Emily Mair
Editorial Designer
My education at the University of Reading has equipped me with a well-rounded range of skills, from UX to magazine design. I have a keen interest in editorial design and enjoy all things typography. I rise to a challenge and pay attention to detail and accuracy, whether that be complicated hierarchies or information design. Working with Michael Twyman, Emeritus Professor, gave me insight into the publishing industry and the difficulties faced when typesetting academic texts.
I am also interested in accessible design – I wrote my dissertation on ‘Wayfinding for Dementia’, which I found really interesting. Exploring the ways in which visual design can assist people with impaired cognitive and visual abilities, it made me realise that context can be incredibly important when it comes to typography, and that a successful design system is the combination of multiple components.
MUD magazine
MUD is the independent magazine that advocates for sustainability in all things architecture. We bring you the best of cutting edge technology, stunning design, and resourceful solutions – environment at the forefront.
Our masthead is set in Modula OT, Tall variant. The stems of the letters are parallel and of equal thickness, creating a firm and structural foundation on the page. The curves of the letters echo the organic, natural side to sustainability, and point to the elegance of our magazine. In print, the masthead is horizontal and spans the width of the cover – along with large type on the back cover, our design has a strong impact.
I really enjoyed the process of designing MUD – I learned a lot about InDesign and successfully using grids, as well as the process of creating a flow through the magazine. I enjoyed the freedom to experiment with typography and image placement.
The Release newspaper
Your UK fitness update. Bringing you the latest on health, fitness, and sport, this contemporary newspaper is for everyone with a passion for moving their body.
The Release reports news based around gym-related activities and the world of fitness. Its purpose is to inspire those into fitness, both in forms of exercise they are familiar with and to inform/push them to try out new types of exercise. The paper provides insights from experts and world-class personal trainers, and includes specialised content relevant to different categories of fitness.
How it will be sold: Subscriptions to gym companies (for display in gyms), or individual subscription via The Release website.
To design a newspaper, I first had to create a system. I experimented with different type combinations – all serif or all sans, and a mixture of the two. Leading and type size were also very important to get right, for maintaining legibility whilst fitting a lot of text on to the page, as is typical of a newspaper.
Clear Mind responsive web app
ClearMind is a web app designed to reduce stress. Rooted in mindfulness-based techniques, we guide the user through journalling, animated breathing exercises, and meditation, to provide a personalised experience that will revolutionise managing day-to-day life.
I began with a competitor analysis, before conducting a set of user interviews from which I could create personas. Through user testing and by implementing design thinking, considered UI and UX elements have allowed me to create an attractive, calming, and (most importantly) functional web app that allows the user to track their progress, with the overall result of improving their mental wellbeing.
To ensure coherent design across mobile and desktop, I made use of grids and component libraries in Figma.
See more of our graduates' work
Department of Typography & Graphic Communication, University of Reading
BA Graphic Communication Flux degree show 2023
