GradLife is Western Sydney University's biannual alumni magazine. Its aim is to keep a network of over 200,000 graduates connected and up to date with the University's achievements, as well as showcase the success of fellow graduates. With around 15,000 to 20,000 printed copies each issue, and an even wider digital distribution, GradLife engages a huge audience across different industry sectors.
Project
GradLife redesign
The use of portrait photography in the previous designs, whilst in line with the University's brand of 'people first', failed to engage with many readers who had no prior connections with the faces on the page. In redesigning GradLife, I wanted to not just change the skin of the design but to also change the fundamental design approach, while still adhering to brand. This meant shifting the focus away from only using portraits, to the inclusion of a mix of dynamic profile photos and conceptual imagery to better illustrate the articles and create more engaging visuals. Crucial to aligning this with the brand was keeping the face front and centre of the cover design, but allowing more interpretative and conceptual design to breathe on the inner spreads.
The design process involved competitor analysis, conceptualisation, presentation of concept, providing art direction to the photographer, and implementation of the design to final product.
