Crosslight VIC Magazine
About Crosslight VIC
Crosslight is a free, bi-monthly magazine published by the Uniting Church in Australia’s Synod of Victoria and Tasmania (VIC TAS). It’s a source of news, views, and reviews for the Uniting Church community in Victoria and Tasmania, with a focus on issues relevant to the church and its connection to culture, science, politics, and everyday life.
The Brief & Challenge
This edition of Crosslight will feature an image relating to the main feature story “Putting I in Uniting” which talks about the personal reflections of the church by community members. We would like the image to express “a personal reflection on the special bond people have with the church” and have some kind of human element to it. The image should express I love my church my special bond with the church.
The design brief was to develop a visual concept for the magazine themed “My Church and Me”, capturing the personal and emotional connection Christians have with their church. The focus was on closeness, trust, and human connection. The design brief was to develop a visual concept for the magazine themed “My Church and Me”, capturing the personal and emotional connection Christians have with their church. The focus was on closeness, trust, and human connection.
The Process
I collaborated closely with Sarah Hellyer, graphic designer at Crosslight. We started by discussing the concept for both the cover and internal pages. I sketched out ideas and presented a series of visual drafts to the team.
After several feedback rounds and creative meetings, we finalised the direction. The main image features a symbolic hand created using a stock image, which I then enhanced with hand-drawn text in Procreate and composited
The Result
The final design was published in the August edition of Crosslight, both in print and digital formats via Issuu. The response from the editorial team and readership was overwhelmingly positive, with the artwork resonating deeply with the magazine’s theme of personal connection to faith. The red-centric visual palette, combined with the freehand illustrative approach, helped create a warm, emotive atmosphere that aligned perfectly with the “My Church and Me” narrative.
The project successfully balanced artistic expression with the magazine’s editorial voice, contributing to a visually cohesive and heartfelt issue. It also reinforced Crosslight’s identity as a publication rooted in storytelling, community, and spiritual reflection.
