Ellipse

Creative Direction / Branding / Art Direction / Editorial Design

Project Overview

Ellipse was a fully independent student-run publication produced by the CAD Editorial Design class. This group of 30+ designers and photographers were gracious enough to elect me and Meghan Marin as Creative Directors. Planning, writing, designing, and printing an 80+ page magazine in just two months was an enormous undertaking, but I’m happy to say that our efforts were successful. Here's some insight into that effort, along with a selection of spreads.

Mission + Branding

We decided early-on that the focus of Ellipse would be our collective statement on the future – a future of sustainability, of shifting identities, one where our relationship to technology is constantly changing.

We developed Ellipse’s visual identity to reflect this vision of an organic, sustainable future. We also printed the magazine on fully recycled paper, something we wanted to emphasize in the sparse layouts of the magazine spreads.

Cover

In addition to our beautiful cover images, we wanted to include an extra touch of finish to the magazine's reading experience, aiming to further elevate the overall presentation. To achieve this, I conceptualized and designed a special screen-printed slip cover.

The content is the definition of the word with a subtle brand mark. Beyond its aesthetic appeal, the slip cover also served a practical purpose by offering an extra layer of protection to the magazine during distribution and handling.

“He Who Does Not Work...”

This spread was a for an article I wrote about artificial intelligence, automation, and its impact on the future of labor. I created warped, stretched typography to match the psychedelic horror of the imagery. The askew angle of the text columns also gives the spread an unsettling edge. Photography by Rylie Cerasani and Candice Grimes.

“You’re The Type...”

This spread was a for a creative non-fiction piece I wrote about online radicalization, paired with warped imagery that thematically matches the content of the article. I used this spread to experiment and push the boundaries of the typical editorial layout. I also used it to experiment with digital image-making techniques. Original photo by Evan McClellan.

“4lbs Per Day”

This article is one of the best examples of a visual style that emphasizes the raw materials used in the creative process – in a way that also matches Ellipse’s brand guidelines. It’s also a great way to frame sustainability – as an activity that everyone can participate in. This article was a collaboration between photographer Sam Kang and designer Madison Mitchell.

Magazine Release Popup

From the beginning, it was important for Ellipse to be something that brought people together and sparked discussion. For that reason, our magazine release had to be something special.

Featuring interactive exhibits, large-scale prints, and branded decorative elements, the event was a celebration of what we had all achieved and a chance to reconnect with our community after an intense few months. This event was a truly collective effort, and it was organized masterfully with the special help of digital editor Sam Kang and art director Laura Stockman.

Magazine Release Popup

The digital experience is essential to any contemporary magazine. Spearheaded by channel manager Lizzie Soufleris, Ellipse’s website is an elegant, no-frills collection of the magazine’s many articles hosted on GitHub. We used the digital medium to our advantage, and continued working on multimedia pieces during the pre-print and printing phases of the project.

Here’s a video I wrote, produced, and co-animated (additional animation by Kendra Murphy, illustrations and voice-over by Alexis Scott).