Schweinehund is a conceptual magazine created during my studies, exploring themes of desire, inertia, and resistance. Named after the German term “innerer Schweinehund” — that internal force pulling us away from action — the project aimed to give physical form to emotional contradiction.
The goal was to design a print artifact that communicated both emotional presence and emotional absence — without becoming aesthetically flat or narratively incoherent. We wanted the magazine to be something readers didn’t just flip through, but felt — something that invited them into the quiet, uncomfortable space between craving and disengagement.
As producer and concept lead, I coordinated the editorial and visual teams, defined the overarching narrative arc, and led explorations in tactile storytelling. We researched physical media, binding methods, and emotional design cues — from the weight of the paper to the visual rhythm of the content. Prototyping played a key role: we tested page sequences, spacing, and material changes to control emotional pacing. I also facilitated small peer reviews to understand how readers responded to different moods and textures, iterating layouts and materials accordingly.
The final magazine was printed on two contrasting papers, each representing a facet of the core theme: A soft, warm cream paper for sections centered on longing and vulnerability A rougher, textured gray stock for pieces about withdrawal, detachment, or numbness The tactile transition between paper types created a physical metaphor for the reader — a shift they could literally feel. Visually, we worked with a dual-tone palette of a red and a purple, selected for their emotional ambiguity. On the cream paper, the colors appeared soft, even intimate. On the gray, they turned cooler and more distant. This duality deepened the tension within the content itself. Layouts remained sparse, sometimes deliberately slow, encouraging moments of pause or friction.
The magazine was awarded the ADC Talent Award, 2 Indigo Design awards and featured in several student design showcases. More importantly, it became a project that taught me how to use materials, mood, and rhythm as UX tools — even in analog formats. I’m proud of how it evokes emotional tension without relying on spectacle, and how each design decision reinforces the project’s conceptual intent.
