We wanted to tell a story to our 62,000 North Carolina State University magazine recipients about Chancellor Randy Woodson, who announced in the summer of 2024 that he would retire in the coming year. We aimed to reflect on Woodson’s legacy at NC State, capture his humble and folksy personality, and show the growth of the university that occurred on his 15-year watch. So, we decided to have a running narrative complemented by other components—a by-the-numbers look at his tenure, pullout quotes from memorable addresses he gave at distinct times in his tenure, a sidebar on his life as told through four guitars, a campus map of the buildings and construction that happened while he was chancellor, and his go-to recipe. We feel we captured and highlighted various elements of his personality. Lastly, we decided to tell this story through illustration rather than photography.
From the Judges
Simply wonderful all around! The illustration is executed beautifully and complements the storytelling in a fun, vibrant, and thoughtful way. Moreover, while the illustration works together as a whole, each component works equally as well in digital format as an individual spot illustration. This is truly an example where graphic design and layout and illustration go hand-in-hand in the best way, and the results are masterful across multiple channels. This is a beautiful piece, and the style is executed at a very high level. We love how the themes hinted at on the first page are explored throughout the piece. Great job!
