The American Israelite

Producing a weekly newspaper requires bringing together information from multiple sources while maintaining accuracy, readability, visual consistency, and a recognizable editorial identity. Articles, photographs, headlines, captions, and advertising must compete for limited space without compromising the reader's ability to follow the content.

For The American Israelite, the challenge includes serving a defined readership with material that is informative, relevant, and visually engaging. Editorial production must accommodate changing story lengths, varied photographic material, and the practical demands of preparing a publication for print.

My work combines copyediting, original writing, photography, and editorial design to help transform information into cohesive, publication-ready content. I edit submitted material for clarity, consistency, grammar, and readability while preserving the author's intended meaning and voice.

As a contributing writer and photographer, I develop restaurant, microbrewery, event, and feature articles supported by original photography. This allows written and visual material to be considered together, from the development of the story through its presentation on the printed page.

I also incorporate AI-assisted tools into selected editorial and visual workflows to help explore ideas, develop drafts, evaluate language, and refine presentation. Editorial decisions, source evaluation, photographic selection, and final revisions remain guided by human judgment.

My background in graphic design and production informs how I approach typography, image placement, visual hierarchy, and the relationship between editorial content and available space.

The resulting work brings writing, photography, editing, and visual communication together in material prepared for The American Israelite's readership. Original articles and photographs provide a coordinated approach to storytelling, while careful editing and page preparation support consistency and readability throughout the publication.

The projects demonstrate an adaptable editorial process in which established design principles, original content development, and emerging tools serve a common objective: communicating information clearly, accurately, and effectively.

Kroger needed digital signage for endcap-mounted retail screens capable of communicating product offers, pricing, card requirements, package sizes, and promotional details within an unusually wide, shallow format. Shoppers would encounter the displays while moving through the aisles, often from a distance. The challenge was to make each offer immediately understandable without sacrificing essential product and purchasing information.

I designed a flexible horizontal banner system that organized information into consistent visual zones. Product photography and brand marks establish recognition, while prominent typography directs attention to the primary offer. Supporting details—including package sizes, pricing, card requirements, and promotional conditions—remain accessible without competing with the main message.

For Kroger's Mix & Match promotion, I designed a recurring logo treatment that visually connected offers across multiple product categories. Combined with prominent promotional messages such as “Buy 6, Save $3,” the logo established a recognizable campaign identity across different displays.

Controlled spacing, restrained backgrounds, and a consistent visual hierarchy allowed the system to accommodate changing products and offers while maintaining a unified appearance.

The completed banner system provided a consistent, adaptable approach to in-store promotional communication. It brought product identification, pricing, promotional requirements, and purchasing information together within a demanding display format. The Mix & Match logo supplied a recognizable visual element across participating promotions, while the overall system balanced visual impact with practical retail communication needs.

Answers in Genesis needed three educational swivel books for children and families, each developed from different source materials while maintaining the organization's visual standards and biblical teaching objectives. The rotating format introduced significant space and sequencing constraints, requiring complex subjects to be communicated through short, visually engaging segments.

The challenge was to make biblical history, apologetics, and creation-based teaching accessible to younger audiences while preserving the substance of the material. Each book needed to function as an individual educational piece while contributing to a recognizable family of products.

I designed three swivel books, organizing written and visual content into sequential teaching experiences. The rotating format required careful attention to typography, illustration, photography, color, and visual hierarchy. Each panel needed to communicate independently while encouraging readers to continue through the sequence.

For 7D’s of Deception, staff writers supplied the copy, while Ark Encounter references and Answers in Genesis photo archives, as well as my own photography, informed the visual development. The book challenged familiar depictions of Noah’s Ark and their influence on perceptions of the biblical Flood account. I created the cover illustration, deliberately depicting the Ark unrealistically to introduce the problem being examined. Interior panels combined photography, illustration, Scripture, and structured visual sequences to present the organization’s interpretation of the biblical account.

For The Seven C’s of History, staff-written content and existing Answers in Genesis illustrations provided the foundation. I organized the material into a chronological visual sequence, incorporating color, repeated graphic elements, circular icons, and layered imagery. Creation Museum references and archival photography helped support a consistent visual approach throughout the book.

For Dinosaurs for Kids, the source material came from a previously published book. I adapted its existing copy and illustrations to the smaller, interactive format, reorganizing the material to accommodate the swivel-book structure while preserving the original content and visual appeal.

Across all three projects, the design process involved adapting different content sources to a consistent physical format without imposing an identical visual treatment on each subject.

The completed projects formed a coordinated collection of interactive educational books, each with its own visual character and instructional sequence. The swivel format brought written explanations, photography, illustrations, and graphic elements together in compact, hands-on presentations.

The work demonstrates my ability to interpret established content, adapt existing visual resources, develop clear information hierarchies, and manage the design and production requirements of unconventional printed materials. Each project required balancing creative decisions with organizational standards, audience needs, and the practical limitations of the format.

Emerson Heating & Cooling needed a professional visual identity that would establish recognition, communicate reliability, and support its advertising to local homeowners. The challenge was to develop a cohesive brand that could represent the company's technical services while remaining approachable, recognizable, and adaptable across different media.

Advertising for seasonal maintenance presented an additional communication challenge. Routine HVAC service can be easy to postpone, making it important to connect preventive maintenance with the benefits homeowners value: comfort, efficiency, reliability, and peace of mind.

I developed the company's original branding, including its logo, color palette, and visual identity, establishing a consistent foundation for advertising and promotional materials.

The final spring maintenance campaign builds on that identity with the message “Comfort made simple.” Family photography and warm natural light communicate the desired outcome of a comfortable home, while three concise benefits—Prevent Breakdowns, Improve Efficiency, and Breathe Cleaner Air—translate technical service into practical reasons for scheduling maintenance.

The advertisement uses clear visual hierarchy, structured spacing, and purposeful imagery to move the viewer from the promise of comfort to the benefits of service. Technician photography reinforces the company's hands-on expertise, while prominent contact information and a direct call to action provide an immediate next step.

The accompanying video extends the company's advertising into motion, offering another format for presenting its services and reinforcing brand recognition.

The completed branding established a unified visual identity for Emerson Heating & Cooling, providing a foundation for consistent communication across advertising materials.

The final spring maintenance advertisement applies that identity to a specific homeowner need, combining recognizable branding, approachable imagery, practical benefits, and a clear call to action. The accompanying video broadens the company's visual presentation beyond static advertising.

Together, the work demonstrates my ability to develop an original brand identity and extend it into coordinated advertising, combining visual consistency, persuasive communication, and production across multiple formats.

Working with established consumer brands requires balancing creative presentation, brand consistency, and exacting production specifications. Projects range from promotional advertising and marketing materials to packaging layouts, each with its own communication objectives, technical requirements, and deadlines.

Through work with James River Corporation, Hulefeld, Libby Perszyk Kathman (LPK), and Northlich, I developed and prepared a variety of commercial design materials, including advertisements, promotional graphics, packaging artwork, and production mechanicals. The work required careful attention to typography, imagery, color, layout, brand standards, and print specifications.

The projects demonstrate versatility across multiple brands, product categories, and production formats. Together, they reflect an ability to translate creative direction into clear, accurate, production-ready artwork while maintaining the visual integrity of established brands.