Smart Shop Essentials Magazine

SME’s Smart Shop Essentials is a bi-monthly publication designed to help small and midsize manufacturers embrace smart technologies and modernize their operations. NeigerDesign partners with SME to bring each issue to life—translating technical content into clear, engaging layouts supported by strong visuals and custom illustrations that make complex ideas approachable.

Each issue begins with a collaborative kickoff meeting with the SME editorial team, where we align on themes, content direction, and visual approach. From there, we provide pagination, text massing, custom illustration concepts and execution, complete magazine layout, and design refinements based on iterative feedback. A distinctive aspect of this project is our close integration into SME’s workflow—we design directly within their digital asset management system and operate as an extension of their internal team. This embedded approach allows for seamless collaboration and a shared commitment to delivering trusted, actionable content to a vital segment of the U.S. manufacturing industry.