Design
“Every great design begins with an even better story.”
-Lorinda Mamo, Designer
Something to think about…
If someone were to go through my Google history right now, they would most likely find an overwhelming variation of searches looking for keyboard shortcuts in InDesign or how to incorporate different elements in SNO FLOW.
The more experience I’ve gained, the more I have come to appreciate how design can elevate a presentation of information. Pushing myself to not only demonstrate knowledge of a subject from a reporter’s perspective but bring an appealing visual element to it has garnered more attention and appeal to my work. I am constantly pursuing new skills to improve my design abilities, as I am trying to incorporate design elements more frequently into my storytelling. Since I constructed this portfolio entirely on my own, I feel the way this website is designed is a reflection of that and can be used as an artifact.
Below are examples of work in each area of design.
Social Media Design
The football matchup between Bridgeland and Cy-Ranch is highly anticipated every year, especially with the intense rivalry between the two schools that have grown over time. I designed an Instagram post in Canva complete with statistics, insight and important information heading into the game. Click on an image to view it in full screen.
The feature story I wrote about Brette Reagan breaking down barriers for women in male-dominated high school sports meant a lot to me because of our close relationship. I wanted to make sure Brette and the story got the attention they deserved, so I designed an Instagram post in Canva to promote it. After seeing the end result and engagement, I decided to continue doing this for some of my stories afterward. Click on an image to view it in full screen.
Amidst Election Day, I wrote a news story about how the League of Women Voters of Cy-Fair helped register CFISD high school seniors in an attempt to increase voter turnout in the younger demographic. I made an Instagram post in Canva to increase the viewership of the article and capitalize on its relevancy. Click on an image to view it in full screen.
The More You Know
What I’ve learned from social media design
How to visually grab someone’s attention in a short amount of time
To analyze current social media aesthetics to consider in my own design
To balance text with graphics that complement each other
Print Design
CONTRAST
This full spread feature story I designed about Bridgeland students’ involvement in the underground music community was an easy one for me, as the sentiment was potent. After conducting two LED light photoshoots and interchanging different elements, I was able to encapsulate the emotions and tone expressed in the story.
To view the virtual pages, click on either image and click to pages 4-5.
Behind The Design
How I created the ‘Striking A Chord’ design
1.) Established color scheme and decided on the solid color background
2.) Created a ‘ransom note’ title using different boxes and fonts in InDesign
3.) Made a cutout from one of the photoshoots in Photoshop and placed it on the InDesign page
4.) Formatted the tear mark according to the lines of the cutout using line elements in InDesign
5.) Layered photos from a LED light photoshoot, making one black-and-white for contrast in Photoshop
6.) Created a ‘ransom note’ drop cap to match the title
DOMINANCE
For my first print design, I was a little nervous the design would fail to come up short of accurately representing the story. I started with incorporating music components for the basic level of the story and built off that by picking colors I felt conveyed its angle. I then carefully picked photos that possessed yellow or purple as a dominant color so everything was as cohesive as possible.
To view the virtual pages, click on either image and click to pages 8-9.
HONORABLE MENTION IN 2021 UIL ILPC FEATURE PAGE/SPREAD DESIGN
Behind The Design
How I created the ‘Living Life On A High Note’ design
1.) Established color scheme and decided on the solid color background
2.) Placed a music note graphic on the InDesign page and text wrapped the story around it
3.) Made a cutout from the photoshoot in Photoshop and placed it on the InDesign page adding a yellow silhouette behind it
4.) Created a four square photo collage and dropped in an additional photo, editing them to be either a yellow or purple tone
5.) Added a pull quote using a music staph graphic and lining up the text accordingly
BALANCE
My first lengthy in-depth story also known amongst the staff as a double truck challenged me to find a way to create an impactful design with not a lot of room. I conducted a photoshoot with dramatic lighting to fit the seriousness of the story and also with various facial expressions to represent the different facets of the human condition. I wanted to involve a chunk of those photos while also spotlighting some of the quotes that truly cut right through. Rough draft after rough draft, I finally crafted a design I felt was a clean and fitting visual depiction of the story.
Behind The Design
How I created the ‘The Locker Room’ design
1.) Established color scheme and decided on the solid color background
2.) Edited photos from the photoshoot in Lightroom using distinct black-and-white elements to ensure proper print
3.) Selected photos after edits to create a running photo collage on two of the four pages, collages that mirror each other for mindful design
4.) Rearranged the photos to create variety in the model’s facial expressions and poses for each collage
5.) Illustrated sketches of sports plays using a chalk tool in ProCreate to create an athletic effect
6.) Dropped the illustrations into the InDesign page and adjusted the opacity to make sure the copy was clearly visible
7.) Created graphics in Canva to import to the InDesign page for pull quotes
8.) Adjusted the opacity of the graphics to add text over them
9.) Text wrapped the story around the pull quotes to give the spread different dimensions
10.) Carefully spaced subtitles to keep the design tight and concise
11.) Played around with different tools in ProCreate to draw a line to go under the secondary headline
12.) Dropped the line made in Procreate into the InDesign page and rearranged the headlines accordingly
13.) Added a drop cap that matched the font of the subheadings to create consistency
The More You Know
What I’ve learned from print design
Navigating different design software’s to create the ultimate end product
To combine creative thinking with critical thinking to maximize space
Understanding the value of alternative copy and typography
Web Design
Heading into this year as co-editor-in-chief, I asked some of my classmates what they thought of The Bridge website and what they would like to see change as a reader. A change that was requested across the board was to cut down the number of tabs to choose from at the top, as it was overwhelming and redundant. As soon as website credentials were granted, I made sure to adjust the tabs to just the general sections the staffers write in, and that kept the website looking cleaner and more organized.
Before launching the new app in December, setting a consistent theme, tailoring the layout of the app and deciding upon what components we wanted to utilize had to occur. I worked closely with my co-EIC to figure out the vision for the app, and we played around with the software to make those decisions. Below is a video taking you through our program’s app, showing what it looks like and how it functions.
The More You Know
What I’ve learned from web design
How to design for functionality and aesthetic simultaneously
To take user experience into account when making decisions
Deepening my knowledge of SNO and the elements it offers to optimize our site
Design Collaboration
Guaranteeing the magazine was cohesive was a big concern of mine, as that can make or break the whole product. As everyone was wrapping up their stories for the magazine and the editors decided how many pages each staffer got, we implemented a collaborative mood board in Google Slide format for the entire magazine. Those who had one page stories had to put their ideas and color schemes on the same slide as the other page their story sat next to, to see how both designs complemented one another. It also allowed us to see how the magazine flowed from one spread to the next, which improved the quality of the magazine overall. We then conducted design meetings with every staffer for every page to hear the vision for their design and also to offer additional ideas or edits. Below is a look at the collaborative mood board for the 2022 fall magazine.
PROFICIENCY IN PACKAGING WORK
