HAC’s Rural Voices Magazine
In 2020, I worked as a freelance designer and project manager for the Housing Assistance Council’s (HAC) Rural Voices magazine. Each issue of the magazine addresses a critical topic facing rural communities, from affordable housing to citizen-led design, with contributions from local rural housing professionals across the country. My role was to create a visually engaging layout that balanced diverse content types, ensured brand consistency, and helped communicate the complex ideas and solutions shared by rural housing experts in an accessible and effective way. Additionally, as the project manager, I coordinated the workflow and ensured that each issue was completed on time and to the client’s specifications.
Client: Housing Assistance Council (HAC)
Industry: Non-Profit, Rural Housing, Placemaking
Role: Freelance Designer, Project Manager
Agency: Salta With Us
Year: 2020
Tools: InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Word, Trello
The Project
HAC’s Rural Voices magazine regularly addresses important issues facing rural communities. In this issue, the focus was on Creative Placemaking—a process that uses design to engage rural citizens in reshaping their public spaces, improving their towns, and strengthening local economies. The issue included case studies on mural projects, local art installations, and coalition-building efforts that brought economic development through design, all while fostering community engagement.
My role was to design a magazine layout that would reflect the theme of citizen-led design, aligning with HAC’s existing brand while making the content both visually appealing and easy to digest. In addition to the design work, I also managed the production process, ensuring that the magazine stayed on schedule and met all editorial and client requirements.
Key Challenges
Brand Alignment: Ensuring the magazine’s design aligned with HAC’s established branding while still highlighting the creative and community-driven nature of the issue.
Diverse Content: The magazine included a variety of article types, from long-form narratives to visual showcases of community design projects, making it essential to create a flexible yet cohesive layout.
Collaboration: Coordinating with HAC’s editorial team, local writers, and contributors to ensure timely delivery of content and a smooth production process.
Design Strategy & Solutions
Magazine Layout & Structure:
To ensure consistency while accommodating diverse content, I developed a flexible layout system that allowed for various article formats to be presented seamlessly. This included:
Grid System: A modular grid was designed to give structure while allowing for dynamic, varied article layouts.
Typography & Hierarchy: I selected typography that was professional but approachable, with clear visual hierarchy to guide readers through the magazine with ease.
Section Dividers & Pull-quotes: To enhance readability, I incorporated section dividers and pull-quotes, highlighting key insights and creating visual interest.
Visual Elements & Imagery:
The design was focused on showcasing the rural communities and their creative efforts, with a strong emphasis on imagery.
Photography & Image Treatment: I used striking images of rural art projects and community engagement activities, applying consistent image treatments to maintain visual coherence.
Custom Graphics & Infographics: For data-heavy sections, such as the impacts of creative placemaking, I designed custom infographics to help break down complex information in a visually digestible format.
Brand Alignment:
Throughout the design process, I ensured that the magazine adhered to HAC’s branding guidelines, using their color palette and logo, but also incorporating more vibrant colors and artistic elements to reflect the theme of citizen-driven design.
Project Management:
I managed the entire production process using Trello to track tasks and deadlines. I coordinated the design work, collaborating with writers, editors, and the client to ensure that the magazine met its objectives and stayed within budget and timeline.
Final Deliverables
The final deliverables included:
A fully designed and laid-out magazine ready for print.
Custom-designed article templates.
Infographics and custom illustrations to support data-heavy content.
A cohesive and engaging magazine that effectively conveyed the issue’s themes.
Results & Impact
Consistent Design System: The new layout provided a strong, adaptable design system that allowed for consistent presentation across various issues of the magazine.
Engagement & Readability: The magazine’s layout improved the readability of complex topics and helped to engage readers more deeply with the content.
Successful Production Process: The project was completed on time and within budget, thanks to efficient project management and clear communication between all involved parties.
Conclusion
The 2020 Rural Voices: Cultivating Citizen-led Design magazine successfully highlighted the importance of community engagement through design in rural America. By creating a dynamic and flexible layout, I was able to showcase the unique stories of rural towns using creative placemaking to revitalize their communities. The magazine not only enhanced HAC’s mission to provide knowledge and resources for rural housing professionals but also reinforced the power of design in fostering social and economic change. Through effective project management, strong collaboration, and innovative design, this issue of Rural Voices delivered an impactful visual experience that effectively communicated the magazine's theme and engaged its audience.