Next City
Defining New Media’s Role in the 21st Century City
Next City is a national urban affairs magazine and non-profit organization based in Philadelphia. When Next City (then the Next American City) published its first issue, it was ahead of its time. Few people were talking about how cities were hubs of creativity and innovation that would drive the global economy into the 21st century. The US was still reeling post 9/11, was at war in Afghanistan and entering the Iraq War. Iphones, Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, Twitter and Instagram did not exist yet.
It was an exciting time to work for a new media organization as all of these changes were taking place. For the next ten years while I was Next City’s creative director, I was able to experiment and learn from these constant shifts first hand, as I worked closely with the team to design the printed magazine, re-imagine and maintain the brands digital presence, plan and design events, and to strategize and create various publications and other communications materials that supported our mission. During this time I learned an incredible amount about cities, publishing, new media, and how design can play a crucial role in bringing these things together and say something truly unique.