Project- Exploring the US
Objective- Design a magazine layout for article and cover
Process-
Magazine composition and the extensive, yet carefully thought out design that goes into it has always fascinated me. Having the opportunity to learn how to properly design for a magazine was an invaluable skill that I had a lot of fun with.
To begin, research of different magazine layouts was required. A contact sheet of different examples was put together to gather inspiration. Next, I proceeded to come up with a possible story or topic to create a composition for. Travelling and exploring different places is a hobby of mine. Additionally, I've developed an interest in photography over the years and this makes travelling an all the more enriching experience. I've been able to capture some striking moments in different places. One particular trip was through several states of the US. Having documented a small collection of images during this experience, I selected the ones that really emphasized the beauty I found out there.
Along with strategic photo placement, instruction was given in how to properly layout text throughout a document. Through we had the option simply use placeholder text in the article, I have a hobby and interest in writing and was delighted to write about my travels. To further fill out the design, I created triangular shapes with different opacities. I did this to add some interest in layering different values, and to complement the mountains in surrounding images.
With much critique and revising, I found the right fonts, colours and gradients to properly represent my experience. Though I had a considerable interest and knowledge of magazine composition, I learned quite a bit about layout methods by industry standards. I'd love to do similar work in the future and frequently enjoy experimenting with collage and mixed media pieces.
