Now Designs Photo Styling Guide

Now Designs · f&w 2025 ·
seasonal theme

Cozy Cheer

Connections are treasured and traditions revived with Cozy Cheer. This story embodies the spirit of modern gatherings, blending nostalgia with contemporary flair. It invites you to create a table and a kitchen that is warm, inviting and welcoming for everyone. At the heart of Cozy Cheer lies the essence of shared experiences and human connection. Whether it’s reinventing Grandma’s classic recipe with a modern twist or discovering new culinary delights with friends, each element is crafted to enhance every gathering with authentic connections and style. Tables are rich and layered with fresh cut foliage, DIY flowers and accent decorations, ready for celebration.

  • Cleaning

    Spotlight Category

    Cleaning

    Tawashi Dish Scrubbers is the newest addition that strengthens our assortment of sink-side products with an eco friendly focus.

  • Renew Recycled Microfiber

    Spotlight Category

    Renew Recycled Microfiber

    Classic Now Designs patterns printed on recycled polyester microfiber towels and dishcloths. Reference competitors like Geometry for insight on the market for this new construction.

  • Now Designs Props to Avoid

    Categories Dropped or Phasing Out

    Now Designs Props to Avoid

    Avoid using the following products from the Now Designs brand as props in your shots. They are on their way out.

    • Acacia Wood Cutting Board
    • Indigo Triangles Baking Dish
    • Baking Dish Covers
    • Petite Aprons
    • Second Spin Family of products
    • Towels: Hang-up, Glass, Terry, Barmops
    • key words for the season

      Connections· Authenticity · Cozy · Warm · Safe · Classic Recipes · Craft & DIY · Inviting · Welcoming · Rich · Layered · Culinary · Discovery · Reinvent & Revive Traditions · Gatherings · Recipe Sharing · Harvest Bounty · Fresh Ingredients

    • Family Celebrations

      F25 Story: Family Celebrations

      Family Celebrations

      Coming together around food and food prep:

      • Multigenerational cooking

      • Grandma’s recipe book

      • Teaching kids to cook

    • Do it Yourself Decor

      F25 Story: Do it yourself decor

      Do it Yourself Decor

      • Making table floral decorations
      • DIY holiday decorations like dried oranges or cranberry strands
      • DIY advent calendar or advent wreath
    • Holiday Hygge

      F25 Story: Holiday Hygge

      Holiday Hygge

      • Making hot apple cider or mulled wine
      • Sharing hot drinks with neighbors
      • Cozy Cocktails
      • Apres Ski
      • Lighting candles for Hanukkah/xmas
      • Knitting
    • Winter Wanderings

      F25 Story: Winter Wanderings

      Winter Wanderings

      • Going to woods to cut branches
      • Pumpkin Patch
      • Pulling a sled
      • Fall and Holiday farmer’s market visits
    • Cleaning & Cooking Camaraderie

      F25 Story: Cleaning & Cooking Camaraderie

      Cleaning & Cooking Camaraderie

      • Washing dishes together
      • DIY Cleaning
      • Baking and cooking together
    • Personal Kitchen Nooks

      F25 Story: Personal Kitchen Nooks

      Personal Kitchen Nooks

      Kitchen shelfies with nostalgic nods. Inherited pieces mix with modern function.

      • Store Settings

      Merchandising Displays

      • Textiles should be hung, not folded or tucked under other products
      • Folded towels can act as accents to hanging samples
      • Focus on abundance merchandising whenever possible: avoid featuring a single item on a shelf
      • All aprons should be displayed on models, manequins or hanging, not folded.
      • When possible, all tablecloths and runners should be displayed hung, draped or spread out, not folded.
      • All totes should be worn, hung or stuffed
      Culinary Prop Elevation

      Holiday Harvest

      Not all tomatoes are created equal. Food props should have a heritage, home-grown, sustainable look and feel.

      • Source groceries from winter farmer's markets and small, local stores rather than big chains.
      • Whole Foods has more options for organic produce in a pinch
      • Use internal resources for baking and cooking: is someone interested in baking or cooking for your shot?

      Additional Considerations

      Kitchen & Dining Functionality

      • Functionality and function needs to play a greater role, we don’t want customers to forget that these are highly functional products
      • Keep it in the kitchen, dining room and outdoor eating spaces
      • Be thoughtful with culinary prop choices. All tomatoes are not equal.
      Season Moodboard
        • Photo Styling

          Look & Feel

          • Classic
          • Homestyle
          • Warm
          • Culinary
          • Natural
        • Photo Styling

          Backdrops

          • Light wood
          • White and light painted surfaces
          • Marble
          • Granite
          • Tiles
          • Stainless Steel
        • Photo Styling

          Layouts

          • Natural, layered, relaxed
          • Authentic kitchen scenes
          • Tablescapes
          • Retail displays
          • Home settings
        • Photo Styling

          Props

          • A selection of key props that tie into the themes, stories and artwork of the season will be acquired ahead of time.
          • Flatware, glassware and candle holders from Danica Heirloom can be used in subtle ways.
        • Photo Styling

          Styling Effects

          • Scattered props and tipped over products add a natural, candid feel
          • Relaxed but well coordinated table settings tell the right story
        • Photo Styling

          Themes & Stories

          • Props directly drawn from the design is a fun way to show off the artwork & colors
          • Reference the seasonal brand stories for ideas on themes and settings.
          • Collection shots can be complex and layered to show off the product family
        • Photo Styling

