Just a few months after I began working with the Allied Pilots Association (APA) as their new designer, I was introduced to the editor of The Grey Eagles Newsletter. He explained that every year, the APA designer collaborates with him to produce the organization’s annual newsletter, and he provides all content, photos, and links to video clips via email.
Although the original plan was to follow the previous year’s layout, which had been created in QuarkXPress, I suggested transitioning the project to Adobe InDesign, a tool better suited for multi-page documents and one that allowed for a refreshed, modern design. Since there was no existing template, I took full creative responsibility for defining the layout and visual direction of the newsletter.
Over the next six months, I worked closely with the editor as he submitted new images and accompanying text. One key element of the publication was missing: a welcome letter from the Grey Eagles' 2022 president. It was a long-standing tradition meant to appear on the front cover. However, with uncertainty around if or when we’d receive it, I proactively redesigned both the front and back covers to ensure we had strong visual options ready. The final design received enthusiastic praise from the editor, the Grey Eagles president, and the Grey Eagles Board. You can see the before-and-after covers below.
