UR alum leveraged his journalism degree to become an art director

Christopher Yates, ’08, has a mantra that’s served him well: Control what you can control. “Being able to adapt is one of the most useful things you can do,” he says. Adaptability is how a journalism major became an art director.

At Law360, a news service for legal professionals, Yates oversees a team of graphic designers and social media specialists to ensure its millions of subscribers can easily digest the site’s complex articles and concepts. “Any visual asset generally goes through my desk,” says Yates, who also creates marketing materials, white papers, and reports for the LexisNexis-owned company.

It’s a career path he welcomed but didn’t see coming. Though Yates’ early jobs were writing-related, several included newspaper page design — a skill he learned on the job and excelled at. Yates brought his jack-of-all-trades mentality to Law360, where they soon put him to work creating graphics and improving visual storytelling. 

Today, teams of graphic designers and social media specialists execute Yates’ vision for content that’s accessible, attractive, and engaging. No walls of text on his watch.

When he started at Law360 in 2012, its website was bare bones: It featured one photo at a time, and nothing was embedded in the stories. Under Yates’ guidance, Law360 has done a 180. Dozens of visuals populate the content every day. Uniform typography and branding add to the cohesive and professional look. “I’m really proud to have had a part in that,” he says.

Yates, who was The Collegian’s chief copy editor, says his time at Richmond plays into what he does every day. “I may be an art director, but I’m able to edit graphics and headlines where other people in my position don’t because they don’t have that journalism background,” he says. “I’ve been able to combine my design and journalism experience into a great career.”