Journal of the National Medical Association redesign and monthly layout

Background: The National Medical Association’s mission is to promote health and wellness, eliminate health disparities and sustain physician viability for people of African descent through education, advocacy and health policy. Their members are doctors and health care practitioners in the United States and in other countries—many in Turkey or Nigeria. They published a peer-reviewed medical journal on a monthly basis.

Problem: The association needed someone to take over the layout and editing of their monthly medical journal. A few years later, they also wanted a refreshed look.

Solution: For 10 years, we laid out the medical journal and edited it for clarity (many authors are international and English is not their first language) and in AMA style. As part of the process, we sent proofs of the manuscripts to each lead author prior to publication. We laid out the cover with provided images of work by a minority artist or another photo. We placed provided pharmaceutical, public service announcement and career ads.

With the redesign, we established a new color palette and assigned a different color to each section. We made the journal easier to read by changing the typefaces and increasing the amount of white space.

Specs: Four-color process, 7.875×10.75 inches, 152–200 pages per issue, perfect bound

Medium: Print and digital (PDF)

Client: National Medical Association, Silver Spring, MD

Industry: Healthcare/medical, nonprofit/not for profit, association/society

“I couldn’t ask for anyone better than you at what you do. Thanks to Mark for referring you when we were in our emergency situation with layout/copyediting [in 2003] during convention rush. You completed the first issue [150 pages] from beginning to end in less than two weeks, with no template! That alone, and on top of your other jobs, deserves an award. Thanks.”

Kimberly Taylor

Journal of the National Medical Association redesign and monthly layout

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