Overview

Working at a local newspaper means being rooted in the community and attentive to the needs and challenges of small businesses. I worked with a wide range of clients, from local bodegas to statewide property management firms and national retailers, helping them communicate with potential local customers.

Objectives

• Identify client needs and available collateral.
• Develop campaign concepts within the client’s budget.
• Communicate with the client and sales representative to finalize designs.
• Work with writers and editors to produce a publication under tight deadlines, ensuring articles and advertisements are presented in the best possible light.

Approach

The typical process involved communicating with the sales representative, and/or the client, to understand the needs and goals of the campaign. Then we worked towards developing new branding or strengthening existing branding for local small businesses that have limited collateral. This process could involve significant back-and-forth, as well as educating clients on best practices for print advertising.

Because newspapers operate with limited budgets, my approach focused on working efficiently in both design and messaging. With minimal space available for each advertisement, my goal was always to design and place ads in a way that maximized visibility and readability.

Client

The Hippo Press & their local clients

Role

• Graphic Design
• Copywriting
• Pagination
• Digital publishing of print collateral

Software & Platforms

• Photoshop

• Illustrator

• InDesign

• WordPress
• Squarespace

• Wishlist Member

Deliverables

• Weekly updated ads
• New ad campaign concepts
• Branding for local businesses
• Cover design