Publishing & Media

The Challenge

Executive Overview

Unredacted Magazine required more than a visual refresh. It required a structured publishing system capable of maintaining visual consistency, accessibility, and production efficiency across recurring issues.

Beginning with Issue 002, I redesigned the magazine’s layout architecture and built a repeatable, governance-driven framework supporting long-term editorial continuity.

The Challenge

The publication needed:

• A cohesive visual identity across issues
• Accessible, interactive digital delivery
• A layout system adaptable to evolving editorial themes
• Production workflows that could scale without fragmentation

In digital publishing, inconsistency compounds quickly.

The objective was durability, not decoration.

My Role

Led full layout architecture and production system design.

Built an adaptable InDesign framework capable of:

• Maintaining visual consistency across issues
• Supporting interactive digital distribution
• Adapting to diverse editorial content
• Reducing manual layout friction for future editions

This was not a one-off issue design.

It was publishing system modernization.

The Approach

• Defined typographic hierarchy and modular layout grids
• Created reusable design components for recurring editorial structures
• Integrated interactive navigation and embedded links for digital usability
• Developed graphical templates for advertisements and feature spreads
• Established production standards to ensure issue-to-issue consistency

Deliverables & Deployment

Modular Layout Framework

A scalable InDesign architecture adaptable across future editions.

Interactive Digital Distribution

Structured interactive PDF format supporting hyperlink navigation and embedded assets.

Editorial Design System

Reusable components governing typography, grids, ad placement, and visual hierarchy.

Institutional Impact

• Improved visual consistency across issues
• Reduced layout production time for future editions
• Enabled interactive digital distribution
• Established durable publishing governance standards

The result was not simply improved aesthetics.

It was a sustainable editorial system.

Modernization Principles Applied

This engagement reflects the same principles that guide the Public-Facing Systems Modernization Assessment:

• Systems before visuals
• Governance before expansion
• Accessibility integrated into structure
• Scalability defined prior to growth

In publishing environments, modernization must protect editorial integrity while enabling operational efficiency.