How to Design a Magazine

MAGAZINE LAYOUT AND DESIGN TIPS                                                      01/27/2022

Importance: How a magazine is designed is very important for the success and aesthetic quality of any magazine no matter the genre. Although the particular genre can influence the layout of a magazine it is at times better to break those conventions in a way that benefits your magazine. In general, there is a main plan or strategy that all magazines somewhat follow in order to make their magazine stay organized and easily understandable while still adding some personal ideas so they become unique or distinct from other magazines. Consequently, this is a skill that requires time and practice to improve but by taking inspiration from other magazines and by studying certain tips or rules it will become very easy. Before I start talking about some tips, we first have to understand the anatomy of the magazine itself and how it is structured.

Anatomy of the Front Cover:

Main Image: The image that fills the cover, usually a celebrity, model, artifact, etc. For instance in these image from post #1, famous soccer players are used as the main image.

Masthead: The name of the magazine, in its typical font and color, on the cover in the magazine. In post #1, the magazine World Soccer is studied and the masthead remains the same among issues and the date as well as the price/barcode can be seen as part of the masthead that reads World Soccer.

Selling Line: A short description of the magazine's identity and mission. As you can see above, the selling line is usually found under or over the masthead. In this case it reads, "Global Football since 1960," and is placed over the masthead.

Coverlines: A headline on the front cover that teases the information that can be found inside the magazine's articles. There is also always a main coverline which teases the most important topic or the topic that deserves the most attention from the audience. In the example from post #1, for the main image, we can see how the main coverline is the main image's name, though there are still a lot of other coverlines surrounding it as well as their small descriptions which at times contain page numbers and act as a mini table of contents.

Anatomy of a Two-Page Spread:

White Space: This refers to all of the empty space that can be found in a magazine. This can be useful for a number of reasons such as to add an aesthetic effect, to make the magazine more simple, or to guide the reader's attention to certain parts of the article. It's also known as Negative Space.

Byline: The name of the writer of the article that is found at the beginning of the text or at the bottom of the text.

Pull Quote: It is an enlarged quote or statement from the article that is meant to attract the audience's eyes and break up the text. It can also be found on the cover to make the reader want to read the magazine as shown earlier by the Sports Illustrated Magazine with Neymar.

Headline: The title of the article that is about to be read.

Footer: A small piece of text at the bottom of the magazine that states the page number and the topic of the page itself.

Image and Image Caption: A picture of a specific thing that relates in some way to the preceding or succeeding article and a brief description of what the image contains or how it relates to the article.

Key Principles: Some important concepts to remember when reading/making magazines are listed below:

• The most important parts of a magazine are the top and surrounding sections of the magazine as they are usually the most visible and first things that people look at. This is the reason behind the common placement of the masthead being at the top of the magazine. The magazine World Soccer beautifully exemplifies this as they make sure to put all of the important information like coverlines and the masthead on the edges of the magazine.

• When planning a layout make sure to consider the magazine as a whole and not individually. Remember that magazines are made up of TWO page spreads not one page spreads. Therefore, make sure that the pages are connected in some way either through information, by the layout of the magazine, by color scheme, or even by an image that spans both pages. This is true even if there is an ad on one of the pages.

• Remind yourself to plan the way that the reader views the magazine. As everyone reads from left to right, attempt to develop some kind of flow in your information that follows this direction. For instance if you are trying to tell something in a chronological order make sure that everything lines up even the pictures in a way that makes sense and the audience can easily comprehend.

Essential Questions and Considerations:

1. Purpose: What is the purpose of your specific magazine? Is it meant to entertain, inform, etc.
2. Tone: What is the desired tone for your magazine? Is it meant to be funny, serious, etc.
3. Balance: Does the magazine as a whole have a kind of balance? Is the content or information even distributed over a number of pages so that it does not look cramped or unappealing? Does the layout create a comfortable atmosphere that engages the reader or does it bore them?
4. Key Details: Does the correct information stand out to the audience in the way that you want it to? Do you utilize certain aspects like pull quotes, negative space, and bold/italicized words to visually indicate the key parts of the content?
5. Comprehension: Is your magazine easy to read and understand for the reader? Is the font the right size and do colors work well together in regards to readability? Is the text broken up and structured in a way that flows together chronologically?

