This exercise followed on from the work in Part Four, with a specific focus on using grids. I was asked to study grids, then choose a magazine and identify which grid was used for the page layouts. I then had to recreate this myself, as in Exercise 16, and explore ways of using this layout for different purposes.
To start, I dissected the brief in my sketchbook. I decided I wanted to use a copy of the Pokemon magazine because the market is children, which is a new market for me to explore within editorial publications. I wrote down the key information I needed to find, as well as a to-do list for the exercise. I decided to reproduce the magazine pages for a very different audience to see how this impacted the way I used the grid.
I chose four different pages of the magazine and measured the grids, making notes as I went. The first page was the introductory page which featured an editor’s note and more information on the content within the magazine. This used an asymmetrical grid, splitting the page in two. It used three columns, including the editor’s note, with an 8mm margin around the whole page. The asymmetrical grid system was very effective at creating a visual hierarchy, especially as it’s necessary to keep the graphics simple for the audience.
The second and third pages made up part of a series of comics in the magazine. They used two columns with a 5mm gutter, a 10mm margin on the left and right sides of the page, and an 8mm margin on the top and bottom. Each page was organised to fit a pattern, with two boxes featuring art and text, followed by a singular long box with the same features. Two images on the pages broke this format, drawing the eye immediately to them.
Finally, I measured out a competition announcement and form. This also utilised two columns, a 5mm gutter, and 8mm margins. I noticed that the grid used was followed to some degree for the placement of images and text on the top half of the page, and not just when adding the form and extra information on the lower half.
On all of the pages, the grids were kept very simple. I found in my research that this is how to achieve good readability and create an effective hierarchy in a layout, which especially makes sense due to the magazine’s audience. No more than two columns are used at any time throughout the magazine, which helps young readers follow information. There’s a focus on imagery, and image placement is very carefully chosen based on the importance of the image itself. Large text is used throughout, which again aids and guides young readers. If more columns were used, this would become visually crowded and overwhelming.
Next, I moved on to identifying the typefaces used throughout the magazine. For this, I used Identifont. This was a bit tricky, especially when it came to the various accent and header fonts. The header typefaces are very similar but definitely different, which made it difficult to differentiate and identify them. The accent font is used pretty infrequently and there wasn’t enough information to get an accurate match. However, I managed to identify the exact body typeface used, which was Museo, and I found some similar header typeface matches such as Samo Sans.
I also noted that bold colours, minimalistic graphics, smaller quantities of large text, and ‘off-grid’ objects were found on almost every page of the magazine. I think the combination of these elements is appealing to children, as they may struggle to understand more complicated designs. At this point, I knew I wanted to recreate the pages for adults, and maybe for an older teen audience, for educational purposes. I felt these would look very different to the magazine I had been studying, making the exercise creatively challenging.
I decided to recreate the two-page spread that featured a section from the comic for a different target audience. I thought the spread would be fun to reimagine because of its interesting use of the grid format and other design choices.
To start my mockup, I measured the magazine page and created a document of the same size in InDesign. I added the margins previously measured and laid out guides for the rest of the grid. Next, I began filling the grid with tinted boxes to make placeholders for text and imagery. Once I was happy with their placement, I added dummy text similar to the printed pages, and changed the background to an orange colour. I sourced images similar to those used in the original magazine and placed them in similar locations, then made and added the ‘continued on…’ graphic.
I found it quite hard to work with the text within the ‘continued on…’ graphic. I am curious as to how the magazine designer managed to make it work on the original spread because mine just would not behave. I also struggled a little with getting the text to wrap correctly around the image on the bottom right page. However, I think this is a good representation and accurate recreation of the grid used.
After that, I used the same grid and content to create a spread suitable for an adult audience. I made use of my previous knowledge from researching various publications to create a newspaper-style spread. I started by moving around the images to be more appropriate for the layout. Next, I split the page into various text boxes based on where I wanted the body text, headline, subheader, and quotes to be. I then referenced previous research and my If The Face Fits sample book to identify three suitable typefaces: Bodoni MT for the headline, Californian FB for the body, and Corbel for the subheading and quotes. I coloured the subheading and quotes in a navy blue to help them stand out whilst still maintaining appropriateness for the audience. I played around with the text wrapping and other paragraph characteristics before exporting my work.
I feel very happy with the outcome of this design! I didn’t really change much about the grid, which goes to show how big of a deal typeface is in the presentation of a layout. I do feel like the way I used images is more suited to a magazine article than a newspaper, which I didn’t think too much about when creating the layout.
Next, I designed a spread for an educational context. My idea was that this was in a science magazine or textbook for an audience of 11-14 year olds, so it should be accessible and enjoyable to look at while communicating information and knowledge well. I began by creating a pie chart and sticking it right in the centre of the page. This completely ignored the grid I had been previously using, but it felt like a fantastic asset. I tried to continue using the grid around the pie chart, adding text boxes for the headline and body text, and once again changing how other imagery was placed on the page. I also swapped out one of the images.
For this piece, I used Mr Eaves for the headline, Europa for the subheader, and Mostra Nuova for the body. Once again, I referenced previous research and my sample book to decide on these fonts. I found it hard to organise the headline, but I managed it in the end. I was quite focused on making my vision fit the page, so I didn’t really stop to think about how it looked and what grid it was utilising. In the end, I think there’s a lot that could be done to improve the layout.
The text on the right-hand side of the page should really be in two columns if not one smaller column. There is too much in one go, making it quite difficult to read. I also think the text begins too high up on the page and should be lowered, which is what leads me to wonder if it should just be one column further on the right, as any lower and two columns would look daft. I also think it’s a bit plain, despite the graphics and colour changes, and maybe less exciting for younger audiences. The page should be a different colour, or feature a border, to make it more eye-catching. I don’t know if I hit the target of 11-14 with this!
Despite those problems, I really enjoyed this exercise. I had a lot of fun experimenting with different layouts, typefaces, and graphics. I find editorial design so enjoyable and exciting to engage with that it’s hard for me to not come away feeling like I succeeded every time. This exercise also really showed me how vital the grid system is when laying out a page, and I have a much deeper appreciation for it than I did before.
Learning Log 