The future of magazine design (critical paper)

liamwakeman — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 18:35:29 +0000

This is my critical paper from my uni course, the subject that i chose to look at was magazine design. With the rise of mobile technology and the availablity of the internet on the go, I looked at how relevant the magazine as a printed format still was. Since i wrote this article technology has developed even more, newspapers and publications have increasingly ceased printed formats or to exist altogether.

THE FUTURE OF MAGAZINE DESIGN

LIAM WAKEMAN

CONTENTS

Abstract/introduction

What is a magazine today?

The rise of the computer

Print v digital the future, internet, technology

Conclusion

Appendices

Bibliography

ABSTRACT/INTRODUCTION:

A magazine can be a collection of information, pictures, opinions and generally anything, they are published for large international audiences and those of a few. There is a magazine for every niche subject aimed at all ages, cultures and interests. The design of a magazine is made up of a brand, this is the identity of the magazine and is the most crucial part of the design. As the majority of magazines are still sold together on the news-stand, the cover and logo must still stand out and be instantly recognizable. Another crucial part of the magazine is the layouts and spreads inside, which display the information and images in a eye catching and pleasing way, or at least they should.

Up until around 5 years ago the only viable way to produce a magazine was in print. Now there are many different ways of publishing a magazine such as pdf format, blogs, the web and through email and newsletters. Also with advances in the internet customizable home pages and rss feeds are available, to get what you want faster.

I will be looking at the future of the magazine, is the print version still going to be viable in today’s society with the always developing internet and hand held devices, such as an ipod, blackberry or mobile phone and the rise of wifi. I will look at examples of different forms of magazines, also digital paper magazines is this possible? What I will also look at, is how this affects a designer, what are my opinions of designing a digital magazine compared to a print version, what can be done differently using different methods.

Most magazines now have both formats of magazine a print based version that is sold in shops, and an internet based version which usually is not as indepth and only contains highlights or selections of the print version. This however is merely still seen as an advertising platform for the print based version, online magazines of course have their advantages such as the ability to produce content instantly, which contrasts greatly to a print magazines weekly or monthly publishing date. Of course the internet cannot currently replicate the feel of flicking through a magazine and picking out small bits of information at a time.

The magazine is made up of many different aspects of graphic design, from editorial design to print, illustration, typography, advertising, image making, interactive features and more, so it affects a lot of designers in terms of what they do. Print magazines are more beneficial to the skills of a more traditional designer whilst a digital magazine would be more beneficial to the skills of someone working in new media such as flash. I will look at how the magazine will develop in the future, is there a way of combining a print magazine and a web based version of a magazine successfully using the same design process,

WHAT IS A MAGAZINE TODAY?

“A magazine is a commercial, periodical publication intended for general consumption”(We love magazines by Jeremy Leslie edited by Andrew Losowsky page 7)

“Do magazines have to be commercial? Those supported by arts foundations and charities aren’t customer and members magazines usually won’t be at least directly. Periodical? An event can produce a one off – magazine and many micro budget magazines appear too irregularly for the term “periodical”. And must “publication” refer to a printed work a certain format/size/sensation?. Meanwhile magazine shows exist on television, electronic magazine arrive by email, e-magazines can be downloaded as PDF’s and web magazines appear online”(We love magazines by Jeremy Leslie edited by Andrew Losowsky page 7)

“Magazines have always played a central role in our visual culture. A unique format, they represent a medium that combines a number of essential elements – portability, tactility, repetitiveness and a combination of text and images – that have enabled them to be continually renewable and relevant. These factors combined with recent developments in production methods and the influence of new media have enabled magazines to retain their position at the forefront of modern communication and continue to be a source of inspiration to designers everywhere”. (Leslie J, mag culture, new magazine design page 6)

A magazine is a collection of materials/images/words/opinions for any subject possible, it is made up of unlimited styles and designs and appeals to everyone in some form. There is a magazine for every niche market and genre. A magazine is flicked through, read, looked at and leads toinfluencing the opinions of, informing and inspiring the reader. A magazine can sell hundreds of thousands of copies every week or ten, they can be published every week or every three months, the aim of the magazine is to appeal to its target audience by being relevant, designed for the audience and being at the forefront of its subject. A magazine can define what culture is and what is popular to the mainstream, for example fashion and music magazines. They can inspire and inform an opinion for example design and satirical magazines. The form of a magazine could be a simple printed paper issue or a interactive screen on a computer, a downloaded file or even a programme of moving images and articles.

