Magazine Layout Tutorial

 

 In this post, I will demonstrate some basic design skills that I learned in class

Task 1 

My teacher told me to start sketching a minimum of 5 layouts for my front cover magazine in 5 minutes. Here are my sketch results.

Mini-Reflection

Doing these sketches was very hard for me as I was pressured to make multiple designs in such a short amount of time. However, I find it really fun drawing my ideas onto paper. My teacher told me that making any design whether it is a magazine or other things should be done on paper first to give us a general vision of what we want. I think this activity has helped me understand the first steps of designing things. 

Task 2

Next, my teacher gave the class a layout template to experiment with different layouts. I was given 10 minutes to arrange these elements to make multiple covers. Below is the template that I was given. 

Here are my results: 

Mini-Reflection
I find this task also very challenging due to the time given to designing these template covers. I struggled with the layout as I could not create the layouts that I liked or envisioned. I think I will need to do more practice with this layout. Despite that, I think I still find experimenting with the different layouts fun - I am exploring different ways to design each element of the magazine. 

Task 3

After completing task 2, my teacher explained to the class the 4 fundamentals of designing magazines. This includes Borders, Hierarchy of type, Typeface and Colour.  

Borders on a magazine are guides that mark where everything should stay on the page. Text, images, and other stuff shouldn't go past these lines. They need to be lined up properly with the borders to keep things organized, avoid looking messy, and make the magazine look more professional.

The hierarchy of type is about how we arrange text so that it's easy for people to read. We do this by adjusting the position of important text, like the title and main headline, based on how important they are. This helps readers quickly find the most important information and continue to the next. The most important information usually stands out

A typeface is a specific style of writing used in text, and it's a crucial part of a magazine's visual identity. It affects the magazine's personality and how easy it is to read. much more than the rest. It is usually mixed with fonts, as fonts are the different types of typefaces such as bold italics etc. 

Colour choices in the magazine also play a key role in the visual aspects of magazines. Different colours paired with each other can evoke different aesthetics, moods or feelings. Colour plays a crucial part in the audience's attention to magazines. 

With this knowledge, our teacher told us to improve on the covers that we made.

Here is one of my Final Results

Reflection
This final task was my favourite part of the design process as it is where the design starts to come together. The final results for these templates turned out great. I find it much easier to experiment with the different colours, fonts and borders instead of making a new magazine from scratch. I learnt a lot of fundamentals and key things to consider when designing magazines. Overall I think this exercise will be really helpful for designing my future magazine pages. 

Location Scout + Risk Assesment

Here are the locations for my magazine pictures I found over the holiday and the potential hazards they may cause. 

Reflection
Analysing my locations helped me and made it easier to decide how to take the angles, time and views of the locations. The risk assessment analysis also opened my eyes to the possible amount of hazards there might be when taking the photoshoot. With the knowledge from this risk assessment, I can and will be able to be more cautious when taking photos. Identifying risks will also help me limit the amount of errors that might happen during my photoshoot. I really enjoyed this analysis activity as it made me think creatively about the different risks that might happen. 

Location 1:

Ocean Cliffside (Nusa Lembongan - Devils Tear)

Location Assessment
This ocean cliffside is located in Nusa Lembongan, a small island near Bali. The place has no name but it is well known for the Devil's Tear; which is where the ocean waves crash the cliffside, causing the ocean water to spray all over the cliff, a very incredible view to see.  

Purpose of the shoot: 

-High-quality images for the front cover

Media Language:

- Light blue ocean and sky, connoting a very calm and relaxing atmosphere which may comfort the viewer to want to look into more of the magazines. 

-Long shot, portrait to show the viewer the beauty of the location all around when they visit the area

-Brown and Beige cliff that works well with the colour of the blue oceans 

Pros: 

-Natural ocean beauty, attracts audiences that need a break from the boring, urban city atmosphere. 

-The Location is about 3 hours from where I live, including the time for the required boat to visit the Nusa Lembongan island. The accessibility helps me with being able to take the photo shoot within a day (also follows the routes of other places below)

-Very open area, giving me lots of potential to take angles of the picture 

Cons:

-Very Crowded, filled with lots of tourists at noon

-Unexpected waves, making it harder to take the photos and may take a long time to get the perfect moment for the picture 

Alternative Location: 

-Devil's Tear in Klungkung or Jungutbatu (both in Bali), Nusa Penida (a neighbouring island)

Risk Assessment

Potential Hazards and their Evaluation : 

-Unexpected weather

        Rain may cause equipment damage on cameras, phones and drones

-Slippery landscape + Sharp Rocks.

        Mist from the Devil's Tear may cause the rocks or soil to be slippery which may lead to slips and hurt ourselves. The sharp rocks in the area make it an even greater danger when slipping on the area. Sharp rocks could cause harm ranging from cuts and bruises to broken bones

-Animals in the area

        There are lots of bugs, snakes and other wild animals in the area which may be venomous

-Natural Disasters

        Earthquakes and Tsunamis could be a very dangerous natural event that could happen anytime. The photo shoot is near the sea making it more prone and dangerous to Tsunamis.

