Rolling Stone: The Photo Issue
For Rolling Stone's 50th anniversary, I led the design of a responsive microsite showcasing the brand's most iconic photographs throughout its history. This digital experience transformed the print edition into an immersive online journey that highlighted stunning photography while telling the stories behind each iconic image.
Year: 2017
Role: Lead UX Designer & Graphic Designer
My Contribution: As design lead, I owned both UX/UI design and graphic production, collaborating directly with the Digital Creative Director and senior software engineer throughout the project lifecycle.
Recognition: 2018 Webby Award People’s Choice Winner for Best Visual Design
Challenge
Rolling Stone's 50th Anniversary Photo Issue featured the publication's most iconic imagery, with plans for simultaneous print and digital release. My challenge was to design a responsive web experience that complemented the print edition while leveraging digital capabilities. This required maintaining Rolling Stone's visual identity across formats while optimizing for various screen sizes. The project demanded keeping photography as the hero element throughout the experience, while seamlessly integrating Levi's sponsorship. Success depended on creating a cohesive cross-platform presentation that honored these celebrated photographs while enhancing them through thoughtful digital interaction.
Target Audience
Rolling Stone's diverse readership, spanning dedicated long-time fans to casual music and culture enthusiasts.
Project Constraints
Working with photographs of varying dimensions
Maintaining visual cohesion with the print edition
Integrating Levi's brand sponsorship naturally within the experience
Technical requirements:
Structured content fields (photo, subject name, issue reference, year, description, photo credits)
Custom ad placements every 15 slides
Supporting approximately 50 total photographs
Delivering on client expectations established during initial marketing pitch
Design Process
Concept & Pitch Phase
I worked closely with our marketing and editorial teams during the initial conceptualization of this sponsored feature. With only minimal details provided, which included a headline, two entry examples, and basic advertising requirements, I created compelling visuals for the pitch deck that would communicate our vision to Levi's. This early visualization work played a crucial role in helping stakeholders understand how the final product would look and feel, ultimately securing client approval for the project.
Select screens from the pitch phase
Strategic Iteration
After Levi's approved the concept, I immediately began refining our approach within a compressed timeline. Rather than starting with low-fidelity wireframes, I moved directly into high-fidelity design iterations to provide stakeholders with realistic representations that would elicit more actionable feedback. During this phase, I identified a fundamental issue with our initial approach. The intial design placed too much emphasis on text content at the expense of the photography. I realigned the visual hierarchy to properly showcase the iconic images that were the heart of this feature.
Select screens from the iteration phase
Solution Development
To solve the challenge of displaying predominantly portrait-oriented photographs, I designed a horizontal scrolling interface that maximized the available display area for each image. Recognizing that users might want to examine the photographs in greater detail, I incorporated an expandable lightbox functionality that allowed viewers to see each image at its original aspect ratio and full resolution. Throughout the experience, I carefully integrated Levi's advertisements by creating a complementary layout that maintained visual cohesion while ensuring brand visibility. These advertisements were strategically placed after every 15th photograph to create a balanced rhythm that didn't overwhelm the editorial content.
Select screens of the final design
Solution Components
The final Photo Issue microsite design included:
Horizontal Scrolling Interface: Optimized layout for portrait-oriented photographs
Expandable Lightbox: Full-resolution viewing option for detailed image examination
Responsive Design: Seamless experience across desktop, tablet, and mobile devices
Content Structure: Consistent display of photo metadata and contextual information
Strategic Ad Integration: Cohesive placement of Levi's sponsorship every 15 slides
Visual Hierarchy: Photography-first approach with supporting contextual elements
Navigation System: Intuitive controls for browsing the comprehensive collection
Brand Consistency: Design elements aligned with Rolling Stone's visual identity
Results & Impact
The Photo Issue microsite successfully reimagined the print experience for digital consumption, delivering both creative excellence and business value through thoughtful design decisions.
Award Recognition: Won the 2018 Webby Award People's Choice for Best Visual Design
Enhanced Brand Celebration: Created a digital showcase worthy of Rolling Stone's prestigious 50-year legacy
Cross-Medium Translation: Successfully adapted print content for digital interaction patterns
Sponsor Integration: Seamlessly incorporated Levi's sponsorship without compromising editorial integrity
User Engagement: Prioritized photography viewing experience while maintaining contextual information
Stakeholder Satisfaction: Received positive feedback from both internal teams and Levi's representatives
The project demonstrated my ability to balance visual design with technical constraints and business requirements while creating an experience that honored Rolling Stone's iconic photography.