The Iowa City Press Co-op (ICPC), a project of Public Space One, is a community printmaking and book arts studio. ICPC offers memberships and hosts workshops and events to make printmaking accessible to anyone with an interest.
I first became involved with the Iowa City Press Co-op in 2015, when the organization was still known as Zenzic Press. I helped with the rebrand to Iowa City Press Co-op, designing the logo and illustrating printmaking tools (above). I have designed many workshop brochures, posters, and other promotional materials over the years. Below is a sampling of some of the projects I have worked on with this organization.
• Clean, classic, versatile
• Demonstrates co-operative operation of the organization
• Can be paired with a variety of visual styles
As an arts organization, it was important to allow room for experimentation. Members didn’t want to set brand colors or commit to rigid visual standards because they knew that the logo would be used in a variety of contexts and would be paired with different art styles.
The negative space in the logo comes from the wheel on a printing press. The filled in shapes in the center represent the flow of creativity from the collective. The outer spokes convey forward motion, using the power of print to inspire action.
I collaborated with fellow ICPC member, Lydia Diemer on designing posters for the annual Print Day in May event. Together we brainstormed concepts and imagery. Lydia designed the floral background image and I did the house illustration, layout, and typography.
Early in my involvement with ICPC, we started publishing printed brochures for each season's workshop schedule. At the time, the organization had a very small social media following and internet presence, so printed brochures and posters were an effective way to share information and stay top-of-mind for prospective workshop attendees.
The organization still uses printed promotional materials to share information for people who stop by in-person and at community events, such as Iowa City Arts Fest and Pride.
