The two months of my life after newspapers has felt like a favorite class in school: a lot of education, a lot of hustle, and it almost doesn’t feel like homework because you’re having so much fun learning new things. I was a little worried that working in one medium for so long might limit my opportunities for finding clients that had needs outside of editorial. But so far that hasn’t been the case.

I’m obviously biased, but I think journalists who venture into other fields have skill sets that can be used in myriad ways. Reporters know how to ask the tough questions and not take anything at face value. Editors are quick to identify the missing elements to a project and are trained to spot major errors that can sneak by others. Designers know how to take all sorts of pieces: text, photos, graphics — all of varying importance, length, and layering — and make it a cohesive, visually attractive and digestible piece.

And all of these folks know how to do the highest level of work on an intense deadline. I’m appreciative to those clients who have seen that I have something to offer even if it is my first time attempting a project in a particular format.

One of those clients is The Historic New Orleans Collection. Its annual Williams Research Center Symposium in January is one of its most popular events for its members. I was thrilled when I was asked to design the poster for the 2019 Symposium. I worked with a designated editor to create this 22” by 17” quad-fold poster that is mailed to its members.

My favorite challenge to this project was designing something that felt beautiful and was able to share a lot of information. The reverse side had a lot to pack in: an introduction to the Symposium, a schedule of the day’s lectures, mailer information, and a registration form. Also, coming from the world of captions and photo credits, one new challenge for me was how to display the necessary information on any art we used.

Designer and client were pleased with the poster and we are looking forward to another project in the near future!