As art director, I acquired reprint rights for this image for the Culture Shift section in YES! Magazine's "Elders" issue. The subject reflects the issue’s focus on elders and cultural stewardship through Ethan Petticrew’s work preserving Unangax culture and repatriating items taken during WWII. [Photograph by Matika Wilbur, from Project 562.]
YES! Media
Role: Art Director
The Challenge
YES! Magazine featured visually expressive, well-crafted layouts, but lacked a consistent editorial structure. This resulted in broken grids, interrupted article flow, and an uneven typographic hierarchy, making long-form journalism harder to read and navigate.
My Responsibilities
As the organization’s first Art Director, I partnered closely with new editorial leadership to translate approved editorial direction into a coherent design system, shaping a clear editorial structure grounded in standards, accessibility, and creative expression.
Cover evolution showing the shift from a boxed logo and multi-line cover text to a simplified system that prioritized image visibility and a single-word issue theme.
TOC and Contributors redesign expanding navigation into full spreads, adding visual previews, clearer hierarchy, and more prominent crediting of writers, editors, and artists.
Section divider evolution from shared single pages to full-spread introductions, using related imagery across sections to create cohesion and pacing. Revised typographic hierarchy and more prominent section headlines clarified navigation and ensured article titles were clearly surfaced.
Feature layout evolution prioritized uninterrupted article flow, consistent grid structure, and clearer typographic hierarchy for long-form journalism.
Key Contributions
> Established typographic hierarchy and grid systems to improve readability and flow
> Created clear visual distinctions between features, departments, and opinion pieces
> Designed reusable templates that supported consistency without flattening voice
The Outcome
> The redesigned system played a key role in 35% growth in millennial readership
> Maintained 150K+ print circulation and donor trust
> Documented and codified art direction and print production processes, supporting consistency and long-term editorial and production continuity.