Interaction Design · Project 1 of 3 · Weeks 1–5
GD 1 Project 4: Mini Zine
Grid, typographic hierarchy, and design in service of the reader
FORMAT
Individual
WEEKS
11–14
METHODS
Hand-drawn grid · Paper layout sketches · Typographic hierarchy · Paragraph styles · Character styles · Adobe InDesign · Editorial layout · Multi-page design · Iterative critique
TAGS
Design Education, Design Thinking, Community
Why this project
Project 4 addresses a publication challenge. Every design choice must prioritize the reader—not personal preferences, software defaults, or the initial layout filling the page. Robert Bringhurst, in The Elements of Typographic Style, emphasizes that typography's purpose is to honor content, which is the foundational idea of this project.
The need for paragraph and character styles is based on structure, not appearance. InDesign styles serve as the document's framework—helping professional publications maintain consistency across pages and editors. Ellen Lupton's Thinking with Type states that typographic hierarchy is a powerful tool for controlling how people interpret information, and effective control depends on systematic thinking rather than spontaneous decisions. A student who manually bolds every subhead instead of creating a Subhead style does not grasp the difference between formatting and design.
Project 4 is the culmination because it builds on previous skills: the compositional discipline from the black square exercises, precise mark-making from the symbol system, and image-text integration from the poster project. The hand-drawn grid before opening InDesign reflects Kelly’s teaching approach: the structural decision must be made intentionally on paper as a deliberate choice, not something discovered accidentally on screen.
The Brief
PROJECT PROMPT
Design a four-page zine on a topic that matters to you — connected to the themes you have been working with all semester. You choose the subject, the voice, and the visual direction. The zine must communicate clearly, hold together as a system across all four pages, and give the reader a reason to keep reading.
A zine is a self-published document with a point of view. It is not a report or a brochure. It has personality, intention, and a reader in mind. The central design challenge is typographic hierarchy and grid. Every page must demonstrate a clear, consistent structure. You will establish that structure by hand before opening InDesign.
Choose one topic: A Place That Shaped You · Something You've Learned to Do · A Social Issue That Affects Your Life · Something Disappearing
DELIVERABLE
Thumbnail layout sketches (minimum 25) and hand-drawn grid — photographed and submitted — 4-page zine: cover, two interior pages, back cover
Page size: 5.5" × 8.5" (half-letter), portrait
All paragraph and character styles defined and applied in InDesign
Minimum 3 images, sourced legally
InDesign file (.indd) with packaged links folder
Print-ready PDF, labelled Lastname_Firstname_Project4.pdf
4 printed copies for critique
Self-assessment — see separate assignment sheet
What I've learned from running this
The original fourth project in this course was an infographic—a visual of a personal journey combining qualitative and quantitative data with text and images. This was a compelling project, as students were truly interested in the personal data aspect. However, it did not teach publication design. Students finished the project without gaining experience in grid systems, typographic hierarchy across multiple pages, or editorial layout logic—skills that are important far beyond just graphic design.
The zine replaced the information graphic not because the information graphic was wrong, but to serve as a project that introduced InDesign, master pages, paragraph and character styles, and the discipline of designing for a reader across multiple pages. Once students understand the difference between formatting and design—such as manually applying bold versus defining a Subhead style—it transforms their approach to every future document they create.
The zine format is intentionally selected because it has its own voice, perspective, and target audience. Students with experience from three prior projects contribute their subject expertise to this format. The challenge isn't about what to communicate but how to present their knowledge effectively. This shift—from discovering content to delivering it—is the final and most significant aspect of the course.
I'm still determining the ideal page count. Four pages promote economy, which is valuable pedagogically because students can't hide behind excessive length. However, this also restricts the grid complexity that InDesign is most effective for. I've thought about increasing to eight pages for future semesters. The balance between scope and constraint is an ongoing consideration I expect to revisit before making a final decision.