Jack Yan & Associates' History

We happily work with small and large companies—because we know what it's like to be in different shoes. We've been exceptionally fortunate to have accomplished our dreams together.

1987		Jack Yan begins a small firm in calligraphy and typography, expanding to graphic design and publishing. Working with Matthew Breen and other designers, the company structures itself virtually, not because of any great vision, but because it was the only structure that made economic sense. Notable jobs included a menu for Audrey Hepburn.
1990		Jack Yan & Associates handles national projects in New Zealand and starts a bulletin board, thanks to Production Manager Ian Baillie. The company sticks to its initial businesses in marketing communications.
1991		Three-stroke logo conceived. Represents three divisions: Type/Design/Art, Software, Publishing.
1992		Designature, the name used since 1987, takes a back seat. Jack Yan & Associates becomes the official title.
1993		JY&A Fonts begins licensing programmes; participates in Apple QuickDraw GX consortium on the internet. Begins creating digital magazines.
1994		Jack Yan & Associates outlines expansion strategy for 1994–2000. CAP Online launched. Corporate website launched. Three-division structure in place due to customer perceptions. Rebecca Thorpe begins her association with Jack Yan & Associates, initially in CAP. JY&A Fonts begins retail sales in United States through Precision Type.
1995		Precision Type expands distribution network beyond New York and plans Font Reference Guide. JY&A Fonts now represented in seven cities.
1996		Jack Yan & Associates reduces emphasis on design and grows its consulting ventures. JY&A Consulting begins out of Design division. Ingrid Kennedy and Jack Yan revamp identity for whole company. JY&A Fonts’ reputation as Australasia’s leading font company cemented in Australian and American publications.
1997		JY&A Media launches fashion brand Lucire. JY&A Fonts one of the founding typefoundries for advocacy group TypeRight, a Publish Impact Award winner for 1997.
1998		Each division grows licensing and syndication programmes, additional locations added. Lucire shifts to own domain. Lucire, Jack Yan & Associates gain extra representation in US and Europe.
1999		Mischa McLachlan, Amanda Dolheguy start presences for the firm in Manchester and Sydney after leaving National College of Design & Technology faculty. Jack Yan, Simone Knol, Rebecca Thorpe give first TV interviews for journalist Kelly Davis. JY&A Fonts begins ecommerce sales through Flashline and, later, Design Online. Lucire begins syndication deal with One Zero Media for the AltaVista Entertainment Zone.
2000		JY&A Fonts begins online sales at MyFonts.com. Growth in London presence for JY&A Consulting. Jack Yan ends lecturing tenure in favour of occasional visiting lectureships.
2001		Divisions receive more autonomy and get rebranded accordingly. JY&A Fonts becomes part of JY&A Imaging, which also includes photography and illustration. CAP shifted to JY&A Consulting. More public appearances by Jack Yan & Associates’ team members including international speakers’ events in US, Europe, Asia and New Zealand, and network television interviews. Lucire overtakes British Vogue in ranking terms, according to Alexa Internet. Representation in Israel and Sweden for JY&A Consulting. First Jack Yan & Associates’ alum birth: Livia Robinson, born to former staffer Hayley Lynch Robinson and her husband Michael, who were married early in the year. September 11 hits Lucire coverage of New York Fashion Week and company’s New York expansion plans. National Image and Competitive Advantage published, Detective Marketing published in English after success in Swedish.
2002		Fifteenth anniversary year. Speakers’ tours: Jack Yan goes to Stockholm, Sweden; Stefan Engeseth to London, New York. More new products for JY&A Fonts, with busiest release schedule since 1995. Cooperation with design councils such as Icograda and AGDA on content. Lucire celebrates fifth anniversary with party in Auckland, New Zealand. Lucire becomes Official Internet Partner of L’Oréal New Zealand Fashion Week. Jack Yan launches personal site.
2003		Lucire announces partnership with United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the first fashion magazine to earn such a privilege. Gets Webby Award nomination, covered on network television and Tribune stations in the US. Jack Yan authors paper on the spirituality-and-business connection for Amsterdam conference. Stefan Engeseth’s Detective Marketing reaches third edition; Stefan speaks in Dubai, Helsinki, Riga. JY&A Fonts finally releases OpenType version of JY Integrity; introduces JY Klin OT. JY&A Media relaunches with Senior Partner, Web Development Nigel Dunn, based in Auckland, New Zealand. Amanda Dolheguy founds affiliate company, Commonsensical. JY&A Media’s work in PR formalized. Beyond Branding book, co-authored by Jack Yan, released in London by Kogan Page in October (blog launched around this time). Medinge Group formalized in November. Lucire print magazine possibility announced December 7.
2004		Lucire becomes official media partner of Stockholm FashionDays and media partner of San Francisco Fashion Week; celebrates five years of New York Fashion Week coverage at Thom Bar at 60 Thompson Hotel. Lucire launches as a print fashion magazine in another pioneering move—the first time anyone had taken a web magazine in this sector and extended it into a print format. Jack Yan’s Typography and Branding published at the end of the year.
2005		Lucire Romania launches, marking the first time a web site had become a print magazine in more than one country. Stefan Engeseth’s One published with its typography designed by Jack Yan. Beyond Branding in paperback. Eugene Jaffe and Israel Nebenzahl release second edition of National Image and Competitive Advantage. Lucire hosts US party at Crowbar, Manhattan: 700 guests arrive. Summer Rayne Oakes’ ‘Behind the Label’ editorials begin appearing in Lucire.
2006		Jack Yan launches his own blog separately from Beyond Branding: within two weeks, it is quoted by Der Spiegel and The Guardian. Summer Rayne Oakes becomes acting editor for Lucire and, eventually, its editor-at-large.
2007		Tenth anniversary of Lucire. Summer Rayne Oakes’ profile rises substantially as she appears in Vanity Fair, GQ Deutschland and other media, and becomes an adviser on Discovery Channel’s Planet Green. Jack Yan begins appearances on al-Jazeera’s English service. Launch of The Journal of the Medinge Group. Additional countries mooted for Lucire.
2008		Twenty-first anniversary of Jack Yan & Associates. Twinpalms Lucire launched in Thailand. Lucire launches mobile edition after seven years of waiting for the technology to catch up to its needs, and Lucire TV segments begin appearing more regularly.