When I stepped into the role of editor for Blue Magazine, I saw an opportunity to evolve the publication into something more strategic, modern, and emotionally engaging for alumni readers. In 2023, our alumni told us through a survey that the magazine wasn’t speaking to them. Instead of focusing on fellow alumni, most of the content highlighted students, faculty, and staff—stories that didn’t resonate as strongly with the alumni audience. At the same time, the print edition had been discontinued before COVID due to cost, and there wasn’t a strong digital presence to fill the gap. Overall, the magazine needed a clearer audience focus and a more modern, alumni-centered identity.

Approach

I led a broader refresh that focused on who we were talking to, how we were delivering content, and how the stories were being told.

• Launched a digital-first version of the magazine on digital.drake.edu to make it easier to access and give it a more modern, flexible platform

• Reintroduced a targeted print edition, distributed strategically to key alumni segments including donors, highly engaged alumni, young alumni, and alumni with high school–aged children

• Shifted the editorial strategy to be alumni-first, prioritizing stories about alumni careers, life after Drake, and real-world impact rather than primarily internal university updates

• Updated the design and tone in the 2025 redesign to feel more modern, more visual, and more personality-driven

• Balanced university messaging with more human-centered storytelling so it still supported institutional goals while feeling more relevant and engaging to alumni

Result

Blue Magazine is now a dual-platform publication with a clear digital presence and a print version that’s intentionally targeted instead of broadly distributed. The content is significantly more relevant because it centers alumni voices and outcomes. The refreshed design and storytelling approach gave the magazine a stronger, more modern identity and repositioned it as a publication that reflects the lived experience and impact of the Drake alumni community.