DESIGNERS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS PURSUE A VISION: AN INTERDISCIPLINARY EDITORIAL DESIGN EXPERIENCE

Technological developments and cultural shifts are dramatically changing the profession of graphic design and the means and media by which we communicate messages to our audiences. In addition, design is more than ever a collaborative
process, involving various specialists and experts working together to complete projects using the most beneficial and appropriate venues and channels.

This presentation explores an interdisciplinary collaborative course taught by a graphic designer and a photographer and is comprised of advanced graphic design and photography students working together on teams to create a 100 page magazine. The first task of the students is to elect a magazine staff whose job is to organize and run the magazine during the ten week course. Teams of photographers and designers then work together to write original articles pertaining to the magazine theme, and then design and photograph spreads for possible inclusion in the magazine. Teams create three spreads during the quarter working with different partners. The staff determines the articles to be included in the magazine and then supervise printing, which is done on campus. The staff includes a team of designers who also create a tablet version of the magazine.

Students receive technical information via lectures and demonstrations pertaining to proper use of the server and file preparation and submission. Lectures provide information on historical examples as well as current practitioners and practices in editorial design. Feedback is provided via critiques and a Facebook group throughout the course.

This real world experience is invaluable to our students as they enter the workforce, where teamwork and collaboration are essential to creating the most compelling visual communications, and many alumni of the course are currently working as editorial designers and photographers for a number of notable magazines.