Harpers Bazaar
LEAD DESIGNER
As the Lead Designer for HBZ Snapchat, I successfully received an impressive total of 1.5 million impressions. In my role, I created comprehensive design flats that served as a foundation for the animator to edit and build.
One of the biggest challenges was translating the magazine’s signature experimental typography—known for its dramatic scale and flair—into vertical, mobile-first formats like 9:16. To preserve this creative spirit, I led the design approach for Top Snaps, opting for large-scale experimental type paired with minimalist illustrations to keep the storytelling bold yet digestible.
Top Snaps, also known as Cover Snaps, are 5–15 second looping clips designed to provide a quick, engaging snapshot of an article’s content. They serve as the first touchpoint for users, appearing on the Snapchat Discover page and drawing them into the story.
Collaborating closely with editors, I would receive a brief and a folder of assets for each story—occasionally sourcing additional materials to enhance the narrative. Using design as a storytelling tool, I crafted dynamic, visually compelling intros that captured the essence of the article and enticed viewers to dive deeper.
Top Snaps cont.
The most exciting part of the project was seeing real-time impact: our readership for long-form content grew from 400K to 1.5 million views during my time on the team. Early on, I recognized that digital articles were often dense blocks of text that didn’t reflect the visual storytelling Harper’s Bazaar was known for in print. To address this, I introduced strategic design elements—custom pull quotes, full-bleed imagery, elegant infographics, and typographic treatments—into the long-form content. This broke up heavy text and made stories more visually engaging, ultimately encouraging deeper reading and higher retention.
This measurable success proved that thoughtful, editorial design doesn’t have to be sacrificed in fast-moving digital formats. In fact, when done right, it elevates the content and drives meaningful audience growth.
