Overview

The Big Issue is a fortnightly, independent magazine sold on the streets of Australia by people experiencing homelessness, marginalisation, and disadvantage. The motto is simple: a hand up, not a hand out. Vendors purchase copies at a reduced rate and sell them at full price. The difference is their income.

When I moved to Melbourne, my first role was Art Director of The Big Issue. Every two weeks, I worked with an exceptional editorial team to put out a publication that directly changed lives. Holding a finished copy knowing that vendors would be on the streets selling it the next morning never lost its weight.

My Role

Working closely with The Big Issue editorial team, I was responsible for:

• Developing and maintaining the publication’s typography, colour palette, and visual design
• Art direction and design of every issue
• Creating illustration assets
• Managing proofing, colour correction, and printing processes end-to-end

Result

Print editorial at this pace, fortnightly, to a professional standard, with genuine community stakes, demands both design rigour and resilience.

The conversations I had during this time with people experiencing homelessness shifted my perspective in ways that have stayed with me. It remains one of the most grounding experiences of my career, and a reminder of what design looks like when it serves something that actually matters.