Intro
There’s a specific kind of relief that hits when you move from a messy pile of interview notes, photos, and ideas to the structured grid of Adobe InDesign. For my feature on Jorge Rey III, the "pulse" of the Everglades High Gators, the challenge wasn't just finding the right words, it was finding the right look.
Here’s how I mapped out the timeline to bring the NextGEN Athletics vision to life and what I learned along the way.
The Production Timeline: Assembling the "Pulse"
I had everything I needed for my project before I started actually creating it in InDesign. I had already collected quotes from Jorge’s interview and had high-quality photographs of Jorge in his #8 jersey, and I also did the research I needed about ACL rehabilitation. So during the InDesign phase of this project I was completely focused on putting together a “puzzle”.
Photo Colorization 3/15-3/17: Before starting the design, the first thing I needed to do was set the visual temperature. In order to create a feeling that matched Jorge's feelings of "Identity Loss" (no longer his old self) and feeling like a "Ghost on the Bench," I used the color balance and the transparency functions in InDesign to edit the coloring of the images taken for these themes. I was trying to create a desaturated, high contrast look from Jorge's 'Isolated" perspective for the sideline shots, while using Gator green in a way that is subtle but very solid to anchor the entire artwork in Broward County.
Setting a Grid/ Putting Everything Together 3/18-3/19: I wanted a fresh, modern design for Jorge's story and I wanted it to feel like it was a premium feature. To create the effect of isolation or of being a "spectator" in one's own life, I wanted to create the effect of “Ghost on the Bench” using lots of white space.
Managing Assets 3/20: As I collected all of my photos and graphics in InDesign, I made sure to link all of these files together, this way all files stay connected to one another and create one large file to allow for easy organization. The visual portion of a sports magazine should be just as visually expressive as the headlines. I wanted to ensure that the photo taken of Jorge making the “simple turn” was placed right next to his quote on the “big pop.” This way they would be made into an actual connection for the reader by creating a visual connection from this photo to this quote.
Final Export Strategy 3/21: I will complete my final step on the timeline by exporting each spread of this story as either a high-quality JPEG or GIF. This way the colors of the Gators uniforms will maintain their vibrancy and the font types will maintain their crispness when I upload the project to my portfolio or post it to social media.
Analysis: A Shift in Creative Direction
Looking back at the process, this project took a turn I didn't expect.
The Pivot: I initially thought this would be a standard "comeback" story. But after interviewing Jorge and diving into my Peer Counseling background, I realized the real story was the "Toughness Myth." I changed direction from a celebratory "he's back!" vibe to a more investigative "why do we make kids play through pain?" Perspective.
The Outcome: This shift made the project much stronger. Instead of just a sports recap, it’s now a piece of social commentary. I’m definitely on the right track—the feedback I’ve gotten so far suggests that the focus on "identity loss" makes Jorge much more relatable to other student-athletes in Broward County.
The Helpfulness of InDesign: Seeing the text wrap around an image of Jorge looking out at the field helped me realize that the "silence" in the story was just as important as the quotes.
Reflection: The Road Ahead
So, what’s next for the NextGEN Athletics portfolio?
It’s time to initiate the production phase of the portfolio and start color grading all of my photos on Adobe InDesign for my project.
Jorge’s story taught me that an athlete is more than just their stats or their body. My job now is to make sure the final design of the magazine respects that truth.
No comments:
Post a Comment