Black and white headshot of a smiling woman with shoulder-length hair, wearing earrings and a collared shirt.
Catherine Jacobes’ design is unfussy and bright, built around the crisp, saturated food photography of Maren Caruso.
— Los Angeles Times


Hello!

I'm an art director and designer with 20+ years of experience shaping books, campaigns, and stories for trade publishers and lifestyle brands alike.

I’ve designed more than 50 books for publishers including Ten Speed Press, Chronicle Books, HarperOne, Oxmoor House, Weldon Owen, and Sunset — work that's earned four IACP Cookbook Award nominations (two wins), a Bookbuilders West Award (now Publishing Professionals Network), and press coverage from Publishers Weekly, Bloomberg, Food & Wine, Good Morning America, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the Los Angeles Times.

I’ve always had a soft spot for books, magazines, food, photography, the visual arts, and all things editorial, which have been an endless source of inspiration and joy throughout my career.

As co-founder of Book Kitchen, alongside writer Steve Siegelman, I take illustrated books from concept to print for national trade publishers and retail brands — full packaging, start to finish. I love the collaborative side of this work, partnering closely with writers, photographers, and stylists to bring each book to life. You can see more of our joint work at bookkitchen.com.

I bring that same creative direction to branding and campaign work, drawing on agency experience across brand identity systems, digital experience, and integrated advertising — with accounts including Google, Charles Schwab, and JP Morgan Chase.

If you want to launch a project, I'd love to collaborate and create something special for your next book or brand. Let's connect!

WHAT I DO

Book and Magazine Publishing / Art Direction / Editorial Design / Identity Systems / Brand Strategy and Creation / Brand Guidelines / Advertising / Digital Design / Corporate Reports / Exhibition Design / Presentations / Photoshoot Direction / Video Production / Website Design / Pre-press and Print Production

Some of the companies I’ve worked with:

Ten Speed Press

Chronicle Books

Andrews McMeel Publishing

Oxmoor House

Weldon Owen

HarperOne

Sunset Magazine

GFF Magazine

Macy's

Williams-Sonoma

Marshall Field's

California Closets

Robert Mondavi Private Selection

Ironstone Vineyards

Beaune Imports

Laughing Glass Cocktails

Ardent Mills

University of California Berkeley

Coral Reef Alliance

Prudential Emerging Visionaries

Rastrello Boutique Hotel

Charles Schwab

JP Morgan Chase

Google

DocuSign

Membio

Austin Board of Realtors

Greenwich Association of Realtors

Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors

Lafayette Regional Realtors

Stellar MLS

OneKey MLS