Q3 | 2025
A personal message left by the author to introduce the purpose of this issue.
Take a look inside the bag of a graphic designer to see the every day essentials.
Dive right it to learn about the sole designer of 605 Magazine, and what inspires her in her many areas of work.
Eating Fresh on the Daily
Read all about Shaley Bolks, the owner of Daily Clean Food and Drink, and her experience running the place.
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Ionce believed that beauty was subjective, meaning that it was based on opinion, so some things may be beautiful to some but not to others. This belief shaped my view on art and design. Design seems like just another form of expression, so I couldn’t comprehend how it could be formally taught. If design truly is subjective, how can there be a standard for creating designs that are attractive to everyone? Or what could prove that a design really is good? These are a few questions that I was confused about before I began studying graphic design at Southeast Technical College.
Once I started studying design seriously, I realized that I just needed to shift my perspective. While personal opinion does play a role in interpreting visual elements, there are fundamental design principles that guide the creation of effective and visually appealing designs. The primary principles, unity, variety, hierarchy, dominance, proportion, and balance, aren’t just random rules that are used to create limitations. They are there to create functionality, efficient communication, and an effective user experience.
An important concept that has stuck with me is that design is not
meant to always be traditionally beautiful. Sometimes a design can be super minimal, crazy, or even seem uncomfortable, but it is still very effective because it completes its purpose and reaches the goals for the correct audience. Design, in a sense, is used to solve problems and clearly communicate messages. This being said, the functionality can often take priority over personal preference.
Knowing this, I eventually realized that design is both subjective and objective. The subjective side provides a space for creativity and gives the user a chance to interpret the design according to their own opinion and have an emotional response. The objective side, on the other hand, relies on the known design principles and focuses on functionality. Successful designs have a good balance of appeal to the viewer, and serving the intended purpose. Now that I understand the balance, it has helped me grow as a designer and know that great designs not only look good, but work well.
NataliyaShkinder
Nataliya Shkinder Graphic Designer
My Mac Book is the source of my creative process. Every design, concept, and project begins here.
3. Rhode Lip Tint
My lip tint helps me look effortless and refeshed throughout the day.
4. Planner
An essential to stay organized and keep my projects on track.
5. Water Bottle
Staying hydrated with my Owala is non-negotiable.
6. Air Pods
Listening to music while I design keeps me focused.
What’s inside my Bag? | Obsessed | 5
| Obsessed | 605 Interview
605 is all about celebrating the people and places that make South Dakota unique and amazing. The award-winning monthly publication has a statewide demographic that is used for marketing and storytelling. The magazine is solely designed by Kayla Johnson who is a SDSU alumna who crafts visual stories by blending intentional graphic design with heartfelt photography. She is a multidisciplinary creative whose work is guided by her curiosity and eagerness to learn whether, she is behind the camera, editing a photo, or designing a magazine layout.
Design has always been a natural extension of Kayla Johnson. Her curiosity and creativity are more than just a career path for her. Even before she had enrolled to study graphic design at South Dakota State University, she was already playing around in Adobe Photoshop for fun, inspired by her friend’s mom, who
worked in the field. Her playful experimentation soon became a passion, and with the knowledge she gained in college, now shapes her professional life. Kayla’s career has been anything but onedimensional. At Furniture Mart, where she worked for two years before joining 605 Magazine, Kayla wore many hats: web design,
product photography, and even retail work. It was there she sharpened her skills in product photography, something she never expected to enjoy, having once shied away from the people side of the lens. “I was always pretty shy growing up,” she says. “So photography, especially with people, felt intimidating. But it turned out
Seeing the finished product makes all the hard work worth it. “ “
to be a challenge I needed, it helped me be more confident and extroverted.”
Today, as the sole designer at 605 Magazine, Kayla balances her roles as photographer, layout artist, and visual storyteller with ease. No two days look the same. One moment, she’s out on a photo shoot with her Nikon, capturing the essence of a local business or community
event; the next, she’s editing in Lightroom or arranging spreads in Adobe InDesign for the monthly issue.
The magazine’s team is a tight-knit group: while Alana and Maddy handle sales and writing, and John contributes photos and video, Kayla manages the design of the entire issue from start to finish.
“It’s a good mix of team and solo work,” she explains. “I get to design on my own, but
photography is often a group effort. I love that variety, it keeps things exciting.”
Deadlines are nonnegotiable: each issue goes to print by the last Friday of the month. To stay on track, Kayla breaks big projects into smaller, manageable sections. “If I have six articles to design, I’ll spread them out across a few days. It makes the workload feel less overwhelming.”
Her design process is equal parts structure and creativity. She begins layouts by placing all the copy into a document, breaking it into sections, and planning where natural page breaks should fall. Then she selects images, making sure there’s a balance of variety and flow before layering in colors, shapes, and graphics. Inspiration comes from many places, Pinterest boards, other magazines (Midwest Living is a favorite), and even the branding of the businesses featured in each story.
“I love pulling fonts, colors, or shapes from a company’s website and weaving them into the design. It makes the story feel cohesive.”
Of course, not every design lives up to her expectations. Looking back, she sometimes cringes at her earlier layouts, but rather than frustration, she sees growth. “Even if I don’t love how something turned out, it’s still making me better. Every issue is a new opportunity to learn.”
