emerson college
getting expressive
a creative disconnect
Emerson College, located in the heart of Boston, has long stood out from peer institutions with its daring, creative, personal approach to higher ed. Although a small school of just over 4000 undergrads, its unique viewpoint draws students from 47 states (what’s up, Wyoming?) and 63 countries. But Emerson’s alumni magazine had a tired, generic look that seemed disconnected from the school and its grads.
energy abounds
Working closely with the Emerson staff, Visual Dialogue re-imagined Expression to be, well, more expressive. With contemporary typography families, energetic layouts, and eye-catching imagery, every element of the magazine now captures the feeling of the school.
cutting edge
Even the cover illustration—brought to life through augmented reality—reflects the forward-thinking, risk-taking vibe at Emerson (and a nod to its renowned bicoastal film & media departments).
short and sweet
The front of book sections kick off the publication with short stories that represent all that’s happening in the Emerson community. The table of contents gives a hint at the artwork to come later in the magazine. An illustrated portrait, created by Sam Kerr, accompanies the President’s Letter.
With each new issue, we aim to reflect the most current stories and digital connections that our readers care about. Prelude features some of the buzziest Emerson community highlights across Instagram, X, and news media.
Dispatches is comprised of pages packed with short stories, news, stats, and infographics. Stories are laid out to emphasize the most exciting elements and give readers the news at-a-glance.
Each Snapshot depicts current events, behind-the-scenes action, or simply stunning views around the Emerson campuses (both east and west coast). The photographs are taken by students or staff.
Every issue, Expression profiles an unsung faculty or staff member whose work is integral to the Emerson community. Whoever the subject, we art direct custom photography for each Everyday Emerson profile to help their story.
the featured attraction
Expression features stories provide in-depth coverage of current, newsworthy topics that Emersonians are engaged with. To enhance every narrative, we tailor the artwork specifically to each subject with custom photography or illustration from artists near and far.
For individual alumni profiles, we work with supplied photography or commissioned artwork to convey the subject’s area-of-focus.
“Visual Dialogue helped us evolve our magazine to better reflect our institution. Their creativity, imagination, professionalism, and resourcefulness has made it a joy to work with them!”– Charna Mamlok Westervelt, Editor.
alumni updates
Following the features, Alumni delivers updates and stories geared towards grads. To introduce the section, we select engaging photos of Emersonian moments. An introductory letter, event updates, a collection of alumni-penned books, and more give readers an overview of all alumni activities.
Class Notes opens with an archival image from the Emerson campus, connecting to its rich history and showcasing all that has (and hasn’t) changed over the years. Alumni-submitted notes and photos are punctuated with featured call outs.
ending on the right note
The final spread of the magazine closes out the publication with two fun extras. Every issue, a 20 Questions interview with an Emerson staff member is accompanied by an illustrated portrait in a style relating to their area of expertise.
The final page, Curtain Call, has different content for each issue, ranging from games, poems, infographics, Emersonian-submitted artwork, and even commencement speeches written by ChatGPT.
