EDITORIAL DESIGN: Summer 2020 Angelos

Once a quarter, I design the national magazine — cover to cover — for Kappa Delta Sorority's National Headquarters. Here's a few of my favorite designs/spreads from the Summer 2020 issue of The Angelos.

The cover and accompanying story featured former KPMG U.S. CEO, Lynne Doughtie, and her story titled, "Inspiring Women to Lead." I kept the layout simple, using a sans serif typeface with a wide contrast to convey a more "news" feel. I wanted the cover to have a more dramatic feel to it, but we were limited in the photography options available for use. So for the cover, I photoshopped the background of the image used in the article spread to create more contrast between the title/subtitle copy and Lynne Doughtie and the background.

The biggest challenge I had to overcome while designing this issue was the minimal photography available to accompany the majority of the feature articles. To make up for the lack of high resolution photography, I incorporated more of my illustration work into the magazine.

My favorite illustration is this "off-roading" jeep to accompany an article that used off-road adventures as a teaching lesson for going confidently through challenging moments.

Details matter, especially in illustration work. And including TINY details in my illustrations is one of my favorite things to do. As you may be able to see better in this close-up, I customized the license plate of the jeep illustration to demonstrate KD's office location (TN) and the bumper sticker to display their official brand hashtag.

I created more illustrations to accompany a COVID-19 themed article, along with a photo grid of members holding up words to create a full message – a trend that had sprung up across social media during the start of quarantine.

Here's a close-up view of that opening spread mask illustration:

To illustrate an article titled, "Invest in Yourself," which encouraged readers to discover their own talents and develop their strengths for success, I created a "selfie" puzzle. I left the puzzle somewhat incomplete and scattered the extra pieces throughout the spread. I also included a hand about to insert one of the extra puzzle pieces to illustrate the concept of a woman "investing in" herself.

A recurring element in each Angelos is the "KD Poll" on the final interior page of the magazine. A staff member conducts polls across Kappa Delta's social media accounts and I illustrate the results. The questions are typically themed to go along with content within the magazine. The summer issue was all about activities members were doing during quarantine and COVID-19's stay-at-home orders.

To see the full digital edition of Kappa Delta's Summer 2020 issue, click here.

To collaborate with us on your next design project or editorial design needs, contact us here.