Simply Magazine

Simply VOL. 1 | NO. 1

OCT 2023

From a Print Shop

to a 5 Star Business Picture Perfect: a Six Piece Photography Product Spread

Get ZOOK’D with

Linda Kokenge

What’s Inside?

03 Editor’s Letter

A word from the author Crystal Porraz Lopez

04 Picture Perfect

A Six Piece Photography Product Spread

06 From a Print Shop to a 5 Star Business

A fresh reminder that we all start somewhere

12 Get Zook’d with Linda Kokenge An inside look into the life of a small business owner

2

Simply Magazine

LETTER EDITOR from the

I

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remember my f irst day stepping foot into Southeast Technical College. I was intimidated, nervous, and scared about my degree choice. To keep a long story short, my choice to attend the media design technology program was a spontaneous decision. Little did I know that I would grow to become passionate about design.

I have always considered myself a creative person. I was never the best at drawing or painting, but I loved attempting it. My art teachers always stressed the importance of sketching. “Remember that anything you create is composed of nothing more than shapes,” they said. That’s a simple concept to understand. Right? As the years went by, I gradually developed an interest in music.

I taught myself how to play acoustic and electric guitar, and later, I dabbled in playing the piano at a basic level.

During that time, I learned a bit of music theory. I

realized that chord shapes were only a few notes that sounded great together. Simple enough.

Right? Can you see the pattern yet? No? How about this? This paragraph you’re reading has been stripped down to its simplest form. I hope you notice the pattern I’m trying to paint.

As someone who has always made things complicated for herself, the most significant takeaway I have had in the past two years is to stop overcomplicating everything.

Surprisingly, I began grasping this concept during my design classes.

My teacher consistently emphasized the use and importance of simplicity. After repeatedly hearing this, everything fell into place.

‘Simply’ is a magazine that I am proud to share. Not only is it a representation of how I choose to live my life, but it is also a testament to how well Southeast Tech educates its students. As you browse, I hope you’ ll notice how readable and visually appealing each page is. From paragraphs to advertisements, I’ve made a conscious effort to prioritize simplicity, aiming to enhance the overall look.

Picture Perfect: a Six Piece Photography Product Spread

Portable battery+ Charger 35 $

Inevitably, there will come a time when you go to a photoshoot and forget to charge your battery. This is when your portable battery and charger come in handy. Just hook it up as you drive to your destination or shoot photos.

Camera

A photographer would be nothing without a camera. Before purchasing your first camera, do your research. There are many beginner-friendly cameras out there. The Canon Rebel T7 is an excellent option for beginners. It is budget-friendly and easy to use.

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Lenses While your camera body is essential, lenses make or break your shots. Luckily, many cameras come in bundles that provide the lenses for you; however, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do your research. Lenses can be confusing initially, but with time, you will understand why spending money on suitable lenses is worth it.

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18-55mm lens

SD Card 12 $

Without an SD card, you won’t be able to store or transfer your photos to your device. Carrying multiple SD cards will allow you to continue taking photos even if your first card gets full.

lens filters 30 $

ea.

Lens filters block specific colors or types of light from coming into the camera. Lense filters also protect your lens from dust, dirt, scratches, etc. The most common filters are UV light, polarizing, skylight, close-up, and neutral dense filters.

Tripod A tripod is used in place of your hands. It will keep your camera steady when shooting photos. Tripods are particularly handy when shooting portraits or anything that requires a long exposure.

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From a

Print Shop to a 5 Star Business

Words and Photos By: Crystal Porraz Lopez

“Remember whose child you are and straighten your crown,” said Christy Beving, co-owner of Downtown Design LLC. Downtown Design is a small business created by Christy Beving and her husband, Jeff Hunter. They are not shy about expressing their Christian values and beliefs; in fact, they embrace them. Their specialization lies in website design and digital marketing. This includes graphic design, development in UX/UI, and the management and hosting of over 150 websites. With 20 years of experience, their business maintains a 5-star rating on Google and Facebook, serving clients from the South Dakota area to Minneapolis, Minnesota.

OKI printers are one of several machines used within print shops.

From a Print Shop to a 5 Star Business

7

“What was your first job within the industry?” I asked. “I worked at Office Max in their copy and print department, which was called Copy Max at the time. I was in charge of graphic design, printing, copying, etc. I got a good feel of the fast, low-cost graphic design stuff,” she explained. She mentioned that it was not her favorite job and came with much pressure and stress. However, having that experience led her to obtain a position within a print shop where she would create designs and prepare them for the press.

A cutting blade, ruler, and masking tape are everyday items used within a print environment.

Print shops typically have more than one printer to speed up the production process.

I asked,“Do you think it’s

and resilience as a graphic

that her clients have their

important for graphic

designer, particularly when

vision for their products. She

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,”

noted that she does not take

designers to have some kind of background in print?” “Yes, because employers are going to look at your experience more than anything else,” Christy

feedback personally and goes as far as to explain why she makes certain choices. She is as honest as possible to guide her clients in the right

replied. She also emphasized

receiving and incorporating

direction. To avoid numerous

the importance of

feedback into their work.

revisions, she does what she

determination, persistence,

she said. Christy understands

likes to call a kickoff call.

