HOW DOES A PUBLICATION STAY CONSISTENT?

After finalizing the wordmark, I began developing the content of the publication and creating a standardized visual language and grid system. It’s important for publications to have structural systems in place so that different designers can work on various issues while maintaining the cohesiveness of the publication’s identity. (This is especially the case in a crazy satire publication like Backroom because of the experimental and rambunctious methods of communicating the satirical content!)

Backroom’s dimensions are small and compact on purpose—I wanted the physical copy to feel sleek and almost secretive, like you’re sneaking shocking information out of the backroom!

PHYSICAL EXPERIMENTATION

Backroom is not formal or rigid, so why should its design be? Embracing the exaggerated nature of political satire and the hyperbolic Backroom wordmark, I experimented in waggish ways. Some spreads called for physical layering and manipulation, while some called for some photoshop fun. Through all this experimentation however, I wanted my visuals to communicate the facts, while diverting expectations.

DIGITAL EXPERIMENTATION

I wanted to go far past the limits of what I know design to be through color and typography experimentation and image alteration. But I’ve found that even when my design method for Backroom entailed “going crazy”, I need to create some structure to avoid getting lost in my own process. I worked in short sprint sessions, allocating a small goal per session. For example, “in the next 30 minute block, I will design a cover concept using typography inversion”