But what makes a magazine crucial to design, is the fact that it combines so many elements of design from photography and illustration to typography and layouts, the use of colour and the structure of the girds. For a designer this requires them to use a mixture of skills, which is needed in today’s industry, but a magazine is also a combination of different designers skills working together. The design of a magazine is crucial in attracting people to look at it, read it and digest it. Every few years a magazine will normally be reinvented in terms of its design and brand, to keep up with its target audience, new trends and technology. Also to prevent the image of the magazine from becoming bland and boring.

“A magazine that is not about ephemeral data becomes much more about inspiration and discovery. A magazine does serendipity really well – you can flip to a random page and find something new that you never would have thought to search for. Magazines should be tactile, inspirational and beautiful. They should be an experience that takes you somewhere unexpected”. (http://8020publishing.com/blog/2007/02/the_future_of_magazines.html)

“There is no standard size, shape or extent for a magazine that will stop it functioning. A magazine can be any size and format deemed suitable. Only printing technology – the physical dimensions of the roll of paper and the printing presses can limit the designer”(Leslie J, Issues new magazine design page 6)

The design of a magazine is of course influenced by the style of its content, But a magazine should also influence the style of its content, for example wallpaper magazine(fig 1) is made and designed to look expensive and sophisticated, as it appeals to the magazines target market, whereas a skateboarding magazine(fig2) would also appeal to its target market by looking more free and less formal in its structure, also with less formality in terms of the use of type.

A well designed magazine should inspire and be tactile, it could be made out of different kinds of papers and materials, the layout could be unpredictable and change in style every article like clash magazine(fig3). This is a music/fashion magazine which is aimed at a teen to late twenties market, so it is made up of funky colours, bold designs and illustrations as well as offering the information its readers want. The format of a magazine in theory could be any size, shape, or binding as long as it functions to its purpose, being easy to read through and show off the content in the best possible way. Generally a magazine will hover around the a4 mark in terms of size, it could be slightly wider or longer, though this is generally accepted as the best size to read and look at, recently a lot of magazines have developed downsized versions that are easier to store when travelling on the train for example. For example the design could just be a large constantina format that folds out in a big line. However this could add to the design, and make the experience of the magazine better.

“And within this broader issue, are the specific design elements, the page size, gird, typefaces and details, all of which contribute to the magazines identity and visual impact”. (Leslie J mag culture new magazine design page 6)

“The art of magazines is in many ways about launching a template with clear design and editorial boundaries, which is then adapted to the content of each issue”. (we love magazine by Jeremy Leslie s edited by Andrew Losowsky page 18)

“Every story in every issue must live up to the brand, the designs role is equal to that of editorial content in communicating the voice, mood and concept of each article, at the same time it must reinforce the identity of the magazine” (Samir Hustri interview, magazine design that works by Stacey king)

In terms of design a magazine is designed so that it appeals to its audience, though all magazine have the same basic features, a brand which is the most important aspect of the design and feel of the magazine, it immediately makes it instantly recognizable to regular readers and gives a good basis of what it is to new readers, the brand is the logo and name of the magazine, but also the feel and general design, the kind of fonts used, the style of the images, the way it is laid out and spaced. This brand is what the magazine is, the identity and once the brand is created, everything must be designed to fit in and compliment the brand of the magazine. Of course each spread should also be designed so that it is slightly different and leaves a visual impression on its reader. The brand for example could be quite expensive and more creative like wallpaper magazine, so that it is thoroughly designed so that it looks classy and expensive compared to a 60p gossip magazine that is just made to showcase disposable information and then thrown away. Another design element that is crucial to the design is the front cover.