10 Helpful Tips and Guidelines:

• ABC Rule: As aforementioned, balance is essential for the success of the magazine. In many cases it is best to keep it simple while still making the most of your cover which is exactly what the ABC rule does. This rule tells designers to stick to 3 main parts for their cover, A bold headline, a subtle main suB-heading, and a larger seleCtion of smaller sub-headings. A is basically just the masthead while B is the main coverline for the most important article and C contains the other articles' coverlines and small descriptions. When this strategy is implemented along with a large and bold photograph and a complementary color scheme, that as mentioned in Blog #3 is very helpful to develop a strong contrast, you get a striking cover that has a very aesthetic and stylized feel while remaining balanced, simple, and not too overwhelming for the audience. The most common color scheme that is chosen in this case is black and white in order to allow for more negative space which provides the magazine with a pleasant and bold look. Overall, this is much better than a cover that includes way too many coverlines and contains a color scheme similar to a rainbow that quite simply overwhelms the reader and scares them off. Before I forget, also remind yourself of the principle of visibility which states that the best areas to place important content are around the edges of the magazine.

• Utilize a Single Color: Many believe that the best way to make your cover stand out is to put as much color into it as possible. This is very incorrect because most of the time, the best way to make your cover become more distinct is by using colors very rarely and in ways that draw the audience's eyes to certain aspects of the magazine. In order to make this work, the cover needs to be almost completely in a black and white complementary color scheme and then when you add that one color of your choosing it will stand out and bring the whole cover together around that one part. By using this one, singular bold color you can combine modern design with the old-fashioned colors so that the cover looks and feels like a breath of fresh air while still holding true to the set conventions of old. The magazine above perfectly exemplifies this as the use of the color red sparingly makes the magazine pop even more and appear more stylish and sophisticated.
• Take Advantage of Infographics: This text feature is a really good representation for what modern magazines as well as other writing works have brought to the table. An infographic combines information and illustrations or photographs together and decreases the amount of words so that the content is easier to understand and visualize. It can be used in a number of different ways such as to break up the article into specific points made up of pictures and short captions or to explain a group of statistics visually with graphs and charts. At the same time, make sure to remember the principle of direction and try to place the infographics in a manner that flows and to make it easier you can always add arrows and dividers so that the reader can better follow the information. Furthermore, infographics give the magazine a poster-like feel and help keep the reader engaged in the magazine from start to finish. In other cases, the magazine can start to give off a more digital look due to there being a good number of headings and pictures throughout the infographic which is also very appealing, especially in today's society.

• Have a Consistent Theme: From start to finish, the magazine should have a uniform design as this expresses to the reader that this magazine was thoughtfully created by a sophisticated professional. In other words, certain key aspects of the magazine should remain the same throughout the magazine's entirety. For instance, in Blog #3 I mentioned how the CMYK model is used for print designs, therefore make sure to pick a color scheme using this model and maintain it during the whole magazine. This is also true for things like typography, placement of headings and footers, and shapes, borders and other graphic elements. For typography make sure that all headings have the same unique size, font, and weight, as well as that all paragraphs, sub-headings, etc. all stay the same with their own unique overall font. Ensure that the layouts of the pages also maintain homogeneity. All in all, remember the principle of the whole and always consider the magazine completely and as spreads instead of each page individually.

• Connect Images and Text together: It is important for a magazine to feel more like a whole instead of just singular parts so by combining the text and the images in unique ways you will do just that. This shows creativity and distinctness compared to other magazines and keeps the audience immersed into the magazine itself by making the layout more interesting. In addition, it eliminates the grid-like feel of most magazines and replaces it with a more free-flowing state that works best when paired with a photograph that includes a lot of whitespace so that all of the focus is on the mixture of text and pictures. To sum it all up, if you want to integrate your images more into the magazine itself, wrap text around it so that a more unified look appears as a result. Also make sure to have strong, high quality, but simple images so that the audience can easily understand what is going on.

• Aerial Shots: Instead of taking the conventional approach and snapping pictures horizontally from the subject instead take them from a bird's eye view and reap immense benefits as a result. First of all, due to it breaking tradition this style automatically catches the eye of the reader in a good way. At the moment they are becoming more common so by jumping on the trend you will show how as a designer you are future-oriented and progressive. In addition, this kind of photo absorbs the reader very much and makes them see the world in a different perspective than they are used to. These photos also leave a lot of room for text to be placed and by utilizing the previously mentioned tip along with this one you will be able to make a very appealing design. This technique also provides opportunities for the text to interact in certain ways with the actual photograph in a very subtle manner. Lastly, this technique leaves a lot of room for creativity as the range for these photos is a lot bigger since they can go from a few feet way all the way to a mile high shot.

