Nathan Lopez - Kismet

The theme of this issue Kismet revolves around the fateful convergence of circumstances and questions of how destiny plays a role in our lives. My position as Art Director allowed me to help the designers across concepts as well as structure the underlying framework for the entire issue including the body typesetting, margins, grid system, and folios.

Layout Design and Concept Management

The visual concept "Ceremonial" was led by the Editor-in-Chief and used for the center spreads as well as end-matter pages. It focuses on an Arthurian conflict between light and dark, masculine and feminine, etc. This translated to an exploration of negative and positive space, especially with the typography. The typeface Kelyon was selected for its whimsical terminals, angled character stress, and high-contrast letterforms.

Kismet: Department Credits and TOC

Kismet: Ceremonial

As Lewk leadership, I had the opportunity to develop and execute one of our visual concept shoots. "Fleeting Flurries" centers around relationships and our brief moments that affect the people around us in great and small ways. This is communicated through the snowflake and ballet motifs in the styling and graphic design. Further inspiration was found in Geoff Lowe's 2024 Olympics composite photography as well as kaleidoscopic patterns to reiterate the free-floating yet fractal nature of snow.

Kismet: Fleeting Flurries 1

Kismet: Fleeting Flurries 2

Kismet: Fleeting Flurries 3

Art Direction

Additional support and direction was provided to the other graphic designers on our team. Image layouts, typefaces, and special effects were carefully curated to communicate each concept's unique message and visual style while still maintaining a cohesive structure throughout the magazine.