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Editorial Design · Layout Design, Photography, Brand Identity

Travel Lite Magazine

An academic group editorial-design project featuring a high-fidelity travel publication with original layout, photography, and visual identity.

  1. Mockup of the October 2020 issue of Travel Lite Magazine. The cover shows a stack of red rocks and the headline "San Andres: An Underrated Caribbean Paradise," beside open spreads including the Lockport feature.Opens the full-size image in a new tab.
    Cover and sample spreads from the October 2020 issue.
  2. Opening spread of Travel Lite Magazine. On the left is a full-page American Airlines advertisement over a view of snowy terrain from an airplane window. On the right is the Letter from the Editor, with a black and white photograph of a man reading, and an OontZ waterproof speaker advertisement below it. Carlos Orta designed the American Airlines advertisement, took its photograph, and designed the editorial layout.Opens the full-size image in a new tab.
    A Letter from the Editor beside an American Airlines advertisement, with an OontZ speaker advertisement below the letter.
  3. Opening spread of the Lockport feature, "Lockport: Stepping back in time," on pages 22 and 23. A full-bleed photograph of a historic downtown Lockport street, with a limestone building and a green historic district sign, runs behind the script title and the first paragraphs of the article. Lockport photography and layout by Carlos Orta.Opens the full-size image in a new tab.
    Lockport: Stepping back in time. Opening spread, pages 22 and 23.
  4. Lockport feature continued on pages 24 and 25, "Shove Off on a Virtual Trip through Lockport." Article text runs beside a full-height photograph of a bronze statue of two figures and a second photograph of a clock tower. Lockport photography and layout by Carlos Orta.Opens the full-size image in a new tab.
    Lockport feature continued, pages 24 and 25.
  5. Lockport feature continued on pages 26 and 27. The left page holds article text above a photograph of a stone canal lock. The right page is a College of DuPage advertisement for a food truck rally and sunset 5K over a photograph of a food truck. Lockport photography and layout by Carlos Orta.Opens the full-size image in a new tab.
    Lockport feature continued, pages 26 and 27, with a College of DuPage advertisement.
  6. Article spread about The Churchill, a shipping-container food and retail park in downtown Phoenix, on pages 40 and 41. A navy page with the Churchill logo and the headline "The Churchill Is Great for Late-Night Downtown Phoenix" faces columns of text under a pull quote, with a blue-toned image of the container buildings below. Layout by Carlos Orta.Opens the full-size image in a new tab.
    The Churchill, Phoenix. Article spread, pages 40 and 41.
  7. Pages 48 and 49. On the left is the article "Chicago Theatre Week" beside a photograph of the Chicago Theatre sign and facade. On the right is a full-page Arizona Office of Tourism advertisement over a photograph of a person in sunglasses looking out over red desert, with the lines "Your story starts here. Your story starts now. Let yourself go."Opens the full-size image in a new tab.
    Chicago Theatre Week, page 48, facing an Arizona Office of Tourism advertisement on page 49.
  8. Pages 50 and 51. The article "Finding Good Texas BBQ in Phoenix" opens under a retro sign-style Little Miss BBQ title graphic in teal and mustard. Text columns continue beside a photograph of a pulled pork sandwich and a can of Cactus Cooler orange pineapple soda on a wooden table.Opens the full-size image in a new tab.
    Little Miss BBQ, Phoenix. Article spread, pages 50 and 51.
  9. Opening spread of the fishing guide "From Worm to Fish: The Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Fishing," on pages 66 and 67. A full-bleed photograph of an angler in a red plaid shirt fishing from a pond bank sits behind the title and introduction. Layout and original photography by Carlos Orta.Opens the full-size image in a new tab.
    From Worm to Fish. Opening spread, pages 66 and 67.
  10. Continuation of "From Worm to Fish" on pages 68 and 69. Text sections titled "The Basics" and "Useful Skills" flank a vertical photograph of two spinning rods and reels on a wooden floor. Layout and original photography by Carlos Orta.Opens the full-size image in a new tab.
    From Worm to Fish continued, pages 68 and 69.
  11. Concluding spread of the fishing guide "From Worm to Fish" on pages 70 and 71. The left page, "Other Valuable Resources," has two columns of text above a full-width photograph of a tackle box with fishing bait, lures and a fishing rod on a wooden surface, photographed by Carlos Orta. The right page is a Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams advertisement showing pints of ice cream on a pale blue background with the line "We make it better."Opens the full-size image in a new tab.
    From Worm to Fish: Concluding Spread, pages 70 and 71.

Project Details

Editorial Design

I created Travel Lite Magazine as part of an academic group editorial-design assignment with four fellow students. The project focused on the intersection of professional layout and brand identity in an academic travel magazine.

At the beginning of the project, we selected our own responsibilities, with each role agreed upon by the group. As Creative Director and Editor, I developed the magazine’s visual identity, designed the Travel Lite logo, established its typography and layout system, and wrote the opening Letter from the Editor. The design system uses a dark navy blue palette with gold foil accents and editorial serif typography.

To concentrate on visual design and layout, the team used previously published articles for editorial copy. This allowed the focus to remain on using photography, typography, and layout to establish visual consistency across the publication.

Featured Content

The following selections showcase my contributions to the publication’s layout and visual storytelling. The article copy in these features was written by others.

  • Opening Advertisement & Editorial: The magazine opens with a full-page American Airlines advertisement and the Letter from the Editor. I designed the advertisement and wrote the editorial.
  • Lockport: Stepping Back in Time: A multi-page feature on the Illinois & Michigan Canal district, including the historic Gaylord Building. I provided both the architectural photography and the editorial layouts.
  • The Churchill: An editorial spread about The Churchill, a shipping-container food and retail park in downtown Phoenix. I was responsible for the editorial layout.
  • Little Miss BBQ: An editorial spread about Little Miss BBQ in Phoenix. I provided the photography and layout.
  • From Worm to Fish: A beginner-friendly fishing guide. I provided the layout and imagery for this feature.

Advertising & Photography

Beyond editorial content, I designed advertisements for American Airlines, College of DuPage, Arizona, and AAA, using a consistent typeface to maintain visual continuity throughout the publication. Selected advertisements are presented in the portfolio.

My photography appears in the Lockport and Little Miss BBQ features. The layouts use generous whitespace and a restrained typographic hierarchy.

Collaborators

The project was a collective effort by a five-student production team. I oversaw the visual identity and production.

Student Production Team: I worked with four fellow students: Conner Kastelein, Yiou Yang, Angela Bello, and Povilas Baranauskas.

Original Article Contributors: This project utilized existing published articles from sources such as West Suburban Living, Phoenix New Times, and Outside Online. The writers of these articles are credited within their respective spreads.

Interested in working together?

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