Control Measures:

-Unexpected weather

       Check for weather forecasts to know if it will rain

-Slippery landscape + Sharp Rock

      Be more careful when walking and stepping around the area. Make every step a cautious and careful;

-Animals in the area 

      Understand the local faunas and the threats they may impose, be more aware of our surroundings 

-Natural Disasters

      Learn and Practice earthquake and tsunami procedures. For tsunamis, travel to higher grounds immediately within a warning of a potential tsunami.

Implementation Timeframe:

The photo shoot will be on Sunday, 14th of January 2024.

- Checking weather forecast: 1 day before the photoshoot 

- Researching local faunas: within the week of the photoshoot 

- Natural disaster drills: 1 day before the photoshoot

Location 2

Sandy beach (Nusa Lembongan)

Mushroom Bay

Location Assessment

These are beaches I found on the island of Nusa Lembongan. These beaches have a great balanced scenery of the sky and the ocean. The great views of the beaches here also inspired me to design this travel magazine. 

Purpose of the shoot: 

-High-quality images for the front cover and double-page spread. 

Media Language:

- Light blue ocean and sky, connoting a very calm and relaxing atmosphere which may comfort the viewer to want to look into more of the magazines. 

- Daytime to show the crystal clear ocean waters that make the beach look more visually appealing

- Sunsets to make a more relaxed beautiful atmosphere. Also works well with the title of wanderlust, as viewing a sunset also gives the sense of adventure - aligning with the name wanderlust.

Pros: 

-Follows the same route as the previous location (Ocean Cliffside) allowing me to access and take lots of pictures within a day

-Very open area, giving me lots of potential to take angles of the picture 

-The photoshoot session could be at any time, it is flexible as beach photos will look good from sunrise until sunset

Cons:

-Very Crowded, the beach is filled with lots of tourists at noon and may obstruct the photoshoot

-Heat in the morning until noon may be intense causing it to be very tiring to do the photoshoot 

Alternative Location: 

-Sanur Beach, Kuta Beach, Nusa Penida Beaches

Risk Assessment

Potential Hazards and their Evaluation : 

-Unexpected weather

        Rain may cause equipment damage on cameras, phones and drones and seawater could damage equipment. 

-Sandy wind

       Windy beaches paired with sand could be harmful to our eyes as the sand may get stuck in our eyes. The drone equipment may also contribute to this issue, where sand might hit our eyes, 

-Sensitive Skin

       My skin gets really irritated after about 20 minutes of exposure to the sunlight, especially when the sun is high from noon to afternoon.

-Security

       Bringing lots of equipment such as drones and cameras is expensive and it might be stolen by people if not stored properly. 

Control Measures:

-Unexpected weather

       Check for weather forecasts to know if it will rain for the upcoming photoshoot

-Sandy wind

      Bring sunglasses to help protect eyes from debris in the air, and help prevent eyes from being hurt by direct sunlight. 

-Sensitive Skin

      I will be wearing long sleeves and long pants to protect my whole body from the sunlight. It may not be comfortable due to sweat and heat but it will help protect me for this photoshoot 

-Security.

      I will need to keep a close eye on my equipment and make sure that I bring everything with me before I leave the location. 

Implementation Timeframe:

The photo shoot will be on Sunday, 14th of January 2024.

- Checking weather forecast: 1 day before the photoshoot 

- Sandy Wind & Sensitive Skin: Prepare to bring sunglasses and long clothes and pants 1 day before the photoshoot. 

Location 3

Monkey Forest (Ubud)

Location Assessment

I can have a picture of a monkey be the main subject for the magazine cover. This image of the monkey may attract the audience to view it out of curiosity or cuteness.

Media Language:

-Monkeys lying down connotes a feeling of playfulness indicating that the magazine will have a similar emotion through the contents

Pros: 

-Close to my home, about a 1-hour drive to this location

-The audience may find the monkey adorable, capturing their attention to purchase the magazine

-Lots of natural flora, showing the luxurious lush greenery of the location - promoting more of Bali's natural beauty 

Cons:

-Unable to control the poses of the monkeys, it is uncertain how they will act or pose

-The location of the photoshoot does not look appealing

-The employees or rules and regulations of the park might not allow the photoshoot with monkeys without a permit

Alternative Location:

-Forests in Bedugul/Ubud

Risk Assessment

Potential Hazards and their Evaluation :

- Monkeys may attack

      Monkeys under stress or provocation of food may bite and fight with us humans. This could lead to potential harm to these animals. 

-Diseases 

     Virus diseases monkeys carry may be able to be passed to us humans; causing us to feel sick and unable to continue the photoshoot

Control Measures:

-Monkey Attacks: Do not bring food near these monkeys, and be cautious when taking pictures of them 

-Diseases: Take vitamins and exercise to keep a fit immune system so we don't contract these viruses. 

Implementation Timeframe:

- Intake of probiotics and vitamins: Daily 

Mountain Views (in Bedugul)