Neenah Paper’s Future Classic

Illustration
2015

Atlanta on 30,000 Calories: An illustrated food guide and neighborhood tour for a week in the Big Peach.

About Future Classic

Neenah Paper partnered with Design Army to create the Future Classic promotion – a printed book aimed at honoring the remarkable relationship between destination and design. Neenah and Design Army sought out the next class of great design cities, and the innovators who are making their marks there. They selected six up-and-coming cities and seven emerging designers.

About The Project

As the emerging designer chosen to represent Atlanta and the Southeast, I created an illustrated food and drink guide to my city. Food is a rallying point for a region. Certain flavors and ways of cooking develop and become specific to certain areas. Over time, they become markers of people from a similar area. I think this is very true of the South; we've developed a rich culture around Southern foods — from shrimp and grits, collards and down-home barbecue to New American-style high-end burgers and bourbon-based cocktails. Plus, I believe there is something special that happens when you sit down around a table to a meal with others. Atlanta has developed its own unique twist on Southern cooking, and I'm always glad when I get to sit around a table with friends in this city.
 
The illustrated food guide was done in my loose, pen-and-ink style of drawing which I felt represented the folk-arty imperfection and quality of our Southern-gothic yet modern vibe. It was produced on an eight-page flyout that works as an insert that is removable from the spread of the book.

A booklet with the words "CLASSIC" and "FUTURE" written repeatedly in black and gray text, with some letters highlighted in red.
Open magazine with black geometric shapes and text about design and cities.
A white card with a hand-drawn map of Atlanta, Georgia, surrounded by distances in miles and notes on calories, with the message 'Atlanta on 30,000 Calories' and the phrase 'Let's eat, y'all' at the bottom.
Colorful illustrated pamphlet about Atlanta with hand-drawn maps and icons.
Hand-drawn map featuring landmarks and locations such as Fat Matt's Rib Shack and Piedmont Park, with illustrations of a food truck, a pond, and a tree, and text labels indicating various places and notes.
A colorful hand-drawn map featuring a skull with floral designs and a soft serve ice cream cone, with the words 'Holy Taco' and 'Zesto Drive-In' visible, along with some street names and the phrase 'Two Words: Bacon Taco.'
Sketched map of a restaurant named Jack's Kitchen & Bar with illustrations of food items, drinks, and a chicken, including oysters, burgers, chicken sausage, French press coffee, and a cocktail, labeled with playful handwritten text.
Hand-drawn map with points of interest including The Vortex Burger Bar, the Porter, Euclide, McLendon, the Wrecking Bar, and the Radial Cafe. Uses black, teal, and orange colors on white paper.
A handwrittenmap with drawings of a winged creature and a sign, mentioning burgers and craft cocktails, with the name R. Thomas, a 24/7 diner.
Hand-drawn sketch of Sweet Auburn with illustrations of a building named Majestic, a gelato shop called Paolo's, a tilted candle with flames, a can of King of Pops, and handwritten notes about local eateries and drinks.
A decorated menu featuring various illustrations and handwritten-style text for a food and drink event or location.

Credits

Creative Director
Design Army

Editorial Director
Holly Thomas

Art Director
Sucha Becky

Client
Neenah Paper

Emerging Designers
Emily Brown (Portland), Faun Chapin and Meg Paradise (Oakland), Jay Fleck (Chicago), Sarah Jacoby (Philadelphia), Kate Zaremba (Washington), Russell Shaw (Atlanta).

Read more about the book on Neenah's blog, Against The Grain. Or, read more detailed interviews on PRINT Magazine's post about the project. See the process shots each artist posted on Instagram at #CLASSICNEENAH. To get your very own copy of Future Classic, contact your local merchant or Neenah sales representative.