This year, our much-anticipated annual Best of Westchester issue features the best of the county from cover to cover—literally. We held an open contest for designers, amateur and pro alike, to take a crack at designing the cover. After careful review, we unanimously selected Justin Negard’s colorful retro design.

The 31-year-old Somers native—who lives in Chappaqua with his wife, Maribeth, and their 9-month-old son, Vincent—runs his own design business, Future Boy Design. The company specializes in graphic design, websites, photography, and advertising work. “Cover design has been a passion of mine since I was a kid, when I would spend more time on the covers of my book reports than reading the actual books,” Justin recalls. “I love being a designer; it’s such an important part of everything we enjoy in life. The cars we buy, the homes we live in, the clothing we wear, and even the food we choose to eat are all influenced by great design. I love being a part of that process, whether it’s a simple business card, a new website, or a complete aesthetic upgrade of a company. There is art in everything we do, and it’s my job to present that art to the world. It can be challenging, but I love every minute of it.”

For his winning cover design, Justin “wanted something that felt fresh and new, but also vintage and timeless at the same time. I wanted it to pop out on the shelf and leave the reader feeling like this issue is a very important one. ‘Don’t miss out!’”