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Our Work Northern Arizona University

Reimagining an Alumni Magazine, From Cover to Cover

See how we infused a storied alumni magazine with new energy and editorial perspective to connect generations of Lumberjack alumni to Northern Arizona University and to each other.

A PINE magazine issue with one closed copy and one open to an article titled "Trial by Wildfire." The cover features a forest image and the headline, while the open pages show the article text and images of wildfires along with a sidebar of additional content.

Challenge: NAU’s alumni magazine, Pine, began in the 1950s and was delivered in print format for nearly 50 years before it transitioned to a fully digital format. In 2017, the university made a funding commitment to bring Pine back to print. However, in 2022, after several years of printing the “new” publication with another partner, the NAU team was ready for a fresh approach and partnered with C/A to bring a new perspective to this important alumni engagement tool.

Solution: C/A kicked off with a thoughtful discovery process — which included stakeholder interviews, a readership survey, content audit and comparative analysis of other university publications — to establish a unified vision for the redesigned Pine. We then evolved the publication to reflect contemporary design tastes, incorporate evocative, nostalgic imagery and offer a wider lens on cultural issues. The new Pine, relaunched in 2022, has become the go-to resource for Lumberjack alumni, donors and other key constituents.

Visit Pine magazine’s archive.

Design

Understanding thatthere’s more to a successful redesign than new colors and fonts (although those are important, too!), we put our focus on the reader. For example, while the publication had done an effective job of spotlighting NAU’s diverse alumni, students and faculty with beautiful portraiture, reader survey results showed that alumni were more likely to connect with imagery that evokes memories of their time at their alma mater. Layering in photos of the campus, mascots, iconic buildings and surrounding landscapes, as well as strategically weaving in custom illustration, helped spark renewed interest and stir alumni nostalgia.

A magazine spread on an orange background. The left page shows the "PINE" magazine cover featuring illustrations of people and a forest scene, along with the headline "An A++ for NAU". The right page is a double-page article titled "LUMBERJACK LORE," featuring colorful illustrations of people and cabins in a mountainous landscape.

Editorial Planning

We believe that publication redesigns should balance reader interests with institutional priorities. For the redesign of Pine, we collaborated with the NAU team to develop a strategy that fuses nostalgia with pride for the future that the NAU community is helping to build. Within the new publication, stories tackling broader global topics like healthcare, AI and wildfires sit comfortably alongside features celebrating the traditions and spirit of NAU.

Publication Architecture

Not only did we revamp the editorial strategy and design aesthetic, we also rethought the magazine’s pacing and architecture, restructuring it to accomplish important engagement goals. Clearer calls-to-action encourage readers to learn more about events, sign up to volunteer, purchase NAU gear and more.


We never take a one-size-fits-all approach. Let’s chat about a strategy that meets your needs.

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