This past May, VCFA faculty member Tasheka Arceneaux-Sutton finished designing the third edition of Krewe magazine, which includes articles written by students from a journalism class at Tulane University and high school students from Sci High. All articles are about New Orleans, with a range of topics from female DJs, to gentrification, to kids maintaining a farm to the history of Voodoo. Krewe comes out at the end of every spring and fall semester.

A spread from Krewe #3.

Here’s Tasheka about the project:

The editor, Michael Luke who teaches the class, came to me in the fall of 2013, with an interest in me designing the magazine, but wanted to make clear that he didn’t want any obvious New Orleans clichés, which was right up my alley—for instance, we both agreed that the fleur de lis was to never ever appear in any of the designs. (Though the one visual cliche that I must admit I’ve included in each issue is New Orleans’s architecture, especially details of the wrought iron… but so far no complaints.

A spread from the latest issue of Krewe.

Krewe is one of my favorite freelance projects, because I have full creative freedom, which is necessary due to the really small budget and tight deadline. There is usually a two-week turnaround from when I get the text content to sending the final file to the printer. Obviously the deadline is what I like the least, which is something I’m working with the editor to try and improve. I also like that I get to incorporate three of my favorite things to do, which is typesetting, illustration and photography. They send me the text and the rest is up to me.

A spread from the third edition of Krewe.

I read and sometimes skim the articles and then I go on a photo shoot. This one of the few freelance projects that I get to actually take time out to focus on photography. The other reason I enjoy this project is the printing, which is done by Erik Kiesewetter of Constance New Orleans.

A spread from Krewe #3.

My approach to the design is to keep the typography really structured by using the golden section as my grid and the imagery really loose by incorporating different illustration styles, layered with photography, hand lettering and digitally manipulated typography. For me, the combination of these elements truly embodies New Orleans.best Running shoes | Trending