DESIGNER BITES

Here is a special roundup of recent projects — brochures and collateral, print and posters, packaging and pop — from some of our favorite firms. Graphic design for the food and beverage industries represents a rich opportunity. A few random facts: total media spending for food, beverages and restaurants topped $12.6 billion in 2005, and that does not include grocers and food retailers; food and candy-related marketing directed to children reached $10 billion last year; food and food product companies bought nearly $1.5 billion in magazine advertising alone in 2005; and the average number of SKU's in a typical supermarket exceeds 45,000. Big and getting bigger, it's enough to whet your appetite.