The images below shows the final redesigns of the pages for the magazine:
below is the PDF version (click to view it)
In this assignment, we were required to redesign an existing magazine. A magazine is a complex format with lots of different essentials compounds. When redesigning we were to consider what sections might be enhanced, reduced, eliminated or added, as well as the overall tone or voice of the magazine.
The magazine I choose to redesign was “Vanity Fair”. I redesigned the magazine to a young audience of 18+ and made it more approachable, more effective and appealing to read. The reason I choose to redesign this particular magazine was that I felt that its use of imagery were aimed towards people with a high income. The way that subjects were presented in the magazine wasn’t well structured at all because whilst reading an article; in small print; it would say go to page where the content in continued. I felt that this wasn’t user-friendly to the reader, as it loses their focus. In addition, other content of a different subject matter were placed on the same page of other content and the way that it was displayed seemed like it was part of the previous information.
Whilst creating the covers for the magazine, a problem occurred where I wasn’t able to find any images of “George Clooney”, “Matt Damon” and “Daniel Craig” all together. At this stage of creating the covers, I felt it was too late to contact the magazine and ask whether I would be able to get the images of them that they used on the magazine. At the same time, I was thinking, what is the likely hood that I was going to get them. So instead, I produced a questionnaire and handed it out to my intended target audience to see whom they would rather see on a front of a magazine. The result showed that the majority of people choose “Matt Damon” followed by “Daniel Craig” and finally “George Clooney”. For all three covers, I experimented a lot but the cover I felt did me proud was “Cover 2” because it had a simple and it sent the message across straight away to the audience of what the magazine was relating to. The use of shape helps this cover out as it gave it a focus point. Throughout the covers, I decided to eliminate some of the text, as I didn’t feel it was appropriate to have it on the front cover. It was already stated in the content and it just made everything look too cluttered. Each cover is different from one another.
For the content page, I decided to have it as a spread instead of two single pages as shown within the magazine. Looking through the magazines, I didn’t see the logic of why the content were separated from one another. The content page within the magazine wasn’t effective at all because there wasn’t any clear statement stating that it was a content page and it just looked like it was an advert page that reader could just flick through. The page wasn’t eye-catching and it looked dull compared to the colours of the sharp adverts next to them. When experimenting in the redesign of the content page, I incorporated the adverts onto the page but then realised from my research, that how were theses adverts relating to the text on the contents. In the final design, the images the left page corresponded to the text, that is displayed on the right page.
Also, on the content page for the imagery, I choose to use the imagery that “Lucian Freud” produced of the queen, as by doing this, I thought it would get the attention of the reader and get them more involved within the magazine, as they have something to look for within it. The overall layout for the redesign version of the content page was much more appealing and interesting to view. All the content were displayed in one locations and the spread had a mixture of media, making the page eye-catching to the reader.
For the news section article, I began by displaying this article on 2 pages and as thought it was too cramped in the space it was allocated within the magazine. As a result, from trying this, I realised that the imagery on the left page was overpowering the content, not giving it any focal point. I then focused on showing this article onto one page, as two pages were too much. I experiemtned around with the layout, text and colour. As this was a short article, I had to make the page eye-catching and readable to the viewer. As well as the original images used within the magazine, I used another imagery of the actor from within the film, as this gives an reflection upon the article and the target audience would be able to recognise the image when / if they have watched the film already. Imagery was only one aspect upon this page that I enhanced to make it more appealing. I looked at how to present the text in a more appropriate way to make the content jump out to the reader. I didn’t this by separating the phone conversation from the text in the form of colour and style. I made the key word of the text at the beginning of the content a different style from the page, as I wanted to embroider the time that this conversation started. It like it was a storybook. I went along with 1 column for this news article because whilst experiment, I didn’t feel that having two columns gave a large content area and also the phone conversation, looked and was difficult to read when split into 2 columns. Although, the overall page looked more presentable to look at, I just didn’t feel that it was a appropriate layout structure.
From the start of the redesigning of the magazine, I looked at a range of different books but within the long feature and short feature, I made greater use of it.
For the long feature and short feature, I wanted to make the pages more effective in the sense of it being interesting to read but still packed with the information. I experimented a lot to get the best result for this feature. I kept all the relevant information within the contents but also brought in other images to enhance the approach of the pages. I felt that within the short feature, it needs to have more of a buzz towards it, as it should be something to remember. For example, if he were still alive, it would have been a big moment within this life.
I then focused on the key wording and elements within the features. The use of drop caps as it definitely drew focus and style upon the page, as well as the use of shapes. By using the four-column grid, it gave it a different style but also I used it as these grids were used for the extension of the contents relating to the subject. I choose to use this grid format because it is used for complex documents but it allows you to contain a mix of text and graphics as grids with more columns provide more of a design option. I avoided making the layout to complex, as I didn’t want to lose of sight of the underlying structure of contents.
