Project Introduction
It’s time to design something unapologetically you. This project asks you to take everything you’ve learned so far — design theory, original photography, illustration, Photoshop editing, and now InDesign — and fuse it into a personal mini-magazine (a zine!) that’s as weird, wonderful, or hyper-specific as your current obsession.
Your zine should be 6–8 pages and focus on a topic you love — frogs, folklore, fan theories, fashion fails, ghost towns, mushroom cults, bad reality TV, or that oddly specific hobby you think no one else gets (they will). Just one rule: no boring topics. If it wouldn’t make you stop and flip through it on a bookstore shelf, it’s not good enough yet.
⚠️ Important: Keep it K–12 appropriate. Nothing graphic, offensive, or adult-themed. If you’re unsure, check with me first — the Instructor will tell you (unapologetically) if you are off course. Stay classy, San Diego (old man reference).
Creative Focus
This project is your InDesign playground. You’ll plan, photograph, design, and layout every page like a real publication. Each page must show off your understanding of page flow, typography, image hierarchy, color usage, and grid systems. Think of this like building your own indie magazine — because you are. You’ll use InDesign to bring it all together, but the real magic comes from integrating your work across Photoshop, Illustrator, photography, and foundational design principles (yes, the ones you learned from The Non-Designer’s Design Book — this is the test).
This is where you stop doing practice work and start building a project you’d actually want to print, post, or show off to a potential client.
🔥 Hot Take from GD (again… I used and emoji… that means is SERIOUS.)
This is your crossover episode. All the tools you’ve touched this year? You’re using them now — not to check boxes, but to say something real. Your zine should feel like you made something for you, not just for a grade.
And yeah, building something from scratch with real tools is hard. But it’s also where everything clicks. You start to see how Photoshop enhances your images, how Illustrator adds detail, and how InDesign glues it all together into a design that actually feels like a magazine you could publish. That’s the level-up. That’s where you go from “I’m learning” to “I made this — and it’s good.”
So let’s get personal. Let’s get weird. Let’s make something that doesn’t look like homework — it looks like a real creative project you’d be proud to post, print, or pitch.
Project Requirements
Your final submission must be published as a Portfolio Post on your WordPress site and include the following:
To complete this project:
- Choose a topic you’re genuinely interested in (and get instructor approval)
- Use your own photography — a minimum of 5 original photos must be included
- Include at least:
- One page designed in Illustrator (vector artwork, logo, iconography, etc.)
- One page heavily edited in Photoshop (collage, effects, or photo enhancement)
- One page that is typography-focused (minimal images, maximal type design)
- Total layout must be 6–8 pages in InDesign, designed to be a zine-style spread
- Final zine must include:
- A cover page with title and visual identity
- At least one two-page spread
- Consistent margins, columns, and grid usage
- Clear mastery of type hierarchy, alignment, spacing, and color use
- Export as both a print PDF and a web-optimized PDF, embedded on your WordPress portfolio
- Include a 100–150 word artist statement about the zine: why you made it, what inspired you, and how you approached the design
Project Grading Rubric
Here is how your project will be graded.
| Criteria | Description | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Creative Topic & Concept | Topic is original, interesting, and shows clear personal engagement | 15 pts |
| InDesign Layout & Structure | Pages use columns, margins, grids, and spacing effectively | 25 pts |
| Visual Integration | Illustrator, Photoshop, and Photography are meaningfully used throughout (yeah, this is TWENTY POINTS…) | 20 pts |
| Typography & Design Theory | Excellent use of hierarchy, contrast, alignment, proximity, and color | 20 pts |
| Portfolio Presentation | Both PDFs uploaded and embedded; artist statement included | 10 pts |
| Effort & Execution | Project feels polished, complete, and shows thoughtful design decisions | 10 pts |
| Total | 100 pts |
OCP & Standard Alignments
01.02 – Demonstrate knowledge of project-based workflow (Students must plan, execute, and complete a complex visual design using multiple tools and stages)
01.05 – Demonstrate use of file formats and output settings appropriate for web and print (Students prepare both 72dpi and 300dpi versions of their poster)
02.03 – Use principles of layout and design in the development of a creative project (Poster layout, text alignment, and composition must closely follow the original)
03.01 – Use photographic equipment and lighting techniques to capture digital images (Students are required to stage and shoot their own photographs for use in the design)
03.05 – Apply photo manipulation techniques using industry-standard software (Photoshop is used to blend, composite, and recreate complex visual effects)
04.02 – Prepare digital media projects for peer, client, or instructor review (Students document their process and present their print-ready files professionally)
Digital Media & Multimedia Design 