Heartland
2024
2024
With offices in Brooklyn and Los Angeles, Mother US sits at the center of the creative industry yet far from much of the country. This distance can create a disconnect from small-town America, which may lead to work that unintentionally misrepresents real lives. To bridge this gap, Mother took a 14-week road trip to learn directly from the source—resulting in HEARTLAND, an honest and inspiring portrait of Heartland America today.
In order to authentically present the research, the goal was to design an artifact that felt native to the Heartland rather than reflective of an outsider’s perspective. Eschewing the traditional hardback, thick-papered coffee table format, the design drew inspiration from the utilitarian language of product manuals and field guides, resulting in a spiral-bound multi-format book. Interspersed throughout are materials inspired by road travel such as postcards, foldout brochures, and maps. The result encapsulates the experience of collecting items along a road trip, compiled into an expansive narrative.
Each section is designed with its own look and feel to represent the breadth of American visual culture. Type is inspired by classic Americana, vernacular typography, and sign-painting. Photo treatments are inspired by DIY techniques and the textures of agriculture and industry. A foldout map, illustrated by Heartland-native Paul Windle, depicts everyday scenarios described in the book.
In order to authentically present the research, the goal was to design an artifact that felt native to the Heartland rather than reflective of an outsider’s perspective. Eschewing the traditional hardback, thick-papered coffee table format, the design drew inspiration from the utilitarian language of product manuals and field guides, resulting in a spiral-bound multi-format book. Interspersed throughout are materials inspired by road travel such as postcards, foldout brochures, and maps. The result encapsulates the experience of collecting items along a road trip, compiled into an expansive narrative.
Each section is designed with its own look and feel to represent the breadth of American visual culture. Type is inspired by classic Americana, vernacular typography, and sign-painting. Photo treatments are inspired by DIY techniques and the textures of agriculture and industry. A foldout map, illustrated by Heartland-native Paul Windle, depicts everyday scenarios described in the book.
Designed with—Mother LA & Mother Design︎︎︎
Mother LA
Chief Strategy Officer—Charlie McKittrick
Head of Strategy—Jesse Unger
Senior Strategist—Camila Caldas
Managing Director—Romain Naegelen
Account Executive—Jenna Sweeney
Head of Production—Erin Goodsell
Senior Producer—Ryan McDonald
Producer—Ari Stewart
Mother Design
Head of Design—Mark Sloan
Associate Creative Director—Justin Fines
Senior Designer—Bentzion Goldman
Case Study Art Direction – Bentzion Goldman
Partners
Resarch—Nonfiction Research
Illustration—Paul Windle
Case Study Photography—Matthew Gordon
Printing—Paper Chase Press
Typefaces—Arial MT Pro, American Typewriter, Rama Gothic, Rama Slab, Big Shoulders Stencil
Mother LA
Chief Strategy Officer—Charlie McKittrick
Head of Strategy—Jesse Unger
Senior Strategist—Camila Caldas
Managing Director—Romain Naegelen
Account Executive—Jenna Sweeney
Head of Production—Erin Goodsell
Senior Producer—Ryan McDonald
Producer—Ari Stewart
Mother Design
Head of Design—Mark Sloan
Associate Creative Director—Justin Fines
Senior Designer—Bentzion Goldman
Case Study Art Direction – Bentzion Goldman
Partners
Resarch—Nonfiction Research
Illustration—Paul Windle
Case Study Photography—Matthew Gordon
Printing—Paper Chase Press
Typefaces—Arial MT Pro, American Typewriter, Rama Gothic, Rama Slab, Big Shoulders Stencil