Powering the Community

After a five-year hiatus, Sewanee/University of the South made the strategic decision to bring back their print magazine. It was time to deepen the connection with their tight-knit community and bring them back to their bucolic campus. Partnering with Dog Ear Creative, we brought their vision to life. 

During discovery, the vital role of place and community in the Sewanee experience was clear. The overall mission for the redesign was “to develop a magazine that fosters engagement by inviting readers to meet the characters and the settings that power the community, as well as to understand the wider ripples of the school.”

At a time when the validity of a liberal arts education is being called into question, a magazine is the perfect tool to go deep into showing the impact of an experience at a school like Sewanee. 

Longer narratives and expansive imagery pull the reader in, such as “Gathering Storms” about an alumnus Micah Nicholas, C’17, and his impactful role as executive director of the Red Cross in Louisiana captured in a photo essay by Bryan Tarnowski; “AI is Okay: The bright sides of the oft-feared technology,” showcasing alumni utilizing AI for good ( beautifully illustrated by Anne Laval); and “Class Acts” celebrating some favorite professors and the role they played in alumni’s trajectory.

People are at the heart of the relaunched magazine. “On the Mountain,” brings people back to campus while “Off the Mountain,” takes them across the country. To create a unique brand and visual continuity we selected one photographer to shoot the stories for the campus-based section, complemented by portrait illustrations.

Along with bringing the stories of the people, another key mission for redesign of Sewanee Magazine was to showcase a sense place. Inspired by the wilderness surrounding campus, and the innate curiosity of Sewanee students, we approached the redesign as a guidebook with scene-setting photography from cover to cover.

Editor, Buck Butler, also happens to be a talented photographer, so we designed “Vistas” and the opening spread for “On the Mountain,” to showcase his work and the beauty of print. While “One Last Look,” calls on the Sewanee community to bring their talents to the page.

The relaunched Sewanee magazine enriches the connection the community has to their alma mater and reminds them why it was such an important place and time in their lives.