Magazine Design – Outlook
Since its launch in 1964, Outlook magazine has showcased the research, clinical care, educational and service initiatives of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. I have had the privilege of designing and producing this historic magazine from print to web since 2016. Below are some case studies explaining an issue and their complexities.
CASE STUDY
Outlook magazine: Cancer themed issue + Redesign
WashU Medicine’s vast commitment to beating cancer is showcased in a special issue of Outlook magazine. Covering breakthroughs in research, education and patient care, it tells the story of innovation at the medical school and Siteman Cancer Center — past, present and future. This largest-ever, 80-page issue dedicated to a single theme presented new production challenges. In my expanded role, providing production management and art direction from initial timelines through printing, I coordinated its development with a new management team and an interim editor. Concurrently, I redesigned the magazine to align with the school’s rebrand, with a fresh nameplate, typography, colors and icons. Lastly, I worked alongside a web developer to rebrand the magazine’s website and create an engaging digital experience, and collaborated with the team to produce enhanced social media content.
CASE STUDY
Outlook magazine: Neuroscience themed issue
Understanding the brain is key to addressing devastating neurological and psychiatric diseases. To accelerate progress toward new therapies, WashU Medicine — already one of the world’s premier institutions in neuroscience research — deepened its investment. A new 11-story building provides a collaborative home for more than 120 research teams focused on solving the many mysteries of the human brain and nervous system. For Outlook’s first-ever issue dedicated to one theme, I worked closely with the editorial team to envision new ways to tell this complex story in magazine format, and I created engaging visuals to convey the scope of neuroscience research.
CASE STUDY
Outlook magazine: Typical issue
The Spring 2023 issue represents a typical Outlook issue distributed to WashU Medicine faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends. I managed all design aspects for three print magazines and three digital companion issues per year. The Spring 2023 issue offered a compelling snapshot of modern challenges and triumphs in health care, including an in-depth look at a leading nephrologist who uses big data to address society’s pressing health issues, a thoughtful exploration of gender equity in medicine, and an examination of the readiness of doctors in the face of climate change. As with all magazine issues, I determined how to visually convey these stories — creating graphics in close partnership with researchers and assigning/art-directing photography. For the Al-Aly story, for example, I created a detailed graphic to illustrate the impact of COVID-19 on the body. Many people within the medical community found this graphic helpful and shared or repurposed it.
CASE STUDY
Outlook magazine: Campaign issue
Leading Together: The Campaign for Washington University raised an unprecedented $1.8 billion for the School of Medicine – the most successful campaign in school history. The magazine staff sought to honor this achievement in a way that would sustain reader interest across the entire feature well. We needed to reflect WashU’s visual brand while still creating an issue that seemed fresh and new. To this end, I created a special icon set, custom infographics, and original art for the cover. I planned and art directed new photography, and carefully edited hundreds of existing photos taken throughout the years-long campaign. Throughout the production timeline, I helped guide the material through an extensive review process including dozens of university administrators, faculty, and patients. I worked closely with the editor to process the many – and sometimes conflicting – change requests with exacting attention to detail, never losing sight of our creative vision that resulted in a polished final product.
