EDITORIAL
LEAD DESIGN

At the heart of Complex’s digital voice is editorial design that blends journalism with culture, style, and humor. From long-form articles to listicles and series features, editorial designs are tasked with drawing the reader in while reinforcing the brand’s bold, street-informed aesthetic.

This portfolio section showcases my work crafting on-brand visuals for a range of editorial stories—from breaking pop culture news to deep-dives on music, fashion, and sports.

My Role

As a Senior Designer/Animator within the editorial content team, I:

• Developed custom visual identities for feature stories, cover pieces, and special issues

• Created key art, headers, pull quote treatments, and story-specific graphics

• Collaborated with writers, editors, and creative directors to ensure each design served the narrative

• Designed static and animated assets for use across article pages, social media, and newsletter campaigns

Creative Process & Tools

Editorial design starts with story intent. My process focuses on amplifying that intent through form and visual tone:

• I begin with story briefings from the editorial team, noting subject matter, tone, and key themes.

• I sketch and prototype art direction concepts, often producing 2–3 variations to explore visual angles.

• Final designs are executed using Photoshop and Illustrator, with After Effects when animation is required.

• I maintain a style kit of type systems, layout modules, and brand-aligned color palettes for efficiency.

Each piece balances storytelling with editorial clarity—ensuring the design supports the writing without overpowering it.

Challenges & Solutions

Editorial timelines are often fast, and stories can evolve even mid-design. Challenges include:

• Last-minute headline changes that affect layout balance

• Tight turnaround needs (especially on trending or time-sensitive pieces)

• Translating nuanced narratives into clean visual concepts

To address these, I:

• Built a library of adaptive layout systems to allow quick content swaps

• Designed flexible headline and image templates that could scale across story formats

• Worked in close sync with editors to anticipate pivots and deliver polished work under pressure

Impact & Results

My editorial designs have contributed to:

• Increased time-on-page metrics on long-form articles

• Improved click-through and retention rates via standout feature visuals on social

• A consistent, recognizable aesthetic for Complex’s editorial content across web and mobile

Key designs have been featured in Complex’s homepage carousels, syndicated newsletters, and shared widely by artists, athletes, and fans alike.