Overall, I found this task challenging but interesting as it pushed my boundaries in creating new layouts to work best. Throughout all the sections of redesigning the magazine, the use of have initial sketches helped a lot as it was the backbone of all the designs.
Using a range of different skills and techniques helped me demonstrate an understanding of the discipline via the use of analysis, visual research, experimenting etc. Through this project, the 3 programmes I made use of was “Photoshop” and “Illustrator” to adjust the imaging using the appropriate techniques such as background removal and combining elements together before creating the magazine content in “InDesign”.
The headings for each of the sections are in red, which is the most eye-catching colour, so if someone were to flick through the magazine they would get a clear, quick overview of the magazine content.
The rest of the text is in black to stand out from the white page and the largest text is the title of the magazine. This is written in the same font as the title on the front cover; this is applied to all the large text. By this, it establishes a house style layout that dominates the magazine.
I felt that throughout this process in the project, I corrected and considered the use of typography, made use of grids, printed and pre-production techniques, produced the project from rough sketches,, having the concept and then experimenting to get the best possible result.
Using a baseline grid helped ensure consistency in the location of text and elements on a page.
The magazine was problematic and it needed improvement and updating and I felt that my version of the designed pages dealt with the solution of this.
For the last part of this assignment, I had to redesign one short feature (two or three pages). Whilst looking though the magazine, I choose to redesign the article about, “Charles Dickens” because the way that they presented this article wasn’t up to scratch to me, as the article was celebrating his 200th birthday. In society, us young adults, like to party and enjoy ourself on our birthday; so keeping in mind my target audience and how they would want to be presented for they birthday in an article; I wanted to make the article looked more lively and something on the page, that reminds people about him and who is was.
From, all the initial sketches I came up with, within the process of redesigning the magazine, I combined them together, to come up with the layout you see below.
In the screenshot show above, I liked the layout for the beginning of the page. For the wording “200 birthday”, I decided to have it in an entire different font; a font that was stylish. The font I choose to go with, was a font called “Choppin Script”. The screenshot below show you a closer shot of this.
The font had clean lines, it was smooth, elegant, crisp and it was unique.
For the rest of the page, it didn’t really look like it was a page that was going to be interesting to read. I didn’t think that the box on the top of the page worked, as the block of text below were packed together without no breaks or diversions.
The screenshot below shows me experimenting with the layout of this page.
In the screenshot above, it looked more interesting because the use of imagery. I liked how it began with an image of him but I didn’t think it suited the layout. Whereas on the other page, the text wrap around the image didn’t work out because of where the image was displayed.
The screenshot below shows me experimenting more with the layout.
In this layout design, I got rid of the 3 image boxed on the bottom of the previous design, as I found that it was over-whelming and losing the focus on the page. Instead, I added a drop cap to the beginning of the content and enlarged the illustration and added the caption next to it; in a different font so that it didn’t tie in with the content information. From the design, I felt I was finally getting somewhere with the structure and how I was going to portray this short feature.
I then experimented with the text layout. Reading the article, it states words that Charles Dickens said and I wanted to make the words be in a different style compared to the text. The screenshot below show me experimenting.
The screenshot shows that this didn’t work out. It made everything look so much more impacted. Having columns of text was so much better compared to have a rows of blocked text. I changed the font style to bold & italic and used brackets to separate the content.
Having known this experiment was a fail, I went back to the previous layout. I then added three images on the top of the pages but as you noticed before it didn’t work. The screenshot below shows this.
This was a waste of time but the use of image gave me an image of how I could use them within the page.
The screenshot below shows the next step I took.
I then created a shape on the corner of the page using the pen tool and imported an image of Charles Dickens working. By doing this, it gave a whole different feel and an effect on the page.
Aswell, I added in the information content into the red boxes but I found that it wasn’t working with the concept and layout of the page; it didn’t fit in.
The screenshot below shows more experimenting.
I then changed the margin columns to 3 columns instead of 2 because it had a less cluttered feeling. Also with a 3 column design, it is possible to place one column on either side of the content, effectually centering the content column. This makes the creation of a symmetrically balanced design that little bit easier.
In addition, I changed the text of what Charles Dickens was saying in bold and in italic but also indented the left and right of the text in, by 2mm. This gave a different look on the page but separated what the content information says, from the words of Dickens.
On the left page, I added an image and had it text wrapped. This really didn’t make a different on the page but I felt there had to be something else on the page to making it more appealing and catching to the viewer.
The image below shows the final version of the page for the short feature.
