Learn to Design a Digital Zine using Affinity Publisher

🎉 Welcome to "Design Your Own Digital Zine" with Jennifer Lezan! 📖✨

Course Introduction: Hey there, creative souls! I'm thrilled to have you here for our journey into the world of digital zines. If this is your first time taking one of my courses, get ready to dive deep into a unique blend of design history, hands-on creating, and the digital revolution of zine culture. And if you've joined us before, welcome back to another round of inspiration and creativity!

👩‍💻 About Your Instructor: My name is Jen, and I'm a freelance graphic designer, illustrator, and educator with over 15 years of creative experience under my belt. Based out of the midwest, I run Bella + Sophia Creative Studio, where we bring stories to life visually. My most memorable project was Halfstack Magazine, an indie zine that celebrated Chicago's creative scene for six years. It was a collaborative masterpiece featuring fashion, art, and music from some of the most inspiring local creatives.

Course Overview: In this course, we'll be crafting a digital zine that not only serves as a personal portfolio but also as a captivating piece for pitches or creative expression. I'll guide you through every step, from concept to launch, using the powerful tools of Affinity Publisher and Issuu. We'll start with a deep dive into zine history and my personal journey with Halfstack Magazine, which will serve as a case study for our project.

What You'll Learn:

• The essence of zines: from their historical significance to their digital evolution.
• Insights on collaboration and the importance of a guiding concept.
• Creative direction and design principles tailored for zine making.
• Hands-on layout design with Affinity Publisher.
• How to use Issuu to showcase your zine online.

Who This Course Is For: This course is perfect for anyone eager to learn how to design a digital zine, from beginners to seasoned designers. Whether you're an artist, designer, or simply someone with a story to tell and visuals to share, this class will equip you with the knowledge and skills to bring your vision to life.

Tools You'll Need:

• A computer (Windows/MacOS)
• Affinity Publisher (software for layout design)
• 4 visual pieces of art work with descriptions
• Your headshot and an artist statement

Mockup Resources:

• Creative Market
• DesignCuts
• Freepik

Your Digital Zine Project: For your final project, you'll design a digital zine that not only showcases your visual work but also shares insights on topics you're passionate about. Here's what your zine should include:

• A striking cover page.
• 4 or more interior pages with visual projects and their descriptions.
• A bio page featuring your headshot and artist statement.
• Contact/social media links.

Project Steps:

1. Conceptualize your theme and gather content.
2. Create or source your visual pieces.
3. Design your layout using Affinity Publisher.
4. Write descriptions for each piece of art work.
5. Craft your artist bio and include a headshot.
6. Add contact information and social media links.
7. Upload your zine to Issuu and share the link in our project gallery.

Final Thoughts: I can't wait to see the creative zines you all will produce. Remember to download the provided RESOURCES file, which includes a project template to help you get started. Your journey into digital zine-making is about to begin, and I'm here to guide you every step of the way!

Let's create, inspire, and share our stories through the art of the zine. 🌟

Enroll now and let your creativity take flight!