The magazine I chose for this assignment is Travel + More magazine. I searched for a travel magazine because I think it’ll give me some ideas and inspiration. I want to do my magazine spread on the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador. This magazine cover is successful because the text is easy to read. One of the reasons why the text is easy to read is because they chose colors that will pop out and not fade/disappear with the image. At the end of the arched tunnel the wall is beige and for this, the font color is dark. I also think this magazine cover is successful because the cover picture is very interesting and has a lot of contrast.
Archive for March, 2011
First Place was taken by Damon Winter. It’s a photograph of a woman walking through a main street in downtown, Port-au-Prince. This street was completely destroyed by the earthquake that hit Haiti last year. I think this picture says a lot. This picture shows the destruction that the earth quake caused and the fact that the women isn’t looking makes it seem as if she’s lost her identity. The earth quake has left her with nothing. This picture is very impacting because it seems that things like this are only seen in movies but in reality real people are dealing with these issue everyday. Natural disasters have taken away so much from people and this picture demonstrates that. Most of the buildings have fallen down but I think that the buildings that still stand symbolize hope.
I picked TIME because I have always liked the cover design for this magazine. I think this particular image is successful because it embodies the image of Mrs. Obama. It’s simple and has only one caption for the main story: The Meaning of Michelle. I like that the photography is up-close and focuses just on her face. She is gazing right at us. It also seems like a natural shot, which coincides with the idea of the article, getting an inside look at Michelle Obama. The typography is classic; the all-caps headline on the cover and the red outline are distinctly TIME magazine. I like that information is included in small print above the magazine title and fits perfectly into 3 columns. This is different than how most magazines organize information on the cover so that it is large and surrounds the image.
This magazine is absolutely gorgeous. Finally, a publication that encompasses the spirit of the books, not the actors and commercialism. The design works for many reasons. First, the beautiful illustration by Marie Grand Pre is full of color and is bound to attract attention. I’m sure this was the only magazine on the rack that didn’t have a photo of a celebrity on the cover. Second, there is only one headline and it is tucked neatly under Harry’s head. The emphasis is on ‘Harry Potter’ so the reader knows exactly what he or she is getting. The Time logo reflects the warm yellows and oranges coming out of the book and also stands out against the night sky and Harry’s black hair. The art direction here is perfect because the type doesn’t clutter the artwork. The illustration is the star of this cover, rightfully so.
I think this February 2005 cover of Rolling Stone is so successful for what it is. Johnny Depp as an actor and celebrity is iconic in himself and his characters, and the fact that the photograph is a simple one just of him is perfect. Also, the use of color is very successful as well. The light brown in the background and the off white shirt is not showy and is simple, as well as goes together. The use of the red as the color of the classic Rolling Stone wordmark is very successful because the rest of the cover has cool, bland colors. The fact that Johnny Depp’s head is over the type works because he is the subject of the cover, and the wordmark is so iconic it doesn’t make a difference. Also, the typography used in the rest of the cover is successful because it is not hard to read, but isn’t a standard noninteresting type, which makes it stand out. Overall, everything about this cover is successful.
This cover is incredibly successful. Aspects of the visual, such as the crocodile’s head, point to the cover head lines such as “Geeks Gone Wild.” The brim of Robert Pattinson’s hat on the right side guides the viewers’ eyes to the “Robert Pattinson” headline. The red color in the Vanity Fair nameplate highlights important headlines and really ties in the prominent nameplate with the blue, black, white, and green present in the photograph. The serif typeface predominantly used for the cover headlines nicely contrasts the sans serif typeface used in the nameplate. The use of this sans serif typeface in the “Royal Wedding” headline and the “Geeks Gone Wild” one once again helps tie in the prominent nameplate that alone, would appear disjointed with the photograph. The black color used in Robert’s name establishes a connection to Robert Pattinson’s hat and pants which are the only other black elements on the cover. The black color therefore establishes a strong visual connection between the word and the image it describes. For these three reasons-color of text, the image, and typefaces- this magazine cover would certainly stand out on the magazine rack.
The graphic design that I’ve recently encountered is the Ad for the new animated film Rango. I saw this ad on the side of the public bus on my way to carousal mall. When I saw it I was completely attracted to the graphics and the type face that was used. It’s interesting how each design directs you to the title. The eagle is flying next to “Johnny Depp. Rango and the creature at the bottom are also looking at the title. The typeface used in the advertisement works well because it reminds me of the wild west. According to the trailer, Rango lands himself into trouble when he is capitulated into the wild west. The type face and the graphic design is successful because it give the audience an idea of what the movie will be about.
I love this Paris Vogue cover because of it’s 70’s yellow toned color and simple style. I also love how her face is in focus and because the depth of field is shallow the background is blurred. Badoni, the typeface Vogue uses is very effective, as it’s easy on the eye and very classy looking. I really liked how most of the cover typography was aligned towards the right, except for the main headline ‘Beaute, style, Courage’ because it helped keep the cover very clean and made the headline stand out more. I liked how they italicized ‘style’ because Vogue is a style magazine and it helps bring out that point. I found it effective to put the word ‘secrets’ in white because it catches the eye and may make the person pick up the magazine to browse through and thus buy. Overall this is a really beautiful cover.
Graphics 217-B 