SUMMARY
This editorial feature in Mayo Clinic Alumni Magazine explores Dr. Richard Hurt’s work to reframe nicotine addiction as a medical condition through photography, archival imagery, and information design.
Silver winner
NYX Awards
(magazine design)
Bronze winner
Indigo Awards
(magazine design)
Bronze winner
Service Industry Awards (publication)
visual concept and opening spread
I concepted the opening spread to center on a simple but powerful gesture: a hand extinguishing a cigarette. Inspired by mid-20th-century cigarette advertising, this concept uses that same visual language...but to ironically communicate the opposite message. The moment after the cigarette is put out becomes symbolic, representing agency, awareness, and the decision to stop smoking.
This photograph was taken during my photoshoot with photographer Lisa Predko. I sourced and art directed a hand model to capture a clean, graphic composition that could support layered editorial content without feeling cluttered.
All timeline elements, including archival imagery and typography, were added in post production. I handled integration and layout refinement to ensure clarity, hierarchy, and alignment with the overall visual system.
“Dave M., who has worked with Mayo on many of their high-end pieces over the years, said this one was one of the most impressive and well-designed pieces he has worked on.”
PORTRAIT
I traveled to Rochester to art direct Dr. Hurt’s portrait on set with Mayo Clinic’s in-house photography team. The goal was to capture a portrait that could integrate seamlessly into the broader system, using a blue backdrop and subtle smoke elements to reference the subject matter without overwhelming the image.
Due to limited availability, we had a narrow window to capture the portrait, and the smoke environment proved difficult to control in real time. I adapted the approach on set, prioritizing a clean portrait first, then capturing smoke separately as an independent element.
The smoke was later composited into the final image, allowing for greater control over density, form, and placement. I worked closely with the retoucher to refine the final composition.
TIMELINE
To visualize the history and impact of tobacco research, I developed a timeline anchored by a single central object: the cigarette.
The concept uses a cigarette not just as the subject matter, but as the structure, allowing key milestones and moments to build around it in a clear sequence. This created a strong visual through-line for a dense and information-heavy story.
collage
To ground the story in historical context, I created a collage using archival imagery from Mayo Clinic’s tobacco research and advocacy history.
I physically assembled the composition at home — printing, layering, and arranging materials to explore visual relationships — before partnering with the Rochester team to re-photograph the final piece. This process allowed the final image to retain a tactile, constructed quality while achieving a refined editorial finish.
OUTCOME
This was my first feature story for Mayo Clinic Magazine and one of the projects where I was able to push a more unconventional creative idea from concept through execution. I art directed three distinct photoshoots, developed multiple original works of art, and navigated a number of production challenges along the way. It was a great opportunity to bring together photography, archival imagery, collage, and information design to tell a complex story in a way that felt both thoughtful and visually engaging.
Year
2025
Role
Lead designer
Disciplines
Art and photographic direction, print and layout design, digital design, presentation decks, information design and graphics, social media, branding and logo design