About Us
For 24 years, Howry has helped
start-ups to Fortune 100 companies differentiate themselves in their competitive markets. We excel in message-driven design, combining both strategic and visual elements
that create, refresh and strengthen brands. Our unyielding commitment
to excellence seeks to exceed expectations at every step, from strategic planning through design presentation, production and delivery.
Branding
Brand Assessment
Brand Positioning
Brand Systems / Guidelines
Copywriting
Logo Design / Taglines
Naming
Strategic Messaging
Advertising
Annual Reports
Editorial / Magazine Design
Employee Communications
Events / Promotions
Marketing Collateral
Outdoor Graphics / Signage
Product Packaging
Presentation Design
Retail / Merchandise
Social Responsibility Reports
Digital
Email marketing
Interactive Design
Interactive Demos
Mobile and Tablet Creative
Multimedia
Online Advertising
Online Annual Reports
User Interface Design
User Experience Design
Website Design
Principals
Jill Howry
Principal and Creative Director
Jill opened the doors of Howry Design Associates in 1988. After graduating with a Bachelors of Arts degree in Communications from California State University, Chico, Jill’s career began in production for Atari in Sunnyvale, CA, producing graphics for some of the first computer games such as Pole Position and Donkey Kong. In 1984, she moved to NYC to work for leading agencies designing brand and corporate communications for Fortune 500 Companies.
Jill’s career spans many communication art forms including brand identity, annual reports, integrated marketing programs, environmental graphics and packaging. Her work has been widely published and she has received awards from the American Institute of Graphic Arts, American Corporate Identity, Black Book’s AR 100, Print, Communication Arts Magazine, Creativity and Graphis. Jill has served as a judge for multiple national and international design competitions including Communications Arts, the American Institute of Graphic Arts, Graphis and the Mead Annual Report Show. She has held lectures at universities and national AIGA events.
Chris Cincebeaux
Principal and Director of Operations, CPA
Prior to joining Howry Design Associates in 1996, Chris spent 11 years with Price Waterhouse LLP, consulting Fortune 500 and international clients such as Chevron and the Government of Singapore on accounting and tax issues. His expertise and experience with respect to financial statements and reporting requirements for shareholders has been an asset to our clients. He oversees all operational aspects of the company.
Chris is a Certified Public Accountant and has his Master’s Degree in Business Administration, with Phi Beta Kappa honors, from Rutgers University, as well as Bachelor of Arts degrees in both History and Psychology from Dartmouth College.
Howry Highlights
Generate ideas efficiently
McKesson’s VP of Corporate Communications told us on December 19 that the company needed a new logo/corporate identity and was planning on putting this out to bid. However, if we could present ideas to him by December 28, he would show these to his team. He presented our solutions to the Board of Directors on January 5 and received a standing ovation from the Board. (more…)
McKesson approved a logo from our group of ideas that week and we managed and implemented many applications, including environmental/signage for their national offices by March 31. This exceeded management’s expectations as this was the date they were simply expecting to have a new logo by.
Strategic approach and brand messaging
In the midst of presentations by other firms, our pitch presentation to Gilead Sciences in August 2007 was so well prepared and enlightening that we were awarded the job the following morning. Susan Hubbard, the Vice President of Investor Relations said that our design presentation was the best she had seen. (more…)
Management was unanimous in supporting our proposed theme “Having Perspective” which fit perfectly with recent news and company highlights. Upon completion, management said the 2007 AR and online AR was the best they have ever produced. This report was selected as one of the 100 most effective annual reports produced that year and also was one of 18 gold winners in the prestigious Graphis international annual report competition. Later that year, Business Week named Gilead as the second best performing U.S. company, specifically citing Gilead’s unique company “perspective” – which mirrored the thematic wording we developed that year.
Solutions that make an impact
An international genetics conference in New York City needed a theme for a genetic conference which would help ordinary people better understand the scope and relevance of the genetic revolution. They asked if they could use the work we had done with Affymetrix, as it captured their message in a unique and compelling way that was easy to understand. (more…)
In 2003, the annual report we created for Cygnus that was selected as one of three U.S. annual reports to appear in a publication sent to 500 CEOs in Europe as examples of reports that ”were brilliantly designed while communicating a clear, strong investment story.” The annual report we produced for First Republic Bank was named by one of the largest international design competitions as the best report produced for a regional commercial bank for three consecutive years.
Exceptional project management
When Affymetrix relocated their headquarters to a new building in Sunnyvale, we designed and managed the construction of a new lobby museum, including the design a 3,500 piece stained glass window representing the company’s Gene Chip Array. Working within firm budget constraints, we found a way to cost-effectively produce this window using hand-cut Italian glass and worked closely with Affymetrix management team, facilities crew and stained glass fabricator from conception through to delivery. (more…)
Concerned with budget overruns by the architects, after our design ideas were presented and approved, Affymetrix asked us to project manage the lobby museum to completion. We took over coordination of all vendors and completed the museum on schedule and on budget while adding additional design elements highlighting current innovations developed by their subsidiaries.
Proven ability to meet budgets
We excel at working within strict budgets. Amgen needed to increase their publication quantity by more than 100K and expected that we would have to reduce page count to make it work within their original budget. But we worked to help Amgen maintain the necessary page count, while still staying within their original budget agreement. (more…)
The marketing brochure we produced for North Point this year doubled in size but we were able to produce the much larger brochure for a nominal increase in the original budget. The annual report we produced for budget-challenged XOMA was named to the top 100 most effective annual reports for an unprecedented 7 out of 8 consecutive years. Good creative is good creative, no matter what the budget is.
Philosophy
Our work has been recognized in some of the world’s most respected design competitions – and not only for our consistent ability to produce creative visuals. These competitions recognize our work as a whole, from concept development to how well we articulated a message to a specific audience and whether the result exceed expectations. The metric is how well we solved a communication problem.
Ability to work remotely and independently
We produced an effective mini-site portal for the Geron website while working with management in the UK that we never got to meet in person.
Proven experience and long-term relationships
Our key strength over the past 23 years is generating strategic solutions and innovative ideas for clients, which lead to long relationships. This says a lot about our trust, our integrity and the importance we place on building relationships. We also know that we need to be flexible and change when our clients change. One example of this is our 18 year partnership with First Republic Bank. Over the years we have grown and changed with them, creating innovations communications solutions that strive to exceed expectations and beyond. When we see a need within the Bank, we often initiate and present a new idea that helps to solve that need. Our proactive approach generates action. (more…)
10 years – Serbin Communications – creating their uniquely successful marketing campaign
9 years – Geron – corporate identity, environmental work, annual reports, web site and portals
9 years – Xoma – annual report, corporate communications, recruiting brochures
7 years – Del Monte Foods – annual report, marketing brochures, environmental work, web applications, ads
7 years – Chiron – corporate communications, environmental work, annual reports, interactive
6 years – Affymetrix – corporate communications, environments, marketing brochures, interactive
5 years – McKesson – new logo and applications, marketing brochures, signage, annual reports, interactive
5 years – Ross Stores – corporate communications/annual reports
5 years – Gilead – annual reports and interactive
5 years – Solectron Corporation – corporate communications/annual reports, marketing
And many other 3-5 year relationships