I moved around the image of illustration to the left page. For the right page, I wanted an image that people would know automatically. One of Charles Dickens novels written by him was “Oliver Twist” which everyone was familiar with but I couldn’t use a movie image or anything because it wouldn’t have fitted well within the type of images already on the page. I used an illustration image and after experimenting around with the position, I felt that it worked best on the top center of the page. The image wasn’t a right angle corner image but a curvy one and I felt that this shape brought more of an effect upon the page. I also spaced the paragraphs and used drop caps upon the content. I was very pleased with the final outcome of this short feature. It was simple, slick & well formatted. I personally thought that it met the aim for the feature.
The next two pages (spread) is related to the content that continued onto page 123 within the magazine. I didn’t like the way that the magazine did this, so on the footer of the magazine, I continued the page numbers on from the previous page relating to the article.
The screenshot below show the sketch idea for the next pages.
In the sketch above. I wanted to keep to the idea of the text being impacted but I wanted the urge of it being eye-catching at the same time; it kept with the flow of the previous pages.
The screenshot below shows how it looks in, InDesign.
I thought that this layout worked well. Everything worked within the space. It was packed with text but it looked appealing to read. For each heading within this page, I used a different font so that it seem that the content was continuing from each other. By this it makes it easier for the reader to know what they are reading about. I also placed drop caps on each main paragraph but on the first paragraph, I made the drop deeper, as I wanted something to draw the attention of the page. Whilst trying this, it was clear that it didn’t really work at all, so instead, I reversed it around and had the first letter at the top followed by the text. To do this, I had to create a character style. I am not sure for the technical name for this is but I got the idea from the books I looked at.
The screenshot below shows this.
Bang!!!. It worked. It brought a style upon the page and it was different compared to the rest.
After applying this onto the page, I found that, the other drop caps, wasn’t actually working on the page. It made everything seemed to cluttered. This may be because it was too close to each other. The screenshot below shows what I mean.
Also, the stroke on the heading made the heading stand out too much; the boldness was over strong.
The screenshot below shows the final version of theses pages.
I then got rid of the stroke and changed the drop caps back to it original size. The overall layout was clear and calm; it wasn’t over done but just right. I was pleased with the structure of the pages especially on the right page, as the heading content had it own column. I think having the different margin worked out for the best within the pages / spreads.
The sketched image below, show the next layout idea for the next pages of the feature. Compared to the existing layout in the magazine, this sketched layout looks much more simple and the content wouldn’t seem packed / cramped, compared to how its portrayed in the magazine.
The screenshot below shows how it looks in, InDesign.
As you can see from the screenshot, both page have different margin columns ,to try not to make everything as tight and close together but it wasn’t as I thought it would be. The designed looked to weak and need to look more lively. I liked the way that the phrase was showed but it seemed like this page was the beginning of the article in which it wasn’t.
I then experimented more and came up with the another layout. This can be seen below.
I was very pleased with this layout because it seemed like it was interacting with the user via the use of shapes. I liked how the phrase was showed and the way the arrow point at “Rebekah Brooks” because it implied “yes, we all know what you did…everyone know…the guilt is all over your face”. Also, for the phrase, I followed the same style as used on the previous page for the redesign.
On the other hand, the page of the left, looked boring, so I used a drop cap to add a bit of style. Also two images on the top of the page before the reader reads the content to inform the reader that they on the same subject matter; as within the magazine, pages were split up with other articles.
To make this page, a bit more interesting, I used the pen tool to create a shape of a phone and have the text wrapped. By doing this, I thought it would be different but whilst trying it out, I saw that it didn’t work at all because without the outline of the shape, it wasn’t visible, what it was.
The screenshot below shows this.
I then, started to paragraph the text and also used a drop cap on the right page just to give it another focus point. The screenshot below shows this.
The image below shows the final version for this page.
The idea of the phone being part of the left page kept flowing through my mind. So then, I was thinking, how was I going to show this.On right page, I used shapes for the sense of direction and so by using a circle, I thought I would be able to have the same effect on the left page. The outcome showed that it worked. The position of how it was displayed worked well as it looked like it was another drop cap and it enhanced the focus on the page.
Moving onto the next pages for the feature, I then choose to go along with the sketch idea below.
The reason for this is because in the magazine it seems that the pages is spilt into 2 section: 3/4 of the page with text and 1/4 of the page with images. By this, I thought that it draws the attention away from the reader as each time they get to the end of the column, they are forced with images; losing their attention.
The screenshot below shows the sketch created in InDesign.
As you can see, the layout format was already better than the existing one. I tried keeping it intense with the text as this was a big story on the news whilst the scandal was happening. The text layout looked too boring and dull and needed to be split up. In the magazine, the paragraphs were displayed by the first line being indented by a couple millimetres. I separated the paragraphs in lines and the results from this, it made the page much more clearer.
