The Monitor (NABJ)

Newspaper Designer

2025

The Monitor is an annual newspaper produced during the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) National Convention. As one of the convention’s key editorial publications, it showcases in-depth reporting, photography, and visual storytelling from across the conference. As the sole newspaper designer, I was responsible for designing and producing three 12–16 page editions within four days. Working in a fast-paced newsroom environment alongside editors, reporters, photographers, and senior design mentors, I led page layout and visual execution using Adobe InDesign and Illustrator, responding to live edits, breaking stories, and shifting editorial priorities in real time.

2025 Edition Highlight Pages

2025 The Monitor | Thursday Aug 8 Cover

2025 The Monitor | 50 Years of NABJ, Spread 1

2025 The Monitor | 50 Years of NABJ, Spread 2

2025 The Monitor | Line Dance Double Truck

2025 The Monitor | Candidates Spread

The Monitor Logo

Each year, The Monitor logo is refreshed to align with the National Convention’s theme and color palette, allowing the publication to remain visually cohesive with the broader event branding while maintaining a consistent editorial identity.

2025 LOGO

2024 Logo

2024 Edition Highlight Pages

2024 The Monitor | Sonya Massey Double Truck

The Monitor | Black Hair Care Story

The Monitor | Illinois-HBCU Pipeline full page story

The Monitor | lollapalooza IQ full page story

The Monitor | Lollapalooza double truck

The Monitor | Black Woman Leadership + Mentorship full page story

Process & Editorial Approach

Designing The Monitor mirrored the realities of professional news production. Stories were frequently revised, replaced, or reprioritized to accommodate breaking coverage. With limited time for preliminary sketching, design decisions were made efficiently, approved quickly, and executed under tight, non-negotiable deadlines.

This process required strong editorial judgment, adaptability, and the ability to balance speed with clarity—ensuring that design enhanced the storytelling without overpowering it. The experience reinforced design as an integral part of journalism, not decoration, particularly in live-production environments.

2024 Day 1 (full edition)

2024 Day 2 (full edition)

2024 Day 3 (full edition)