Monday, 28 April 2014

Templates - Mocking up my designs into PSD templates

Big Issue edition viewed on smartphone:

This demonstrates how contemporary the brand is in the digital world.

This photo template can be attributed to Banku, who allowed permission to use for personal use with name credits.


Big issue pages in magazine template:

This shows how the example pages fit together.


Royalty and commision free image from Flickr.com Creative commons - a great community based resource that allows sharing and therefore reflects the passions of the magazine.


Displaying the types - showing off their uniqueness with flare

Logo Type:

Wanted to incorporate the bricks element into the image - but with a smudgey, loose and slightly grungy feel - raw and urban.  Also a sense of explosion as this is the one that is showing a new side the big issue.




Header Type:

Paper suited this one and the blobs too as it felt as thought though this typeface is used to pull attention on a page, and is associated with a page.  In keeping with the other one the paper is ruffled and not neat and ordered and smudges are dotted about the page.



Body Copy Text

I took the opportunity to explore ways of expressing the function behind clearly readable text, used for body copy.  The quote added an edge to the piece, almost making it a piece of art as the arrangement of letters also communicated the concept.



Quote:
"“I do not think of type as something that should be readable. It should be beautiful.” 
― Ed Benguiat"

Available from: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/typography, viewed on 28/04/2014.

Monday, 21 April 2014

Front Cover developments

In view of the front cover i am designing and some potential areas of visual problems, i looked at other more recent editions of the big issue for inspiration.  One issue is having the photograph of a famous person merging with the text of the headline or big issue logo.

Bill Nighy Cover:

*Uses a black background to allow white text not to merge with photo background.

Available at: http://www.bigissue.com/sites/bigissue/files/styles/bigissue_main_half/public/the_big_issue_no_1092.jpg?itok=ZK_ac4Zq, viewed on: 21/04/2014.


Shakespeare cover:


*Uses a white b/g behind bright text, not conflict with bright b/g of photo

Available at: http://www.bigissue.com/sites/bigissue/files/styles/bigissue_main_half/public/shakepere_birthday_web.jpg?itok=WXDZN7yz, viewed on: 21/04/2014.


Game of Thrones cover




*Uses coloured background behind some sections of text, has enlarged type close together for countering potentially hard to read text.

Available at: http://www.bigissue.com/sites/bigissue/files/styles/bigissue_main_half/public/the_big_issue_no_1097.jpg?itok=mGg8F63Z, viewed on: 21/04/2014,



Flower Power Cover:


*Uses a subtle drop shadow on the white text so as it doesnt blend with the white clouds in b/g image.


Available at: http://www.bigissue.com/sites/bigissue/files/styles/bigissue_main_half/public/1091_small_cover_web.jpg?itok=lqmCTmWn, viewed on: 21/04/2014.


My work - Here is it developed, taking some inspiration from above previous Big issue editions:


Sunday, 13 April 2014

How to present a new typeface

Looking around for tips and inspirations, came across this:

http://www.iampunk.co.za/

I am Punk combined with graphics studio King James here - a piece of software was written to evolve existing typefaces into new creations, re births as they call it.

Punk-ci-1-cover-image
Available at: http://www.itsnicethat.com:8080/articles/king-james-punk, viewed on: 13/04/2014.

Also these:



Available at: http://ilovetypography.com/2007/12/09/sunday-type-present-type/, Viewed on: 13/04/2014.


Friday, 11 April 2014

Further developments...front cover

Made image full page, resized the word SUGGS and made the logo smaller:


It is still a challenge to read the article related text.  Will refer back to the other issues of the big issue for ideas and inspiration how to overcome this problem of the white background merging with the light shades of grey and the thin typeface in the heading.  The bordered text underneath works better.  Also feel the placement of Suggs text doesnt sit evenly around the face and the head might suit being lower to not clash with the simular coloured logo - this i can not change or put on a different background.

Inside pages

First one -

Origonal:



Redesign of interview with John Bird

Same columns (width) and picture content and sizes, new typefaces:
Header, Body Copy and Big Issue Logo (bottom of page)


Second page:

Origonal:



Same columns (width) and picture content and sizes, new typefaces:
Header, Body Copy and Big Issue Logo (bottom of page)




Final Adjustments:

Here are the finished items, with even gaps between the columns and better alignent of "The Mix" header and other headers and footnotes.

Page 1



Page 2


Feel they look like they work together better now, and are tighter.

Front Cover progressions

Front Cover:

Find this cover to be a great inspiration and will influence my own cover redesign.  It is modern and in keeping with such magazine layouts as found on womans weekly or monthly fashion mags.  The bold type fills the width, picture as main background, the text listed on the left.


Available from: http://www.bigissue.com/mix/latest-issue/3401/issue-1084, viewed on: 23/02/2014


My attempts

Heres my making so far: