Stir Magazine

In 2021, a former teacher of mine changed the course of my design career with one simple recommendation. Back when I was a student in her print design class, our final assignment was to create a magazine from scratch. I poured everything into that project—layout, typography, flow—never imagining it would lead to something real.

Fast forward a few years, and a friend of hers, the founder of Stir Magazine, was on a mission: to turn her established online publication into a physical Fall Arts Guide. She needed someone who understood magazine design—someone organized, collaborative, and fluent in print production. My former teacher had just the thing.

The process started with a template—one the founder had purchased as a base. We sat down together, flipping through pages, picking our favorites, and sketching out what would become the first Fall Arts Guide. From there, I set up the structure:

• A clear folder organization system for all incoming content
• A tracking sheet to keep tabs on copy, images, and edits
• Layout execution in Adobe InDesign, refining every spread as assets came in

That first magazine was such a success that I've continued working on Stir's print editions—Issues 2, 3, and 4—refining the layouts, streamlining our process, and even creating social media graphics to promote each launch.

This project wasn't just about design—it was about collaboration, structure, and adapting to a real-world publishing workflow. From a student project to a recurring role as Stir's print designer, it's a reminder that you never know who might see your work—or where it might take you.