What I would like some feedback on is, what do you guys think of the masthead?
Typography choices, are they okay, too thick at times in weight?
Are some colors extracted from the color palette too similar and blend with the background?
Any suggestions for how many cutlines you guys think is appropriate, 2 or 3?
Izzy – I’m sorry, I must have skipped over this! Well, here I am and I’m looking through the mag cover designs you posted. I’m seeing some successful designs, all of them are successful in most aspects… so which is best? Well… that depends on your audience, and I’m not sure I remember who they are. So – maybe what would be helpful is for me to tell you who I “think” these are aimed at. So here goes:
ReplyDeleteLayout #1 – audience is made up of men and women (possibly more women) in their mid 20s – mid 30s who are willing to work towards a healthy, comfortable home life. They like to eat fresh food, and love the idea that something they themselves grew could be in their salad (is that hand dropping chives? I think so). I see them living in the suburbs with large yards, allowing them the space to plant a small garden within their very well landscaped yard. They are very well educated, have professional jobs (maybe academics) and could be raising a youngish family. They are “hands on” people, striving to have control over their health (they might camp with their kids to see the Nat’l Parks around the country) and understand that it takes effort to have a good life. They are willing to make that effort, and would read this magazine because they care about the world in relation to themselves and their family, and think of themselves as part of the solutions, not the problems, of the world.
Layout #2 – this could be a wider ranging audience who sees the connection between food and exercise and health. Rice cakes mean, to me, that these are weight-conscience people in their 30-50s.They live outside of the suburban ring around an urban area. They are willing to travel to their jobs in exchange for the peace and quiet of the country (but not too far from a city, because they want the urban cultural experience too). They might be vegetarians. The women (or mom?) has just returned from a fast walk while holding those green hand weights, and this represents her lunch on the picnic table on the back deck under a canopy of trees overlooking her meandering country backyard. They have bird feeders that they remember to fill year round.They have raised a family, their kids are in high school, and they shop at the local farmer’s market regularly in the summers - probably shop at Whole Foods in the winter. They give to charity, and read this magazine to be current about environmental subjects because they love their home and they love nature and worry about the future.
Layout #3 – audience is women 35-60 who volunteer their time to local charities after working 20-35 hours a week at their own low-stress professions. The “tossing” of the salad is a ritual they enjoy, as if it signals the beginning of “family time” – something that is important to them. They are raising (or have raised) their family with some thought about making a healthy home environment – although they haven’t actually looked too deeply into the science of climate change, they believe it’s real and want to understand it enough to feel like they could participate in a conversation over dinner with friends, and offer something of value. They live in an urban area, drive a Prius, and enjoy being involved in some arts & craft projects (like scrap-booking, or sewing, in addition to cooking). They read this magazine because it makes them feel like they are “in the know” about contemporary environmental issues.
Well – that was fun. In answer to one of your questions: yes, I think the masthead in #1 is too heavy, and the theme is challenging the masthead for prominence within the composition. Be careful not to cover an important part of the photo with type (which you’ve done well in the other 2 covers)… the herbs dropping from her hands are important to the action of the photo.
Cover 1 - Nice imagery used here, but I feel that the subhead is a bit hard to read, “The Future of Food.” Some of the feature titles also get lost in the imagery. The masthead is a bit plain. Perhaps this might work with your target audience but I’m just not feeling it.
ReplyDeleteCover 2 - This is my favorite of the three. The masthead has some nice tight kerning and the word “magazine,” shows like a nice simple accent. Together I think they work very well. I might consider making the subhead a bit brighter, making it more readable. The thin typography of the features are a bit hard to read but as an overall composition this cover I believe is the most successful.
Cover 3 - I have a hard time with this cover. The masthead reminds me of a box that’s has been spray painted with stencil. The subhead and features are very readable that I like ver much.
Great work on these. Best of luck on your final design.