Case Western Reserve University is a private university based in Cleveland, Ohio, comprising eight schools with programs across fields including health sciences, engineering, law and the arts. They approached us to redesign their flagship print publication with both the functional goal of highlighting CWRU’s stories and the emotional goal of instilling pride, loyalty and engagement among alumni.
Guided by the university's core principle: “Be a Force,” we created a bold and thoughtful magazine that embodies the spirit of CWRU. It retains an element of history and prestige while looking forward and reflecting the university’s role as a catalyst for change and progress. The result is a fresh, contemporary design that blends intellect and energy—a beautiful, high-quality, tactile experience that readers look forward to taking in cover-to-cover.
The new design pairs a friendly yet confident sans-serif with an accessible serif. It balances bold gestures with quiet moments on a structured, intersecting grid. The use of rules and interlocking columns emphasizes the juxtapositions that define CWRU's interdisciplinary nature and a touch of whimsy—like fun facts and spot illustrations—nod to the curious, nerdy world of the university. The new masthead was created in 2025 to represent the new direction of the magazine. It is custom-built and take on a variety of forms for different contexts.
Beginning with the of-the-moment, faster cadence of the short front of book, transitioning into the denser, immersive feature well, and concluding with a large back of book featuring a variety of stories, each issue takes readers on a journey of present-day CWRU. Throughout the book, short stats, fast facts and infographics add texture, context and levity where needed.
"From start to finish Studio Wyse led us through a smart, strategic process, delivering a fresh, inventive, high-quality publication that makes us proud. The Wyse team are creative, talented, detail-oriented, patient, responsive and responsible. They combine a terrific artistic sensibility with a thoughtful, well-honed editorial understanding that improves the overall quality of the storytelling. They also bring wonderful illustrators and photographers to the project, sweat the details, are always ready with numerous inspired ideas and make the process fun. Working with them is a joy.”
–sandy livingston | executive editor | university marketing and communications
