The Assignment:
Conceptualize a unique calendar idea that shows off what Norton Creative does best. What does Norton do best? Food. Lots of food. So much food that it takes twelve different scenes to show it off. Where We Dine encapsulates the realistic scenes of where we (actually) eat. Whether that be in a car, in a bar, or on the couch, I wanted to capture it. Takes two messy, slightly manicured hands to pull this off, and I’m proud of it.
Included: art direction, prop sourcing, food styling, printed calendar, illustrative bursts, playlist curating, and even hand modeling
Recent Awards: The American Advertising Awards, Gold
Photography
Calendar Design
Jam out to the calendar!
Music and design go hand in hand for me, so I curated custom playlists to accompany each month of the 2025 calendar that captures the mood, energy, and creative direction behind every design.
Project Details
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Photography: Brian Kennedy
Copywriting: Nathan Spell
Creative Direction: Stef Gonzalez & Erin Dubois
Emotional Support: My dog, Olley, on shoot day 1
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I’m proud to share that this project was spearheaded and executed by me, with guidance from my superiors throughout the process.
My role began in the ideation phase, where I developed three distinct concepts to present for consideration. Once one direction was selected, I expanded the idea into twelve unique monthly themes, thoughtfully aligning each with seasonal moments, holidays, and time-of-year relevance to ensure the concept felt cohesive and timely.
After monthly themes were approved, I moved into pre-production: sourcing props, gathering materials, and planning food needs for the shoot. At this stage, building a detailed shot list was absolutely crucial to keep the creative vision organized and executable.
During the pre-shoot window, I began designing each calendar page to establish typography, color palettes, and layout systems that reflected the overall concept. Designing in advance allowed for a seamless integration of the final photography. I was also in constant communication with our local printer, managing production specifications, selecting paper stocks, and making strategic decisions to maximize the project budget without compromising quality.
The shoot itself spanned a full work week, with each day packed with multiple setups. I managed props and art directed every shot to ensure the final imagery aligned with my vision. This was my favorite phase of the project because it was hands-on, detail-driven, and creatively energizing (even if my feet ached by the end of each day).
Once final photography was delivered, I placed the images into the calendar design, finalized layouts, secured approvals, and prepared files for print production. Then crossed my fingers, and sent to print!
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Where did I source the props, you ask? The answer isn’t as straightforward as you might think.
Everywhere.
Amazon (of course), our in-house prop shelves, my own home, my mom’s temporary Airbnb (yes, really), my coworkers’ desks and living rooms, and even local restaurants. No stone was left unturned in bringing each concept to life.
When you’re building twelve distinct visual stories, resourcefulness becomes part of the creative process. I embraced it fully with sourcing, borrowing, and repurposing wherever necessary to ensure each shot felt authentic, layered, and on-brand.
