Jessica Hewett

Hewett House Co. is a husband and wife team that creates handmade goods ranging from polymer clay earrings to custom wood furniture. With a background in illustration and graphic design, Jess loves to create printed materials and wearable art. Driven by a passion for woodworking, Micah creates everything from handcrafted cutting boards to custom built-ins and furniture.

Established in 1994, Smoke Daddy is a well known barbecue restaurant and live music venue. I created digital content, photography, and print collateral for both of their Chicagoland locations and catering department.

Located in the Southport Corridor, Ella Elli provides an intimate dining experience for the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago. My design work for the restaurant was inspired by the intimacy and simplicity of the space. I supported the marketing team with content for social media, digital advertisements, email blasts, photography and other collateral.

Located in Lombard, Illinois, D.O.C. Wine Bar was a full service restaurant and event venue. When I began working for the restaurant, they did not have a clear brand identity. I helped to establish their brand aesthetic through consistent design and photography.

Frasca is an Italian influenced restaurant that features wood fired pizzas and an extensive wine program. I designed a wide range of materials to support their neighborhood focused marketing. For their wine tastings and events, I created digital advertisements and social media posts as well as unique print collateral for event patrons.

Tuco and Blondie is 4 Star Restaurant Group’s Mexican concept located in the heart of Lakeview. They have a unique brand identity with a juxtaposition of modern bold colors and antique illustrations. In addition to digital support, I worked with local vendors on various print projects including street fair banners, the restaurant’s awning and their “Gato Loco” hot sauce label.

With an exclusive commitment to the food and beverage category, Cleveland Avenue provides financial and consultative support to innovative businesses in the industry. I worked closely with both their portfolio brands and consulting clients including Beyond Meat, Sustainable Beverage Technologies (SBT), Taste 222 and PizzaRev. Areas of focus in my role at the company included brand research and development, digital presentations and event support.

Taste 222 is the storefront showcase of Cleveland Avenue headquarters, a venture capital and consulting firm that invests in food, beverage and restaurant concepts.

My first project as a team member of Cleveland Avenue was to refine and develop the branding for Taste 222. I began by establishing a style guide which I then applied to create a new website and menu system. I continued to support the restaurant by maintaining the website, designing and sending email campaigns, updating and printing seasonal menus, creating social media posts, photographing new dishes and developing marketing materials.

Late night ramen and hip-hop was the combination Chicago didn’t know it was missing. Furious Spoon has a very specific brand identity that gave me the opportunity to work on various print and web projects for the company including pitch deck presentations, photography, menu design, social media posts, e-blasts, table tents and window wraps.

Rooted in family recipes and tradition, Connie's Pizza is a Chicago icon with some of the best deep dish pizza in town. In recent years, they have begun modernizing their brand to reflect the ever-changing society and new restaurant trends. To help facilitate Connie's new voice, I have created various packaging designs, e-blasts, photographs and other collateral that are contemporary yet remain true to Connie's origins.

As an employee at the Now Open Project, I had the opportunity to develop branding for upcoming concepts including The Pink Squirrel. The midwest supper club inspired bar opened in December 2017 in the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago. In collaboration with our graphic design intern, I developed the logo, brand identity and initial menu for the concept.

Izakaya Mita is a Japanese restaurant in the Bucktown neighborhood of Chicago. I've worked on a variety of projects for this establishment including drink and food photography, a menu redesign, social media posts and print collateral for upcoming events. I also redesigned their website, which allowed easier connection to potential and current customers. 

Founded by a married couple in Peoria, Illinois, Himegarner’s Handmades focuses on making eco-conscious, sustainable bath and body care products. I designed their logo and built their website using Squarespace. I also created hand drawn illustrations for their lip balm products.

Eataly is an international Italian market chain that was developed to make specialty Italian products accessible to consumers worldwide. In the winter of 2014-2015, I assisted during their busy holiday season creating signage for promotions, photographing anything from products to events, and creating a chalkboard display for their Birreria restaurant.

With a menu created by Chef Rodelio Aglibot, a Hawaiian native, FireFin Poké shop opened its first location with much success in 2016. They continue to expand staying true to their values of high-quality products, sustainability and love. I've worked on a wide range of marketing collateral for the company including investor presentations, promotional cards, pop up signage, menu boards, to-go menus and much more!

Deadbolt was a bar and music venue in the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago. I designed social media posts and emails that promoted the live music performances and special events.

I had the privilege to work at Kafein, a local Evanston coffeeshop. I started as a dishwasher and worked my way up to management. I fell in love with food service, and decided to do a project that reflected the unique industry and personalities of our staff. I photographed the employees, and interviewed them on their perspective of the restaurant industry and how creativity played a role in their lives. The finished product was a series of miniature handmade books for each individual as well as a short video.

I did a variety of work for Fabio Viviani Wines to help develop their brand identity. My main focus was on social media and marketing. I was in charge of their social media content, developing their website, creating digital marketing and print material and designing labels and packaging.

Trinity Irish Dance Company and Trinity Academy of Irish Dance are separate entities both founded by Artistic Director Mark Howard. Trinity Academy of Irish Dance aims to inspire young dancers and elevate the community through the power and grace of Irish dance. Empowering women and creating contemporary choreography, Trinity Irish Dance Company is world-renowned and continuously pushes the boundary of traditional Irish dance. I have been lucky enough to work with Mark on several projects including banners for St. Patricks Day parades in Madison, Milwaukee and Chicago, as well as design several advertisements for both companies.

Monarc was a custom bespoke menswear company based out of Chicago's West Loop. My role there was to assist in all creative aspects of the company including social media marketing, promotional material, package design, product photography, booth display, and website layouts. 

This is a book I wrote and designed called “Understanding Communication.” The text is a response to “Communication Theories” by Paul Watzlawick and “A First Look at Communication Theory” by Emory A. Griffin. I chose to represent communication visually through the use of maps and triangles that act as guidance throughout each page.

In addition to my love for design and photography, I have a passion for bookbinding and handmade crafts. Photographed are a couple sketchbooks I made from found materials.