• Make the Most of Illustrations: Although many prefer to use carefully crafted real-life photography in their magazines, there are many occasions where photography would be very arduous or maybe even impossible so illustration is your best bet. The primary advantage of illustrations is that it can take the audience places where a camera would be unable to go. To rephrase it, an illustration allows imagination to run wild and take you to new undiscovered worlds filled with creativity and happiness. Not only does this bring life to the article it might also ignite that spark in your heart where all your childhood memories are and make you feel like a kid again which all in all is a very pleasant experience, most of the time. This also lessens the workload slightly by spreading said work to more people who can also give their personal opinion on the overall design and collaborate with you in order to improve it. Additionally, by implementing the tip about using colors sparingly, you can make the illustration stand out more by only coloring the illustration and contrasting it against neutral-colored text and backgrounds. Not to mention, the magazine becomes more unique and personal as illustrations are nearly impossible to replicate exactly while photographs are available to all. This last benefit also applies to photos which is simply that any kind of image is worth a thousand words so take advantage of them.

• Place an Importance on the TOC: The Table of Contents holds a paramount importance in the overall quality of the magazine as its job is to guide the reader and inform them about where certain content is located. Thus, the TOC is just as relevant as the cover and should continue what the cover started by making sure it has the same color scheme, tone, etc. Also since the TOC is one of the first things seen by the audience, you should try to make it as appealing and engaging as possible. For example, do not list too many articles at a time and if necessary space the TOC over multiple pages so that it does not look cramped. This will also allow more space for pictures to be utilized and to make the contents more detailed and extensive. In addition, try using a stylistic font that is in the right size and weight in order to convey the information more easily. This is the only time that a grid-like structure is encouraged but make sure to add pictures that symbolize the pages along with large, bold numbers that communicate the location of any particular piece of content. It is also good to vary the sizes of each section in order to show which ones are more important and fulfill the consideration of key details mentioned before. In total, the TOC should be a satisfactory follow up to the cover that helps the reader browse the magazine with ease and better understand what is to come not only content-wise but also regarding the tone and design.

• Benefit from Using a Contrast: The concept of contrast is one of the most helpful and effective tools available to the designer as by adding contrast you add another level of life to any design. Contrast can be developed in a number of different ways including by adding different kinds of fonts that appear different from one another while at the same time complementing each other and making the text more engaging and easier to read. Another way it can be expressed is through the use of certain color schemes, especially complementary ones as they include colors that are complete opposites on the color wheel. This is very useful to highlight or bring attention to specific places on the page and allows for a lot of creativity especially with the color aspect.

• Be Knowledgeable and Enthusiastic about your Content: Even though this might seem pretty obvious, this tip is essential for your magazine to sound credible and professional. You must be tremendously comfortable with your content in order for your magazine to convey a confident and happy tone. Not to mention, before the audience can be excited and engaged in the magazine, you yourself must be ecstatic and enjoy your content because if the author does not enjoy their own content, who will. It has always been said that the best work is always done when someone is happy and proud of their work so not only do this for your target audience, also do it for yourself and make sure that your magazine is something that you would read in your spare time. Consequently, by being confident you are willing to take more risks and try out different options for your magazine which ultimately will result in you making the best magazine possible.

Sports Magazines: A good number of these tips apply very well or even exclusively at times for sports magazines so I am going to explore how my genre utilizes these tips and give my input on these tips in regards to my genre.

• ABC Rule and Utilize a Single Color: Many sports magazines like ESPN which I studied in blog use this rule so that they may appear more simple and balanced as sports in general are all about equilibrium and balance. ESPN simply places the main image along with their masthead (A), one main coverline (B) with the athlete's name, and a/some smaller coverline(s) (C) with short descriptions. This gives the magazine a more sophisticated look with a sense of purity through the use of white font in a very small amount. At the same time, this cover perfectly exemplifies how by using neutral colors for most of the poster and then applying color to the main image's costume and the masthead the cover appears to be more professional and it stands out more than if it was covered with colors. The masthead also pops out more than it would with a colorful background. It also allows the main image to be the focus while keeping the rest of the magazine in mind with the masthead.

• Benefit from Using a Contrast and Have a Consistent Theme: In many cases, sports magazines used bright colors that contrast with another to set an energetic and fun tone, similar to the feeling of actually playing the sport, in their magazine. This contrast allows for certain elements to stand out and gives more life to the cover than could have been possible without the contrast. For instance the main coverline stands out the most as it contrasts the most with the background and has the biggest font which contrasts with all of the smaller ones. These contrasts make the magazine seem more distinct from other magazines and provides the reader with a very engaging design. Another aspect of covers and of the whole magazine in fact is the concept of consistency. It is key to keep the same color scheme and type font throughout the magazine which is almost always the case with sports magazines as this conveys professionalism and helps connect the magazine together almost like a sports team wearing the same jerseys. By making everything homologous the magazine becomes stronger and more united which is very appealing for the target audience which are sports fans.