From a Print Shop to a 5 Star Business

9

“I ask a series of questions because we

okay with asking them to use

want to start on the same page as our

someone else for their project if it

clients. We want to make sure that

leads to that. If we don’t have the

we know all the details.” This process

same beliefs or standards, we won’t

allows her to start on the right foot

see eye to eye. It’s not worth the

with her clients to allow the best out-

frustration for any amount of money.”

come for her initial design.

Christy replied. She further explained that if a client is released or chooses

For Christy, maintaining

to leave, she has no issue providing a

a solid relationship with her clients

partial or full refund, depending on

is a top priority. “One of my favorite

the circumstances.

things is helping our customers grow their business. When

When asked to offer

“Make sure advice to students for them, I get excited. entering the design you love That’s part of my inspiindustry, she stated, “Do what you do” ration. I love helping it because you love it, not I see sales coming in

people.”

because it seems easy. You must stay motivated and strong and

It is not all sunshine and rainbows

truly love what you do.”

when she’s working; she may encounter demanding clients as well. “How

Whether you have 20 years of

do you handle difficult clients?” I

experience in the design field or just

asked. “It depends on the situation, of

20 days, recognizing that we all start

course. Always being honest, always

somewhere will ease your mind,

trying to look at it from their

hesitations, and fears about pursuing

perspective, and ultimately being

a career in design.

About the Author

Crystal Porraz Lopez is a design student, guitarist, and lover of all things creative. For her, college was nothing more than a requirement.

As she became more consistent in her classes, her confidence and passion for design flourished. Crystal hopes to inspire and encourage others to embrace uncertainty.

10 Simply Magazine

Christy Beving: The owner and operator of Downtown Design LLC

From a Print Shop to a 5 Star Business

11

Get ZOOK’D with

Linda Kokenge Words and Photos By: Crystal Porraz Lopez

Linda Kokenge is a woman of the

created one for it. Zooks can mean

people. During the COVID-19

many things: a local destination with

pandemic, she had lots of time to

a big city vibe, locally roasted coffee,

think. With a background in

or hometown customer service. Along

marketing and business development,

with that, to get Zook’d means to

she realized she spent so much time

become caffeine-crazed, energizing

building other communities that she

of the mind or body, or what happens

had been neglecting her own. This

when you visit Zooks.

epiphany ignited a spark in her mind, and she began researching.

When asked why she decided to go with the name Zooks, Linda replied,

After 18 months, a small coffee bar

“I was scrolling through Instagram

in Tea, South Dakota, named Zooks

when someone had just gotten a

Coffee Bar, officially opened on

German shepherd and named him

September 15,

Zooka, and I loved that name. It stuck

2021. “It’s one

in my head, but I just blew it off.

of those things

It stayed in my head for a while, so

I think I did

eventually, I figured there was a

just to see what

reason why it was still in my head,

it would be

and I just went with it.”

about, and it just created itself,” Linda

Linda believes that it is not

said. Zooks is about strengthening her

possible to create a business on your

community and giving people a place

own. Even with her background in

to connect with friends and family.

business development and marketing,

The word Zook does not have a

she still found herself asking for help.

textbook definition; however, Linda

To build her website, Linda reached

12 Simply Magazine

out to her niece, who owns a marketing company in Colorado; to build her brand, she reached out to a local designer on LinkedIn, and there were many more resources for other portions of this process.

While opening, she knew she wanted a mural inside the building. Linda reached out to Tea’s local high school, asking if they had any students who would be a good fit to create a mural. One student was a match. After a few conversations and revisions, they began the process.

“I’m a big believer that things need to change, especially with how the world is now. Some people get lost in the fact that they can’t change anything, but it all starts with one

“You got to be sure you want to do it. It’s brutal, exhausting, and not for the faint of heart,” Linda explained.

Recently, she has become shortstaffed. Due to her staff shortage, she is no longer able to stay open past 3:00 p.m. She also dislikes payroll, inventory, and all the behind-thescenes tasks. Linda rarely gets free time, so when she does, she spends time with family and friends.

When asked about the future of Zooks Coffee Bar, she expressed her shock at how many customers visit from the east side of Sioux Falls. “The people of Sioux Falls want me to open a shop on the east side. If I were to expand somewhere, it would be on the east side of Sioux Falls.”

person,” she said.

This ideology led to the creation of the Be the Change mural.

“I believe we impact people every day,” Linda expressed, explaining that something as simple as handing customers their favorite drink can turn their day around. She has even had people express their gratitude for the coffee bar, explaining that they feel safe and relaxed when they step foot into it.

As stated in the interview with Christina Beving (pg.6), owning a business is not all sunshine and rainbows.

Linda Kokenge: the owner and operator of Zooks Coffee Bar

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