PubU | ECPA

SESSION ONE

The Art of Creative Product Design

Where do great product ideas come from? This session explores the habits, mindset, and creative process behind developing memorable products that delight customers. Drawing from Humble Lamb’s journey, Daniel will share practical strategies for finding inspiration, turning ideas into reality, and building products that people can’t wait to tell others about.

Daniel Arroyo

Daniel Arroyo is a husband, father of four, and the founder and CEO of Humble Lamb. He and his family live on a farm, where life has a way of keeping what matters most in view. Since giving his life to Christ in 2018, Daniel’s deepest desire has been to live faithfully for Him and allow that conviction to shape the way he leads, creates, and cares for others. He is also a passionate foodie and curious traveler who feels most at home around good food, meaningful conversation, and people from all walks of life.

SESSION TWO

Expand Your Design Toolbox Using Unique Materials, Cover Features, and Manufacturing Innovation

Manufacturers can be a valuable resource for innovative ideas, market insights and cost/value analysis. This session will dive into trending materials, book edge features, cover features, bind styles, and resources available to turn your ideas into innovative, eye-catching products. This session will include a sample table for visual and tactile learners.

Lance More

Lance More is a Strategic Account Executive with RR Donnelley. He has 30 years of experience assisting US and South American publishers with product development and project management for books, bibles, kitting, packaging and F&D. He started his career in bible manufacturing at RRD Crawfordsville (IN) and spent the past 25 years selling U.S. and Asia-based solutions for print manufacturing.

SESSION THREE

Design in Practice: Hot Topics from the Creative Front Lines

Producing thoughtful, engaging book designs in today's publishing environment requires more than creative talent—it means navigating shifting expectations, tight deadlines, collaborative challenges, and the constant pursuit of fresh ideas. Join a panel of experienced publishing designers for a candid conversation about the issues shaping creative work today. Through short discussions on a variety of timely topics, panelists will share practical strategies, lessons learned, and perspectives from their own experiences in the industry. Topics may include building trust with authors, fostering creativity under deadline, navigating different levels of author involvement in the cover design process, preventing creative fatigue and burnout, streamlining cover approval workflows, and other challenges facing today's design teams.

More than a panel discussion, this session is designed to spark meaningful conversations throughout the conference.

Panelists

Erik Peterson

Art Director, Crossway

Jade Novak

Art Director, B&H Publishing

Spencer Fuller

Senior Art Director, Faceout Studio

Whitney Hicks

Whitney Hicks is an award-winning graphic designer. She holds a bachelor’s degree in advertising from the University of Tennessee. She started her publishing design career in 2012 on a contract basis and subsequently transitioned into a go-to freelance resource for the Hachette team. She joined Hachette Book Group full-time in 2016. In her tenure, she’s contributed her talents via design, production, and art direction to over 500 titles with Hachette Book Group.

SESSION FOUR

AI: Friend, Foe, or Just Another Tool?

AI is changing the creative landscape, and many publishers are asking the same questions: Where does AI belong in the design process? How can it be used responsibly? What are the ethical considerations, and where should we draw the line? This session explores practical AI use cases through the lens of creativity, stewardship, and professional discernment. Together we'll examine where AI can support the creative process, where human judgment remains essential, and how designers can thoughtfully engage with emerging tools while honoring their craft, their colleagues, and the authors they serve. Come prepared to explore, ask questions, and join an honest conversation about the opportunities and challenges AI presents for Christian publishing.

Hannah Johnson

Hannah Johnson is the Chief Customer Officer at Veristage, a technology company focused on helping publishing organizations improve their workflows with AI. In her role, Hannah works closely with publishers on how to use and integrate Veristage's AI tools across their work. With two decades of experience in publishing, Hannah has broad expertise across various sectors of the global book business. Previously, she was the publisher of Publishing Perspectives, a leading online trade magazine covering the global book publishing industry. Hannah has also worked with the Frankfurt Book Fair, where she managed international partnerships, communication and marketing initiatives, and event strategies in close collaboration with cultural and publishing organizations around the world. When she's not working, Hannah can probably be found in the kitchen baking cookies, out for a run along the Tennessee River, or reading a book.

SESSION FIVE

Beyond the Handoff: Building Better Books Together

THIS IS A COMBINED SESSION WITH THE PRODUCTION & OPERATIONS TRACK

Design and Production share the same goal: creating beautiful, meaningful books that are produced efficiently and within budget. When these teams collaborate well, everyone benefits—publishers, retailers, authors, and, most importantly, readers. This interactive session explores how strong partnerships between Design and Production lead to better books, smoother workflows, and better business outcomes. Together, we'll examine common collaboration challenges, identify ways to break down departmental silos, and discuss practical approaches to building trust, improving communication, and making better decisions throughout the publishing process. The session begins with perspectives and ideas from both the Design and Production tracks, followed by a facilitated conversation where participants can share experiences, challenges, and solutions. You'll leave with practical, actionable ideas to strengthen cross-functional collaboration and elevate both your team's process and the quality of the books you create.

Moderated by Brian Conley and Torrey Sharp

Brian Conley

Brian Conley is the Production, Design, and Digital Publishing Manager at Ave Maria Press, where he has been a key member of the team since 1997. Over nearly three decades with the company, Brian has taken on a wide range of roles reflective of the collaborative nature of a small press. He began his career as a Graphic Designer, spending 17 years creating book covers and interior layouts before transitioning to Production Manager in 2015, overseeing all printed books and marketing materials. In November 2024, Brian stepped into his current role, where he now leads the design and digital publishing efforts in addition to managing production. He supervises a team of graphic designers and a digital publishing specialist while continuing to guide the press’s print production processes. Outside of his professional work, Brian has been married to his wife for nearly 24 years, and together they have two sons, ages 18 and 20.

Torrey Sharp

Torrey Sharp is the owner and principal of Faceout Studio, a market leading firm specializing in book design. The studio designs hundreds of books each year working with the world's top media companies, mid–size publishers, university presses, and individual authors. Over the years, Faceout Studio’s work has been recognized by Communication Arts, the AIGA, the AAUP, ECPA, the IBPA, Print magazine, Eye magazine, the New York Book Show, Graphis, and the American Advertising Federation. Torrey earned his economics degree from Wheaton College, IL after spending most of his growing up years in Brazil. He has been in the publishing industry since 1996.

SESSION SIX

Designing for the Years Ahead

Using the bestselling Galahad and the Grail and others as examples, publisher, designer, and editor Pete Peterson explores some the lessons he's learned over the course of nearly twenty years with Rabbit Room Press. He'll discuss his hope of creating not merely for the current reader but for readers who have yet to be born--and how that long-term vision often guides design and publishing decisions in surprising ways.

Pete Peterson

A. S. “Pete” Peterson is the author of The Fiddler’s Gun and its sequel Fiddler’s Green as well as numerous short stories. As a playwright he has published/produced the Civil War musical The Battle of Franklin, as well as critically-acclaimed stage adaptations of Frankenstein, Corrie Ten Boom’s The Hiding Place, and most recently Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. He is currently working with Malcolm Guite as editor and publisher on Merlin’s Isle: An Arthuriad. He and his wife, Jennifer Trafton, live in Nashville where he is the Publisher for Rabbit Room Press and Artistic Director of Rabbit Room Theatre.