Mini Art School #1

Design Critique

Food & Wine Magazine, October 2011, pg 88

For my required design critique I chose  a page from Food & Wine Magazine's October issue (pg. 88).  I was thumbing through this magazine shortly after completing the readings for this week, and there were many design characteristics that stood out to me.

Audience

The readers of this magazine are interested in food and wine, so the article captures the audience's attention with a photo of colorful, fresh food. 

Image 

The designer here chose to combine two images of slightly different height to top the page.  The fact that both pictures have backgrounds in similar shades of gray creates a harmony between the photos that allows them to be placed next to each other without competing with each other.  Additionally, the vertically aligned subjects of the photos (the vegetable tarts on the left and the owners standing on the right) create a visual harmony that works.   The designer chose not to place a hairline border around the pictures because there is enough of a contrast between the white of the page and the gray of the image to set them apart.  Utilizing the 'works every time' layout, the designer placed the pictures at the top of the page to catch the audience's attention and guide the eye towards the article. 

Layout 

The designer here used the 'works every time' layout, and it works. There is a superb balance of color, text, and image that harmonizes to invite the audience to engage in the article and pictures. 

Headlines 

The headline is in a large and different font, placed right underneath the image.  There is an almost poetic quality to the headline, as evidenced in the assonance (repetition of the final 's' sound in three of the words).  The designer allowed the headline to justify where the line break would be - smartly, they did not separate the words 'Vergennes' and 'Laundry' the name of the bakery in the article. 

Typography 

In the 'works every time' layout, the rule of thumb is to only use two fonts.  This design breaks that rule, but it works because the fonts are not competing with each other.  The tag, headline, and byline are all in the same font.  The sub-heading and the text of the article are also in the same font.  The designer chose to use a slightly more whimsical font, very similar to the copy font, for the quote that is inset in column one.  The color of the inset quote matches the color of the initial letter of the copy and also picks up on the red color of the cherry tomatoes in the photo, so there is a continuity of colors that sets the mood and tone of the article - bold, yet classic.

Margins 

Margins are generous on all sides of the copy, but the designer chose to position the left-side photo flush with the edge of the paper.  Even though this technically breaks the rules of design, I think it works; the light colored background of the photo creates a faux margin for the eyes.

Columns 

This layout utilizes two margins or the copy, plus a technical third margin for an inset quote.  The use of two columns effectively breaks up the text and makes it inviting to read.  Additionally, the color of the inset quote draws the eyes down from the image to the text and invites the audience to engage in the article.

Cutlines 

"...if you do need a cutline, run it flush left and ragged right directly underneath the visual" (Golombisky & Hagen 24).  This design breaks the cutline rule, but with good reason.  First of all, running the cutline directly underneath the pictures would clutter the headline space, not to mention the fact that the differing lengths of the photos would create trapped white space.  The designer was smart in placing the cutline in the top left corner of the right picture for two reasons: 1. the black text of the cutline fills the empty space of the white wall behind the bakers, and 2. the black text of the cutline on the top left-hand corner balances the blacks shadows in the bottom right hand corner of the picture. 

Justified Rivers

One of the design no-no's explained in White Space is Not Your Enemy was justified rivers - what happens when you justify text in your copy and are left with 'rivers' of white space between words.  Despite the fact that the columns are fully justified, the designer generally avoids justified rivers.  When I look closely I can find one or two small ones, but they are not overt or distracting.

Widows and Orphans

There are no widows or orphans present in the copy; it is a neat, clean, and inviting layout.  The fully justified text is formatted just right too avoid the widows, orphans, and rivers. 

Design Basic Index:

Harmony Workshop Exercise #2

I decided to do the 'visual echo' exercise because I enjoy working with color and appreciate when colors work in harmony to help convey a message.  The posters I created are for a music festival featuring laid back rock and jazz artists- the target audience is young adults looking for a laid back music festival.  

Design Basic Index:

Loosened Alignment Exercise

I decided to do the loosened alignment exercise because it is something I have never done before.  Because this was new to me, I used the examples in the book as a model for my design. I chose to use muted purples and blues for the design to give an impression of an upscale toy store, but the orange pops of color maintain a young and fun feel.