Features - Tobias
The article that I choose for my first feature was "The Next Green Revolution". As my magazine is focusing on the facts and science behind food, I felt GMO was a prime topic to bring up. As with my department page, this articles are meant to inform and educate.
A - 2 Column
B - 2 Column Uneven
C - 3 Column
even though you didn't use images you used typography in a good way to use space as well as composition.
ReplyDeleteThe spread layouts are still 'on-point' despite its lack of images! What designers and people must understand is that 'typography' can be indeed images, and that's what we learned throughout the typography courses in the past! As far as your use of type as images, your drop cap on the first page is very fascinating as it's building up the intro of your article! However, from what I learned from magazines like WIRED, consider that drop caps could also be applied to emphasize 'the first letter of the article' as a way to build a rhythm throughout your hierarchy! In the case of the first layout, it works very nicely - try making it smaller and consider identifying 'how' that S will correspond to the 'O' of something!
ReplyDeleteI also find the use of the large letters of the body text in the second layout to be interesting! My concern, however, is that your 'hanging text' could distract the reader from reading the second column of text to 'that paragraph' (which is why they're used so sparingly) - think of it like a phone call blurting noise during a suspenseful moment of a movie! That technique can work beautifully after an ending paragraph!
Otherwise, I'm digging the dark and serious tone your layouts! Nice job!
Tobias... so I have to ask... why no images?
ReplyDeleteAs much as I enjoy the typography you employ, I would think that an inclusion of some type of imagery would help your readers connect to the content more readily. And we know that the imagery holds content of it's own... so the article would increase in value to the reader with its deeper meaning based on the imagery used.
I don't believe that your target audience would object to the use of imagery... and in fact think that even fact-driven people are drawn to appropriate imagery. The challenge will be to decide what imagery is appropriate, how large on the page, how colorful, and in what position. You can control all of this - so the imagery does not have to be the main focal point, nor the dominant elements. Consider monotone photos, using image as texture and shape, and other techniques that employ imagery in novel and different ways... but please do consider using images.
Grid A holds a huge, and quite wonderful, initial cap that joins with the column shape to its left. Nice. Now... because of the scale of the S, would you consider giving the reader a "step down" into the body copy by bolding the top line, or some other technique to help us not fall off the S? It might be a nice addition to that area. Matt might have suggested something along these lines also.
The staggered columns add good interest to the page in terms of neg shapes... and might give you obvious areas to add some subtle imagery.
I enjoy the intentional hyphenation in the headline... usually a very big no-no, but works well here because it's clearly intentional.
Grid B - Again, a typographically driven layout with great hanging subheads and open spaces. The large amount of what looks like "left over" neg space to right of heading could easily hold some type of silhouetted imagery bleeding down from the top trim edge without compromising the typographic approach. I enjoy that there is no true GREEN in the layout... instead I see (on this computer) teal and red. Intentionally done, but without feeling forced - so it's viewed as clever. Everyone likes clever design!
Grid C - an interesting, dark, and crowded experiment. That's all I will say about this one (grin)
Lastly - don't forget that you should use a byline and a website credit in all your features. I've given you both in that Word file.
Good work - keep it up.
These are gorgeous. Not entirely sure how I feel about a few things though.
ReplyDeleteB) the way the headline text runs off of the side of the page. Also the way that the text moves around the headline seems a little weird to me.
OTHER THAN THAT everything is great. Lots of defined space and the eye is always being brought somewhere without the use of images at all. Just strong color and type choices that pair well together. Great work.