“Magazine covers are more than just “page one” They are the public face of the publication. They are its image and its main marketing tool. They aim to catch the eye of the passer by and to tantalise the onlooker with the promise of fascinating content within”. (We love magazines by Jeremy Leslie edited by Andrew Losowsky page 34)

The front cover is what sells the magazine, it features the logo and a good idea of what is inside, in terms of design the cover does not have to be a standard form it can fold out, be cut out or make use of interesting stand out images. But the cover is crucial to the brand and feel of the magazine also. A cover could just be a minimal image with just the brand, or even a suggestion of it, alternatively the cover could be made up of lots of cover lines for example a celebrity/gossip magazine which even though cannot really be considered a triumph of design in visual pleasing terms, it still achieves its purpose, so it can be argued that it is still great design.

A digital version of a cover could be made up of moving, scrolling images, or just scrolling the magazine as a whole, maybe also the use of audio or just a simple link. Of course this kind of technology is not commercially viable at the moment as its untested and would a moving cover make that much of a difference in making a consumer buy the magazine. Though technology and ideas develop all the time, so the concept could become cheaper and more reliable.

THE COMPUTER:

“Computer technology liberated the magazine designer overnight. Previously, not only the perceived need for legibility and reader familiarity, but also the combined demands of typesetting production and deadlines created the need for simplicity and regularity. With the introduction of the apple Mac, total control over the appearance of every word in a publication was available to the designer.” (Leslie J issues new magazine design page 110)

“The advent of the apple Mac has allowed designers to have control over content and editors to have control over presentation.” “The Mac has increased the level of magazine craft – the integration of words and pictures, box outs, sidebars, captions, pull quotes, subheads, lists and blobs, devices that attract a reader’s attention” (Leslie J mag culture new magazine design, interview with Andy Cowles page 8)

The computer obviously changed the design process and industry completely it also changed the way in which magazines were designed and made, the computer has allowed a magazine to be created quicker and has increased the levels of control over the design concept, where everything can be interrogated together. The process of making a magazine has been made much easier with the development of computer software such as adobe creative suite and QuarkXPress enhancing themselves and what they can do every year. The development process of making a magazine became much easier with the ability to change the layout, colours and typography instantly. Also imagery changed with the ability to airbrush pictures to make them look more perfect and idealistic which fits in with many magazines image. With technology developing all the time what can be achieved changes, how long until the commercial use of digital paper or a visual 3d style magazine?. In terms of the quality it is still some way from being commercially viable on a large scale to achieve this, plus the cost would be very expensive for a whole printed magazine, however one or two spreads would be viable and could possibly tie in with advertising. Technically digital paper could become viable, and there is the idea of possibly just looking at a whole magazine on one page, however a portable device or computer would be a more cost effective way of producing ever changing imagery and information or possibly a device like Amazons kindle, which can download books and pages of writing, and effectively showing a books page on a digital screen. A digital magazine could be able to take interactivity to a whole new level, and cost nothing relatively.

“ready set go was established as one of the first pieces of desktop publishing software, (a term that stills fill my head with lurid clip art a la Microsoft word). I had a go with it, but I still kept coming back to i-Ds cut and paste, where all you needed was a photocopier, a typeface catalogue and a pair of scissors” (we love magazines, by Jeremy Leslie interview with Michael Bojkowski page 129)

Of course the format of a print magazine would never end entirely it will always have a market and designers will always design them. it is still key to design, just styles change for example before the widespread use of the computer, cut and paste style was regularly used in “id magazine” for example (see fig4). Where images could be combined with text and photocopied.

“The 1990s were to magazine design what the 1960s were to rock music, a period of experimentation and resounding lack of clarity, but ultimately a time that determined the new direction of the genre, New titles on the market took design to new heights. In some cases design was the format, it was ponded over and marvelled at rather than to support or surround the articles, the world was changing, the Berlin wall had fallen, pcs were becoming more ubiquitous and the internet was breaking out of its shell, magazines such as wired challenged readers to see, understand and interact with the world in new ways, layouts required readers to turn the magazines sideways and upside down to read text”. (Magazine design that works, by Stacey King)

Designers are always going to look at new ways of designing so that they push boundaries, breaking the mould to produce something that is unique and has never been done before. Maybe for example an interactive touch screen magazine where the user can drag items around select those that are of interest and tap through to new pages, which in theory could be designed on a portable device like an ipod touch. Designers always need to push what is currently new to make something newer and more unique and hopefully better.

