CREATION
About Serious Play
This project began as an exploration of how the visual language of mid-century modernism could exist within a contemporary editorial space. Our team selected Parsons re:D, the alumni magazine for Parsons School of Design, and developed a conceptual special-edition issue dedicated to influential designers connected to the school and the mid-century movement.
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The publication featured designers including Paul Rand, Will Burtin, Alvin Lustig, and Saul Bass, using bold typography, structured grid systems, geometric composition, and minimal color palettes inspired by the era.
My role focused heavily on the creative direction of the project, including developing the overall concept, designing the magazine cover, creating all presentation mockups, and designing the editorial spreads centered around Paul Rand. The goal was to preserve the timeless principles of mid-century design while presenting them through a modern editorial lens.
CHALLENGE
Balancing Past & Present
The main challenge of this project was balancing historical design influence with contemporary editorial design. We wanted the magazine to authentically reflect the visual language of mid-century modernism without feeling outdated or overly referential.
This required extensive research into the typography, layout systems, color palettes, and graphic styles used by designers like Paul Rand, Saul Bass, and Alvin Lustig, while also adapting those elements into a publication that still felt modern and relevant to today’s audience.
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​Another challenge was creating visual consistency across a collaborative group project. Since multiple designers contributed spreads and content, maintaining a cohesive art direction throughout the magazine was essential. I helped guide the overall visual direction of the project while designing key elements including the cover, mockups, and the Paul Rand editorial spreads to help unify the final publication.
FINAL PUBLICATION
Parsons re:D - Serious Play
A conceptual editorial redesign exploring how mid-century modernism could be translated into a contemporary publication format.
Created as a collaborative university project, this special-edition version of Parsons re:D highlights influential designers connected to Parsons School of Design, including Paul Rand, Will Burtin, Alvin Lustig, and Saul Bass.
I led the creative concept and visual direction, designed the magazine cover, created all mockups, and developed the editorial layouts for the Paul Rand feature spread.