Independent creative director
& multidisciplinary designer
I’m exploring a home for independent publications that gives readers room to concentrate.
Independent product design & creative direction
Original static design specimens · illustrative content · not a shipped product
Interface concept · illustrative content · not a live product
Index · an independent reading room
A fictional publication introduced first, one calm article, and membership terms explained before any ask.
Publication
Essays on rivers, repair and the people who look after both. Published fortnightly by an independent editor.
The Slow Current · No. 14
Every spring the water finds the same notch in the old stones, as if it had been told where to go. The lock keeper says the river has a long memory and a short temper, and that both are worth respecting.
I came to write about engineering. I stayed to write about attention.
Reading position kept · resume where you left off
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01 / Idea, problem & leadership
The central idea
My concept connects discovery, focused reading and an informed decision to support publishers.
My brief asks how readers discover an independent voice and decide to return. My commercial hypothesis is that editorial identity and transparent support terms could serve readers and publishers.
02 / Thinking, evidence & concepts
These visual studies explore a design hypothesis. No interviews, usability tests or commercial outcomes are claimed.
I would prototype publication discovery, a sample article, saved reading and membership explanation. Publishing tools and recommendation algorithms sit outside this study so the reader journey can be evaluated as a whole.
03 / Solidified direction
I give the publication and its voice more weight than the surrounding platform. Editorial hierarchy, sustained reading space and quiet utility labels support discovery with an endpoint: an article worth reading and a clear reason to return. Membership information should be understandable rather than interruptive.
Current art-direction rationale · developed for this portfolio revision, October 2026.
Creative direction / Decisions
I organize discovery around an editorial point of view and individual stories. This gives publishers context, while previews help readers who are not ready to commit.
I propose adjustable type and a quiet article layout with clear progress. Fewer prompts may support concentration, but publisher support still needs an understandable place in the experience.
I group membership benefits, price, billing frequency and cancellation terms before commitment. The design trades some promotional space for clarity about what a reader is choosing.
04 / Final result & next test
The work shown is a set of original static interface compositions, a proposed reader journey and edge-state studies. Publication and article content is illustrative. Index is an unbuilt concept, not a launched publishing service or a demonstrated membership result.
I would test identifying the publisher, resuming a saved article and understanding membership terms. Reading accessibility and transitions between free and member content need validation before conversion claims.
Motion treatments and further production remain planned. The static work above is the current deliverable.
Credits & context
Self-initiated spec work. Original interface compositions and workflow studies developed for this portfolio. All publication, place and restaurant content is illustrative. No customer data, client commission, launched service or measured outcome is implied.
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