PRINT VRS DIGITAL, THE FUTURE, THE INTERENT, TECHNOLOGY:

“Magazines cannot compete with the timeliness of the web. This is true there is no arguing that it takes a good deal of time to produce a printed work and therefore a magazine can never really beat the web to a story” (http://8020publishing.com/blog/2007/02/the_future_of_magazines.html)

“But with a website, a magazine can reach the world without ever having to leave home. The marketing opportunities are massive, but the advantages of the web go beyond revenue generation. For a start, a title can produce as often as it likes – a boon for monthlies frustrated by their rigid schedule. Content can be presented online in a manner that would be impossible in print, particularly valuable for magazines concerning film or audio” (Lesile J, Burgoyne P, mag culture new magazine design page 19)

The use of the internet is growing more and more worldwide and with faster speeds also being developed all the time, it is possible for a magazine to be downloaded as a file in pdf form in less than a minute, also websites such as the BBC could be considered magazines in a way, and then there is email magazines/newsletters, rss feeds which can be customised so you can get exact information you want from many websites when it becomes available, which will always make it quicker to get information from than magazines, On the internet is the ability to view and hear anything not just read about it. With all that’s available the print magazine in its current form begins to look slightly limited in some of its purposes. In terms of design, newly published articles on a website are less likely to be going through a rigorous design process, more throwing text and image together to a set template in the same style and structure which would become rather repetitive and boring, but it functions, this does not make a magazine, just a source of news, however the speed of the internet makes it far superior in terms of delivering news and views instantly compared to the print format.

“Print magazines work, they never crash, their batteries don’t run out and they don’t need plug ins. They are portable and everyone knows how to use them. Moreover the mechanics of creating a magazine brand are tried and tested.” (Lesile J, Burgoyne P, mag culture new magazine design page 19

Of course there are still advantages for making a print magazine, an internet/computer/portable device can never replicate the feel of holding a magazine in your hands, flicking through at random and be drawn in by the layouts of the pages as well as the articles. Also portable devices can’t offer the tactility of different papers. It also easy to discard what you don’t want to look at without waiting for another page to load. Also there are various interactive features that can be produced better in a printed magazine like cut outs, pull outs and fold outs, the use of different materials and papers, flicking pages that add to the feel of the magazine. These could be considered a print magazines interactive features.

A digital version does many things a print version can’t for example audio, moving images, video, scrolling so the layouts can be any width or length. A film magazines page layout could be made up of a film logo, poster, and trailer, links (to the official website and also to buy) which would well with the advertising side of things. As well as all the information that would be fitted in a standard magazine such as still images, which could be zoomed to see in greater detail and review text.

A good example of this is the only available as downloadable PDF magazine “select” (fig5) which is a computer gaming magazine that features trailers and other moving media like flash adverts and banners amongst its pages, whilst still having the same layout qualities of a more mainstream print based computer gaming magazine. This magazine is one of the best examples of a pdf magazine available on the internet it is in-depth, easy to navigate and mixes up different forms of media very well, also it is quite nicely designed and doesn’t look much different to a standard printed gaming magazine.

A fully digital only magazine is still unknown in a mainstream market, there’s not a general standard of what works well for the design and layout that appeals to the masses, and that is where designers now need to push this idea to a more mainstream level, but is this also an indication that the general public is not ready for this, a good example of successful PDF/internet magazine are magazines like “candy”(fig6) and “lovepicks”(fig7), which are showcases of artists and designers work, which is a successful way of showing your work online to a bigger audience.

