Addressing the nation’s social climate of summer 2020 and its impact on campus was at once the obvious need and a risky move. BYU is not known for a racially diverse campus; and known probably even less for talking about it. Black at BYU was the most directly this issue had ever been addressed in the publication’s history. The story, from the fall 2020 BYU Magazine, had a sharp focus on spotlighting the individuals’ stories in their own voices in order bring more awareness and community understanding. Likewise, the design was aimed at putting focus on the faces of the interviewed individuals.
From the Judges
We found this story presentation to be bold and powerful. The photography was very strong and intimate, letting each individual gaze take center stage. There is continuity to the way people are captured in each photograph. We love that the design doesn’t distract you from the photography, it enhances it. The color connections with each person make the piece have a conversational feel. The layout is clean. There is a good use of space and, although there is a lot of text in this layout, it does not feel busy.
