The Park Slope Civic Council’s Civic News had a decades-long history informing members of news and events in print. Unfortunately, the newsletter also had a limited impact within the Brooklyn community, as each issue was mailed just to members — only those in the know knew about it and the organization. And even if it had wider distribution, its dated black-and-white design crammed with text and small photos would have failed to garner interest among the uninitiated.
When I was named editor, designer, photographer, webmaster, and honorary board member for this nonprofit, I started on a three-part mission: raise awareness of the organization, have more voices speaking for and about the Civic Council, and bring in more members and participants in its many activities. To this end, I redesigned and editorially managed the publication so that its focus was to lure new readers at coffee bars, bookshops, bodegas, and elsewhere in the public realm rather than just via mail.
Civic News became a larger four-color publication, with a cover to draw attention to each issue and a sleek design to promote accessibility and readability, switching from monthly to quarterly. (I also assembled a regular enewsletter of articles not in print to bridge the gap between missing months.) Articles varied from short briefs to multipage features. To make sure I wasn’t the only writer, I encouraged Civic Council trustees, local businesspeople, preservationists, and others to contribute, all following a simple rule: Everyone can write, and I can help you write well to ensure your voice is heard and understood.
During my run, the newsletter covered a wide range of topics, including a “reintroduction” of the Civic Council with an article on each committee’s activities and goals, written by all chairs; my interviews with the new Prospect Park administrator and the general manager of the Park Slope Food Coop; plans for safer neighborhood streets; and a remembrance of a groundbreaking preservationist from those who knew him well. The result of this effort was greater participation in Civic Council events and increased membership.
Skills: Design + Writing + Editorial + Editorial Management + Photography
Summer 2012, cover
Summer 2012, spreads across pages 2–5
Winter 2012, cover
Winter 2012, spread across pages 2-3
Winter 2012, page 5
Fall 2011, cover
Fall 2011, page 3
Fall 2011, page 6
Fall 2011, page 11
Summer 2011, cover
Summer 2011, page 3
