DESIGN

When I first open a magazine, a book or any other publication, I can’t help but soak in its design before even reading the first paragraph. This is, precisely, the power of design — the ability to draw or repel readers.  

 

El Estoque has allowed me to embrace two of my interests — design and writing. As the current design editor, I review all staff writers’ Marriage of Element (MOE) meetings. Prior to designing a page, each section brainstorms potential ideas, then checks off different elements off of the MOE meeting checklist that we created this year. 

 

When I design pages, I emphasize vibrant colors, dominant visuals, cohesion and balance. Without all of these components, I do not think a design has full potential to carry out its ultimate role — to draw in readers. I was able to confirm this assumption in a focus group study, where students mentioned that they would only read pages in the magazine that had particularly striking page designs. As such, I have always prioritized executing meaningful and aesthetically pleasing magazine spreads. 

 

Below is a collection of my designs from the past four years. 

MAGAZINE COVERS

PHOTOS

GRAPHICS