Client: Oregon State University
Focus: Branding, Art Direction, Team Management
Overview: Beaver’s Digest is Oregon State University’s lifestyle magazine. During my time at OSU, I went from being a graphics contributor to the magazine’s Editor-in-Chief.
Challenge: Rebrand the magazine to have a unique look that felt journalistic while also maintaining the stylistic approach that a fashion magazine would have.
Contributing Position: Graphics Director, Editor-in-Chief
Goal: Expand viewership and increase overall reputation of magazine.
Our primary were always in line with OSU. This was most apparent in the style of the magazines published in the 2015-16 year.
Our secondary colors which represented the four sections of the magazine. Create highlighted any arts related student spotlights and events. Experience was a section with a focus on culturally diverse student spotlights and events. Balance was a section on health and wellness. #GOBEAVS was the section dedicated to anything athletics related.
The secondary color palette was applied as page tabs within the magazine to indicate which section the reader was at.
Front magazine covers for the years I was involved. The first major change was the creation and integration of a masthead when I became the Graphics Director in the 2015-16 year. The next major addition was the inclusion of the various sections in small print above the masthead the following year.
Back magazine covers for the years I was involved.
Sample pages from each year of contribution. The biggest change I initiated was using a custom typeface created by a fellow graphic design student. The font was named Heldin and it was the sole body font from 2015 to 2017.
In the Spring of 2017, we won 1st place for 'Best Magazine Spread' for the cover story of our Fall 2016 issue, 'Only Love Can Conquer Hate'. This was a huge accomplishment for everyone involved as it marked the first major award the magazine received.
What made working for BD such an enjoyable experience was the fact that no one took themselves too seriously even if the subject matter we were covering could be heavy. I think that's what made the workflow so seamless. No egos; just a love and yearning for sharing impactful stories.