Design
While writing and editing have proven to be my journalistic forte, I have grown to love the challenge of design. I have spent hours upon hours learning how to navigate design tools such as Adobe InDesign and Illustrator in order to produce a page worthy product. When it comes to print journalism, I have learned that the page design is half of the appeal as words on a page mean nothing to most readers. Design allows us to grab the readers attention and lure them into our writing, and learning to master this technique has been one of my favorite parts of print journalism. I have also grown my leadership skills as a journalist through design, as having to teach an almost entirely new staff how to design pages and create infographics has required massive amounts of patience and willingness.
Designing Front Covers
The front cover design is always imperative in catching a reader's attention. Dominance, contrast, and eye flow are necessary to provide a neat visual and are elements necessary to consider when crafting a cover.
Infographics that have appeared in our print publication as well as our social media and online presence have allowed me to explore my own creativity and convey historical or current information in a more visually appealing way. Using tools such as Adobe InDesign and Illustrator has proved to be a way to test creativity and explore with technology.
I have also learned to design informative infographics such as this one, which spread awareness about how teen dating violence is a public health issue because it impacts millions of youths each year. A foundational understanding of how to identify healthy, respectful, and non-violent relationships are vital for youth. Designing infographics such as this one have helped me to use my skill to impact others and spread awareness about critical issues to the student body.