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Spring 2019 | By Nicole Dudenhoefer 麻豆精品 S�17

麻豆精品 S淚 didn 麻豆精品 S檛 read the whole story, but every time I look at my couch I think, 麻豆精品 S楾hat 麻豆精品 S檚 as big as a whale shark 麻豆精品 S檚 mouth, 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� Patrick Greenish 麻豆精品 S�02聽says, recalling a letter a young boy sent to the Highlights office in January 2015.

The boy was referring to a bit of information he had seen on a spread in the popular monthly children 麻豆精品 S檚 magazine, which Greenish became the design director for in April 2014. Feedback like that provides the graphic design grad with a sense of validation and helps him maintain the perspective needed to do his job right.

The 2015 whale shark spread Greenish worked on that prompted a young boy to write in to聽Highlights.

麻豆精品 S淭here 麻豆精品 S檚 a sense of responsibility to make sure that even if a kid isn 麻豆精品 S檛 a reader, if they 麻豆精品 S檙e more of a visual learner, that we provide something they can take away without reading the entire piece, 麻豆精品 S� he says.

麻豆精品 S淭here 麻豆精品 S檚 a sense of responsibility to make sure … we provide something [kids] can take away without reading the entire piece. 麻豆精品 S澛�

That mindset is fitting for a publication with the tagline 麻豆精品 S淔un with a Purpose. 麻豆精品 S� As design director, Greenish is responsible for the look and feel of the entire magazine. When he joined the 贬颈驳丑濒颈驳丑迟蝉听team five years ago, he brought along a wide range of expertise from working on surfing, kiteboarding, boating, women 麻豆精品 S檚 fertility and parenting magazines. They helped him develop experience with illustration styles and working with illustrators 麻豆精品 S� a signature of Highlights 麻豆精品 S� style 麻豆精品 S� but he ultimately faced a learning curve.

麻豆精品 S淜ids are still learning how to read, so we can 麻豆精品 S檛 go to crazy with the flow of text, 麻豆精品 S� Greenish says. 麻豆精品 S淭here aren 麻豆精品 S檛 ads in 贬颈驳丑濒颈驳丑迟蝉听like adult magazines, which provide a natural break. You have to be mindful of pacing. So that 麻豆精品 S檚 something that 麻豆精品 S檚 challenging and limiting in your design. But that creates a new challenge of 麻豆精品 S楬ow do I make this engaging, yet super easy to follow? 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S�

Another challenge he dealt with was updating the overall design of the magazine. Highlights has been around since 1946 and has published more than a billion copies, with a philosophy centered around packing as much as possible within its 44 pages (which is the name of a 2017 documentary that features Greenish and the 贬颈驳丑濒颈驳丑迟蝉听team working on the 70th anniversary issue). Greenish felt there was a need to contemporize the magazine with white space and color, and to simplify the magazine 麻豆精品 S檚 organization and style to appeal to today 麻豆精品 S檚 kids.

麻豆精品 S淚t was daunting. Here you 麻豆精品 S檝e got a 70-year-old brand and it needed some changes and you didn 麻豆精品 S檛 want to break something that was beloved by many for many years, 麻豆精品 S� Greenish says. 麻豆精品 S淏ut today 麻豆精品 S檚 children 麻豆精品 S檚 attention spans are getting a little shorter. Unfortunately, we have to design that way. We have to compete and recognize that digital space is not only changing the way adults consume information, it 麻豆精品 S檚 changing the way kids do, as well. 麻豆精品 S�

麻豆精品 S淚 feel like I get to channel my inner kid every day at work. I think back to my 8-year-old self and think: 麻豆精品 S楧o I want to read this? 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S�

Within that redesign, Greenish discovered a favorite section of the magazine to work on: Brain Play. Before, the feature was a plain list of open-ended questions intended to spark kids 麻豆精品 S� creativity. Now he rearranges the questions across the spread in fun ways, uses color and adds in silly illustrations, like the time he created an image of doughnuts on trees for a question about what foods grow on trees.

麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 the most challenging spread to work on, but it 麻豆精品 S檚 a chance for me to be most creative and to let kids go wild with their imagination, 麻豆精品 S� Greenish says. 麻豆精品 S淚 feel like I get to channel my inner kid every day at work. I think back to my 8-year-old self and think: 麻豆精品 S楧o I want to read this? 麻豆精品 S� or 麻豆精品 S榃ould I want to do this puzzle? 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S�

A June 2013 Brain Play spread (left( features a simpler layout before Greenish began redesigning the magazine in 2014. Greenish’s April 2018 version of Brain Play (right) uses a more dynamic design.

Greenish 麻豆精品 S檚 8-year-old self actually did read Highlights, so to work now for the magazine is a surreal experience for him. But growing up, he said he never had an interest in arts, despite his mother being an artist. It wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 until he came to UCF that he discovered he had the talent for graphic design. He initially came to the university to study forensics science, but later realized he 麻豆精品 S渨asn 麻豆精品 S檛 wired for advanced chemistry. 麻豆精品 S�

麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檓 exposing a lot of these kids to different art styles that they didn 麻豆精品 S檛 even know existed. … It 麻豆精品 S檚 a big responsibility 麻豆精品 S� and I think about it every day. 麻豆精品 S�

麻豆精品 S淚 visited an advisor and he asked me what was my favorite thing I worked on so far, 麻豆精品 S� Greenish says. 麻豆精品 S淚t was a paper on dogs and fire investigations that included a layout. So he suggested graphic arts. I took some drawing classes and got As, so there was a talent there I had ignored. 麻豆精品 S�

Before Greenish became design director,聽Highlights‘ covers (left) tried to pack as many images and headlines as it could. The magazine’s newer cover styles (right) offer cleaner illustrations and fewer headlines so readers are not overwhelmed.

Although he isn 麻豆精品 S檛 working directly with kids, Greenish is aware of the influence he may have in helping 麻豆精品 S渢he world 麻豆精品 S檚 most important people 麻豆精品 S� discover their own talents. On his desk sits a reminder of this and a piece of inspiration. A young reader designed and mailed in her own Brain Play spread with her own original questions and illustrations.

麻豆精品 S淚t was really flattering to know someone would replicate my work, 麻豆精品 S� Greenish says. 麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檓 exposing a lot of these kids to different art styles that they didn 麻豆精品 S檛 even know existed and they probably don 麻豆精品 S檛 realize it but they 麻豆精品 S檙e taking it in subconsciously. It 麻豆精品 S檚 a big responsibility 麻豆精品 S� and I think about it every day. 麻豆精品 S�

To learn more about Highlights and watch the 44 Pages documentary Greenish is featured in, check out streaming services such as Hulu, Netflix and YouTube.