Early in my career, I had the chance to work on an alternative weekly newspaper, Buffalo Current. It only lasted six months, but those were some of the most formative months of my career. I was one of two designers on a small, scrappy team of writers, photographers, and editors, all working under tight weekly deadlines to get the paper out the door.
The role demanded versatility. Each week we laid out the paper from cover to cover, designed ads for the sales team, retouched photos, created illustrations, and handled all pre-press for printing. It was fast, messy, and incredibly hands-on. There was no room to specialize. You learned everything because you had to.
I also had the opportunity to contribute as a writer, though most of my time was spent deep in layout and production. It was one of those rare environments where everyone wore multiple hats and the work felt immediate and alive.
If the paper had continued, we were already exploring ways to evolve the visual direction. I had begun conversations with the editor about refining the branding, improving typography, and introducing more visual hierarchy and storytelling into the layouts. Unfortunately, we never had the chance to take it further.
What I’ve included here is a reimagining of Buffalo Current as it might look today. Instead of a traditional tabloid printed on newsprint, I approached it as a more refined weekly news magazine. Think something closer to a scaled-down version of Newsweek or The Atlantic. This eight-page mini issue pulls from original content and remixes it into a cleaner, more modern layout, complete with an updated logo and a stronger editorial voice.
At the end of this piece, I’ve included a selection of original Buffalo Current covers to give a sense of what the paper looked like during its short run. They capture the raw, energetic spirit of the publication and the reality of working under tight deadlines with limited resources. There is a certain immediacy to them that still holds up, even if the execution feels rough around the edges.
Placed alongside the reimagined layouts, they tell a fuller story. You can see the foundation we were building in real time, and how those early instincts have evolved into a more refined, intentional approach to editorial design. It is both a reflection of where I started and how I think about editorial design now.
