Twin Cities PBS (TPT) Monthly Member Magazine
As the lead designer for TPT's monthly member magazine, I collaborated across departments to bring each issue to life—reaching over 110,000 households every month. The magazine is a key communications tool and a major driver of donations, making both quality and timeliness essential. The full production process typically spanned about two weeks from kickoff to print delivery.
Design Process
Step 1
Collaborate & Plan
Each month began with a planning meeting with our Managing Editor to align on editorial priorities, cover direction, and ad placements. Assignments for additional needs were managed through our project management system based on workload and deadlines.
Step 2
Initial Layout
Using a content map provided by the Managing Editor,
I built the initial framework for the issue—establishing page flow, rough layouts, and planning space for imagery and editorial content.
Step 3
Design
During the design phase, I would complete the layout, source and edit images, flow in the content, design the cover and create ads. Some elements, such as covers and ads, went through a separate internal review. Depending on the issue, the design process could take up to 20 hours.
Step 4
Review & Revisions
The draft would need to be reviewed by members of the Marketing team including the Managing Editor, Creative Director, Director of Marketing Strategy, and VP of Marketing. Depending on the content, additional stakeholders were looped in as needed. Feedback was funneled through the Managing Editor, and we met to implement final revisions.
Step 5
Finalize & Deliver
After final approval, I exported the file according to printer specifications and and managed file uploads to the printer’s system. Once confirmed that there were no file errors, I also created final imagery for email and web distribution.