Chronicle Books Blog

Chronicle Books publishes over 200 books and gift projects in any given season. As much as we designers love to tenderly craft every last detail of each project, there are just too many of them for our team of 16 in-house designers. So, instead we get to hire outside designers whose work we love and are inspired by. Whether a tiny two person art studio out of Philadelphia or a creative powerhouse in LA, outside talent is a vital part of our collaborative process.

This ever-shifting pool of freelance designers is essential to our larger creative family, branches that extend far and wide. Here are a few of our favorites:

Jon Sueda of Stripe LA designed Sake, Buzz and most recently, one of our favorite designs, the Eiji Tsuburaya (see above). Typical of Chronicle tradition, the range of work is diverse to say the least. Smog (also based in Los Angeles) has designed Art of Bolt and Runnin’ Down A Dream: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

Steve Barretto of San Francisco is a super versatile designer who has collaborated on many, many books with us, from the Playboy Bunny Book, to Art of Modern Rock to Mastering the Grill. He has a wide aesthetic range, smart design solutions, and he’s nice to boot.

Sometimes our very own end up leaving the nest, and we enjoy keeping them in the fold. Former children’s designer Mary Beth Fiorentino left Chronicle a few years ago to focus on her letterpress business, Peculiar Pair Press. Since then Peculiar Pair Press has designed a journal set, a box of labels, a stationery box, a gift wrap kit in their Paper Patisserie line. Look out for their placemats (a new format!) coming out in Fall 2009.

Former children’s designer Sara Gillingham just finished designing the hilarious The U.S. of Eh? and her new portfolio website is to die for.

Former designers Brett MacFadden and Scott Thorpe flew the coop to start the MacFadden & Thorpe. They are currently designing The Secret Life of Syrian Lingerie and the BLDGBLOG book (out Fall 2009).

As the Chronicle design offshoots continue to branch off, we do our best to keep them connected. They too become the branches bearing the fruit we hope you’ll pick.

Note: If you’re interested in joining our pool of freelance designers please feel free to submit your portfolio to us for review. We all get together once a month to look for new talent.

Suzanne LaGasa
Designer

Renegade Brooklyn!

McCarren Park Pool was sweltering hot and a really good reminder of how much I love the weather here in San Francisco, but it was also the perfect venue for this huge craft event, with live music and hundreds of vendors selling their fantastic handmade goods.

I loved this table set up right outside Renegade with cupcakes and Snoopy sno cones for sale. Perfect for the weather!

I know, I know — everyone is sick of owls and birds. But you know what, I still have a soft spot for them and I think these felted owls created by Laura Alane are darling. I picked up some of her postcards which feature her owls in outdoor settings like at the beach and lounging in the park.

I loved these wooden bookmarks from Beacon Bookmarks. And I can’t deny blushing a little when I asked the woman selling them if I could take a picture of them for a blog.

I know I should have gotten down the name of the people selling these great wall hangings made from vintage fabric, but I didn’t want to disrupt this perfect picture, it captured the day so well and I’m sure her umbrella doubled nicely once the rains started later that afternoon.

I’m a sucker for everything My Paper Crane creates. Crying tree stumps, giant strawberries, onions with faces– yes please! Heidi also has a project in our fabulous Softies book.

I imagine I am probably the last person on earth to not own an ipod, if I had one I would buy one of these clever ipod cases by Mr.Poncho.

Of course there was loads of jewelry at Renegade, but my favorite? Brookadelphia—great name and nice big shiny bling, just how I like it!

Where you at Renegade in Brooklyn? Leave a comment and let me know what caught your eye!

Check out more Handbound posts.

Christina Loff
Craft Publicist

We have a garden. It’s a garden where I let my 4-year-old daughter Claire do pretty much whatever she wants. I let her plant seeds at the wrong time of year. I let her water whenever she wants to. I let her pick and eat any edible plants. You would think the garden would be a mess but actually it’s quite nice. We have huge parsley plants, English peas and massive amounts of broccoli.

We planted the broccoli seeds on a whim in the dead of winter. We do live near the wine country in Northern California so the winters here are mild. I let Claire plant the seeds but I never thought that the broccoli would actually grow in our somewhat neglected garden. I think I was as excited about it as she is. When I saw the broccoli growing, I ran for the camera and here is a photo of our first harvest.

When we picked our first bunch, we steamed it and ate the bright green stalks with olive oil and salt–irresistible. I can’t wait until our magic garden sprouts more delicious vegetables. Now my daughter frequently reminds me to check the vegetables in the garden so we can eat them. I love that.

NOE VALLEY

There’s no more kid-friendly place to be than Noe Valley’s 24th Street on the weekends.

