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.
1985
Before the formation of Jack Yan & Associates, Jack Yan experiments with hacking a Eurostile-like bitmap font for the Commodore 64. It was never released, but it was his first digital font.
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.
1992
Designature, the name used since 1987, takes a back seat. Jack Yan & Associates becomes the official title. Initial DOS-based digital magazine created.
1993
JY&A Fonts participates in Apple QuickDraw GX consortium on the internet.
1994
CAP Online launched. Corporate website launched. Three-division structure in place due to customer perceptions. Photographer Rebecca Thorpe begins her association with Jack Yan & Associates, initially in CAP. JY&A Fonts begins retail sales in United States through Precision Type.
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. Jack Yan begins a 14-year run as the typography columnist for Desktop magazine in Australia.
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.
1999
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
Lucire overtakes British Vogue in ranking terms, according to Alexa Internet. Representation in Israel and Sweden for JY&A Consulting. 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 and joins Medinge Group (though its name had not been formally adopted at this stage).
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. Amanda Dolheguy founds affiliate company, Delineate. JY&A Media’s work in PR formalized. Beyond Branding book, edited by Nicholas Ind and co-authored by Medinge Group members including Jack Yan, released in London by Kogan Page in October (blog launched around this time). The 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—the first sustainable style editorials in an international magazine.
2006
Summer Rayne Oakes becomes acting editor for Lucire and, eventually, its editor-at-large.
2007
Tenth anniversary of Lucire. 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 internally made Lucire TV segments begin appearing more regularly. JY&A Consulting begins consulting on social media branding issues.
2009
Jack Yan announces his bid for the Wellington, New Zealand mayoralty in September. In October 2010, after using a campaign driven in good part by social media, emphasizing technology and transparent government, he secures a respectable third placing—and with six times more votes than one of the local newspapers’ polls showed.
2010
Lucire launches Ipad edition.