This content was originally published by The Hop Review, a digital magazine that joined the Hop Culture family in March 2020.
This piece was written by Jack Muldowney.
QUEENS, NY
Each year, design magazine Print releases it’s Regional Design Annual to showcase the best design in the United States–across all media applications. It awards designers in the East, Midwest, South, Southwest, Far West, and New York City. I’ve never quite understood what warrants New York City to earn “regional” status, but they make the magazine, so whatever.
This past year, that very “region”–New York City–found its overall regional best in show, in the form of a beautifully type-driven beer packaging system, designed for Transmitter Brewing in Queens. Artist and designer Jeff Rogers (also of Brooklyn) gets credit for the elaborate design approach, inspired by ham radio, of all things.
“The numbering system is the hero of the label designs,” Rogers told Print. He was inspired when he saw an article in UPPERCASE showcasing QSL radio cards from the ’30s and ’40s, created by ham radio operators. They proved to be ideal inspiration for the brewery which is named so because of it’s location not far from Transmitter Park in Brooklyn.
Rogers also tells Print that, “My philosophy for these is more is more,” which just goes to show that, when done well, more can be better.
“My philosophy for these [labels] is more is more”
Images from the website of designer Jeff Rogers, howdyjeff.com