Newspaper
Print, Branding, Marketing, Advertising, Web
-At the Forefront of the Transition from The Pride to The Cougar Chronicle.
Overview
Through a graphic design professor, I was informed that the CSUSM student newspaper, The Pride was in need of a design assistant, that would work with the layout editor to create the paper. I enjoyed learning the ins and outs of the newspaper from behind the scenes and seeing every step as it evolved from concept to final product.
After my first semester, I was promoted to Layout Editor where myself and only two other returning members ran the paper under a completely new advisor, Editor-in-Cheif, and staff. From a design perspective, I transitioned the look of the paper away from traditional to a more modern magazine feel. In spring of 2012, I spearheaded the rebranding of the newspaper from the underwhelming The Pride and transitioned it to The Cougar Chronicle. I once again transitioned the look and the feel of the newspaper into something the students and staff of CSUSM enjoyed and looked forward to reading. I established new design concepts, new logos and a new color scheme that allowed the newspaper to flourish. By fall of 2012, I was Co-Editor-in-Cheif, still the Layout Editor, and also the Ad designer.
Fun Facts
During my first semester with The Pride, I was also fortunate enough to be the lead designer for "The PALM" which was the Pride Annual Literary Magazine.
During my time as Co-Editor-in-Chief of The Cougar Chronicle, I personally established a successful workflow system using Google Docs that allowed the entire staff to communicate and work effectively on and away from campus. I was also able to grow a staff of seven people to one of 20-25 which benefitted the paper. I also established and maintained the Facebook page, which grew to 900+ friends in less than seven months.
Under my reign as Co-Editor-in-Chief, The Cougar Chronicle won 6 different awards in various categories at the San Diego Society of Professional Journalists’ 2013 awards and was also nominated for CSUSM student organization of the year.
After leaving The Cougar Chronicle the newspaper has continued to grow even bigger and better with each passing year.
Other Details
During my time working at The Cougar Chronicle and The Pride I was...
- In charge of media, content placement, and overall design across five different sections; News, Sports, Features, Opinion, Arts & Entertainment.
- Designing and creating graphics, pie charts, graphs, etc. relevant and necessary to each issue.
- Editing all photos and graphics to be in both a printed and online format. In addition to maintaining and updating stock photography.
- Presenting large amounts of information in an aesthetically pleasing format.
- Creating several detailed media kits for advertising purposes and working with clients to create advertisements. I have happily designed ads for, The North County Transit District, Brake Masters, Sears Optical, and various others.
- Maintaining the integrity of the newspaper through the paper’s visual presentation.
- Working harmoniously with several different departments.
- Creating, maintaining, and following strict deadlines.
