TAGAAs Design Coordinator for my senior project, I oversaw the creation of a technical journal for the Technical Association of the Graphic Arts. The year-long project, spanning conceptualization, design, printing, and post press finishes, earned second place at the association’s annual conference. Responsibilities included managing the full design process, from layout and typography to image selection, ensuring the journal met both technical rigor and aesthetic standards.
The Process
Designing Graphics
As Design Coordinator, I collaborated closely with general members to guide the creation of custom graphics for the journal. We developed vector illustrations depicting locations around San Luis Obispo or retro-inspired objects that complemented each article. Using Adobe Illustrator, we established a cohesive, animated illustration style that was applied consistently throughout the publication.
Because the journal was printed within the Graphic Communication department, each illustration was produced with careful attention to color selection, trapping, and post-print varnish to ensure high-quality final results.
Creating Graphs & Tables
I was tasked with redesigning all of the graphs and tables from each article to match the journal’s color scheme. The graphs were created in Illustrator and the tables were made in InDesign.
Creating Varnish
I wanted the journal to have a tactile quality, so we selected a soft-touch paper stock and applied gloss varnish to the cover and interior graphics. This was achieved by defining a spot color within the file and exporting it as a TIFF, which was then outsourced to a local printer for production.
