InPrint Magazine
Timeline:
Social Media Manager – September 2021 - April 2022
Graphics Team – September 2020 - August 2021
Software used: Adobe Suite, Google Workspace
InPrint Magazine is an award-winning, student-run design publication that discusses sociopolitical issues affecting us and our communities. This year, I’m extending my proficiency in campaign design to social media management. Last year, I designed two spreads for “Environmental Racism Invigorating Action“, an article in Issue 5: Solidarity.
Background
In each annual issue, InPrint Magazine showcases the work, perspectives, and advice of students, alumni, faculty, and community members across disciplines. As an organization, InPrint also provides a collaborative space for students to grow as interdisciplinary creatives by engaging in graphic and web design, writing, photography, and marketing. We challenge our readers and members to think critically about their role as humans of the 21st century and give way to stories and voices that can resonate through all platforms.
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Social Media Management
Micro-Campaigns
I’ve learned that the key to success with social media marketing is creating visual languages that followers can utilize to recognize the meaning of your post.
Social Events
Social events use the same visual elements – an undulating border, a call-to-action header, and cute gravity-defying graphics that relate to the activity.
Bingo Fundraiser
Our bingo fundraiser asked InPrint members to generate funds to print Issue 6: Revival by posting graphics to their Instagram stories. Their followers would donate money which would be forwarded to the club. To encourage members to participate, I designed a micro-campaign that spanned 5 days. The micro-campaign utilized the branding for Issue 6: Revival to exemplify the possibilities with the newly introduced color palette.
Board Member Takeovers
Campaign Design
Timeline: November 2021 - February 2022 (pause in late December for winter break)
A long-term campaign featuring 1 of 8 board members per week. The board member spends one full day “vlogging” their activities using the Instagram story feature. The content of the vlog ranges from Q+A’s to schedule updates.
Background
When I initially became social media manager, I was thinking about ways in which we could create discourse amongst the InPrint community using the Instagram account. In 2020 when I was on the graphics team, I felt awkward making small talk over Zoom, especially when it was distracting from the work we were doing. I really only became closer with other club members once it was safe to meet in person. With my past experiences in mind, I saw the potential in Instagram to break online social barriers.
Audience
Approximately 400 Instagram followers, composed of UC Davis students, alumni, faculty, and parents.
Objectives
Humanize InPrint Magazine by showing the personalities and faces of the board that run it. This opens the floor for socialization, creating a warm environment for club members and thus sparking interest in the club campus-wide.
Normalize the ups and downs of college life. Show that everyone experiences tough deadlines and nights where they don’t get enough sleep, while simultaneously showing that it is okay to take breaks.
Find common ground. Provide audiences with avenues of connecting to others through relatable content, such as sharing hobbies and study habits.
Allude to the upcoming release of Issue 6: Revival in Spring 2022 by using floral imagery.
Takeaways
Board Member Takeovers
As I concluded my day posting and interacting with my audience, I came to some realizations.
You cannot distill an entire person into a number. It’s true that algorithms and statistics in social media tell us useful information to help us reach larger audiences, but getting lost in that mentality reduces the value of the individual. I had nuanced, one-on-one conversations with audiences in response to my takeover that contradicted the minimization effects of social media.
While the takeovers greatly boosted engagement, they did not encourage interaction amongst a larger community – rather, they helped the board members get to know the general members.
This is good so that we can introduce them to one another based on our knowledge, but moving forward, the board and I will have to think of methods to encourage more group socialization online if meeting in person is not possible.
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Issue 5: Solidarity Graphics
Problem Statement
Design two spreads for an article titled “Environmental Racism Invigorating Action”, which discusses the ramifications of building the Dakota Access Pipeline on sacred land. These spreads must seamlessly blend in with the rest of the 36-page publication through typography, color palette, and graphic style.
Background
Issue 5: Solidarity, released in Spring 2021, followed a wave of political upheaval after the revival of the Black Lives Matter movement, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the presidential election. With much turmoil in the state of the world, authors were encouraged to write on topics related to solidarity and unity in the face of the unknown.
Audience
UC Davis students, alumni, faculty, and parents interested in current events and the opinions of younger generations.
Objectives
Accurately depict the content of the article in a way that garnered readership
Represent an already marginalized community in a way that was thoughtful and respectful.
Process
Sketching
When confronted with my goal of respectfully representing indigenous groups, I greatly feared misrepresenting indigenous populations. I decided the best way to start would be to look at photographs from the Dakota Access Pipeline protests. While my article needed to avoid false stereotyping, I felt that complete erasure of representation would be in poor judgment, both ethically and due to the messaging of the article. I used reference photos, which would later be cited in the article itself, to ensure that my design decisions were based on reality.
While I sketched, I began doing research on the motifs present throughout “Environmental Racism Invigorating Action”. I found that the article heavily discussed the irresponsible waste disposal onto sacred lands, as well as
While I sketched, I began doing research on the motifs present throughout “Environmental Racism Invigorating Action”. I found that the article heavily discussed the irresponsible waste disposal onto sacred lands, as well as community efforts to enact positive legislative change. To mirror the shift in topics, I strategically split my graphic approach into two themes, making the first spread pessimistic and the second spread optimistic.
At this point, I recieved feedback from my team. They liked the split tone of my graphics, and preferred graphics that engaged the text and the entire page. I was encouraged to continue experiementing with the placement of the illustrations.
We had done several InDesign workshops as a team. I learned how to accurately set up document files, downloaded the fonts, and reviewed the style guide. I began assembling the final layout, making adjustments to accommodate text formatting as I went.
Final
Takeaways
InPrint Magazine
Joining InPrint Magazine is one of the best ways I’ve been able to find belonging within the design community in Davis.
Through InPrint, I’ve been able to improve my technical skills in illustration, layout, and marketing while contributing to a greater purpose. It is gratifying knowing that my work is directly benefitting and impacting students like me.
Through my administrative social media manager role, I’ve learned the power of design in communicating professionalism and bringing communities together.
When I was on the graphics team, I learned the importance of teamwork through feedback and iteration. As we all developed our spreads simultaneously, we were better able to deliver a cohesive final product.
