Editorial Design and Information Graphic Wizard
Budget: $250 – $750 AUD
InDesign editorial designer and information graphics
Project: Bellringer field guides and blueprints Engagement: Freelance, Phase 1 with potential ongoing work Primary tools: Adobe InDesign (required), Illustrator (preferred), Acrobat for preflight and QC Location and time zone: Remote OK, we work on Australia east coast time
About Bellringer
Bellringer works at the intersection of place, people, and commercial performance. We help shape streets, precincts, and ground-plane uses such as retail, hospitality, community, cultural, and wellbeing spaces so they are both economically viable and genuinely human.
We publish field guides, blueprints, and monograph-style documents that communicate our thinking clearly, credibly, and calmly. These are not marketing brochures. They are editorial publications that should read like a premium design and strategy journal.
We are looking for a designer who is as disciplined about typography and document craft as they are about visual quality.
Phase 1 scope
1) Information graphic for an article
We need one information graphic for an article. It is a target or bullseye-style diagram, relatively simple in structure but requiring strong hierarchy, spacing, and typographic clarity.
You will:
* Translate our content structure and labels into a clear, professional diagram
* Establish hierarchy using type size, weight, and spacing
* Ensure the diagram feels native to the Bellringer publication style
Deliverables:
* Editable source file (.ai preferred, or InDesign-native if built there)
* Exports suitable for print and PDF use (PDF plus SVG or PNG as required)
2) Refine an existing InDesign document (60 pages, image-heavy)
The first InDesign project is a 60-page field guide that is highly image-led, with repeated page modules, short text blocks, captions, diagrams, and image credits.
We will provide the full packaged InDesign document, including:
* The working .indd file
* All linked images and required assets
We will also provide a PDF reference copy of the same document so you can quickly assess layout complexity and assist with accurate scoping and costing before starting.
This task is not a redesign. It is a refinement and quality-control pass to bring the document to a publication-ready standard.
Document character and context
* Strong visual layouts with full-bleed and multi-image spreads
* Repeated content modules such as profiles and image grids
* Short body copy blocks, but high frequency of captions, labels, headings, and lists
* Front matter, repeated interior layouts, and image credits at the back
Typography still matters deeply here, even though the document is image-heavy.
Core responsibilities
Editorial typography and layout refinement (InDesign)
You will:
* Audit and clean the InDesign file and standardise systems:
* Paragraph, character, and object styles
* Master pages, grids, alignment, and spacing rules
* Consistent font usage, hierarchy, and specifications
* Carry out a detailed typographic QC pass, with specific attention to widows:
* Identify and fix widows in body copy and other text blocks
* Address orphans, runts, awkward line breaks, poor hyphenation, bad rags, and spacing issues
* Fix issues systemically using styles and keep options wherever possible, not manual nudges
* Ensure consistency across repeated elements:
* Headings and subheadings
* Captions and image credits
* Lists, bullets, and spec-style text
* Page numbers, footers, and section markers
* Prepare the document for publishing:
* Preflight checks
* Linked asset hygiene
* Export web-ready PDF, and print-ready PDF if required (specs to be confirmed)
Information graphics (now and potentially ongoing)
You will:
* Translate structured ideas into clear, well-hierarchised diagrams
* Ensure diagrams integrate seamlessly with the document typography and layout system
* Deliver editable, reusable assets rather than flattened images
Non-negotiable skills
Please only apply if you can confidently demonstrate:
* Advanced Adobe InDesign capability for long-form documents
* Strong editorial typography fundamentals, especially:
* Confidently spotting and fixing widows
* Good judgement with spacing, hyphenation, and hierarchy
* A systems-first mindset:
* You solve problems with styles and structure, not ad hoc fixes
* Comfort working with image-heavy layouts and repeated modules
Nice to have
* Illustrator skills for diagram creation
* Experience with reports, field guides, research publications, or strategy documents
* Comfort working within an existing brand and elevating it through discipline rather than reinvention
What we will provide
* Fully packaged InDesign document (.indd with all linked images)
* PDF reference copy for review and costing
* Bellringer publication and style references
* Clear direction, consolidated feedback, and a single point of contact
Deliverables
1. Bullseye diagram
* Editable source file
* Exported formats as agreed
1. Refined 60-page InDesign document
* Updated .indd file (and .idml if required)
* Packaged handover of working files
* Final exported PDF files per agreed specification
1. Short style and QC handover note
* Brief summary of typographic rules applied
* Any global style decisions made
* Any issues flagged for content review rather than design
Quoting guidance
We want accurate, transparent pricing.
Please provide either:
Option A: Fixed fee
* Fixed price for the 60-page document refinement, with inclusions clearly stated
* Fixed price for the bullseye diagram
Option B: Hourly with estimate
* Hourly rate
* Estimated hours for:
* Document refinement
* Diagram creation
* Clear assumptions (for example, no major re-layout, assets supplied and usable)
We will share the packaged InDesign file and PDF upfront so pricing can be based on the real file, not guesswork.
How to apply
Please send:
1. Portfolio link plus 2 to 3 relevant samples:
* At least one long-form InDesign document
* At least one information graphic or diagram
1. Short written responses to:
* How do you handle widow control in InDesign in practice?
* How do you keep a 60-page document typographically consistent?
* What versions of InDesign and Illustrator are you running?
