GRAPHIC DESIGN & ART DIRECTION

2021 Shutterfly Holiday Catalog

THE TOP TAKEAWAYS:

Strong Revenue Performance: Delivered over $33M in revenue in our most critical quarter.
Creative Innovation: Evolved the cover away from a flat flood of the brand's signature orange to add interest and reflect the evolution to a more lifestyle-driven approach to photography.
Art Direction Evolution: Led the way for the internal creative team to move the art direction from a product-on-sweep approach to lived-in lifestyle.

ACD/Lead Designer: Maddy Hague
Creative Director: Lindsay Little
Designer/Art Director: Katelyn McDonough
Lead Copywriter: Nick Ewertz
Photographers: Kyle Johnson-MacPherson and Abe Holte
Stylist: Kirki Schultz

PROJECT CREDITS

As the Principal Designer and ACD overseeing Shutterfly's pivotal holiday catalog and Gift Guide, my role was crucial in aligning the piece with the new brand positioning introduced in Q4. Serving as a bridge between the old and new brand identities, the catalog strategically incorporated new brand elements while maintaining a sense of familiarity for customers adapting to the visual and copy voice changes.

Starting with the Front Cover, the evolution from the previous year's simple branded orange flood was significant. The conceptual design, featuring confetti and a gift box, added visual depth while reflecting the spirit of the new brand and the holiday season. The box served as a creative device, housing removable offer cards and symbolizing Shutterfly's offers as a gift to customers. The interior maintained the orange theme, emphasizing brand-forward moments and showcasing new products and services.

In line with a broader shift towards a more aspirational and inspirational design, editorial moments were strategically placed throughout the catalog. These moments encouraged customers to embrace their creativity, including a fun fill-in-the-blank feature with elegant typography on the opening spread. Lists and tips were strategically integrated, enhancing the overall surprise and delight factor.

During the redesign of spread templates, a clean and focused approach was maintained to highlight photography moments. However, subtle touches of the handmade feel from the new brand were strategically incorporated. Illustrations crafted for the holiday campaign adorned select spreads, and the handwritten brand typeface mirrored the fill-in-the-blank concept introduced at the beginning.

The art direction utilized bold color choices to guide the eye through the catalog and accentuate product highlights. The curated palette, aligning with Shutterfly's new brand guidelines, exuded a festive feel while remaining versatile across holidays.

about the project

As a testament to the enormous amount of manpower it took to execute the 2021 Holiday Catalog, we captured a behind the scenes video of the photo shoot. In it, you see me working with our stylist (keep an eye out for the bright yellow sweater!), our sets, how we bring our product to life with post-production, and more! This fun under-the-hood look was featured in company meetings, corporate communications, and on our LinkedIn feed.

Behind the Scenes: Sizzle Reel

Here are some of the concept illustrations I drew for presentations leading up to our photo shoot. It's always fun for us to look back at them and compare them to the final photography and see how close they are, and where they differ!