What We Do
Our Process
Plan and Assess
Every project we work on begins with a review of our client’s communication goals and objectives; audience profiles and needs; competitive environment and best-practice analysis; success metrics; as well budget and schedule parameters.
Research and Strategize
We continue to collaborate with our clients to pinpoint the goals of their communications and how to best connect with their unique audience. Through understanding their culture we can define an effective integrated communication strategy.
Engage
With a focus on the audience we map out a plan for print, digital, and social media. In a media-rich world, the communications we develop must connect with people where they are. And the delivery mode defines the deliverable.
Ideate
Working with an approved strategy we develop directions that meet the communication goals. From creating a new brand to working with an existing one, our work is driven by our clients’ identity, not our own.
Art Direct, Design, and Develop
We have over 30 years experience as creative directors working with writers, illustrators, photographers, and videographers to bring our creative directions to life.
Assess
We stay connected with our clients to ensure that the work we created meets expectations and fulfills success metrics defined at the beginning of the process.
The Team
Kelly McMurray
Creative Director
Kelly is a creative director with more than 20 years’ experience. She began her career as an editorial designer working on a range of magazines in the B-to-B and consumer marketplace. Publication design allowed her to foster her love of design systems and narrative visual concepts. She brings that sense of storytelling and system design to develop content-rich, visual communications.
She oversees the Design Internship Program at the College of Saint Rose and has taught at the Art Institute of Boston, Massachusetts College of Art & Design, and Metropolitan State College of Denver. She received an MFA with a focus on new media from Mass College of Art & Design.
Kelly has presented at CASE, UCDA, AIGA, and AM+P on the topic of design. Her work has received recognition for art direction and design from AIGA, AM+P, AAF, ASME, CASE, SPD, UCDA, Society of Illustrators, and Print magazine. She loves shopping for textiles when she travels and not-so-secretly wants to be a bag designer.
Chris St. Cyr
Creative Director
Chris is a creative director at 2communiqué. He began his career in book and custom magazine publishing and was an early adopter of interactive design. His work focuses on the usability of editorial content in digital media.
Chris has an MFA from Mass College of Art & Design and currently teaches interactive design courses at the College of Saint Rose. He has also taught at the Sage Colleges, Ringling College of Art & Design, Massachusetts College of Art & Design, the Art Institute of Boston, and the University of Denver. Chris has presented at UCDA and AIGA on the topic of interactive design. His work has received recognition from AIGA, AM+P, AAF, CASE, and UCDA.
Morgan Jordan
Art Director
Morgan is an art director at 2communiqué. She brings her background in editorial design and marketing to develop unique, playful solutions. Whether she is designing a 96-page publication or a single-page fundraising project, she has the ability to navigate a problem and provide thoughtful designs that speak to our clients’ goals.
Morgan holds a BFA from The College of Saint Rose where she was selected as a student Portfolio Review Finalist for the Art Directors Club. More recently her work has received recognition from AAF, AM+P, CASE, SPD, and UCDA. Her creativity is limitless—from remodeling her turn-of-the-century home to crafting elaborate Halloween costumes, or designing amazing invitations for her friends’ weddings.
J Walker
Associate Art Director
J is a designer at 2communiqué. An adventurous background in fine arts and non-profit design helps J bring a unique perspective to the team. She has a BFA from The College of Saint Rose where she further developed her passion for specialty packaging and editorial design. Her poetry book won first place for design in the juried Undergraduate Art Exhibition and her senior project received honorable mention at Albany Center Gallery’s OUTPUT show. J is an unabashed foodie, animal lover, and film buff. At home she loves to cook and dabbles in crafting natural, small-batch goods and body products.
Farrah Mills
Designer
Farrah is a designer at 2COMMUNIQUÉ. In the spring of 2018, she earned her BFA in graphic design from the College of Saint Rose and pursued a freelance career before joining the team. Her work encompasses multiple creative practices with a focus on conceptual and narrative storytelling. With a background in fine art and film, her philosophy of design merges craft and attention to detail to enhance our curiosity of everyday interactions. Throughout her college career, Farrah received ADDY Awards at the National and Regional levels for integrated branding and installation mural work, recognition in curated collegiate exhibitions, and was an AIGA speaker for emerging designers. You will most likely find Farrah making work within her community in downtown Albany; from lettering signs for local shops, to exploring the medium of film and documentation, to collaborating with fellow artists, the possibilities to create are endless.
Kyra Rhoades
Production Manager
Sam Rossi
Bookkeeper
Sam is much more than just the bookkeeper at 2communiqué. She helps out with all aspects of studio management and loves getting lost in spreadsheets. At home, you’ll find Sam experimenting with gluten-free ingredients, refinishing old furniture, and playing with her daughter.
Partners
Vicki Glembocki
Vicki Glembocki is an award-winning journalist and editorial consultant who brings a unique perspective on communications, having worked inside the ivory tower (as an editor at Penn State, Pitt, and Dartmouth) and in the commercial world—from city magazines with a circulation of 120,000 to national publications with 10.5 million subscribers worldwide. She specializes in crafting can’t-put-it-down stories and guiding others to get the most mileage out of their content. Vicki has partnered with us on numerous redesigns including the award-winning redesigns of Bowdoin and CJON.
Mark Sheehy Creative
Mark Sheehy has 15 years’ experience as a writer and creative director, much of it spent with Lipman Hearne and mStoner. He has worked on a wide variety of projects for a diverse range of institutions including the University of Cincinnati, Brown University, and William & Mary College. He has a knack for sussing out the (sometimes little) things that make an institution unique and finding compelling ways to call attention to those distinctions. Mark was instrumental on the award-winning communications we developed for RPI and Noble and Greenough. http://www.marksheehycreative.com
Ellen Barnett, Barnett Creative
Barnett Creative, led by Ellen Barnett, specializes in branding, marketing, and copywriting. Ellen focuses on bringing concepts to life to best suit the client and target, creating the most compelling argument and the most enticing message, regardless of the medium. We have worked with Ellen on numerous projects including marketing materials for Saint Stephen’s Episcopal School, admissions communications for Touchstone School, and Advancement material for Tufts University. http://ellenbarnett.com
Cheryl Della Pietra
Cheryl has been a copy editor for 20 years. She has worked as a freelancer for Us Weekly, Elle, and LIFE magazines, and was the copy chief at Fast Company magazine. She has also worked on the websites for SmartMoney and IEEE Spectrum. She was an instructor for the Media Bistro organization for six years and currently teaches copy editing for UC-San Diego. Cheryl works with us on numerous projects, including the award-winning Nobles magazine.
Mike Mittelman, Downplane Consulting
Downplane Consulting focuses on helping small and midsized companies achieve their business goals through technology. Downplane performs technology selection, requirements gathering, database design, system architecture, and website build-outs, and makes sure the technological decisions are the right ones for the client. We have collaborated with Downplane on a range of interactive projects including the Aspect Press website and publication. http://www.downplane.com