World Transport Policy & Practice (WTPP)

SaaS-based app created and designed for a rising generation of dual income head of households

Client
Transportation Choices for Sustainable Communities (TCSC)
Role
Publication Graphic Designer, Brand & Editorial Assistant
Services
Creative direction, layout & format system, design assets, branding consistency, open‑source image sourcing, photo retouching, web & print production

Project Overview

I designed seven biannual issues of the Journal of World Transport Policy & Practice from May 2022 - May 2025. In December 2022 I redesigned the Journal, establishing a modular publication system and style sheet to improve readability, accelerate production, and amplify WTPP’s advocacy for sustainable, people‑first transport worldwide.

Stakeholders

  • Michelle DeRobertis — Editor (TCSC, Oakland, CA, USA)
  • Editorial Board: John Whitelegg (Liverpool John Moores University, England); Helmut Holzapfel (Centre for Mobility Culture, Germany); Jeffrey Kenworthy (Curtin University & Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences, Australia); Charles Rivasplata (Department of Urban and Regional Planning, San Jose State University, CA, USA); Charlotte Halpern (Sciences Po, Centre for European Studies and Comparative Politics, France)

Objectives & Constraints

Primary Goals

Readability for practitioners/advocates, consistent brand, faster production, fundraising for publication continuity, influence policy & public opinion on sustainable transportation.

Constraints

Budget, time, biannual cadence, open‑source image licensing, web/print design specifications.

Process & Key Decisions

Workflow

Intake → Image sourcing → Editing → Layout → Proofing → Export

Design System

  • Grids: Columnar grid across pages; modular sub‑grids for fact sheets, tables, supporting data & images; hierarchical grid for prelims, article openers, and references.
  • Typefaces & Hierarchy
  • Accessibility
    1. Minimum body size 12 pt; headings scale for clear hierarchy.
    2. Color contrast targets: AA (normal text ≥4.5:1, large text ≥3:1).
    3. Logical reading order; article openers marked as H1; subheads H2/H3; alt‑text captured for non‑decorative images.
    4. Export tagged PDF; include document title/author metadata.
  • Image Sourcing & Rights
    1. Sources: Authors; Unsplash; Flickr; Pexels; Wikimedia Commons; others as appropriate.
    2. Licenses: Creative Commons (CC BY/CC BY‑SA/CC0) and Public Domain with attribution where required.
    3. Tracking: Folder + naming convention; master Google Sheet logging source, author, license, URL, and attribution string.
  • Quality Control
    1. Editorial review 0: Initial internal review with Editor.
    2. Proof 1 (external): First proofing pass by outside proofer (independent contact).
    3. Revise: Designer integrates edits; image/figure checks.
    4. Proof 2 (editor): Editor review; finalize copy edits.
    5. Preflight & Export: Styles/links/overset checklists; export print and web PDFs; spot‑check on multiple devices.

Outcomes & Impact

WTPP’s redesign made the journal faster to produce, easier to read, and more dependable to publish. I cut the time it takes to produce an issue by almost a third while also reducing review cycles resulting in less time editing and more time curating strong content. A consistent design system now carries across every article, which improves credibility and reduces errors. Readers are responding: downloads have grown significantly with global reach. The improved quality and reliability has unlocked new support, including a seed grant, and inspired the Editorial Board to bring back limited print editions for strategic distribution.

‍

  • Consistency: ~90% style adherence across seven issues; standardized paragraph/character styles applied issue‑wide.
  • Speed / Operations: 30% reduction in time per page (0.72 hrs/page to 0.51 hr/page).
  • Revisions: ≈67% reduction (6 rounds of proofing and editing to 2 rounds).
  • Reach & Engagement: ~+40% increase in downloads since redesign in May 2022; readership spans multiple regions worldwide.
  • Credibility & Funding: Backed by a distinguished editorial board; added the 2022 Marianna Grossman seed grant and in May 2024, editorial-board praise led to limited print runs (first since founded online in 1995).
  • Quote by Michelle DeRobertis (Vol. 30.1 Editorial): “The physical and mental well‑being of people who live in cities should be more important than accommodating cars… we continue to explore the nexus between climate change and transport policy in future issues.”

Next Steps

I’ll continue supporting TCSC by designing the next WTPP issue due November 2025, and by redesigning the “Support Our Mission” page to clarify the value proposition, tighten the message hierarchy, and add a single, strategic call-to-action with clear giving goals (including options for one-time, monthly, and sponsor-level gifts).

Goals for the next issue & support page

Production & Quality
  • Cut average production time to ≤31 hrs/issue while holding ≤2 revision rounds.
  • Launch with 0 critical errors (links, figure references, typos); maintain a tracked preflight checklist (100% pass rate).
  • 100% tagged PDF/UA compliance, 100% alt-text coverage, and optimized file size ≤20 MB.
Support Page (Fundraising UX)
  • Clarify message with a 3-part hierarchy: Why it matters → Where funds go → How to help now.
  • Add a primary CTA (“Donate Monthly”) and a secondary CTA (“Sponsor an Issue”); test placement and microcopy.
  • A/B tests
    • Hero headline (impact-led vs. community-led) and primary CTA text (“Donate Monthly” vs. “Fuel the Next Issue”).
    • Donation tiers layout (3 tiers vs. 4 tiers) and adding impact receipts.
    • Placement of social proof (editorial board quote vs. reader testimonial).
Reporting & Transparency
  • Add a simple impact panel to the support page: issues published, articles reviewed, downloads, countries reached, % of budget funded (updated per issue).
  • Publish a one-page Use of Funds breakdown (design/production, editorial support, access/hosting, outreach).

7 biannual issues (May 2022 - May 2025)

  1. Vol 30.1 — May 2025
    Link: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/619593021331d42c0b62a1c6/t/6871efadb31dd453e53ebcdb/1752297414999/WTPP30.1_revised-HiRes-15.4mb.pdf
  2. Vol 29.2 — Nov 2024
    Link: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/619593021331d42c0b62a1c6/t/675c78615a80c86ff2020b6d/1734113405726/WTPP+29.2-hi+Res-19+mb.pdf
  3. Vol 29.1 — May 2024
    Link: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/619593021331d42c0b62a1c6/t/6658faae0c2a0a0804fffb58/1717107386885/WTPP+2024-29.1+rev-+15+mb+Medium+.pdf
  4. Vol 28.2 — Nov 2023
    Link: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/619593021331d42c0b62a1c6/t/6570ba2ace9f1c778fa13700/1701886548399/wtpp+28.2+-hi+res+%2812.6.23%29-+18MB.pdf
  5. Vol 28.1 — Jun 2023
    Link: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/619593021331d42c0b62a1c6/t/648b4a4940c39b46fd065c9e/1686850145515/WTPP28.1-rev2+June+2023-20.9MB.pdf
  6. Vol 27.2 — Dec 2022
    Link: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/619593021331d42c0b62a1c6/t/63c59ab5c61a670742f9822b/1673894655614/27.2++World+Transport+Journal-+011523-2.5+MB-lo-res.pdf
  7. Vol 27.1 — May 2022
    Link: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/619593021331d42c0b62a1c6/t/62868b9445dd3825612cb8e4/1652984802401/WTPP27.1-May2022-HighRes+%2818mb%29.pdf

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