Ryan Smith

In August 2018, I decided it was time to try something ... different. My wife got a great job, which greased the wheels. Since then, I’ve been home with our little ones (Stella, 11, and Ben, 6) and built a freelance clientele that includes the University of Chicago Medicine, Comer Children’s Hospital, Professional Convention Management Association, Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation, Rocky Mountain Institute and more.

In early 2018, Tribune Publishing announced plans to consolidate the print production of the company’s major metropolitan newspapers in Chicago, calling it the Tribune Design and Production Studio. Over the next six months, I served on the leadership team planning the transition, working with senior leaders in Chicago, Orlando, New York and other cities to develop new production processes and workflows. Before leaving, I helped bring the production of the New York Daily News, Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun-Sentinel to Chicago.

During this period, I helped lead a variety of entrepreneurial Tribune initiatives and internal efforts, including:
• Redesigning the iOS app and print magazine for Printers Row, the paper’s weekly books product
• Helping create and launch the experimental, digital-only Evening Edition of the paper sent to subscribers’ email
• Helping develop iPad magazine apps covering the Chicago Bulls, Chicago Bears and our photography department
• Helping coordinate moving the production of 38 small papers purchased by the Chicago Tribune into our newsroom
• Managing the paper’s annual Pulitzer Prize entry submissions—a massive, months-long project near-and-dear to the paper’s leadership team

From 2013-2015, I served as the paper’s Sunday Page 1 Design Editor, designing the newsroom’s most-important investigative and feature projects. From 2004-2010, I served as the paper’s primary weekday Page 1 Design Editor, working with the paper’s executive editors to shape our daily coverage. Each of these jobs required strong design abilities, sharp copywriting skills, a photo editor’s eye and, perhaps most-importantly, a diplomat’s temperament.

• From 2003-2004, I designed and edited for the National, Metro and Business departments.
• From 1999-2003, I supervised the Tribune’s Sports design staff and designed most section fronts.