Well, it’s now May, three months into this global pandemic. It still seems surreal. My state of Alabama is one of the many that has started the reopening process after a month-long lockdown. It remains to be seen what will come of that, as we are welcoming many tourists from hard-hit infected areas to our shores. I hope we all continue to stay safe and practice social distancing as we adapt to the new normal.
But in the spirit of a tourism and travel designer, I’m going to focus on the positive: the amazing natural beauty of the Gulf Coast and the bounty of adventures that await, both of the aquatic and epicurean varieties.
I’m reaching back to the 2013 Official Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Vacation Guide to highlight the year that our team persuaded the GSOB Tourism Bureau to switch from a minimal photo and listing guide to an informative and content-rich magazine-style travel guide. To facilitate this move to a planner/intercept piece, I had a huge photography budget and I made the most of it! I also made many local contacts while researching and art directing the photoshoots that remain good friends to this day. And it’s never a bad thing when the client gives you full rein to design as you wish!
This publication was one of PURE JOY to plan and design, and I am pleased to say it shows in the final piece. And to top it off, the client was incredibly happy with the results and had a tremendous positive audience response from tourists planning their trips or picking up the guide after they arrived. Mission accomplished!