Photography has also become an integral part of her identity as a creative. She shoots everything from
a
events and businesses for the magazine to family portraits and newborn shoots for friends. While she enjoys experimenting, she has strong opinions, too, like her distaste for trendy “Dutch angle” wedding photos where the horizon is tilted. “I just want things to feel natural and balanced,” she says with a laugh.
Kayla will not deny that holding the finished printed magazine in her hands is her favorite part of her job. The finished product, containing her own photos and designs, is a very satisfying concept. “Seeing the finished product makes
all the hard work worth it.”
Outside of her professional life, Kayla remains deeply connected to art. She dabbles in drawing, enjoys watercolor painting (a passion she developed in college), and is always looking for new creative outlets.
As for advice to aspiring designers, she emphasizes balance, flexibility, and confidence. “Don’t worry about being perfect. I used to spend hours obsessing over designs that I thought weren’t good enough, but everyone else loved them. Over time, you’ll get more confident in your style and
abilities. Just get it done, meet the deadline, and keep moving forward.”
She also encourages students to be multifaceted.
“If you’re interested in magazines, focus on print.
But don’t box yourself in, learn photography,
web design, whatever excites you. The more skills you have, the more opportunities you’ll find.”
Above all, she sees design as a journey. Each layout, photo, and project is a chance to evolve. “At the end of the day, I just
love the variety. One week I’m working on a lifestyle feature, the next it’s a construction company, then an artist. It keeps me inspired, and that’s what makes this job so fun.”
About the Author A passion for art has always been a part of Nataliya’s character. As a graphic design student, she explores new ways to create meaningful work with her creativity and attention to detail. Her proficiency with Adobe software enables her to approach every project with versatility, whether in layout design, illustration, photography, or web design.
Kayla spends her days in and out of her office, whether she is taking photos or designing layouts.
It all goes back to when Shaley weighed over 360 pounds and struggling with her health; she decided to make a major lifestyle change through running, weightlifting, and cleaner eating. Her growing passion for health and nutrition sparked the idea of creating a restaurant that reflected those values. Later, when she met her future business partner, who owned the building where the Daily now sits, the opportunity to bring her vision to life fell perfectly into place. Seeing that Sioux Falls lacked healthy, modern options like smoothie bowls or clean, whole-food meals that were popular in larger cities, she jumped at the chance to fill that gap. What started as a school project idea turned into a thriving business rooted in health, balance, and community.
I had the opportunity to interview Shaley Bolks, the owner of Daily Clean Food and Drink, about her business and experience running the place. She opened
Daily is unique in the sense that there is only one, and they strive to build all of the menu items themselves. They make their own burgers, meatballs, salads, and dressings, which is a bit more expensive, but it sets them apart. Shaley also emphasizes the healthy employee atmosphere where not only are they a tight-knit group, but also good influences on each other fitness-wise.
is the environment/ community like in your store?
The customer base at Daily is really great, with lots of regulars. It is a warm and inviting place where customers feel comfortable relaxing, getting some work done, or spending time with family. Daily strives to make the customers feel seen and wanted by catering to certain dietary restrictions and always being open to feedback. They are really big on having good relationships and really knowing their customers. They have such a diverse group, from girls coming from a yoga class to farmers and dirty construction workers.
Entrepreneurship runs in Shaley’s blood. Both of her paretns are small business owners, and her brother does stand-up comedy.
Creating the menu at Daily is all about finding a balance of food that tastes good as well as keeping it clean and natural, and catering to different dietary needs. They avoid processed ingredients, fake sugars, and seed oils, instead using natural sweeteners like maple syrup, banana, or stevia. Their goal is to make food that tastes amazing on its own, not just for people with dietary restrictions. By sourcing from distributors with clean ingredients, Daily provides high-quality meals that everyone can enjoy.
Daily was one of the first places in Sioux Falls to offer Acai bowls, which helped them to stand apart.
Is Daily actively striving for sustainability towards the environment?
Absolutely. All of the paper and plastic packaging used is made out of corn plastic, which is compostable. The only downside to this is that the products are a little more flimsy and susceptible to temperature changes. The straws are a compostable eco-product, as well as the burger bowls, which are composed of a plant fiber that is easily broken down. Shaley also shares that it is surprisingly cheaper than using consumables that are not compostable, so it is beneficial for Daily to be eco-friendly.
Shaley shares that people will always be the hardest part of running a business. Managing her employees includes scheduling staffing, getting everyone to show up, training everyone, and this has always been a huge challenge, because there is always that one person who is sick or not pulling their weight. Shaley says it’s like she is a mom of 20-30 kids because everyone always goes to her with their problems. She tries to balance all of that without favoring people. The customers are also a big challenge Shaley has to deal with on top of the employee drama. She does say that there are very many great and wonderful things about both the employees and customers, but sometimes you just get grumpy customers. Sometimes it is just impossible to make a customer happy, and it is so hard to accept that, especially when they post negative comments online. Shaley says she feels like she pours out her heart and soul into something just for someone to leave a 1 star review, and it makes you feel like it was all for nothing. She refers to Dr. Phil when he said, “ It takes 1000 ‘attaboys’ to negate one negative comment,” because that is totally how she feels. She expresses how important it is to focus on the good.
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