Newspaper Object

Spring 2025

Solo Project - Researched with Salma Brunetz

The problem we were tasked with solving was to create a newspaper surrounding an episode of the “This American Life” podcast, using the format of a newspaper as an object. The podcast was about a boy who went missing, and found another missing boy from a different family, Bobby Dunbar. This sparked a generational hatred between the families of the two boys. Due to the dark tone of the project, the goal was to design a vintage-inspired newspaper, exploring the dark history of the Bobby Dunbar case. To prepare, I listened to the entire podcast episode twice and took notes to fully understand the concept of what I was trying to adapt. One of the most striking features of this newspaper is the way typography is treated as a visual object rather than simply a tool for readability. Through the use of strikethroughs, the project intentionally withholds information, creating a sense of mystery that draws the reader in and builds anticipation for the resolution revealed later in the episode. There is also a large blood splatter on the inside of the newspaper, hiding much of the text to draw the viewers attention towards the end of the newspaper in the bottom right.

Initially during the conceptual phase, the biggest challenge was adapting the podcast content into a medium the content was not intended for. Finding a way to make the transcript compelling and coherent while utilizing type as object proved to be a challenge. Eventually the challenge evolved into project management once my partner withdrew after the conceptual stage. Adapting to a changing team environment and creative challenges was achieved through consolidation of content and utilizing conceptual artistic decisions to convey the story of the podcast in a physical medium.

Advertising Major & Film Minor

College for Creative Studies

Metro Detroit, Michigan

Index Next →