The Ideal Centennial
Preserving a century of history through thoughtful editorial design
Telling the story of a century-old company is a unique challenge. Rather than creating a traditional anniversary brochure, I wanted readers to experience the people, ideas, and relationships that shaped Ideal Jacobs over the past one hundred years.
The Challenge
Every company reaches milestones. Few have the opportunity to celebrate one hundred years of continuous innovation.
The challenge wasn't simply to document Ideal Jacobs' history—it was to create a publication worthy of it.
Every company reaches milestones. Few have the opportunity to celebrate one hundred years of continuous innovation.
The challenge wasn't simply to document Ideal Jacobs' history—it was to create a publication worthy of it.
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Rather than producing a timeline of dates and accomplishments, I wanted to create something that customers, suppliers, employees, and future generations would genuinely enjoy reading. The publication needed to celebrate the company's past while reflecting the relationships, craftsmanship, and values that continue to define Ideal Jacobs today.
My Role
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The Process
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Discover
Working closely with company president Andrew Jacobs, I reviewed decades of photographs, publications, company archives, and historical material. Together we identified the stories that best represented the people, innovations, and relationships that shaped the company's first century. Organize One hundred years of history can quickly become overwhelming. Instead of presenting events chronologically, I organized the content around themes that would create a more engaging reading experience while allowing history, photography, and personal stories to naturally complement one another. Design Typography, photography, and layout were carefully balanced to create a publication that felt timeless and approachable. Rather than overwhelming readers with information, each spread was designed to encourage exploration while allowing important stories and imagery room to breathe. Produce Working closely with the production team, I prepared the publication for commercial printing, ensuring that the finished piece reflected the same level of craftsmanship and attention to detail that Ideal Jacobs brings to its own products. |
Results
The completed publication was distributed to customers, suppliers, business partners, and employees around the world as part of Ideal Jacobs' centennial celebration.
More importantly, it became something larger than a marketing piece.
It became a permanent record of the company's history and the people whose dedication shaped its first hundred years.
More importantly, it became something larger than a marketing piece.
It became a permanent record of the company's history and the people whose dedication shaped its first hundred years.
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Reflection
Working on The Ideal Centennial reminded me that good design isn't simply arranging words and images on a page. It's helping preserve the stories, relationships, and history that define an organization. Having the opportunity to tell that story remains one of the most rewarding experiences of my career.