Editorial / Publication Designer

Type: Freelance / Project-Based (Adobe InDesign + Print)

Project Period: November 2026–March 2027

Estimated Time: Approximately 80–100 hours total, with workload varying throughout the project

Rate: $10–12 USD/hour, depending on experience and portfolio

Location: Remote / Philippines

Potential: Recurring publication work for the right designer

ABOUT THE PROJECT

Good Done Daily is a small graphic design practice based in Detroit, Michigan (USA). We work primarily with nonprofit, civic, philanthropic, and community-based organizations.

I am looking for an experienced editorial and publication designer to collaborate with me on the redesign of a semiannual print magazine for a U.S.-based nonprofit organization.

The publication is approximately 16 pages, full color, professionally printed, and mailed to a large audience.

The project includes two connected parts:

1. Develop a stronger, reusable editorial design system.

2. Apply that system to the first redesigned issue and prepare it for professional printing.

This is not primarily a social media or general marketing-design role. I am specifically looking for someone with substantial experience designing magazines, publications, books, annual reports, or other multi-page print work.

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE

You should have:

• 8+ years of professional graphic design experience

• Strong experience with editorial, magazine, publication, or long-form print design

• Advanced to expert knowledge of Adobe InDesign

• Strong Adobe Photoshop skills for retouching, color correction, masking, compositing, and image preparation

• Strong typography, composition, hierarchy, pacing, and layout skills

• A systems-oriented approach to design

• Professional experience preparing files for commercial print production

• A portfolio showing substantial multi-page editorial work

Working knowledge of Adobe Illustrator is also expected.

INDESIGN + PRINT PRODUCTION

You should be highly comfortable with:

• Parent/master pages

• Paragraph, character, and object styles

• Baseline grids and layout grids

• Multi-column text flow and long-form documents

• Linked assets and organized file structures

• Templates and reusable publication systems

• CMYK and color-management principles

• Bleeds, trim, margins, image resolution, and print specifications

• Preflight and error checking

• Print-ready PDF export and file packaging

Professional print-production knowledge is required. You should understand how to prepare technically correct files for a commercial printer, not only how to create attractive layouts.

WHAT YOU WILL WORK ON

Editorial design system

• Develop one primary visual direction

• Establish grids, page structures, typography, hierarchy, and recurring elements

• Design representative covers, features, articles, contents pages, short-form sections, and back-of-book layouts

• Develop treatments for photography, captions, pull quotes, credits, and supporting graphics

• Build a flexible InDesign system that can be reused across future issues

First redesigned issue

• Apply the approved system to an approximately 16-page magazine

• Lay out articles and recurring sections

• Retouch, crop, and prepare supplied photography

• Adapt layouts to different story lengths and image availability

• Refine pages through review and feedback

• Preflight, package, and prepare final files for commercial printing

AI-generated photography or illustration will not be used as final publication artwork.

HOW WE WILL WORK TOGETHER

I will provide overall creative direction, client communication, design critique, and project oversight.

I am looking for someone who can take that direction and work independently at a high level—someone who can help develop the system and then execute it carefully in layout and production.

You should:

• Think in systems rather than designing every page from scratch

• Have excellent attention to typography and production details

• Keep InDesign files and linked assets organized

• Communicate clearly and ask questions when needed

• Respond well to direct design feedback

• Meet agreed deadlines

• Identify design or production problems before they become larger issues

The project will include both lighter planning periods and more concentrated design and production phases. You should be comfortable working efficiently during active periods, managing deadlines, and maintaining strong attention to detail under normal production pressure.

Occasional scheduled overlap with U.S. Eastern Time will be needed for design reviews and will be arranged in advance. I’m happy to be reasonably flexible around timing and, when possible, schedule meetings at hours that work comfortably for both of us rather than always requiring late-evening availability in the Philippines.

The estimated 80–100 hours will be distributed across the full project period. Workload will vary by phase, with lighter weeks and more concentrated design and production periods. Applicants should generally have capacity for up to 15 hours per week when the project is most active.

For the right designer, there may be opportunities to continue working on future spring and fall issues and other Good Done Daily publication projects.

HOW TO APPLY

Please include:

1. A link to your portfolio.

2. Two or three examples of magazine, publication, book, annual report, or other multi-page print work that you personally designed.

3. A short description of your role on those projects.

4. Your years of professional design experience.

5. A brief description of your Adobe InDesign and commercial print-production experience.

6. Your current hourly rate.

7. Your availability from November 2026 through March 2027.

Please do not submit only social media graphics, logos, branding mockups, or advertising work. I need to see actual multi-page editorial design.

Individual applicants only, please. I am looking to work directly with the designer who will be completing the work, not an agency or subcontracted team.

Begin your application with the words “SYSTEMS FIRST” so I know you have read the full posting.

There is no unpaid design test required for the initial application. Selected finalists may be invited to a short conversation and, if needed, a small paid design exercise.