When the time finally came to create the cover for this publication, the VOX Investigates team rallied together to plan and execute the incredible artwork you see today. We wanted to create an eye-catching, informative and unique image that would prompt you to pick up this issue and explore its contents.  

Love, though often crazy and confusing, is a concept most people are familiar with and understand to some extent, and it plays a huge role in our lives — and in our concepts of relationships. The VOX Investigates team decided to bring this topic to the forefront of readers’ minds by making it one of the main focuses on the cover. By including a question mark, the we also hope to introduce the contrast between healthy and unhealthy relationships, and to convey the confusion and misconceptions that often surround the topic of dating violence.   

One of the most powerful aspects of the cover is the shadows that stretch behind the word “love,” each depicting a scene from healthy and unhealthy relationships. While one pair of shadows shows an abuser poised to strike, the other depicts a couple locked in a supportive handhold. These shadows were created from a number of photographs our team took. The significance of using shadows also illustrates our intent to shine a light on a topic that is too often left in the shadows.

While we took the photos after school and on a Saturday, each component of the cover was combined and edited in a single six-hour work session under the guidance of Drew Sisk, a professional graphic designer and VOX volunteer. With his technical knowledge and the team’s artistic input, the VOX Investigates team succeeded in creating a cover that is not just eye-catching but also incredibly powerful.

We hope you enjoy this coverage. Follow it at http://voxatl.org/category/vox-investigates/.

Want to join the next VOX Investigates team? Applications for next school year are online here.