The Big Kickoff, Mother Struckers!
Creating a company zine as the summer design intern
As a part of my ten week-long internship at Struck, I was tasked with designing a project that would be the culmination of my time spent here. I wanted to tackle a design project that would not only challenge me to step out of my comfort zone, but that would also be beneficial to the agency. I ultimately decided on a project that I felt would do both: a Struck zine.
For years now, I’ve been collecting dozens of publications of all stripes. I have always considered a well designed magazine to be a work of art in and of itself, so I leapt at the opportunity to be involved with the creation of one. This zine will showcase Struck’s history and tell readers about its people, what they’ve done and what they’re capable of doing. At the same time it will give me an opportunity to work within a medium that I love, but that I have had little to no experience with. Even now three weeks in, I’ve already gained an entirely new appreciation of what is involved in the process of a zine’s formation.
My overall goal for this 54 page publication is to feature nine Struck veteran profiles. Each will include a photo, personal background and a brief statement about his/her work within the agency. It will also exhibit some projects each veteran has worked on during their tenure at Struck. The zine will be packed with custom art, illustration spreads, type and layout showcases, a Struck seal, analog photos and a pattern or two. Basically, it will be a highly visual, physical portfolio.
I spent the last week compiling inspirational material, going over color, type, and laying out a grid (see the header image for some of my inspiration). The look I am going for is minimalist. Just a simple one or two-color piece utilizing typefaces that look and feel like Struck.
Most of the stylistic decisions have been made and I’ve sent out a questionnaire to the nine Struckers to be featured. Up next, I’ll start collecting all of the source material for the layout. Wish me luck! And check back on Struck’s Greater Than collection for a weekly peek at the project coming together.
James Ramirez is a DJ, freelance graphic designer and cinephile. When he’s not digging for used records he’s searching local strip malls for the best ethnic food. Right now he’s also the summer design intern at Struck.
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