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The Sh-coop

A Zine all about ice cream in Chicago.

One of my favorite things on this earth is ice cream. I eat it almost every day. Therefore, I decided it was only appropriate that I create a Zine issue all about it. It was really interesting designing for a smaller, hand-held publication. The goal was to keep it short and small but still interesting and eye-catching.

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Initial Research & Project Brief

For my initial research, I first had to research the ice cream scene in Chicago, as well as how most people feel about ice cream. I then created a project brief to outline the subject, audience, and goals of this zine.

Overview

In a large metropolis like Chicago, food and desserts are a huge part of the city scene, specifically ice cream. In terms of this frozen treat, Chicago has numerous famous local ice cream shops that entice residents and tourists alike. Both in Winter and Summer, ice cream is one of the most sought-out late-night treats. The Shcoop zine provides the latest news on ice cream trends, shops, and events for consumers all year round. Knowing there are tons of food and dessert lovers out there, The Shcoop hopes to become the go-to publication for Chicagoans to find their next favorite ice cream spot.

Industry Information

The momentum for ice cream is readily increasing. Every month, new ice cream shops are popping up or local ones are expanding, such as Jeni’s ice cream, in the Chicagoland area. Furthermore, last year in 2018, Chicago held the first ice cream festival in over a decade featuring local ice cream shops from all over the city.

Target Audience

The target audience is Foodies- influencers and people in general who have a particular, almost obsessive, interest in food and desserts. These people are mostly in the millennial generation, but can also range from mid-teens to older people. This audience loves ice cream as well as trying out new places and restaurants, meaning they have a medium/high income to spend at these restaurants.

Competitors

The Shcoop has competitors such as the Chicago Food Magazine and Eater Chicago. These are high end magazines that review restaurants and give suggestions to consumers as to where to eat. The Shcoop zine is unique because it focuses solely on local ice cream shops and parlors, whereas these other magazines cover all types of food content from sit-down restaurants to bakeries to fast-food in Chicago.

Brand Character

Trendy

Bright

Entertaining

Overall Tone

In The Shcoop, the tone would be informational but also entertaining and playful due to its light subject. It would feature medium-length articles about the goings-on of new ice cream shops, as well as opinion reviews of different places.

Size/Format

This zine would be meant not only for locals, but also for travelers and people new to the city. Therefore, it would be best if it were the Digest size of 5.375” x 8.375” so that it is easy for people to carry around in a small purse or bag.

Initial Designs

To start out the zine, I decided to make a few cover versions first. I wanted the tone to be playful and colorful; the cover needs to reflect that and be able to draw people in.

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After coming up with cover ideas, I also had to begin to design the inner spreads. The guidelines for the project required for the zine to be 16 pages; the inside of the zine needed to include a main article, a Q&A section, and an infographic. Here are some initial inside spread designs.

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Final Product

After feedback from my peers and professors, I continued to iterate my designs. I think that my final zine stayed true to the project brief, and it was really fun to make!

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