Jackie Durbha
Jackie Durbha | Bay Area Graphic Designer
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OPT. Magazine

In the spring of 2018, OPT. Magazine - a print and digital publication about the city of Anderson, Indiana - finally made its big release. In my own personal time, I spent six months interviewing individuals, photographing the city and designing this arts and culture magazine. The publication hopes to encourage, enliven and revitalize the community. A downloadable PDF of the magazine can be found here.

OPT. Magazine

PURPOSE

OPT. Magazine is a collection of interviews, restaurants, and other stories from the people of Anderson, Indiana. An often neglected small town in northern Indiana, this passion project was created to spark change in the community and to start a dialogue about the hopes and dreams of those who live here.

Research

I met with a local artist, Tanner Lemon, who introduced me to a network of creatives, entrepreneurs, and active voices in Anderson. His insight and connections were vital in making this magazine. After getting a list of names together, I began sending emails asking for interviews. It was hard to decide who to interview, but ultimately I wanted to hear from those who were actively working on building a community in the city of Anderson. I met some of the interviewees in their studios, sometimes in their kitchens, other times at their workplaces. I think this part of the process made me more passionate about the project because with each person I interviewed, I was getting to know more people in the city of Anderson. Hearing their perspectives and experiences helped me understand the narrative of Anderson and ultimately better informed my design.

Design Process 

I first focused on getting all my interviews and pictures taken. Next, I worked on writing out the interviews, editing my photos, and sketching out layout designs. Coming up with not only creative layouts, but a whole brand for the magazine was challenging, but extremely fun. I learned a lot from experimentation and from using a grid system. Character and paragraph styles were life-savers in this process, teaching me how to be quick and efficient with my type. I also learned more about master pages, and was able to use that for my benefit.

Reflection

I have learned that listening to others is crucial to design and that when I see problems arise in my community, design can be used to address them and create a conversation that leads to change. I can only hope future artists and designers will kindle this gift and ignite their fires for good.