Project overview and my role

ARCADE is a Seattle-area nonprofit that explores design from a critical and cultural perspective. From 2012 to 2019 ARCADE published a magazine, hosted a robust editorial website, produced community events, and curated an online calendar. In 2017 ARCADE celebrated its 35th anniversary. I worked with the organization for over a decade, and during my 7-year tenure as Managing Editor and Publishing and Editorial Manager, I edited the work of more than 150 different writers on a wide range of topics exploring design’s impact. I managed a demanding editorial schedule, ARCADE’s house style guide, the production team, and the magazine’s advertising. I also worked closely with ARCADE’s leadership to evolve the magazine from a print publication into an arts organization with an expanded digital and community presence.

Editorial work

As an editor at ARCADE, I worked with design industry leaders, journalists, academics, and more on articles about design, architecture, and culture. The magazine explores design’s connection to the world around us—the types of topics you might find in a journal, or in thought-leadership spaces, translated into a lighter format for a wider audience. I worked with writers on articles exploring the impact of big-data on art and design, how youth think about climate change, equity in built and digital spaces, and many topics beyond and in between.

Publishing and website

In addition to editorial work (including developmental editing, copyediting, proofreading, and occasional journalism), I also collaborated closely with the editor/executive director, board, and volunteer committees to lead ARCADE’s transformation from a quarterly print publication into a broader arts organization. Together we successfully developed a much stronger online presence, widened our community network, and expanded our events programming.

In 2012 ARCADE redesigned its website to include active, regular online publishing, making it an accessible resource for content about design in the Pacific Northwest and beyond (the website was previously a simple branded website promoting the quarterly print magazine). I spearheaded the web strategy and research, managed the website build, and ran the online publishing. The new website included regularly published articles from the print magazine, special online-only articles, curated article reruns from ARCADE’s rich archives, promotional blog posts, featured posts curated from Twitter, sponsorships, and a popular multidisciplinary community calendar of design events (that version of the website existed from 2012 to 2019 and has since been pared down).

Outreach and digital strategy

I also created and maintained branded marketing collateral, wrote promotional copy across platforms, led social media marketing, led digital fundraising campaigns, and helped foster new community partnerships with like-minded organizations to successfully expand ARCADE’s reach. I led revamping the print magazine’s distribution with a group of marketing consultants to reach a more targeted audience of creative professionals.

Impact

The media landscape underwent rapid changes in recent years and continues to evolve. The Seattle art and design community saw huge shifts in the wake of the 2010 recession and the rapid growth spurred by its innovative tech community. ARCADE is a labor of love—supported by passionate volunteers and generous donors—and through it all, the organization continued to evolve and expand, celebrating its 35th Anniversary in 2017. Though ARCADE is now undergoing another transformation—it’s had many over its long history—it continues to be a unique and valued resource for dialogue on the design in Seattle and beyond.