Lindsey Heyd 
Phase 1: Budget Lines
Before getting assigned my story for the semester, all the designers met to review budget lines. After reading through each one, each designer voted on their top three. A day later, I was assigned a story about a local boutique, The Apple Tree, and its community roots. I began my moodboard based on this budget line:
“I would like to do a long-form story about The Apple Tree Boutique uptown: how it has stood the test of time and become a retail staple to the community, students, and even the employees who work there. This story will focus on the boutique’s origins (opened in 1979), how it has grown and developed (physically and otherwise), the relationship the people/store have with its customers, and the emotional role it plays in the community. It will highlight how this specific local business can foster connection, creativity, and belonging through the interviews I will conduct with the store owner/managers, other employees, and, of course, the loyal customers. Although the store itself is special, the people are the reason it is what it is today; the thoughts and consideration behind each small decision is what makes this small business a special one. Overall, I want this story to portray why The Apple Tree Boutique matters beyond commerce and continues to be a space rooted in people, purpose, and place.“
Phase 2: Moodboard
Because this story was going to be about the boutique’s relationship with the community, I knew I wanted to capture its personality. I focused on including details about the brands they carry and the feeling the store evokes when you walk into the space.
Phase 3: First Draft
At this point in my process, I did not have a written first draft that I could paste into my file. I used filler text and started adding assets into the layout based on the budget line.
Phase 4: Second Draft
Changes:
– Added a rough texture to the title page.
– Added a pull quote.
– Embossed the current logo on the first page.
– Added more Jellycats.
– Restructured the photos on pages 3 & 4.
– Reduced from six pages to five pages.
Phase 5: Final Draft
Changes:
– Fixed capitalization in the title.
– Changed the pull quote.
– Made minor adjustments on the layout as the written content updated.
Phase 6: Poster Page
The Miami Student Magazine likes to include fun posters that represent each story. Not every story gets a poster design, so it was exciting to get asked to design one for my story. I applied a visual emboss effect to the poster to symbolize the lasting impression the boutique has made on the community. The effect suggests that the brand is “pressed” into the story, acting as a metaphor for a legacy that has left a permanent mark on the local landscape.