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The Progressive Corporation: Annual Report 2020

An Annual Report with a Resilient Streak

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Nesnadny + Schwartz is a graphic design firm based in Cleveland, Ohio. Our creativity is grounded in logic, informed by research, and fed by the fine arts.

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10803 Magnolia Dr,
Cleveland, OH 44106
216.791.7721
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The George Gund Foundation: Annual Website 2019

A novel digital strategy that evokes hope and action

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Nesnadny + Schwartz is a graphic design firm based in Cleveland, Ohio. Our creativity is grounded in logic, informed by research, and fed by the fine arts.

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10803 Magnolia Dr,
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The Progressive Corporation: Annual Report 2019

Thinking Broadly in Annual Report Design

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Nesnadny + Schwartz is a graphic design firm based in Cleveland, Ohio. Our creativity is grounded in logic, informed by research, and fed by the fine arts.

N+S

10803 Magnolia Dr,
Cleveland, OH 44106
216.791.7721
hello@nsideas.com

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Array of spreads from the Bechtel annual report design

Bechtel: The Bechtel Report

An annual report designed to capture innovation

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Nesnadny + Schwartz is a graphic design firm based in Cleveland, Ohio. Our creativity is grounded in logic, informed by research, and fed by the fine arts.

N+S

10803 Magnolia Dr,
Cleveland, OH 44106
216.791.7721
hello@nsideas.com

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Detailed view of the PROOF book cover design, which features a Michael Caine contact sheet

PROOF: Photography in the Era of the Contact Sheet

Bringing the photographer’s process into focus

PROOF: Photography in the Era of the Contact Sheet

Bringing the photographer’s process into focus

From the moment Cleveland Museum of Art Director Bill Griswold first saw the contact sheets in Mark Schwartz and Bettina Katz’s photography collection, he envisioned an exhibition. The resulting collaboration between the museum, former MoMA Chief Curator of Photography Peter Galassi, and N+S, which included an exhibition opened at CMA in 2020, identity materials, and exhibition book, highlighted the contact sheet’s ability to tell a story, and established it as an art object.

PROOF is unique among exhibition books. The design nods to twentieth-century film photography, and features full-bleed images of contact sheets that emphasize their role in the editing and curation process. The book design balances larger spreads against individual prints, emphasizing clean, open design that encourages readers to lean in and examine the details of the images. It invites readers of all ages and vocations to engage with twentieth century photography, and embodies important insights and stories that live at the intersection of the fine arts and popular culture.

The Work

Our late founder Mark Schwartz and our president Bettina Katz’s photography collection shifted focus to the acquisition of contact sheets in the early 2000s. From the moment Cleveland Museum of Art Director Bill Griswold first saw these images, he envisioned an exhibition.

Book design cover showing "PROOF" in yellow on acetate, overlaying Micheal Caine contact sheet
PROOF book design spread, showing a contact sheet on the left and title page on the right

The resulting exhibition is a true collaboration between museum, curator, and design firm. Organized by CMA, curated by the Museum of Modern Art’s former Chief Curator of Photography Peter Galassi, and designed by N+S, it not only highlights the contact sheet’s ability to tell a story, but also establishes the sheet as an art object in and of itself.

We designed the signature identity that drives the exhibition book design and the exhibition itself. The identity is present in all applications, including banners, event materials, and promotional items.

The Cleveland Museum of Art with PROOF branding banners, announcing the exhibition and featuring Marilyn Monroe

The Results

PROOF, written by Galassi and published by the Yale University Press, is unique among exhibition books. Elements of the book design are specific nods to twentieth-century film photography, including the identity’s color palette, which is driven by a bold yellow inspired by the Kodak brand.

The book begins with full-bleed images of contact sheets that expose the details contained within each sheet, and illustrate the individualistic approach each photographer took to editing and curating images. We honored the black and white contact sheet in its original form—covered in grease pencil markings that map out the artistic process.

Detailed spread of full-bleed contact sheets in PROOF book design

As the book unfolds, our emphasis on clean, open design allows the contact sheets to own the page. Individual prints are balanced against larger spreads that thoughtfully draw the reader through the collection. From start to finish, readers will find themselves leaning in to examine the individual frames of the contact sheets.

PROOF book design spread, showing a contact sheet and the chosen frame, photographed by Larry Fink
PROOF book design chapter spread, showing the "Cropping" chapter and featuring a photograph of Pablo Picasso
PROOF book design spread, showing two chosen frames from Robert Franks's "The Americans"

Unlike the standard edition of PROOF, the limited edition comes to the reader in a box designed to evoke the look and feel of iconic photographic paper boxes. The unboxing of the limited edition acts like an uncovering of a stack of contact sheets, which creates a nostalgic tactile experience.

Angled view of PROOF book design with acetate cover and Micheal Caine contact sheet
Limited edition box set, featuring "PROOF" on the lid with specialty sticker on left and book inset in box on right

PROOF is not just a catalog of photographs. It’s a scholarly examination, a behind-the-scenes look, a story. PROOF lives at the intersection of fine arts and popular culture, and invites readers of all ages and vocations to engage with twentieth-century photography.

The exhibition closed in November 2020, after a ten-month run at the Cleveland Museum of Art where more than 50,000 people were able to visit and enjoy the collection. 

