Riff Journal – Amber Nicolini

Editorial Design

Riff Journal

Art Direction
Branding
Layout & Design
Photography

Creative Direction
Concept
Design
Photography

In my previous role as an Art Director for TrueFire, one of the challenges and company initiatives was finding an outlet to focus and expand its brand awareness to a younger demographic of guitar enthusiasts and music students. My background in editorial design sparked the idea for an educational guitar-centric magazine that would serve to hi-light TrueFire’s expansive roster of artists as well as act as a platform for students to engage with them on a more personal level. Riff is read in over 20+ countries around the world and its readership has over half a million reads and impressions. My responsibilities included brand identity, design, layout, and digital implementation for the first 17 issues of the magazine. I also photographed and art directed select spreads and covers.

One of TrueFire's company initiatives was finding an outlet to focus and expand its brand awareness to a younger demographic of guitar enthusiasts and music students. My background in editorial design sparked the idea for an educational guitar-centric magazine that would serve to hi-light TrueFire’s expansive roster of artists as well as act as a platform for students to engage with them on a more personal level. The result was Riff Journal, an ad-free quarterly magazine available both digital and print editions designed to connect students and celebrate artists and educators. Riff is read in over 20+ countries around the world and its readership has over half a million reads and impressions. My responsibilities include design and layout for all of the magazine and direction on select spreads and covers.

RIFF

noun

Definition

DEFINITION

: a short repeated phrase in popular music and Jazz; used as an introduction or refrain in a song.
: a rapid energetic often improvised verbal outpouring
: a distinct variation
Quick, energetic and distinctly musical.

Branding

My approach to the branding was to create a memorable mark that was contemporary, warm, well constructed, and distinct from other magazines in the guitar industry. A ‘riff’ is a well known musical device and I wanted that musical influence to carry over into the typography itself and be instantly recognizable to a musician. The double ‘ff’ ligature is a musical indicator as well, expressing the dynamic in which notes are to be played. ‘Fortissimo’ is synonymous with increased volume and standing out which also aligned with our brand attributes.

Wordmark

Section Indicators

Typography

Grid

Mission

At the core of Riff is feeding the fire of inspiration that lives within us all. We want to inspire and empower artists and students to build relationships and foster learning. We hope Riff will serve to document and celebrate artists now and for years to come.

CELEBRATING THE ARTST

Select Spreads