case study 02 / 04
EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN
A 246-page reference built for real-world use under pressure. Modular structure and scenario-based appendices make critical procedures fast to find in print and digital.
CLARITY UNDER PRESSURE • SYSTEM DESIGN • USABILITY
FIGURE 01 — FRONT & BACK COVER: Designed to feel calm and credible while reinforcing institutional trust.
scope
Information Architecture • Template System • Editorial Design • Print + Digital Production
CLIENT
calarts
scale
24 perfect-bound copies + digital Edition
Role
Lead Designer (Independent) • Print Production • Perfect Binding
Section 01 // CONTEXT
design CHALLENGE
CalArts needed an Emergency Operations Plan people could actually use in a crisis. The content was dense, the stakes were real, and the audience ranged from administrators to students who had never opened a document like this. The design challenge wasn’t just visual, it was behavioral: build a system people could navigate quickly, trust immediately, and act on under stress.
Structure dense operational content into a predictable system people can scan fast and use correctly.
Build modular templates to keep hierarchy consistent across sections and updates.
Format key procedures as standalone quick-reference sheets for high-stress use.
Deliver 24 perfect-bound copies plus a digital edition, built to CalArts standards for real-world use.
Section 02 // PAGE SYSTEM
Editorial Architecture
A grid and typographic hierarchy built to reduce searching and speed up action. Key spreads showing appendix structure, procedure formatting, and how the document supports fast lookup.
Section 04 // DELIVERABLES
WHAT WAS DELIVERED
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246-page Emergency Operations Plan, full editorial design and layout system
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24 perfect-bound copies (in-house) + digital edition
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Digital version published to the CalArts website for campus-wide access
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Extractable pages formatted for standalone flyer use in active emergencies
Section 05 // RESULTS
IMPACT & OUTCOMES
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Adopted as CalArts' official Emergency Operations reference
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Published to the CalArts website and made accessible to all students, faculty, and staff
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Critical sections were pulled and distributed during real emergencies, including a school shooter response guide issued directly to students
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The modular system supported phased delivery across multiple years. Urgent sections shipped and were in use while the full publication was still being developed
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTE
Select pages have been omitted to protect the safety and privacy of CalArts students and staff. What is shown here reflects the design system, editorial structure, and production quality of the full publication.
Section 03 // APPROACH
Structure-First
Methodology
I treated this as an editorial system, not a layout project. With 246 pages, every decision had to earn its place. The hierarchy needed to work two ways: for someone reading cover to cover and for someone flipping to a specific page in the middle of an emergency.
The work unfolded in phases across a multi-year engagement with CalArts administration, with critical sections developed first. One of those was an active-shooter response guide, extracted from the larger system and circulated to students during an immediate need. That moment shaped how I approached every design decision that followed: not just making pages look good, but making decisions easier when time is limited.
↓ WHAT I OWNED
01 EDITORIAL GRID SYSTEM
Built a grid and typographic hierarchy that makes it easy to scan a page, find what you need, and move on.
02 CLARITY UNDER PRESSURE
Whitespace, page rhythm, and clear section transitions are not aesthetic choices here. They are functional ones. The goal was to reduce cognitive load for readers who are already under stress.
03 MODULAR OUTPUT
Key sections were designed to function independently, formatted as self-contained flyers that could be extracted and distributed without losing context or clarity.
04 PRODUCTION-READY DELIVERY
Managed the full production process: print-ready files, perfect-bound binding for 24 copies, and a clean digital version for school-wide distribution.