In 2004 I was approached by my old Investorinfo boss to create the layout for the startup magazine he was launching and design the first issue. The brief was that the magazine would look slick, clean and professional, with a newsy feel that was emphasized by its tabloid size.
I was working fulltime at Money magazine so agreed to design it in my spare time. It was my first real freelance job and it turned out to be a traumatic experience. I was unprepared and naïve as to what was required of me legally and professionally when working in a freelance situation. I was also broke and couldn’t afford the computer and software I needed, which I planned to buy with the money I got for designing the magazine. In hindsight I should have got a loan and bought everything I needed before beginning because the production was chaotic. However the experiences that aren’t all flowers and sunshine are probably far more valuable in what we learn from them, and I still really like the design I came up with. The final issue was 52 pages, below are a few sample pages.
