How to cover a year like 2020.
NACS Cover Design
How do you cover a year like 2020?
Especially when your signature offering is a State of the Industry report loaded with the kinds of data and trends that your members rely on for both insight and guidance?
Lori Stillman, Vice President of Research at NACS, started with the literal cover of her team’s annual State of the Industry report. NACS (the National Association of Convenience Stores) has compiled and presented performance data for the U.S. Convenience Store industry since 1969, and in this challenging, disruptive-by-definition year, Lori wanted to do something different: create a visual acknowledgement of 2020 and its lessons while showing optimism for what's to come.
Lori and I also have a history; we collaborated years ago, integrating visual facilitation and live, large-scale graphic recording into a think-tank Summit she hosted in Austin. In her new role at NACS, Lori sought to bring that same spirit of engagement to a report that -- while data-heavy -- is ultimately a reflection of human behavior. So why not make it feel more human from the very start?
Working with Lori and NACS Director of Business Development, Christopher Rapanick, we started with conversations about what NACS wanted the art to convey in both form and function; the additional uses for the digital image; smooth integration into an intense, already established production process; and how to visualize the challenges of 2020 without fixating on the negative -- instead, providing a clear-eyed look at lessons learned with an inspirational vision for moving forward.
If that sounds like a lot of preparation just to begin the process of creating a cover -- you’re right! In-depth information gathering is at the core of understanding and synthesizing content in a deeper, more relevant way. So by the time my pen hits the paper or my stylus hits the screen, we’re already well on the way to creating a visual that will hit home in a more meaningful manner.
