Hello everyone!
Here are my spreads from last week - my target audience is New Englanders in their college years, ages 18 to 26, males and females. On the 3rd grid I was trying to push my limits and do something different with the angles and layout... There are some awkward spaces that I could use suggestions on! I know I need to fill that space but can't quite put my finger on it...
- Chelsey
Hey Chelsey
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy the second spread; it works well for a young adult audience. I feel like the third spread is a little awkward especially with the image shape looks a little bizarre. My vote would be for you to continue with the 2nd layout.
Chelsey – Although each spread has its own strengths and weaknesses, you probably chose the right one to print and pass in. So, I’ll confine my thoughts to just Layout #2.
ReplyDeleteIn class we’ve talked often about the relationship between content and image – and the importance of content driving design (meaning content must be fully understood by the designer so they can continue to communicate it to the audience). As lovely as the images are here, I’m not convinced that they help our understanding of the content deepen in any meaningful way. That doesn’t mean that “lovely” images are bad, but often in editorial situations… they aren’t enough. So, I would challenge you to add something to the images by either compositing directly into their compositions or adding smaller photos that could float on top of the current images here and would offer more “meaning” to the visual interpretation of the written words. I think the images currently on the page could easily serve as “backgrounds” to other images that could overlap, invade, and otherwise sit alongside them. This refinement could also give your body copy an opportunity to “wrap” around these additions and break up these rather long, dense columns of type.
You also might want to consider “sinking” the heading a bit, to add more negative space above it… allowing it to have more room above (and below?). This relaxes the layout a bit. Should you add a byline? If this wasn’t supplied to you, make one up. Adding more negative space to the top of the right-hand page might also be a good idea. Both of these actions will force the type to reflow and the highlighted block quote that I see will move further down, and away from the heading… a good thing for page balance. Don’t forget to add a folio to both pages.
Another thing to add - your audience is New Englanders? Do the articles support that choice? Are you not limiting this magazine to a small part of the country - to a smaller audience than necessary? Please think of this as, at least, a national magazine if not international.
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