Riot Grrrls in Graphic Design

Adobe InDesign
5.5in x 8.5in Booklet, 16 pages

The Riot Grrrl Zine project is an exploration of the underground feminist punk movement that emerged in the early 1990s in Olympia, Washington. At the heart of the movement were zines–small, self-published magazines–that were used as a tool for Riot Grrrls to communicate ideas, experiences, and activism. The movement was a powerful reaction to sexism, sexual assault, and gender inequality with punk music as the face of social change.  

The designs of the Riot Grrrl Zine is a direct homage to the DIY, punk-inspired aesthetic of the movement. Each design choice was made to emulate the same raw energy that defined the Riot Grrrls while allowing content to be accessible, entertaining, and engaging for the modern audience. Bold–almost in your face–type was used throughout the zine. The overall composition is deliberately disordered, evoking the DIY ethos of the time. Text is placed over images, creating a sense of visual tension while imagery remains black and white to embody the unfiltered spirit of the movement. Aggressive pops of neon pink add a confrontational twist paying tribute to the Riot Grrrls playful yet unapologetic attitudes.