“the future of online publishing: pushing PDF documents? At first this sounds like a novel idea, after all it is really simple to get various podcast ready software, such as iTunes to pickup PDF documents as podcasts and deliver them directly to users, However RSS without the enclosures already does this” (http:www.osweekly.com Matt Hartly the future of publishing with Linux magazines)

“pdf magazines are a great promotional tool used by companies and collectives. They are quick to put together, can be attached to emails, or made available as free downloads” (http:www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/04/22/inspirational-pdf-magazines/

Other examples of pdf magazines include candy (fig6) which is a magazine used by designers to showcase their work, it is mostly made up of images and is a quick and easy to make way to showcase work via the internet, this kind of concept would be a lot more expensive and time consuming to produce as a printed magazine. The pdf magazine is a great way to quickly put together a group of images as a self promotional tool for a designer, Another example is the magazine naked Wales(fig8) which is also produced as a downloadable pdf but is designed in a more traditional style though, instead of just having a double page spread it has triple page spreads and more. The feel and design of the magazine works well in a pdf form, though if printed it would still function as a proper printed magazine, as the size and layout would make it easy to read and look at.

“The tactility of the printed product can be mirrored by the feel of a sites design elements, the way a button reacts when it’s rolled over, the speed at which elements load or the way in which they behave on the screen. If a magazine has a youthful, fun appeal, this can be achieved through appropriate sound effects, animations, audio and colours, just as the same tools can be used to create a more serious hi – style aesthetic.” (Lesile J, Burgoyne P, mag culture new magazine design pages 18 and 19)

Flash based magazine such as “thisisamagazine.com” (fig9) are highly interactive forms of web magazines where you click to change pages, it is made up more of moving images and animations. It’s not exactly anything more than a bit of an experimental art and design concept but the basic idea of it works really well and is closer in some ways than pdf of replicating an actual print based magazine. Another example is “lovepicks” (fig7) which is a flash based showcase magazine of different forms of art and design, this magazine replicates an actual magazine well on a screen even though it more image based than text. The idea of producing a whole magazine in flash so that it is a replicated version of a typical magazine, is a labour intensive one, though the possibilities are endless with the use of different forms of media, you could create a fantastic magazine, which in theory could not only just be available to view on a computer screen but also portable devices such as phones or iPods.

“Magazines are using technology to deepen their relationship with their existing readers and to introduce themselves to new readers. Virtually all out members have a presence on the web and many are exploring how to deliver to content to other platforms as well, – cell phones, pdas, ipods etc. there is no one size fits all formula for creating a meaningful magazine – branded experience using digital distribution. Because magazines are trusted, recognizable and targeted communities of interest they have the ability to connect with people across a wide range of delivery systems” (http:www.ojr.org/ojr/stories/050524glaser/ interview with Nina Link)

“many are using their web sites and other digital devices to update content between publishing cycles, to provide a forum for communities of interest to interact together, and to engage people in interactive experiences (games, polls and contests, etc). (http:www.ojr.org/ojr/stories/050524glaser/ interview with Nina Link)

All major magazine brands have a website which is in keeping with their magazine brand, many of these magazines include elements of their magazine, however in design terms the website and the actual magazine must complement each other, even if the website is just acting as a marketing tool for the print based magazine, this is still an important factor in the brand and design of the magazine. Perhaps the magazine could link to the website for use of interactive features and reader interactivity. For example a pop up or link to a mini web based version of all the images from a magazine, or so that you can find other information elsewhere on the internet, for example a music magazine could have links or a music player of an artist’s music.

“From low fi to high cost. Technology continues to play a huge part in magazine cover development. And what’s next? Advances in digital paper and low-cost, throwaway screens suggest that the first ever animated front cover isn’t faraway. The newsstand may prove even more attention grabbing” (We love magazines by Jeremy Leslie edited by Andrew Losowsky page 42 )

“So what next? Software still needs to be more intuitive and user responsive, the really big change will be replicated keyboard and mouse with a interactive device, a combination of the technology behind the Nintendo wii and the apple iPod touch screen would allow a return to the horizontal working plane with close physical control through hand movement – back to the drawing board if you like with the ability to twist the pages round and in front of you, and to flick though pages and section one by one, you could mimic a printed item in mid air” (We love magazines by Jeremy Leslie edited by Andrew Losowsky page 130)

Advances in technology would develop the future of the magazine design so there is always going to be a bit of the case of the unknown, for example the technology is there to have a portable magazine like an iPod application or a pdf file to download to a mobile phone. The concept of having a magazine floating in the middle of air and being fully interactive is still likely to be a long way off, if even possible, a fully digital front cover is a possibility but would be more expensive to produce other than maybe a one off gimmick, would the fact that a cover is fully digital make it more appealing to a consumer if it costs more every time they buy the magazine with effectively the same content as a whole printed version? Probably not when the consumer can get the same information online, off course there would still be a market for more image or media based forms of magazines.

