Thoughtful
Engaged
Efficient
Eco-Conscience
Surprising
Edgy
We wanted to be able to give each piece in the magazine its own voice within the system of the layout. We had a lot of room to respond to the content, and function as editors around pacing and voice, which gave breath to the design.
The Process
We collaborated with the Forterra team in the beginning to decide on what types of stories would be included, and which ones were a priority. It made us invested in their mission and priorities, and felt like we were creating a place to share them.
Aaron and Glenn worked closely outlining the world this was going to live in, and wanted to make something that had a specific and earnest voice, but gave the content room to speak in its own way.
This called for:
A limited color palette
Super considered typography
Chill illustrations
Doing photography in house
Forterra trusted us with a lot of creative control and we were able to make something pretty special in the conservation world, which doesn’t always get that level of treatment.
The Event
Forterra’s Town Hall Event is tonight, November 6, and we can’t wait to see people experience Ampersand in person.