Subnivean
digital literary journal | education
Subnivean, a literary journal housed at SUNY Oswego—where the city receives four times more snow than Manhattan—publishes three curated issues per year. Managed by a team of driven undergraduate editors, the journal delivers "high-caliber literary content amidst the digital noise ...". The ask was to create a unique brand and website experience that would resonate with literary audiences, students, and faculty.
Together we focused on typography as the foundation of the brand system, with hierarchy and spacing designed to support long-form reading without distraction. The wordmark is conceptually tied to the idea of "what exists beneath the surface", reinforcing the journal’s identity.
Departing from the common white-background aesthetic of most literary sites, the client and I discussed creating some kind of visual element to the page that wouldn't hamper readability. We settled on urban abstract photography converted to grayscale to provide the texture, depth, and visual richness of the work presented in each issue.
Instead of compact menus and carousels we collectively opted for a long scroll to slowly introduce users to content. Readers have said that it feels like a "...3rd space" where they "... spend time and not feel rushed ... like reading from the shelves in a nice bookstore.
2021 Firecracker Award
Nominee for Best Literary Journal Debut
brand | website | collateral | anthology
anthology design
To support the release of The Ruin, a psychological horror game, we developed a social media campaign that visually conveyed key themes of fear, pressure, and isolation. Drawing inspiration from horror film posters, we focused on imagery that communicated tension and unease—using tight crops and high-contrast photography to emphasize a sense of confinement.
The campaign featured a desaturated color palette with elevated highlights to achieve a cinematic tone. Each asset was designed in a 1080x3240 vertical format, then divided into three square posts to form a cohesive grid on the game’s social profile. Content was scheduled in consistent bursts—three posts per day, twice weekly—to build momentum and maintain visual continuity across the campaign.
