Telling the story of HIHAF
Ho‘okupu magazine took HIHAF’s Taste of Life event to a whole new plane. My first goal was to tell the story of the nonprofit, which had recently marked its 20-year anniversary. The publication debuted at the nonprofit’s signature annual fundraiser, Taste of Life, in 2012. The theme was Bollywood.
Just the year prior, the nonprofit had its first event program with paid ads for the signature fundraiser. I was able to demonstrate that we could earn more revenue with a magazine while keeping the printing cost about the same.
The contents includes a series of editorial articles about the HIHAF, each focusing on a word from the newly adopted tagline: Teach. Test. Treat. Triumph.
Readers also could reminisce about the history of Taste of Life and find the event schedule and featured silent auction items inside.
Besides generating significant revenue for HIHAF, Ho‘okupu was special take-home piece for all attendees of Taste of Life. The magazine continues to serve as a promotional tool.
The Masthead
Every publication needs a nameplate. I experimented with many typefaces. Drawing from the significance of the ho‘okupu, I decided to use the Ringbearer font. It gave the magazine a strong, traditional, and mystical quality.
Get Creative
As creative director, I set the theme and styles for Ho‘okupu. I did all the layout and prepared the document for the press. I determined how to present each article and art. Freelance writers were employed to write the stories, and photos were supplied by volunteers and local freelancers. I also designed ads for advertisers that did not have a one pre-made.
I wanted to remind readers of the reason they were attending Taste of Life: to support HIHAF and its mission to surrounding issues of HIV and AIDS. I accomplished this by using a red ribbon as the end sign of each article.
I use the tools of the trade: Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop.
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