RSS
Designing Colloquy: a natural evolution
For the past five years I’ve had the pleasure of working with the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University on their quarterly alumni magazine, Colloquy.* Besides the design work I enjoy the editorial process, not to mention reading about some fascinating people and ideas that have emerged from the Graduate School.
The publication I inherited has grown and transformed over the years. In 2009, with a new editor on board, it was agreed that the design could use a dusting off and we embarked on some improvements. Most significantly, we updated the masthead to bright white and gave more room to the imagery, advancing the look-and-feel of the publication from academic journal to coffee-table material.
Our fearless editor at Harvard decided it was time for humanity to grace the covers, so we pushed even further and, for the debut issues, selected intimate shots of real Harvard alumni in close proximity to the camera. On the interior we revamped the feature articles design to set the stage for the stories being told. Rather than pack in content, we opened up spaces and allowed imagery and headings to breathe. We implemented a simple palette of three colors per issue to complement the imagery, and we used minimal graphic elements to support the stories. Finally, Colloquy’s editor and our production manager specified an FSC-certified recycled paper stock in keeping with Harvard’s (and our) commitment to environmental sustainability.
In this electronic (and financially strapped) age, it can be difficult to justify printed materials. While Colloquy is by no means excessive, our re-design of the publication contributes to one of the Graduate School’s goals: “to inspire and strengthen intellectual, professional, and social connections among and between alumni and the Graduate School.”
* A colloquy \ˈkä-lə-kwē\, by the way, is a conversation; a dialogue.
Check back for my next post when I’ll take a look at the dramatic transformation of Colgate University’s alumni magazine.
Categories Design
Twitter
LinkedIn