Yacht Essentials

Publication Design

The task: Redesign Yacht Essentials, a free annual guide for boaters by Kennan Publications, with the following parameters:

–Provide destination details (the essentials), divided into regions, with individual sections devoted to port destinations.

–Design should be industry-focused, yet easy to use for a target audience, including yacht captains, crew, and owners.

–Utilize independent copywriters and photographers from various regions. Photography should be visually compelling and under budget.

–Design a complementary digital footprint (website) to serve as a searchable reference for users, as well as an additional advertising vehicle.

–Publisher Chris Kennan allowed us tremendous design leeway. This included some normally no-go zones for printing: an odd size footprint (9” x 9”), a high amount of white space, a sizable page count, and full-page ads only.

Captivating photography was front and center, with gorgeous full-page shots opening each section. We utilized the considerable talents of Onne Van Der Wal, Billy Black, and Marc Paris, three of the industry’s most talented lensmen.

The table of contents and the usually mundane masthead were also reimagined. The table of contents was a grid of regional photos, while the masthead was integrated into a yacht beauty-shot spread.

The resulting book was both visually stunning and highly functional, a successful blend of design and practicality.