This artifact showcases a collaborative book project titled The National Park Service: The Best Idea We Ever Had, completed as the final group assignment in a Technical Editing class. The project involved writing, editing, designing, and compiling a professional-quality book. As the project manager and an active contributor, I coordinated the workflow, ensured deadlines were met, and played a critical role in the development and delivery of the final product. The book was deliberately designed with a rustic aesthetic to reflect the spirit of the National Park Service.
Goals
The goals of the project included:
- creating a polished and cohesive book on the history and significance of the National Park Service
- applying advanced technical editing skills to ensure clarity, consistency, and adherence to a professional style
- designing the book to reflect the character and feel of the National Park Service, incorporating its signature color scheme and typography
Objectives
The primary objectives of this project were to:
- collaboratively write and edit content that highlights the historical and cultural importance of the National Park Service
- ensure consistency in tone, style, and formatting using a team-developed style sheet
- design the book with a rustic, NPS-inspired aesthetic, ensuring it would feel at home in a National Park Service gift shop
- reorganize responsibilities within the team following a group member’s departure and maintain project momentum
Outcome
The project achieved the following results:
Professional Book
A collaboratively written and designed publication that demonstrates teamwork and advanced editing skills.
Cohesive Style Sheet
A detailed guide outlining formatting, grammar, and design standards for consistency.
Rustic Aesthetic
A visually striking book with NPS-inspired color schemes, typography, and thematic elements.
Creative Colophon
A distinctive colophon shaped like the NPS shield, serving as a memorable design highlight.
Approach
Organization and Planning
The project began with creating a team contract to outline roles, responsibilities, and deadlines. As project manager, I oversaw task assignments, coordinated meetings, and maintained team alignment with project goals.
Following a team reorganization due to a member’s departure, responsibilities were redistributed among remaining members to ensure all aspects of the project were completed on time.
Each team member created their assigned sections in a shared Microsoft Word document. We performed initial writing, editing, and formatting in this document before transferring the content into Adobe InDesign for the final layout and design.
Content Creation
Our team focused on designing the book to reflect the identity of the National Park Service. We incorporated an NPS-inspired color palette and typography, along with rustic design elements, to evoke the parks’ timeless charm. The layout and formatting were meticulously crafted to ensure readability and visual appeal.
One of the most notable design elements is the colophon at the end of the book, crafted in the shape of the iconic NPS shield. This feature exemplifies the attention to detail and creativity we brought to the project. Using the collaboratively developed style sheet, we revised the document for consistency and ensured a professional, cohesive final product.
The deliverable is a professionally designed book, accompanied by a detailed style sheet.
Final Deliverable
The final deliverable is a professionally formatted book and a style sheet that specifies formatting, grammar, and design standards, both submitted as high-resolution PDF exports for print and web formats.
