Willamette University wanted to design a radical departure from its previous magazine called “The Scene.” Working in collaboration with Peterson Skolnick and Dodge, the magazine was renamed and fully restructured (departments, pagination, tone of voice, trim size) to create a greater sense of culture and place that alums, students, parents, and friends could experience/re-experience near and far.
The cover features a seasonally-appropriate photo of the Willamette Valley, grounding Willamette University in its broader Pacific Northwest context and connecting the importance of the geography/landscape to what makes the university and student experiences (past, current, and prospective) unique. In contrast with the cover image (externally focused on the Willamette Valley), the photography used on the inside front cover and table of contents focuses inward and showcases the people and activities of the extended (students, parents, faculty, alumni, staff, friends, supporters) Willamette community.
Each department and article has multiple entrypoints for viewers, and the stylistic theme of ruled boxes threads through the entire publication to create visual continuity. Typographically, the predominant use of a contemporary serif reinforces the conversational nature of the content and creates a welcoming and accessibly readable feel.
