Print Design: Editorial / Mental Health
CRACKYL
/ magazine: a lifeline for firefighters
CRACKYL Magazine was created for firefighters who want greater control over their mental, physical, and emotional lives at work and at home. The goal is to mentor, educate, support, inspire and offer valuable and relevant advice to today’s firefighter, sharing a laugh or two along the way.
This quarterly print publication and website display relevant content related to health, lifestyle, fitness, finance, relationships and stress. Each article comes to life with unique designs that help tell the story in an engaging way and visually break up content. With print issues published and distributed across North America, CRACKYL maintains its accessibility to all firefighters by being available in digital format globally – now with a reach of over 800,000. CRACKYL is a community and lifeline for all in the fire service.
the name
The inspiration behind the name CRACKYL comes from a feeling firefighters experience in the middle of a structure fire when a sudden calm comes over you and you hear a fire crackling all around a smoke-filled room, but can’t see it. The sound of a fire crackling is imprinted on every firefighter’s mind, and it roots us in this exhilarating and unpredictable profession. Although the name CRACKYL was chosen to reflect what a firefighter hears, the spelling also has a unique and specific meaning.
The purpose of this magazine is to help firefighters create an immune system for the firehall and the home. The human immune system is made up of “Y” shaped proteins called antibodies, which are responsible for fighting off illnesses and keeping us healthy. Much as the immune system is a separate function in our body, the letter “Y” functions separately in CRACKYL. It’s built into the masthead to symbolize the proactive health and wellness goals of the publication.
the masthead
The shape of the letter-forms in this logo embody both a bold strength and a modern take on vintage firefighter typography. The imperfect, rough edges and grit texture reflect the rugged nature of being a firefighter - the realities of the job, while the more structured and formal aspects of the letters show an adherence to tradition and the fire community.
The yellow underline beneath the “C” in CRACKYL represents the need for caution and the importance of keeping firefighters in the caution zone of their lives. By staying safely in the yellow, we avoid any preventable tragedies represented by the thin red line. Much like a traffic light, yellow is our last chance to stop before running into a red. The underlined ‘C’ can also be pulled out and used alone as a single icon across social media, stickers, etc. to represent the Crackyl brand.
The navy, red and tan-gold of the colour pallet reflect the colour of bunker gear and fire apparel as well as a nod to brass equipment and vintage firefighter designs.
Project information
Project done for: Crackyl Media
Year: 2019 - Present
Team: Sarah Ross Designs
Skills used: editorial design / typography / visual design / branding / media kit / logo development / layout