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ARTS+LEISURE September 29, 2016
The Addison Independent
Matt and Pam Heywood, graphic artists and owners of Image Farm, stand in their Middlebury studio.
INDEPENDENT PHOTO/TRENT CAMPBELL
Image Farm: designing local brands
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BY EMMA COTTON
dds are most residents of Addison County have encountered graphic designer Matt Heywood’s work, though they probably didn’t know it at the time. Anyone who has used the Addison Country Transit Resources public transportation system, sipped from an Aqua Vi-Tea Kombucha bottle, used Full Sun products or entered the Vermont Book Shop in downtown Middlebury has witnessed Heywood’s craftsmanship.
In 2006, Heywood and his wife, Pam, co-founded Image Farm, a graphic design, illustration and web design business based in Middlebury. Since then, the two have been creating designs and images for businesses and campaigns around Vermont, including many in and around Middlebury. “We just wanted to do our own thing,” Heywood said. “We worked for other people and did it on the side, and eventually it got big enough that we just went for it.” Creating an image might seem simple to an outsider, but the craft takes a good amount of behind-the-scenes strategizing, with a time scale that varies depending on the project. Before diving into design,
the Heywoods learn about the clients’ work, goals and personalities to produce an image that’s both aesthetically pleasing and effective. “It’s different every time,” Matt said. “We try to really get into their stuff, to spend a while with them and learn about their company, or learn what they want to achieve. So there’s a strong getting-toknow-them process, and out of that comes a strategy.” Projects range from simple one-time advertisements to campaigns to “wayfinding” signage systems in public buildings. Some carry more pressure than others — clients who place their message into Matt and Pam’s hands often rely on the team’s artistry to attract the public to their business or help distribute a message. This past summer, the Image Farm team was busy working on the Middlebury New Filmmaker’s Festival. They designed the print program, posters and ads, and created the festival’s overall look and feel. “It’s all about getting in front of people,” Matt Heywood said. “It’s really a big chunk of the fest.” Image Farm works on a number of projects at once, which can be a challenge when they have to switch from a smaller, simple project SEE IMAGE ON PAGE 7