          Scaling

          • Go in close on smaller items, and include props that give a sense of scale
          • Show product sets in use together with appropriate props for scale reference
        • Photo Styling

          Settings

          • Hands and action shots are great to show how to use products
          • Larger retail settings and kitchen scenes show color and pattern coordination well
        • Props & Food

          General Guidelines

          • The Now Designs' home is lively and busy
          • We're capturing cooking, cleaning, serving and decorating on-the-go and behind the scenes.
        • Props & Food

          Inline Products

          • Prop with coordinating products from the brand when appliable
          • Use products from other Danica brands only if it's more neutral and generic. It should not be easily identified.
          • Consult the Drop Master catalogue to see what has been dropped
          • Consult the Props to Avoid section of this guide for near future drops
        • Props & Food

          Food Guidelines

          • Bread should be rustic with a home-baked look.
          • Cheese, snacks and crackers are elevated.
          • Produce and eggs are fresh from the farmer's market.
        • Props & Food

          Greenery

          • Flowers are sourced from the garden, small local flower shop or farmer's market
          • Choose more unusual flowers with character rather than your everyday grocery store bouquet
          • Avoid feauting faux branches and and greenery, they should only be used in the background or to bulk out natural props.
        • Now Designs Models

          Look & Feel

          • Relatable
          • Classic
          • Diverse
          • All ages
          • Families
        • Now Designs Models

          Wardrobe

          • Classic cuts, colors and patterns.
          • Neutral collared shirts and blouses.
          • Jeans, chinos, dress pants and skirts. In-line aprons.
          • Fitted dresses.
          • Boots, flats, sandals.
          • Cotton, chambray.
          • Plaids, gingham, solids, stripes.
        • Now Designs Models

          Makeup & Hair

          • Lightly styled and made up.
          • Neat and tidy.
          • Manicured nails in coordinated colors, can be bold if it ties into product.
          • Everyday styled hair.
          • Pony-tails, buns, simple up-dos
          • Simple, understated jewellery
        • Now Designs Models

          Posing

          • In the moment, focused on a task or demonstrating.
          • Joyful, confident.
        • Mind the Gap
          Additional Photography

          Mind the Gap

          Evaluating existing shots and creating images that fill in information gaps for the viewer is key. The outcome should be converting customers to purchase through a seamless and user friendly buying experience.

        • Functionality
          Additional Photography

          Functionality

          The first styling goal in most cases will be to show the product's funcionality. Simple 'hot item on trivet' shots are key here. Showing items in use with models will often be a nice solution.

        • Scale
          Additional Photography

          Scale

          For many items, contextualizing its scale will be an important objective. Everyday kitchen items and models play an important role here. Often you can cover both scale and functionality in the same shot.

        • Unique Selling Point
          Additional Photography

          Unique Selling Point

          For products with more unique characteristics, it will be important to clarify their intended use. For instance, show items nested, from multiple angles or gift packaged. Featuring alternate uses can be effective as well..

        • Additional Photography

          Number of Images

          One additional image per product is currently the minimum goal, but fitting in secondary images when possible should be a focus. Closeups to show texture and details will be a good way to bump up the shot numbers here.

        • Additional Photography

          Collection Props & Packaging

          Featuring other items from the same collection as the main product is encouraged if it makes sense in the setup. Gift box packaging can be used as a prop or riser of sorts as well, but packaging focused photography will be done separately.

        • Additional Photography

          Image Requirements

          • Aspect ratio 1:1 (square) 
          • Recommended resolution: 3000x3000 px 
          • PPI 300 dpi
          • Color mode: RGB 
          • File format: JPEG, JPG, PNG 
          • Max file size: 2 mb 
        • Additional Photography

          Image Guidelines

          Show the product with other objects to give context or show how people would use the product in real life. 

          The product should be the main focus, ensure the props/models do not draw the attention away from the actual product. 

        What Not To Do

        • Safeway Food Props
          Now Designs' Don'ts

          Safeway Food Props

          Food props should have a wholesome, homemade or farmer's market look. We want to evoke small-scale, sustainable farming and food sourcing.

        • Dramatic Lighting
          Now Designs Don'ts

          Dramatic Lighting

          Keep the lighting soft and natural to differentiate from our other brands. Avoid hard shadows and dramatic overlay effects. Soft dappled light for a summer outdoors effect is okay.

        • Vibrant Backdrops
          Now Designs Don'ts

          Vibrant Backdrops

          Stay away from bightly coloured, painted backdrops to differentiate from our other brands. Think classic home and kitchen surfaces.

        • Dark & Rustic Backdrops
          Now Designs Don'ts

          Dark & Rustic Backdrops

          Avoid dark, rustic wood and weathered surfaces to differentiate from our other brands. The Now Designs home is more modern with lighter woods and clasic kitchen surfaces.

        • Dried Flowers & Cacti
          Now Designs Don'ts

          Dried Flowers & Cacti

          Keep it fresh! Go for fresh flowers, herbs and produce instead of dried. Avoid succulents, cacti and sculpted plants to differentiate from our other brands.

        • Plastic Flowers & Astroturf
          Now Designs Don'ts

          Plastic Flowers & Astroturf

          Use fake foliage only out of focus or mostly hidden in the background. Opt to shoot outdoors instead of using astroturf, or choose another patio-appropriate ground.

        • Redundant Images
          Now Designs Don'ts

          Redundant Images

          Don’t shoot a lifestyle image just to add another image to the product page, ensure it serves a purpose and features a different selling point than existing images.

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