“keep the branding, layout, advertising, readers and subscribers the same just change the delivery and accessibility method. And enhance the advertiser proposition (weblinks, audio, flash video) yes true digital editions not websites etc. are the way forward providing user friendly and familiar page turning, contents etc. but with the added digital advantage of search (current and previous issues), print, send to a friend etc and you have the right economic costs (no print or distribution costs), environmental (no paper or trees used) and user/reader (familiar layout, page turning, contents) model”. (http:www.ojr.org/ojr/stories/050524glaser/ from the readers’ comments section)

The basics of mainstream magazine design will always stay the same, it will be an identity and brand, which will be backed by the advertising in terms of what a magazine, has to produce in content in order to reach its target market. The print magazine as a format will never cease to exist, there is too big of an market and general love of the format. Also there is currently no major sign of companies moving all their content to the internet. Even though magazine sales are generally down and jobs being cut, the mainstream magazines will always for the foreseeable future have a print format of their magazine, less commercial magazines focusing at niche markets and smaller genres of a big subject are more likely to move to online only magazines due to cost issues and trying to stay unique. The cost issues would allow these smaller magazines to be designed to be more quirky and experimental, leading them to influence the more mainstream magazine design.

There are sustainability issues with digital design that are also an advantage, environmentally no trees would be cut down as a direct result of printing, also it would not be distributed to shops using transportation methods such as lorry, plane or train which would all add to carbon emissions. Although a computer or portable based magazine would be powered indirectly by battery or the national grid, there would be a much smaller effect on the environment.

CONCLUSION:

The future of magazine design is a mix of digital and print, there will always be a market for print based magazines due to their convenience of being picked off the shelf, flicked through and then kept as a reference or recycled. They also offer a tactility that a digital magazine never can. There are also no issues with having to download a file and open it with a program, and being in a certain place or area to view it. Currently magazines are all sold in print form, with new ones launching all the time, eventually publishers will start to expand existing magazines into fuller more developed online versions as well to experiment with the market.

The possibilities of what can be done with a digital magazine are nearly endless and are an exciting prospect to a designer in what can be done differently, the inclusion of audio and video, the use of flash. Another idea is having digitally enhanced versions of the print version with links and video added, in the place of a still image. A pdf magazine would be easy to produce on top of a normal print version; it’s more of a case of convincing people to part with money to buy a non physical product. A flash magazine or iPod touch application magazine would be more time consuming to produce along with a printed version, As the interactive features would take more time to develop. Though with the increasing popularity of iPod applications and viewing the internet through a playstation and phone certain magazines could gain access to a larger market and in terms of design more can be done visually and interactively.

There is a downside to the digital magazine in that it could take away from the well thought out design process of a current magazine with its double page spreads and visual branded identity to its readers, whereas as some digital magazines could just have each page set to the same template to be more time effective. There is a danger that digital magazines might not have much of an identity at all. Can you be as familiar with a product you’re not holding? There are advantages though such as the environment and distribution, also information could be published more regularly but then does a magazine become less of a collection of articles, information and pictures and more a plain old news site.

The print magazine had the advantage in that it is familiar to consumers and it is tactile, the magazine is easier to pick up off the shelf and there is so much that can be done with it in terms of design and the use of different papers, materials and finishes. A magazine is a collection of ideas, words, images and more or less anything brought together in a format that functions so that it can viewed at ease. A magazine is not an internet site, the design of a magazine is to make a visually appealing magazine that functions and works, whilst being interesting to look at. That is the aim of the designer as well as to create fresh interesting ideas that captivate the readers and make them want to pick it up or look at the screen.

