emerson college

getting expressive

Expression magazine collage of page spreads

a creative disconnect

Emerson College, located in the heart of Boston, has long stood out from peer institutions with its daring, creative, personal approach to higher ed. Although a small school of just over 4000 undergrads, its unique viewpoint draws students from 47 states (what’s up, Wyoming?) and 63 countries. But Emerson’s alumni magazine had a tired, generic look that seemed disconnected from the school and its grads.

energy abounds

Working closely with the Emerson staff, Visual Dialogue re-imagined Expression to be, well, more expressive. With contemporary typography families, energetic layouts, and eye-catching imagery, every element of the magazine now captures the feeling of the school.

Expression “State of the Arts” article cover art

cover stories

Even the cover illustration—brought to life through augmented reality—reflects the forward-thinking, risk-taking vibe at Emerson (and a nod to its renowned bicoastal film & media departments).

Expression table of contents sample
Expression colorful magazine spread sample
Expression magazine “Now Showing” article artwork
Expression “In (Banned) Books We Trust” article opening
“Visual Dialogue helped us evolve our magazine to better reflect our institution. Their creativity, imagination, professionalism, and resourcefulness has made it a joy to work with them!”
Charna Mamlok Westervelt, Editor.
Expression “Like a Boss” article opening
Emerson Twitter excerpts showing Oscar and Golden Globe awards

keeping things fresh

With each new issue, we aim to reflect the most current stories and digital connections that our readers care about. As ChatGPT made its way into our lives and throughout the Emerson campus, we engaged the AI platform to write a commencement speech in the style of alum Jennifer Coolidge, a Boston native, and others. Each issue features some of the Emerson community highlights across Instagram, X, and news media. 

Expression “Cancel Culture Crisis” opening spread
Expression “A Journalists’s Mindset” opening spread
Expression “Seounmi (Katie) Han Youn article and crossword”
Expression “Alumni Ink” article
Expression “Stop Making Sense” opening spread
Expression “Dispatches” opening page
Expression two-page image spread
Expressing “Making (Air) Waves” opening spread
Expression “Class Notes” spread

project credits