Project Information
Client
Be Well Collective LLC
Year
2024
Industry
Wellness
Services
Editorial
Illustration
Programs Used
InDesign
Illustrator
Photoshop
Overview
I worked on this project over the course of a year. It was substantial in size, and I was the only designer on this project. During this timeframe, I designed over 250+ pages, including the kids activity pages and illustrations.
The client was a small business owner who wanted to create a health journal for caregivers to record their children's health and their own.
Project Brief
Challenge:
The original journal had no established design systems; no consistent margins, typography, or table formatting. Every page felt disconnected. Busy caregivers couldn't quickly scan for the information they needed because nothing was organized clearly. The inconsistent/bland design also hurt commercial appeal in a market where aesthetics really matter.
Strategy:
I took the original design and translated it into a cleaner, more refined version with proper design systems. When she requested a kids section inside the journal, I realized having children handle 200+ pages of sensitive health info was problematic, so I proposed a separate activity book instead.
Since I was the only designer on this project, I had to create scalable systems that would work across all pages.
Solution:
I redesigned the entire health journal and created a separate kids activity book, establishing consistent design systems for everything: color, typography, grids, and table formatting.
The kids book featured custom illustrations in a monochromatic scheme that tied back to the main brand. Working on this project for a full year allowed me to really master InDesign.
Design Process
I started by analyzing the original journal to identify core usability problems, then proposed a complete redesign that established proper design systems (while working within the client's constraints). As the only designer for this project, I built comprehensive systems for typography, grids, and formatting that could scale across hundreds of pages.
Insights & Reflection
Working with print is completely different from digital. Colors and type sizes behave differently on paper, so I had to constantly print physical copies to make sure everything looked right.
Some clients are stubborn about certain design choices, so I learned to work around those constraints and get creative to keep everything functional.
Creating documents for people to write in taught me a lot about functional design. Spacing that looks good on screen doesn't always work when someone's trying to write in it.