Upward Magazine
My role: layout designer, 2022 to present, in-house and then on contract. I’ve laid out 11 issues of Upward, the official magazine of the ISS National Lab, and designed 7 of the covers. Each issue runs 20 to 24 pages. The first seven went to press in runs of about 1,000, and I prepared and preflighted the print files. The four most recent are digital editions.
Upward is the official magazine of the ISS National Lab, a publication to spread the word about the results of research investigations on the ISS. Feature articles dig into the researchers launching the investigations, the experiments themselves, and how the results benefit life on Earth.
Relatable Research Results for Scientists and Civilians
Upward’s mission is to take the complex science happening on the ISS and present it in a way anyone can follow and connect with. Articles focus on the people behind the research, the development of experiments, and the journey of launching science into space. They explain results clearly, compare them with expectations, and highlight benefits for life on Earth.
My design challenge was to create a layout that supported this storytelling—clean, stylish, and accessible—making technical discoveries feel digestible, relatable, and visually engaging.
Science in Space to Benefit Life on Earth
My approach to designing the layout for Upward magazine was all about balance—clean, consistent, but never dull. I used a two-column text layout as the foundation, giving the articles a steady rhythm that’s easy to follow. To add personality and structure, each article was themed with its own color carried through headings, captions, and pull quotes. Full-bleed images kept the spreads open and dynamic, avoiding a boxed in feel. Finally, I sparingly used unconventional photo placements, breaking the grid just enough to spotlight standout images and keep the magazine visually engaging.
