I have a distinct memory of the start of our second issue cycle during my freshman year. Shortly after pitch, the EICs challenged the staff to produce more creative page designs for this next issue. As a new staffer who was still learning the basics of story structure, the idea of letting go of the familiar L-shaped template was daunting. But I also couldn’t disappoint my editors. So I scrolled for hours on Pinterest, looking for something eye-catching that I could model my design off of. When I finally found a page design that layered an “S” through the dominant photo, I was struck with an idea. My story was about the movie industry, so I could incorporate the same idea with a film reel. I used a stock illustration as a dominant photo to draw a reader in. I even got permission from the EICs the break the style guide rules for headline formatting so that the word “Movies” immediately jumped out at the reader. And then, by linking the “S” in the word “Movies” into the spokes of the film wheel, I created a design layer that literally connected the writing to the imagery on the page.
Recognitions: Award of Merit – entertainment package, SIPA Best Visual Competition (2021); Best in Show – headline package, SIPA Best Visual Competition (2021)
