Throughout the 2019-2020 school year as a Carlmont editor and journalist, I truly learned what it takes and means to be a designer. A designer is not just an individual who places graphics on a page, but someone who is able to convey a story to the public visually without solely relying on body text. There was a time in my life where I would look at a magazine and see only a headline, but journalism has allowed me to see beyond the text and appreciate the meticulous work behind the page design itself. Through this revelation, I gleaned the importance that design has when visually captivating an audience and effectively conveying the meaning of a story.
Joining my high school journalism program not only improved my design technique, but also allowed me to embrace and express my ideas visually by not being afraid to break the style guide. Since my first year on staff, I have learned the ins and outs of magazine publication as a feature writer, section editor, copy editor, managing editor, and now this year as the Scotlight Center Spread Editor where I have a 14-16 page design all to myself in each issue. During this school year, I was also able to balance a job as a contributing writer and editor at a professional print publication known as Gentry Magazine where I could apply my journalism and design skills outside of my high school program. I have spent countless hours this year analyzing the work of professional designers to help inspire and refine my ideal design style for the 2019-2020 Highlander and Gentry spreads featured in this portfolio. When creating my center spread design themes, I always make sure that the design visually reflects the article’s content to ensure that the audience will not have a difficult time digesting the spreads. I also enjoy constructing extremely cohesive color schemes throughout my designs to encourage consistency and enhance the reader’s experience through complementary colors.
Furthermore, my leadership position as an editor for both Carlmont Journalism and Gentry this year provided me with the opportunity to explore my own style of design outside of the recommended templates. As shown in the designs compiled in this portfolio, I enjoyed experimenting with inverted colors and different ratios of body text to graphics to allow the reader with a refreshing visual break in the middle of our typical magazine style guide. I also took it upon myself to improve my Photoshop and drawing skills to be able to use self-made graphics throughout my page design to make the style of the spreads even more personalized. In addition to the design technique, I also focused on emphasizing a sense of thematic relevance in each spread to ensure that each graphic and section of text is placed with a purpose reflecting back to the article's content. I have also come to understand the significance of planning before translating my ideas onto the screen and that a design that lacks passion and purpose will also lack an impact on the readers.
In essence, journalism and design has never felt like a job to me, it has always felt like a passion. Throughout my experience in high school and professional publications, I have learned to embrace my ideas through design and to never be afraid to break the style guide. I have developed a passion that motivates me to use my individuality to become confident in my authentic self: one who lacks a fear of judgment, demonstrates dedication and perseverance, and uses these qualities to positively influence others to share their own experiences with the community through design.
Joining my high school journalism program not only improved my design technique, but also allowed me to embrace and express my ideas visually by not being afraid to break the style guide. Since my first year on staff, I have learned the ins and outs of magazine publication as a feature writer, section editor, copy editor, managing editor, and now this year as the Scotlight Center Spread Editor where I have a 14-16 page design all to myself in each issue. During this school year, I was also able to balance a job as a contributing writer and editor at a professional print publication known as Gentry Magazine where I could apply my journalism and design skills outside of my high school program. I have spent countless hours this year analyzing the work of professional designers to help inspire and refine my ideal design style for the 2019-2020 Highlander and Gentry spreads featured in this portfolio. When creating my center spread design themes, I always make sure that the design visually reflects the article’s content to ensure that the audience will not have a difficult time digesting the spreads. I also enjoy constructing extremely cohesive color schemes throughout my designs to encourage consistency and enhance the reader’s experience through complementary colors.
Furthermore, my leadership position as an editor for both Carlmont Journalism and Gentry this year provided me with the opportunity to explore my own style of design outside of the recommended templates. As shown in the designs compiled in this portfolio, I enjoyed experimenting with inverted colors and different ratios of body text to graphics to allow the reader with a refreshing visual break in the middle of our typical magazine style guide. I also took it upon myself to improve my Photoshop and drawing skills to be able to use self-made graphics throughout my page design to make the style of the spreads even more personalized. In addition to the design technique, I also focused on emphasizing a sense of thematic relevance in each spread to ensure that each graphic and section of text is placed with a purpose reflecting back to the article's content. I have also come to understand the significance of planning before translating my ideas onto the screen and that a design that lacks passion and purpose will also lack an impact on the readers.
In essence, journalism and design has never felt like a job to me, it has always felt like a passion. Throughout my experience in high school and professional publications, I have learned to embrace my ideas through design and to never be afraid to break the style guide. I have developed a passion that motivates me to use my individuality to become confident in my authentic self: one who lacks a fear of judgment, demonstrates dedication and perseverance, and uses these qualities to positively influence others to share their own experiences with the community through design.