Profiles in Publishing: James Cukr, Creative Director and Director of Design and Production

James Cukr /'soo-ker/ is the Creative Director and Director of Design and Production at ScribeConcepts. In this installment of Profiles in Publishing, James shares his unique perspective on the publishing industry, ScribeConcepts' future, and his own review of how his profession has changed. 

Stop in for a Salad

James is based out of Scottsdale, Arizona, and his personal and career histories are diverse. His surname, Cukr, is Czechoslovakian and means "sugar." He grew up in lots of places, as his family moved around with the Air Force. He remembers first being interested in art in Kindergarten: He took to drawing superheroes and science fiction to brighten lonelier moments as "the new kid" in town. 

James remembers drawing superheroes to pass the time, which carried into his sci-fi work in his career.

James spent five years living in France, where he owned an American-themed bistro. "Believe it or not," he says, "French people enjoy American culture. They love our music, movies, and food."He noted that French people tend to eat salads with lunch and dinner, but were intrigued by the salad bar his restaurant offered. They were used to eating salads, not building them. They enjoyed gourmet sandwiches and burgers, too. "Customers were amused when I stopped by their table to give free coffee refills from a carafe. They would say it was like the movies!"

He says he enjoyed learning the language, but laughs when he recounts how his daughter, a native French speaker, has little patience for his pronunciation and grammar.

As a bistro owner in France, James served American food and culture.

Mission: Accessible

James identifies closely with the vision and mission of ScribeConcepts. He leads the company's efforts to be "effortlessly accessible," tuning into industry standards and aligning its products and procedures accordingly. James has an affinity for creating and enhancing products that children and learners of all ages can access. "Working in the educational landscape is gratifying, because I get to design something that engages young people and contributes to their lives." 

"Of course, a learner is anyone who wants to know more about a topic," James says. "As ScribeConcepts grows, I see us delving into the adult learning space." He predicts that the company will contribute to more and more corporate education and professional development projects. Continued dedication to accessibility and equity for all learners will make ScribeConcepts the industry leader.

ScribeConcepts is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice.

What About AI?

Technology has impacted James's job and skillset. He describes the early days in publishing: "I remember the first time I used Photoshop. It came on floppy disk. Twelve of them, in fact." James began his career at age 20, designing advertisements for the Yellow Pages. "We've come a long way from the T-square and ruler." He remembers learning how to use Photoshop version 1.0 and Illustrator version 1.0, and teaching his colleagues what he knew. 

James learned the very first versions of Adobe's products using floppy disks. Here, he designs at Scholastic.

James says that while he is able to pick up new digital tools and learn them quickly, he is fortunate to have a team by his side who are experts. 

On the topic of AI, James is pragmatic: "Everybody says that AI is going to eventually replace graphic artists. I don't see that happening. For me, AI is just another tool, just like Photoshop or Illustrator. There's always going to be something new on the horizon, something to save a little time and money. But it's up to the professionals to use the tools logically."

Page Layout: The Original User Interface

While he acknowledges that print materials maintain a level of importance in education and beyond, digital versions of these materials make sense. "Rather than waiting three to five years to update educational materials, we can open a web page and add new information. We can update accessibility as we learn more about how to include all users." 

When asked about the impact of design components like color, typography, and visual assets, on the user experience, James mused: "We don't design a ton of digital user interfaces, but for me, the print layout is the original user interface. We focus on everything, from the page number and headings to the placement of visuals and typeface. Think about it: when you read a comic strip, actions and sounds are in a particular font. The bold text is surrounded by color and it jumps out at you from the page." 

So much goes into designing the user experience, making text and visual materials accessible and comprehensible.

It's along these lines that designers make material engaging and accessible for the user. "It's particularly gratifying to think about how I can make the product ready for anyone to use, because a large swath of our population is invariably left out of design considerations for many products."

Control What You Can Control

Colleagues often tell James that he is quiet and calm during meetings, especially during situations of heightened stress, but he speaks up when needed. His mantra is: Control what you can control. James firmly believes that it's important not to take on the problems of others. "If you can't control it, let it go. Don't take on someone else's worries."

When asked about his favorite part of a new project, he responds, "Looking at the blank canvas. I love thinking about all the possibilities, all the ways I can make the client's vision come to life." With James's attitude, we can all see each project—each day, in fact—as a blank canvas, ready to display our contributions to the world.