• Be Knowledgeable and Enthusiastic about your Content and Make the Most of Illustrations: Many sports magazines enjoy putting their own personal twist on the genre in their magazine which requires them to take a risk. Using illustrations instead of photographs is a great example of this. Yet, before taking this risk you must be confident in yourself, your work, and your content so it is key that the author knows their content enough so that they may create illustrations that represent their content and opinions in a creative and unique way. Although rare, this strategy seems very effective as by using illustrations you can sense that the author is confident in their work and is willing to be intimate with their audience and a connection is built between them which, for the most part, is a good thing. Illustrations help the audience relate more to the text and help them see it from a different perspective which is ideal when talking about sports as there are so many sides to each argument. Sports Illustrated actually uses an Illustration to convey their main focus for that issue in a special sort of way. Sports Illustrated also seems more reliable as a result of them being well informed and confident about their content.
   
• Aerial Shot and Place an Importance on the TOC: Sports magazines typically include a wide variety of photographs containing athletes or former athletes, most of which are framed horizontally from the camera in either a mid shot or a close up. On the other hand, some magazines like Sports Illustrated have taken a different approach and have provided audiences with a new perspective, the aerial shot. This shot allows for the audience to be more immersed in the magazine and they find the photograph more interesting as this angle is used a lot less compared to the other two. Furthermore, this allows for the information regarding tactics, news, or statistics to merge with the shot and create a stronger sense of unity in the magazine. This technique becomes even more effective when being a part of an extensive table of contents for the sports magazine. Sports magazines hold a plethora of information which in turn must be divided so that the audience can better understand it. Once divided, there then must be something that informs the viewer of where each part of the content is, which is where the TOC comes in and is why it is such a fundamental part of the magazine. Sports magazines commonly place images in the TOC to give the audience a visual sneak peek of what is to come and by putting large, bolded numbers with each section it is very easy to browse the whole entire magazine. The TOC also is very detailed which is traditional for Sports Magazines who desire to inform their audience about everything going on in the world of sport.

Take Advantage of Infographics and Connect Text and Images Together: The image that I used above for the infographics section was part of a sports magazine so it shows how my genre utilizes not only infographics but also wrapping text around images in a way that connects them together. By using infographics, the visual experience of sports is there and is combined with text that compliments it perfectly. The infographic is also able to communicate a large amount of information in a shorter space just via pictures and their small captions. Then the dividers and numbers help the audience better understand what is going on and the text feature as a whole gives the magazine a more modern feel that is associated with sports as well since they too are very progressive and thinking towards the future. Simultaneously, the photos are placed in a way that would cut out some of the text but in order for the magazine to look more aesthetically pleasing designers decided that what was best was to bend the text around the image in a way that creates sense of uniformity between the text, the image, and the magazine as a whole. The white space around the infographic results in a more strong and direct focus on the infographic itself.

Works Cited:

• Cruz, Matthew. “Magazine Layout Design: Effective Tips and Guide.” Pro Global Business Solutions, PGBS, 24 Jan. 2022, https://www.proglobalbusinesssolutions.com/magazine-layout-design/.

• Fussell, Grace. “10 Tips for Designing High-Impact Magazines.” Design & Illustration Envato Tuts+, Envato Tuts, 15 June 2020, https://design.tutsplus.com/articles/10-tips-for-designing-high-impact-magazines--cms-25956.

• Morris, Sam. “5 Pro Tricks to Instantly Improve Your Magazine Layouts.” InDesignSkills, InDesignSkills, 12 Oct. 2021, https://www.indesignskills.com/inspiration/magazine-layout-design/.

• Perhiniak, Shumi. “Anatomy of a Magazine Layout.” Yes I'm a Designer, YES, 14 Nov. 2021, https://yesimadesigner.com/anatomy-of-a-magazine-layout/.

• Roberts, Harsh. “11 Tips to Getting Your Magazine Cover Design Right.” Web Design Blog Helping Website and Graphic Designers, Line 25, 12 May 2020, https://line25.com/inspiration/11-tips-to-getting-your-magazine-cover-design-right/.

• Tonge, Luke. “14 Best-Practice Rules for Striking Editorial Design.” Creative Bloq, Creative Bloq, 25 Sept. 2018, https://www.creativebloq.com/advice/editorial-design-tips.