Recensio
Miami University, Oxford, Ohio
ACP Pacemaker Finalist
Theme: unfold
Editors: Brianna Mulligan and Emily Heist
Walsworth representative: Keith Hughey
The 2009 Recensio celebrated the 200th anniversary of Miami University by looking back at everything the school had accomplished; the staff of the 2010 Recensio was ready to look forward. To accomplish this, the staff chose the theme “unfold.” The book focuses on the changes happening at Miami University, and in the world, and how those changes made the school a better place.
A white cover represents the possibility that the 2009-2010 school year held for the students of Miami University. Perpendicular lines, crossing in the bottom corner, introduce readers to a prominent graphic element that appears throughout the book. These lines also lead readers’ eyes to the title of the book, “unfold,” the year and the word “miami” in clear ink.
Black backgrounds on the opening spreads contrast with the cover and the content spreads, making these pages stand out. Three photos accompany a short copy block, divided between the first two spreads, which explain why the staff chose the theme “unfold.”
Graphically, the Recensio uses simple, elegant elements that add interest to pages without detracting from the professional quality of the photography. Perpendicular lines further the theme concept, bringing to mind the idea of crossroads, or places where decisions that lead to changes might occur. This subtle addition to each page helps pull this book into a cohesive package.
Stories focus on the changes at the university, including the additions of a new business school building and the Interactive Media Studies program. As the end of the opening copy says, “We looked past the last 200 years and towards the next 200.” This concept was carried throughout the book as writers looked for the forward motion of the subjects of their stories.
The 2010 Recensio is divided into sections by season: fall, winter, spring. Each section is introduced with two spreads. The first is mostly black, with the name of the season reversed out and a stripe of a photograph running along the bottom. The second divider spread features the rest of that photo alongside a table of contents listing the stories in that section. Three photos that highlight the stories inside the section also appear on these spreads. The use of three photos mimics the design strategy of the opening spreads and helps add to the consistent visual message.
This spread is typical of sports spreads in the 2010 Recensio. Crisp action photos draw readers into the spread and bring moments from the sports season to life. These spreads also pack in a lot of information. Each sports spread includes a group photo with a team roster and a scoreboard that covers every game of the season. A sizeable story is provided as well, covering the highlights of the season. Graphic details help guide readers around the spread, and plenty of white space in the headline package helps keep this spread from becoming too cluttered.
In keeping with the chronological organizational structure of the book, the community/news pages of the 2010 Recensio are presented as a collection of spreads that each cover one month. Each of these news spreads features one large story alongside a calendar of shorter quick news items. This spread presents news from the month of December: the release of the movie “Avatar,” Tiger Woods’ “break” from professional golf, and the death of actress Brittany Murphy.
The closing spread of the 2010 Recensio wastes no words. Three photographs on a black background tie up the book alongside these words: “And to the future.” This quiet ending celebrates the future of the Miami University and leaves readers feeling hopeful about what’s to come.
