Sanskrit Magazine

Sanskrit Literary-Arts Magazine is a nationally-recognized magazine that annually publishes poetry, short stories and visual art. Each year, the magazine is designed with a different theme, which creates a lens through which the art and literature may be interpreted.

My team and I created this volume to help us and our audience grapple with understanding the past year in the pandemic. We decided to have this year’s publication centered around Tarot. Tarot cards are part of a long tradition of divination and fortune-telling. We looked to the history of Tarot as a symbol for making sense of what this year has given us and providing guidance for future events.


Awards
ACP Best of Show 2021
NC CMA Best of Show 2021

My Role
Art Director, Designer + Illustrator

Collaborators
Illustrator — Jessica Kenicott
Illustrator — Mikayla Wells
Illustrator — Zachary Fox


Deliverables
Magazine
Tarot Cards
Promotional Posters

Project Length
Sep 2020–Feb 2021

Truth

Over half of Gen Z has engaged in tarot or fortune telling.
Source: Springtide Research Institute, 2021


Insight

A student literary magazine is already full of lines that feel oddly personal and profound — just like a tarot reading. So what if we didn’t just publish the work... what if we divined it?


✶ Idea: Read Into It ✶

Bring the magazine to life with immersive, mystical activations that spark curiosity and invite students to engage with the magazine.

POSTER SERIES

A series of cryptic posters teased real lines of poetry from the magazine, styled as tarot excerpts. The mysterious message, and the promise of something deeper, tapped into students’ curiosity, drawing them toward the magazine.

LIVE TAROT BOOTH

We launched the magazine like a ritual with a one-on-one brand experience. A fortune teller offered personalized tarot readings using only writing and illustrations from the issue.

THE MAGAZINE

The issue draws poetic parallels between tarot and literature, using curated quotes and symbolism to invite interpretation and emotional connection.

ILLUSTRATED TAROT CARDS

We created a collectible mini-deck of tarot cards, with each magazine including a divinely varied set of three: inviting students to interpret their cards, trade with friends, and collect the full set.

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Fortune Brands — Branded Editorial + Guidelines

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Ecofuge — Branding + Multi-Channel Campaign