Client:

class project

About this project

It is a student-driven class project whose final goal is to create a magazine for students at the UNC campus.

The whole class cooperated to combine two magazines, one named Megabyte, one named Adventurus. Each student is assigned with stories in both magazines. We followed the style guide compiled by ourselves, used Adobe Illustrator, Indesign, and After Effect, and accomplished the task before the deadline. The two magazines were sent to print and would be distributed around campus in spring.

Megabyte introduced cutting-edge technologies to students. I contributed to the style guide, helping the art director with color decisions, and wrote and designed for the story 1-2-3D printing.

Challenge

Working in a design team is very different from working as an individual freelancer. I need to obey the certain rules, follow the instructions, and at the same time still be creative and came up with designs that are unique. A lot of communication was done in the process. On one hand, I listened to and respected others’ ideas; on the other hand, I bravely showed my own thoughts and was not afraid of arguing for the best result.

I was not very familiar with the style the art director composed. I didn’t feel confident with my writing skills to independently create a story that would be published either because English is not my mother language. In this project I learned new rules techniques, adapted to the theme quickly, and pushed my limits.

Solutions

I started by doing a lot of research on 3D printing, the topic assigned to me. I had an internship experience in a 3D printing company called Thre3D, so I had the background knowledge. However, I need to transform the information to a simple, straightforward language, deleting all the confusing terminologies and redundant details, and make it readable. I organized my information, picking the key factors, and decided to use illustrations to help explain the printing process.

I went over the gramma again and again and also asked help from editors, making sure my story was as good as those written by native speakers.

Instead of imitating the luminous and neon lights effects others were doing, I sketched a lot and finally came up with the idea of ‘blueprint’. I made full use of my advantages — robust drawing and art skills — and paid attention to details. The final piece matches the theme very well and is compatible with the general style guide.

The result

The overall project is a big success. Both Megabyte and Adventurus were sent to California for print and they will be distributed around campus in the spring.

To see Adventurus, please click here.

Capabilities involved

Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe After Effects, drawing, research, team work