SUBURBIA is an editorial design project developed as my senior thesis at the University of Mississippi. The project explores the intersection of graphic design, subcultural aesthetics, and the Midwest emo music scene through a print magazine and supporting brand system.
Rooted in a long-standing personal connection to the genre, SUBURBIA draws from the visual language surrounding Midwest emo, including DIY production, lo-fi ephemera, and emotionally direct design. What began as informal sketches and personal references evolved into a structured editorial system informed by my studies in layout, typography, branding, and art direction.
The project includes original written content, research, photography, and a cohesive visual identity that extends beyond the magazine into posters, apparel, stickers, and digital applications. The design prioritizes clarity, restraint, and physical presence while reflecting the genre’s intimate and imperfect nature.
The project also features custom handmade merchandise and memorabilia that showcase fine arts skills I developed throughout my studies, including printmaking and bookmaking. Highlights include a custom window accordion-fold softcover pamphlet, How to Survive a Basement Show, which plays off a band’s name and functions as both a practical guide and a show poster. I also handcrafted a hardcover artist’s book centered on Turnover’s song “I Would Hate You If I Could,” incorporating black-and-white imagery sourced and recolored to complement the album artwork from Peripheral Vision. Additionally, I designed and produced a custom 5-CD box set, Sounds of SUBURBIA, spanning the five waves of Midwest emo. This set features original album artwork for the covers and inserts, with packaging handcrafted using techniques learned in my book arts coursework during my final semester at the University of Mississippi.
SUBURBIA represents my interest in using graphic design to document and extend niche cultural spaces and reflects the type of work I aim to pursue professionally, with design rooted in music, community, and process.
