Magazine Spread Design
Graphic Design
Overview
Project: Editorial Design class
Project type: Graphic Design
Timeline: Sep-Dec 2020
Designs: Magazine title (logo), Cover page, spreads, marketing ads, infographic
Tools Used: Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator
NOTE: This is a fictional magazine and this project was completed as part of my academic study.
Challenge
IT Geeks are always stepping ahead to stay connected with latest technologies related to Computing and Information Technology. However, there are readers that find technology magazines challenging to read because of the content; text heavy, not designed in interesting way and not enough engaging images. How can we make tech magazine more engaging and interesting to read to more than just geek readers?
Solution
The solution to make the magazine fun to read because of its design, engaging content and the layout.” Don’t judge a book by its cover”, they say. But when it comes to magazines, that’s exactly what people will do. Therefore, my goal is to design eye catching cover, fun and easy to read spread magazine.
LEARN
RESEARCH
The first step approaching this project was to research tech magazines and learn how they design the spread. The goal was to discover how some magazines achieve the professional and interesting look that bring readers attention. I noticed is that the magazines that are aesthetically pleasing have great covers. I’m assuming an attention-grabbing magazine cover design is vital for selling the magazine to readers and inviting them to delve deeper into the publication.
OUTLINE/PLAN
I started to write the publication brief in order to communicate the key elements for this project. Later, I started to work on the cover since the cover brings the most attention to magazine. I wanted to spend a significant time on that to make sure is eye catching, current and interesting. Next, I designed the ads and the iconographic and the last step was the spread. Doing it this way I would know what color pallets I would want for my magazine. This plan helped me to manage my time and stay organized.
BRAINSTORM IDEAS
This is always my favorite part. As a designer I like to brainstorm and generate ideas. I like to use mind map to “free up” creativity and it is a way to communicate to my classmates and the professor which way I want to approach my design.
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DESIGN
CREATE
I worked on the cover trying different layouts and typography. The goal was to attract the potential buyer’s attention and the second was to express the theme of the magazine. I wanted my cover to stand out among other magazines therefore I used bold font and a fun image. I have decided to go with a name of the magazine “Current” because the magazine is about UX/UI Design and as a UX designer you have to stay on top of current technology.
After the cover I worked on ads. My ads were Apple products therefore, my design approach was minimalistic and simplistic. I tried to convey Apple brand in my ads by making the ads focusing on the products. I also created Samsung and Huion ads. I decided to advertise these products because I feel they are closely tied to the magazine's theme and I am likely reach readers who have natural interest in Apple products or similar.
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ITERATE
PRESENT
After completing the magazine spread I was ready to present my work. I mocked up every design I did and I put everything in a PDF file to present to my professor. I explained how my design “come to life” and what I walked through each section of the design explaining my rationale. I talked how my design would benefit not only geek readers and how easy would be to read to most of the users because of the engaging design and the content.
REVISE AND FINALIZE
After presenting my work and receiving feedback I changed few small things in my layout and I was ready to submit the final work. Getting quality design feedback is essential to the collaborative, iterative design process and I am always open to constructive criticism to make my design work better.
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LAUNCH
SUBMIT FINALL ASSETS
After receiving feedback and making changes to my work I was ready to submit final work. I used Adobe InDesign to put all my work together in a PDF file.
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