In addition, I decided to change the text for the subheading titles, so that it didn’t look like the text was all in one; didn’t want it to clash with each other.
I then explored with the subtitle heading to try make it stand out more. As it was already placed as bold, I applied an outer stroke. Aswell, I used drop caps on words at the start of a paragraph as it added style and focus on the page. The screenshot below shows this. 
On this page, there was also a phrase that was applying a statement. All the text was in black and I wanted this phrase to stand out. So, I changed the colour to all red and by this, it looked to strong and overpowering so instead I only applied the colour to the last line, which was in bold in the magazine.
The screenshot below shows this.
The screenshot below shows the final version for this page.
Overall, I was very pleased with this layout because it wasn’t subtle at all. It had a clean, smooth flow. I liked the way that the key words from the phrase was in a different colour but although it stood out from the page, it wasn’t overpowering the other elements upon the pages. By having text wrap around the image, it showed the structure layout and made it look interesting.
The screenshot above shows the initial sketch that is the back bone for the introduction of the long feature. I then produced this layout in “InDesign” to see how it would look if I were to print it out.
The screenshot below shows how the layout looks like.
I underlined the main title to make it standout but it still didn’t work. I liked the way that the image was taking up the majority of the space. Having been keen to keep with the image size proportion, I then moved the title to the left hand side so that all the text were in one group layout and the image being by itself.
The screenshot below shows this.
I felt by doing this, it was the wrong move as it made it worst. So instead, I looked at an artist called “Barbara Kruger” and followed her style.
An example of “Barbara Kruger” work that I related to.
The screenshot below shows this.
I made the size of the image to fit across the spread and created the style for the text which I placed on the right. Having done this, I realised that it obviously didn’t leave me with enough space for the text and the layout seemed the same as how the magazine presented this page.
I then went back to a previous design that I thought worked best and added an outer stroke to the title. The screenshot below shows this.
I liked the outcome of this but I found that the depth of the title was too small. I then looked backed through the layout books and an idea occurred in my mind. The image below show the sketched idea,
The screenshot below shows how it looked when placed into InDesign.
I was pleased with the outcome of this design because it was clear and it had a simple layout. Compared to all the other designs and the page within the magazine, I felt that this was more of an introduction page to a feature. The layout had enough space to allow the reader to look around the page and focus on the sections, instead of everything being straight in front of your face.
There was just a few minor feature within this designed that makes it less eye-catching.
The image belows show the final version for this pages.
I have changed the leading between the lines of text to make it more spaced out instead of looking at a block of text. By doing this, I thought that it made the page look simpler and also its more appealing to the reader to read it. In addition, I changed the colour and the font style for the caption relating to the image. I underlined the important names and had words in bold, to aware the reader on the subject / key people.
The overall pages looked more prominent, less plain and straight at your face.
Long feature Selection – Untangling Rebekah Brooks
Whilst looking at the feature, I noticed that there was an extension upon the article. In small print, it stated, “Continued on page 123”. It didnt like the way that they spilt the article up into 2 different location within the magazine. It loses the reader’s attention especially when they into what the content is saying.
The slideshow below show the pages from the magazine at present.
From the slideshows showing the pages, you can see that there a ranges of contents, relating to the topic and it’s broken down via small sub-heading that isnt clear. The block of text just makes everything look longer. As well, the way that the main page introduced the feature, was weak as the title wasn’t clear to read and it just gets lost within the page. The content on this page wasn’t 100% catching the views attention; they had the text in bold to try to do this, but I didn’t think it worked.
I then started sketching layout ideas that you can see from the image below.
So the last two tasks within redesign this magazine is:
Within the magazine, there was numerous amounts of long features such as:
Whilst reading & looking at theses long features, I decided that I wasn’t going to do “Three Kings and a Questionnaire” because the layout wasn’t really challenging but too simple; it has a page with the question and answers and then a page with an image of the person. I wanted to go for something that has a variety of media. At the end, I choose to go for “Untangling Rebekah Brooks“. Within this feature, the layout was.t eye-catching for me at all, as the images were all at the bottom and the text in columns on top. The layout for this made the reader rather look at just the images because seeing a block of text, isn’t appealing to read. But despite that, I liked how the page had bold text with a statement, which then lead the reader, to the contents beneath it.
The next part of this assignment was to redesign one long feature (five-page or more) within the design. Before going any further, I looked at two books called “Basic Design Layout”, “Layout Essentials” and “Design Elements -A Graphic Style Manual”. Throughout this assignment, I have been looking back and forth from theses book but for this task and the next, I made greater use of it.
The images below show the pages that helped me.
By using this books, it made me more aware about using grids as grids are the basis of all design products By having a good layout, it helps visually to transform the message across. It’s used to create order in design.
The advantage I found as a result of using a grid is
Stefan Barretto 