The future of the magazine is to design interesting articles, brands, features that are unique and different weather in digital or print form. The print format will never cease to exist to a designer or in shops. The digital magazine will develop more and become increasing used in different technology such as iPods, a kindle, and phones and on the internet. There is a chance that digital paper could also be added into the exsisting magazine or make up a magazine itself, but the cost of this seems unlikely compared to today’s printed format or a digital format. There is of course a touch of unknown in what will happen with economical issues and of course the development of technology, would 15 years ago the internet be thought to be as developed as it is today or ten years ago the idea of a whole media centre in a device the size of a mobile phone would be unheard of. More interactive forms of magazines incorporating video and audio will be developed and emerge and in terms of design more moving image and interactive features such as games and animation will be added to magazines. And the magazine will become more than just a print based medium with pdf magazines or possibly a different file format becoming more commonly used as well as the growing use of the internet with faster speeds and access from anywhere.

APPENDICES:

Fig one:

Both of these scans taken are of wallpaper magazine taken from the book

(Issue new magazine design by Jeremy Leslie)

Fig Two:

This is a cover of a bmx magazine the design is fitted to suit its target market and also the style is different from a magazine like wallpaper above.

Fig three:

This is clash magazine which is aimed at a fairly young indie style market, it features music, fashion and film, I like the style of this magazine and how the layouts are interesting and generally different from each other, it’s one of the more interesting mainstream music magazines in terms of the design.
Fig four:

This is an old cover and spread from id design, i have featured this to compare with clash magazine in terms of design and also to show the simplified cut and paste style before the use of the computer.

Fig five:

This is a gaming magazine that is only available in pdf form, it features trailers within the articles, this is one of the best designed pdf magazines that i have found, the ease of use is very simple just having to click an arrow to go to the next page and it is also possible to interact with features on the page such as link, sounds and video. It is also available on a Sony psp, Nintendo ds, iphone and iPod touch so it is designed to reach a large selection of its target audience.

http://www.select-mag.de/

Fig six:
:
This is a showcase for designer’s magazine called candy it is available in pdf format to download, its main focus is to showcase designers and illustrators work. The layout is quite simple, but provides a nice mix of visual imagery and information.

http://www.candycollective.com/

Fig seven:

This is lovepicks which is a magazine made in flash amongst an interactive popup menu; you flick through it by clicking the corners of the pages. The magazine features designers and photographers work and is a nice way of showcasing skills. It also features sound and moving image. This is a different solution to pdf.
www.lovepics.it

Fig eight:

This magazine is available in pdf format, and is quite nicely designed in terms of keeping to design aspects of a print magazines basic principles, it combines a mix of type, illustration and a good use of layout.
www.nakedwales.com

Fig nine:

This is thisisamagazine.com it is a flash based magazine of sorts that it is made up of moving image words, pictures and sounds. It also features pop ups and shows what can be done in terms of interactivity.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Magazines and books:

Issues, new magazine design by Jeremy Leslie

Mag culture, new magazine design by Jeremy Leslie

Magazine design that works by Stacey king

The art of magazine design by Horst Moser

We love magazine by Jeremy Leslie

Clash magazine September 2007

Creative review

Computer arts magazine issues
- Christmas 2005
- November 2005
- April 2008

Computer arts projects

Dig BMX magazine September 2007

Id magazine

Grafik magazine

Wallpaper magazine

Websites:

www.wikipedia.com

www.google.com

www.bbc.co.uk

www.netvibes.com

www.thisisamagazine.com

http://www.computerarts.co.uk/in_depth/features/inside_magazine_design

http://mrmagazine.wordpress.com/2007/03/17/ink-on-paper-or-pixels-on-a-screen-is-this-a-magazine/

http://8020publishing.com/

www.lovepics.it
www.candycollective.com
www.select-mag.de
www.nakedwales.com
http:www.ojr.org/ojr/stories/050524glaser/
http:www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/04/22/inspirational-pdf-magazines/

http:www.osweekly.com

http://www.pdf-mags.com/

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_52/b4064084984528.htm

Posted in Graphic Design, Uncategorized Tagged: critical paper, design, magazine

LiamWakeman

Assemblage Magazine

Design Quotes

Communist Posters

Gig poster

Update ! Update ! Update!

The Student Life Of Liam Wakeman

The future of magazine design (critical paper)