Michaela Zalko

Art Director of WAG Magazine and the Fairfield County Business Journal

Westfair Communications publishes three publications — WAG magazine, the Fairfield County Business Journal and the Westchester County Business Journal — and hosts multiple business-related events throughout the year.

WAG is a unique monthly lifestyle magazine distributed in Westchester County, NY and Fairfield County, CT. It has an overarching yearly theme along with a new editorial monthly theme. Every issue focuses on local issues, businesses or people of the community. Monthly themes range from home design, sports & fitness, equestrian interests, fashion, food, the arts and beyond.

The Fairfield County Business Journal and the Westchester County Business Journal are weekly newspapers focused on business news around the county.

Art director for 5 weekly publications that Home Town Media Group produces: The Rye City Review, The Mamaroneck Review, The Harrison Review, The Eastchester Review and The City Review New Rochelle.

As art director, I held a prominent role as lead designer in the rebranding and complete redesign of all Home Town Media's five publications. The redesign included new newspaper logos, new headline and byline styles, and new typographic elements throughout the paper. We changed from a 4 column page to a 6 column format, and reduced the body text to create a modern and cohesive newspaper.

Additional Responsibilities include:
• Acting as liaison and point person between the graphic department with the editorial and advertising department
• Creatively and efficiently producing the layout and design of two to three of our weekly publications
• Designing on average one to five ads to be published in the current weeks paper
• Designing logos to help brand new feature sections of the newspaper
• Updating our news website following press day with current featured articles of the week
• Member of the Social Media committee created to craft a new social media policy for Home Town Media publications

Designed a custom Black Letter logo for a unique craft brewery, Defiant Brewing Company, to be used on all packaging, bottles, signage, tap handles, corks, printed material and collateral.

• Designed and executed projects that included brochures, ad conversions, data forms, logo development, and photo research under guidance of the Creative Director.
• Prepped files for print, prepared presentations in Apple Keynote, aided in daily production tasks and administrative work.