Raven Speaks — Tara Garrigan Illustration

Taking the written word and turning it into a visual presentation

Short Story

“Raven Speaks” is a student magazine, written and edited by a talented, dedicated 8th grader. When she hit a roadblock at layout and design, her amazing journalism mentor looped in TMG Creative to come up with a youthful yet not childish concept that would showcase important subject matter in a light, easy-to-read format.

Strategy & Solution

Discuss the written content and learn more about the subject matter
Review inspiration, what the overall feeling should be, and also examples of what was not wanted
Design several concepts to choose from

Create original illustrations to match the written content and provided photos
Lay it all out, refine, and go to print!

The client’s Investment

The client already understood the general process and made it super simple by having their content in order, quickly delivered, and sent feedback in a timely and comprehensive manner. Regular meetings were scheduled to keep things moving along smoothly. All other aspects of the design project were handled by TMG Creative. The client did not have to learn design programs, manage print production, manage the schedule, or handle file organization, saving them time and headache.

The Problem to Solve

Mentor Rebecca Rolfes has a great understanding of what goes into designing publications - from her long standing career in publishing - but no team of designers at the ready for this situation.

The additional issue at hand was finding a designer who was well versed in creating work for the young adolescent audience. Even finding examples was proving challenging, as there are plenty of magazines for adults and for children, but very few teen magazines that aren’t trying to be too grown up. The client was looking for someone who could create a look and feel that was pre-teen appropriate.

Results Delivered

A beautiful, fun magazine was designed, printed, and a classroom’s worth of copies were delivered, showcasing the skillful writing of a dedicated student.

“Can't believe how quickly this came together. You understood what [we] wanted and were able to add touches like the raven that fit her personality. She'll have a finished product she can be very proud of.” - Rebecca Rolfes, Journalism Mentor on the project

Why TMG Creative?

In addition to our illustration, design, and management skills, having a familiarity with all of the subject matter (such as seed bombs, foraging, reuse of space, and survival training) was helpful to the client. One part of the student project was to learn more about their intended industry. Having years of experience teaching art to kids one-on-one made it simple to provide learning sessions about what goes into creating a design, things that need to be considered, and the technical issues that often arise.

Project by team member Tara Garrigan

Key Services