Word? Magazine

Solving a

personal issue

Word? Magazine was a brainchild I had started in college with ONE goal in mind: to create a multimedia platform for people of color BY people of color. I started it in direct response to growing frustrations with lack of representation and opportunities felt in colored communities. I was tired of asking for the representation and respect. Using my business knowledge I learned in college, combined with progressing graphic design and photography talent, I became a Creative Director overnight.

"A multi-media platform
FOR PoC BY PoC"

Word? Magazine had a running website, social media pages including Facebook and Instagram, seasonal event celebrations and the culmination of these “seasons” were the print issue of the magazine.

Each season had a theme that challenged me and my team to find fitting artists and to create fitting content for that theme. For example, after realizing season one had many male artists represented, we sought out female artists for our second issue theme: Women. Season 4 was entitled Survive the Night and had a darker, night-oriented theme and feel with night photography and eerie videos.

Our strategy was three-pronged: have an online appeal and reach so that we can spread the brand awareness, host and coordinate events with artists so that we can build personal relationships, and finally create physical items so people can leave with a piece of our brand.

Running Word? was one of the most fulfilling times in my life because it was a marriage of all my interests. Though on indefinite hiatus, you can bet on seeing Word? again sometime in the future.