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ALLY GERSON
JENNIFER SUKIS
PAMELA ZUCCKER
PRINCIPLE
Principle is the collaboration of Ally Gerson, Jennifer Sukis and Pamela Zuccker — three principals-turned-partners who share the same values and collective standards for good business and great design. They met as colleagues and reconnected after successfully running their own independent studios. Together they have produced noted campaigns, publications, identities and more for a variety of clients, including Bella Cucina, Chronicle Books, Larson-Juhl, Maryland Institute College of Art, Microsoft, NapaStyle, Nordstrom, Paddywax Candles and Progressive Insurance.
Was graphic design your first career path?
JS: It was my mother who actually opened my eyes to visual communication. Once I realized it combined art with logic, I was hooked.
AG: I plastered my childhood bedroom with print ads and was always fascinated with letterforms and visual puns. As much as I admired graphic design, I followed in my father's footsteps and went to business school so I could eventually join his accounting practice. The "ah-ha" moment occurred at an on-campus job where the opportunity arose to jump on a Mac and design posters for the student union. (Sorry, Dad.)
PZ: I didn't really know what graphic design was, but my dad was a marketing man and spent ad budgets with artsy, creative folks. I was a painting major and eventually migrated to design. I loved the combination of language, image, metaphor and form.
What talents do you wish you possessed?
JS: I wish I was more mathematically inclined. I would love to try my hand at architecture.
AG: I wish my creativity in the studio translated to my cooking. I don't take risks in the kitchen like I do in design.
PZ: I wish I were multilingual. I travel a lot, and speaking the local language opens so many doors.
Which project in your portfolio are you most proud of?
We're most proud of the work that pushes us and pushes the client. We love to enhance the experience we're creating by tackling seemingly impossible production challenges. Whether it's printing on cork wallpaper, testing plastic injection molds or comping a book with six different paper stocks, the reward is the uniqueness of each finished piece.
What role does "green design" play in your work? Some clients are more "green" than others and have pushed us to ask ourselves: what would this client do? What feels right for them? That may mean soy-based inks, high recycled content or re-appropriating existing materials in a new way. Being green has a learning curve, and, gradually, you start thinking green at very preliminary stages of the project. We have also purchased Green-e Certified Wind Renewable Energy Certificates from Element Markets to offset all of the carbon emissions from our operations. Being a carbon-neutral company allows us to provide services to our clients without impacting the environment from the emissions of our vehicles, plane flights or electricity consumption.
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