An airy, dream-forward editorial system for a travel magazine about liminal places. I built a modular grid, type/indigo accent kit, and image standards so features open cinematically then tighten into annotated field notes: maintaining readability, press-readiness, and a consistent surreal tone.
Challenge:
Make “in-between” places feel like true destinations (dreamy and imaginative) without losing editorial credibility.
Make “in-between” places feel like true destinations (dreamy and imaginative) without losing editorial credibility.
Role:
Art direction, editorial design, typography, image treatment, production.
Art direction, editorial design, typography, image treatment, production.
Process:
Defined editorial pillars (air, light, liminality) and a modular 6-column grid with a restrained type scale.
Defined editorial pillars (air, light, liminality) and a modular 6-column grid with a restrained type scale.
Paired crisp body type with generous negative space; introduced hairline “threshold” keylines and a single Aurora-Indigo accent for titles, folios, and micro-glyphs.
Built a component library (headline/deck, drop caps, pull-quotes, map callouts, interview notes) plus photo direction: soft bloom, long-exposure water, bioluminescent night, and shallow-focus portraits.
Created an InDesign master with paragraph/character styles, accessibility/contrast checks, and press-ready export presets.
Prototyped three feature packages (Noon City, name-taking ferry, cloud-spine hostels): cinematic opener → annotated field notes/interviews.
Solution:
A surreal-yet-readable editorial system where headlines float, indigo rules guide like wayfinding lights, and calm margins keep the work legible and print-ready. The kit ships with an art-direction sheet, icon/glyph set, and packaged files for both print and digital.
A surreal-yet-readable editorial system where headlines float, indigo rules guide like wayfinding lights, and calm margins keep the work legible and print-ready. The kit ships with an art-direction sheet, icon/glyph set, and packaged files for both print and digital.
Outcome:
Clear hierarchy, faster layout assembly, and a cohesive travel experience that feels weightless without losing credibility: inviting for casual readers, layered for world-builders and storytellers.
Clear hierarchy, faster layout assembly, and a cohesive travel experience that feels weightless without losing credibility: inviting for casual readers, layered for world-builders and storytellers.