Between Castro St. and Church St., there’s a bounty of restaurants and shops to keep kids happy. First, settle on a place to eat. Sit in the front patio and dig into a basket of curly fries at Barney’s Gourmet Hamburgers (1; 4138 24th St.). Family favorite Savor (2; #3913) has a backyard courtyard and tasty crêpes. Holey Bagel (3; #3872) gives tykes free mini bagels. Peasant Pies (4; #4108) specializes in handheld pies. Grab a sinfully rich rocky road cupcake at Noe Valley Bakery (5; #4073). At Subs Inc. (6; 1300 Castro), indulge in a scoop of San Francisco’s insanely good Mitchell’s ice cream.

After noshing, drop into Terra Mia (7; #1314) to paint a pottery piece. Back on 24th, Just for Fun & Scribbledoodles (9; 3982 24th) carries every imaginable geegaw and game.

The biggest scene is Saturdays, 8 a.m.–1 p.m. at the Noe Valley Farmers’ Market (10; 24th, between Vicksburg and Sanchez Sts.), where tots boogie to live bluegrass and paint chalk pictures on the asphalt. Nearby, pick up unique, old-fashioned toys at The Ark (11; #3845). Relax and refuel at Lovejoy’s Tea Room (12; 1351 Church; open Wed.–Sun., reservations recommended) for kids’ Wee Tea, with a child-size spread of English sandwiches and pastries. Catch the J line at Church.

Hannah
Marketing Manager

Purchase City Walks with Kids: San Francisco.

Text © 2007 Leslie Crawford
Illustrations © 2007 Dave Needham

As our six-month design fellowships come to an end, we wanted to share a few thoughts on our experience. Each of us came up with our own colorful analogy for what the design fellowship was like for us followed by some examples of our work here at Chronicle.

The Publishing Design Fellowship is like pro tennis in the 80s: People you train with consistently serve up ace designs and the occasional overhead slam; there is no shortage of colorful headbands; you work amidst an atmosphere of hushed concentration, loud cheering, and grunting; and someone is always buzzing his hair for attention.
—Andrew Schapiro

Case wrap for the book Advertising Next: 150 Winning Campaigns for the New Communications Age

Cover for the book Swimming with Strangers

The Marketing Design Fellowship is like a great road trip with friends. You drive along an improvised route telling jokes and singing miserably the entire way. Then, when you finally reach your destination, your trip is suddenly thrown into perspective as you realize how many truly wonderful people you’ve met along the way, how many inspiring sights you’ve seen, and how much you’ve really grown to love a waffle breakfast.
—Nina Fujikawa

Collected marketing materials including bookmarks and postcards

The Industrial Design Fellowship is like a good pair of shoes, the one in the window you can’t help but notice. Trying them on, you find they are surprisingly comfortable. You realize that the shoes—voila!—fit perfectly. Your piggly-wigglies have been coddled and you have not cried wee-wee-wee all the way home! Six months later the same shoes are rough around the edges, but they still fit just right.
—Chloe Fung

Little Pea book and dish set

“The Book Step” stand for holding multiple books

The Publishing Design Fellowship is like seeing a giant squid wearing sunglasses. It’s intimidating and surreal until you actually encounter it. Then, it’s still awe-inspiring, but not quite so foreign and you actually begin to feel like you have something in common with the thing you so admired. Plus it looks totally cool.
—Brad Mead

Cover for the book Fate! Luck! Chance!: Amy Tan, Stewart Wallace, and the Making of The Bonesetter’s Daughter Opera

Case wrap for the book The New Secret Language of Dreams

The Children’s Design Fellowship is like a fable. On a big blue planet floating out in space is a large landmass wherein the residents have created a very diverse country, full of opportunity and adventure. They have developed the land and populated it in areas cold and snowy, warm and dry, and foggy and mild. Farms have been cultivated and cities built high into the sky. While every area of this country has its advantages, one specific location seems to have more than most. Here, near the ocean and the mountains, the residents of every shape, size, color, and creed live together, celebrate their unique opportunity to live in such a splendid location. They work in offices and on the street. They play in lush garden parks and share delicious food on the patios of endless restaurants. And when they want something extra special, they read. Oh, how they love to read! Books of every genre are stacked everywhere and are devoured by people all ages. Books on dinosaurs and doodles, puppy dogs and wild horses, even big trucks and diggers! Who could possibly provide enough books to meet the demand? Why, Chronicle Books, of course! Oh, how the people rejoice at the sound of the name! Chronicle! Chronicle! You can hear them shouting in praise from the libraries to the printing press. The Golden Gate Bridge smiles in anticipation of new titles and the ocean waves crash the shore in applause. Oh, Chronicle Books, you’ve saved the day again!
—David Habben

Finger puppet books for kids

Cover for Horse Crazy

Well there it is, everything you need to know about what it is like to be a Chronicle Design Fellow.