1. Your availability over the next few weeks
Selection criteria
We will select based on:
* Evidence of publication-grade typography in real documents
* Clean, system-based InDesign workflow
* Diagram clarity and restraint
* Responsiveness and ability to take feedback without design drift
Project: Bellringer field guides and blueprints Engagement: Freelance, Phase 1 with potential ongoing work Primary tools: Adobe InDesign (required), Illustrator (preferred), Acrobat for preflight and QC Location and time zone: Remote OK, we work on Australia east coast time
About Bellringer
Bellringer works at the intersection of place, people, and commercial performance. We help shape streets, precincts, and ground-plane uses such as retail, hospitality, community, cultural, and wellbeing spaces so they are both economically viable and genuinely human.
We publish field guides, blueprints, and monograph-style documents that communicate our thinking clearly, credibly, and calmly. These are not marketing brochures. They are editorial publications that should read like a premium design and strategy journal.
We are looking for a designer who is as disciplined about typography and document craft as they are about visual quality.
Phase 1 scope
1) Information graphic for an article
We need one information graphic for an article. It is a target or bullseye-style diagram, relatively simple in structure but requiring strong hierarchy, spacing, and typographic clarity.
You will:
* Translate our content structure and labels into a clear, professional diagram
* Establish hierarchy using type size, weight, and spacing
* Ensure the diagram feels native to the Bellringer publication style
Deliverables:
* Editable source file (.ai preferred, or InDesign-native if built there)
* Exports suitable for print and PDF use (PDF plus SVG or PNG as required)
2) Refine an existing InDesign document (60 pages, image-heavy)
The first InDesign project is a 60-page field guide that is highly image-led, with repeated page modules, short text blocks, captions, diagrams, and image credits.
We will provide the full packaged InDesign document, including:
* The working .indd file
* All linked images and required assets
We will also provide a PDF reference copy of the same document so you can quickly assess layout complexity and assist with accurate scoping and costing before starting.
This task is not a redesign. It is a refinement and quality-control pass to bring the document to a publication-ready standard.
Document character and context
* Strong visual layouts with full-bleed and multi-image spreads
* Repeated content modules such as profiles and image grids
* Short body copy blocks, but high frequency of captions, labels, headings, and lists
* Front matter, repeated interior layouts, and image credits at the back
Typography still matters deeply here, even though the document is image-heavy.
Core responsibilities
Editorial typography and layout refinement (InDesign)
You will:
* Audit and clean the InDesign file and standardise systems:
* Paragraph, character, and object styles
* Master pages, grids, alignment, and spacing rules
* Consistent font usage, hierarchy, and specifications
* Carry out a detailed typographic QC pass, with specific attention to widows:
* Identify and fix widows in body copy and other text blocks
* Address orphans, runts, awkward line breaks, poor hyphenation, bad rags, and spacing issues
* Fix issues systemically using styles and keep options wherever possible, not manual nudges
* Ensure consistency across repeated elements:
* Headings and subheadings
* Captions and image credits
* Lists, bullets, and spec-style text
* Page numbers, footers, and section markers
* Prepare the document for publishing:
* Preflight checks
* Linked asset hygiene
* Export web-ready PDF, and print-ready PDF if required (specs to be confirmed)
Information graphics (now and potentially ongoing)
You will:
* Translate structured ideas into clear, well-hierarchised diagrams
* Ensure diagrams integrate seamlessly with the document typography and layout system
* Deliver editable, reusable assets rather than flattened images
Non-negotiable skills
Please only apply if you can confidently demonstrate:
* Advanced Adobe InDesign capability for long-form documents
* Strong editorial typography fundamentals, especially:
* Confidently spotting and fixing widows
* Good judgement with spacing, hyphenation, and hierarchy
* A systems-first mindset:
* You solve problems with styles and structure, not ad hoc fixes
* Comfort working with image-heavy layouts and repeated modules
Nice to have
* Illustrator skills for diagram creation
* Experience with reports, field guides, research publications, or strategy documents
* Comfort working within an existing brand and elevating it through discipline rather than reinvention
What we will provide
* Fully packaged InDesign document (.indd with all linked images)
* PDF reference copy for review and costing
* Bellringer publication and style references
* Clear direction, consolidated feedback, and a single point of contact
Deliverables
1. Bullseye diagram
* Editable source file
* Exported formats as agreed
1. Refined 60-page InDesign document
* Updated .indd file (and .idml if required)
* Packaged handover of working files
* Final exported PDF files per agreed specification
1. Short style and QC handover note
* Brief summary of typographic rules applied
* Any global style decisions made
* Any issues flagged for content review rather than design
Quoting guidance
We want accurate, transparent pricing.
Please provide either:
Option A: Fixed fee
* Fixed price for the 60-page document refinement, with inclusions clearly stated
* Fixed price for the bullseye diagram
Option B: Hourly with estimate
* Hourly rate
* Estimated hours for:
* Document refinement
* Diagram creation
* Clear assumptions (for example, no major re-layout, assets supplied and usable)
We will share the packaged InDesign file and PDF upfront so pricing can be based on the real file, not guesswork.
How to apply
Please send:
1. Portfolio link plus 2 to 3 relevant samples:
* At least one long-form InDesign document
* At least one information graphic or diagram
1. Short written responses to:
* How do you handle widow control in InDesign in practice?
* How do you keep a 60-page document typographically consistent?
* What versions of InDesign and Illustrator are you running?
1. Your availability over the next few weeks
Selection criteria
We will select based on:
* Evidence of publication-grade typography in real documents
* Clean, system-based InDesign workflow
* Diagram clarity and restraint
* Responsiveness and ability to take feedback without design drift