Order the book or learn more about the story behind PROOF.

PROOF exhibition branding banners, featuring Marilyn Monroe, on the Cleveland Museum of Art
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Nesnadny + Schwartz is a graphic design firm based in Cleveland, Ohio. Our creativity is grounded in logic, informed by research, and fed by the fine arts.

N+S

10803 Magnolia Dr,
Cleveland, OH 44106
216.791.7721
hello@nsideas.com

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Front and back views of various notecards from The George Gund Foundation identity system

The George Gund Foundation: Identity

A brand that builds communities

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Nesnadny + Schwartz is a graphic design firm based in Cleveland, Ohio. Our creativity is grounded in logic, informed by research, and fed by the fine arts.

N+S

10803 Magnolia Dr,
Cleveland, OH 44106
216.791.7721
hello@nsideas.com

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The George Gund Foundation: Annual Website

A fresh approach to web design for nonprofits

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Nesnadny + Schwartz is a graphic design firm based in Cleveland, Ohio. Our creativity is grounded in logic, informed by research, and fed by the fine arts.

N+S

10803 Magnolia Dr,
Cleveland, OH 44106
216.791.7721
hello@nsideas.com

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Array of business cards showing new brand design and identity for Fairport Wealth

Fairport Wealth: Identity

A brand identity for a company that builds more than just wealth

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Nesnadny + Schwartz is a graphic design firm based in Cleveland, Ohio. Our creativity is grounded in logic, informed by research, and fed by the fine arts.

N+S

10803 Magnolia Dr,
Cleveland, OH 44106
216.791.7721
hello@nsideas.com

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Artboard 4

CWRU School of Medicine: “Visionaries” Campaign

Envisioning the future of medical education

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Nesnadny + Schwartz is a graphic design firm based in Cleveland, Ohio. Our creativity is grounded in logic, informed by research, and fed by the fine arts.

N+S

10803 Magnolia Dr,
Cleveland, OH 44106
216.791.7721
hello@nsideas.com

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The Progressive Corporation: 2018 Annual Report

A print and digital annual report that’s true to its name

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Nesnadny + Schwartz is a graphic design firm based in Cleveland, Ohio. Our creativity is grounded in logic, informed by research, and fed by the fine arts.

N+S

10803 Magnolia Dr,
Cleveland, OH 44106
216.791.7721
hello@nsideas.com

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White Ulmer logo design with blue line under the letter "U" and the company tagline reading, "Our business begins with you"

Ulmer Attorneys: Identity

A superior rebranding for a superior firm

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Nesnadny + Schwartz is a graphic design firm based in Cleveland, Ohio. Our creativity is grounded in logic, informed by research, and fed by the fine arts.

N+S

10803 Magnolia Dr,
Cleveland, OH 44106
216.791.7721
hello@nsideas.com

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Logo design for FRONT International, featuring black and green typeface

FRONT International: Identity

A captivating brand identity for a citywide art triennial

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Nesnadny + Schwartz is a graphic design firm based in Cleveland, Ohio. Our creativity is grounded in logic, informed by research, and fed by the fine arts.

N+S

10803 Magnolia Dr,
Cleveland, OH 44106
216.791.7721
hello@nsideas.com

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The George Gund Foundation: 2017 Annual Report

An annual report that gets political

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Nesnadny + Schwartz is a graphic design firm based in Cleveland, Ohio. Our creativity is grounded in logic, informed by research, and fed by the fine arts.

N+S

10803 Magnolia Dr,
Cleveland, OH 44106
216.791.7721
hello@nsideas.com

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Food photography of lobster risotto, art directed by Nesnadny and Schwartz for the Cru Uncorked identity

Cru Uncorked: Website, Menus, and More

Identity materials to savor for this French New American fine dining restaurant

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Work With Us

Nesnadny + Schwartz is a graphic design firm based in Cleveland, Ohio. Our creativity is grounded in logic, informed by research, and fed by the fine arts.

N+S

10803 Magnolia Dr,
Cleveland, OH 44106
216.791.7721
hello@nsideas.com

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An array of covers of the 2017 Bechtel annual report design, “Dream Big”

Bechtel: The 2017 Annual Report

An annual report that dared to dream big

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Nesnadny + Schwartz is a graphic design firm based in Cleveland, Ohio. Our creativity is grounded in logic, informed by research, and fed by the fine arts.

N+S

10803 Magnolia Dr,
Cleveland, OH 44106
216.791.7721
hello@nsideas.com

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Inside front cover of Changing Minds annual report design for The George Gund Foundation with photograph by Lisa Kessler

The George Gund Foundation: Changing Minds Exhibition

An exhibition that illuminates how Cleveland reenvisioned public education

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Nesnadny + Schwartz is a graphic design firm based in Cleveland, Ohio. Our creativity is grounded in logic, informed by research, and fed by the fine arts.

N+S

10803 Magnolia Dr,
Cleveland, OH 44106
216.791.7721
hello@nsideas.com

  • Facebook
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Nesnadny + Schwartz is a graphic design firm based in Cleveland, Ohio. Our creativity is grounded in logic, informed by research, and fed by the fine arts.

N+S

10803 Magnolia Dr,
Cleveland, OH 44106
216.791.7721
hello@nsideas.com

  • Facebook
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  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn