The Stand

Author

Kelsey Boyer

Degree Type

Honors Capstone Project

Date of Submission

Spring 5-1-2009

Capstone Advisor

Steve Davis

Honors Reader

Sherri Taylor

Capstone Major

Art

Capstone College

Visual and Performing Arts

Audio/Visual Component

no

Capstone Prize Winner

no

Won Capstone Funding

no

Honors Categories

Creative

Subject Categories

Art and Design | Graphic Design | Interactive Arts

Abstract

Concept Statement

The Stand is based on the concept of creating a new alternative source of information and news specifically for the South Side community of Syracuse, New York. The new publication will improve upon the existing small-format local newspapers, creating a vibrant new media source. It will focus exclusively on the people of this community and serve as a visual connection for the members of the South Side. Its monthly production will create an awareness of recent events and happenings of the community that currently often go unheard and unseen. This will in return help community members become a more connected and knowledgeable group of people.

Context of the Work

The Stand is a small tabloid style newspaper (10 inches by 11 inches), similar to the inserts found in many daily newspapers across the country. A staff and director will maintain the publication once the ready-to-use templates are finalized and finances are set in order. It will be printed in full color, ranging from twelve to twenty pages on a monthly basis. The publication is free to the public and will be available in and around the South Side community.

Medium and Process Used in the Creation

The templates for The Stand were created through conversations with community member and Syracuse University faculty. The files are digital and created in Adobe’s InDesign software. This program is specifically designed for the production of print materials, especially those that need pre-created styles and designs for easy access and use. It is compatible with word processing programs and Photoshop to provide easy placement of the content for the newspaper. The process involved multiple hand sketches of layouts, computer based layouts, and discussions with advisors who provided constructive criticism to improve upon the various versions. More than ten layouts of styles, colors, and content went through revisions to end at the final template files. A Style Guide and Library of graphic elements were also part of the design process and included in the set of template files.

Conclusion

After two semesters of working on various drafts of The Stand templates, a final set of template files have been created and are ready for use in the monthly production of this new publication. Because I was given an extended length of time to stand back and reflect on the work being created, more complete and established templates were the result. These templates are easy to use by both professional and non-expert designers. They make use of color, photography, type treatments, and white space, creating a visually pleasing and enjoyable publication to hold and read.

Recommended Citation

Boyer, Kelsey, "The Stand" (2009). Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All. 426.
https://surface.syr.edu/honors_capstone/426

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.