The Peel XII

The annual print publication and biannual digital publication is created by students for students and features the works of Appalachian State’s poets, writers, artists, and musicians. The Peel has gone on to win several Literary Magazine Pacemakers, one of the most prestigious awards a collegiate literary arts magazine can achieve.

The Peel publications are a collaborative effort between multiple committees, all overseen by an editorial board. The head print and web designers along with the design committee oversee the entire design and publishing of the digital and print editions. Each publication acts as a visual container for the featured literature and art and ultimately provides student artists an outlet to showcase their unique creative expression.

As the Head Web Designer, in collaboration with the Head Print Designer, I guided a team of creatives in in making strategic decisions around the visual identity for the print and web publications of The Peel that reflected the unique experience of creating that year’s edition and effectively showcased published work. The design of this specific edition was heavily influenced by the theme of “environment” both personal and global. This translates directly into the selected color scheme and organic layered environments seen in the title and image treatments, background patterns, and additional graphic elements. Additionally, I designed and developed the web publication, ensuring it is responsive, accessible, and user-friendly.

The nature of literary publications, such as this, is one that is fluid, creative, and experimental – changing dramatically from year to year. It serves as a direct reflection of the team responsible for creating it, the work it showcases, current events, and more. While the specific design displayed here is no longer active, feel free to explore the current site at thepeelreview.com.

The twelfth edition of The Peel Review was awarded Best in Show Literary Magazine by the North Carolina College Media Association.