From the Nominator

"The Queen’s Alumni Review aims to tell stories of Queen’s University, bold ideas, innovative teaching and learning opportunities, cutting-edge research, student initiative, and alumni achievement. However, the magazine had stagnated in recent years, with readership surveys from 2014 and 2019 indicating that its design was outdated and content was “safe and bland.” As a package, one reader said it had become “staid, tired, and unexciting.” 

Our editorial team took that feedback and worked to elevate the magazine’s overall quality, launching a full-scale redesign and developing a new editorial mandate. This was no small task and had to be handled with care--the magazine has been a beloved publication at the university since 1927. But it was in desperate need of change, new perspectives, and a greater diversity of voices. One reader survey respondent said it best when they told us that the magazine “hasn't really changed a lot since I graduated--it looks pretty traditional.” 

We were determined that the redesigned publication would not be the magazine of the past. Nothing was off the table as we questioned every font, colour, style, and story to reinvent this flagship magazine with a bold new design and an editorial direction that still respected the magazine’s long and trusted history. With great enthusiasm (and more than a few debates), we gave this magazine an authoritative new voice and an arresting new style, making it--we believe--one of the best alumni magazines in North America."

From the Judges

It seems that every element, from the writing to the design, was masterfully planned and carefully implemented to support the overall vision. The whole thing felt smart, sophisticated, and reflective of a unified vision. A remarkable transformation, from a tired design to a fresh and bold one.