OUGD601: Exploring Idea 02

Developing the type editorial

I chose to explore the risky idea of recreating editorials, with only the typographic content. By removing the visual communication from advertisements and editorial layouts, I intend to highlight the necessity of them - relating to my dissertation.  The project could have gone in many directions, including utilising fantasy and immersion to deliver an experience to the audience. However, by purely focusing on the linguistic message I will illustrate how alternative forms of communication are needed, apposed to simple traditional graphic design. The project is a satirical concept, showcasing the necessity for the two to work in harmony. 

<barthes quote>

First experiment

Original Magazine Scan - quite simple in design and not too reliant on images. The visual communication here is less important with the president on the linguistic message to outline what's in the issue. A narrow grid system was used to create the narrow typographic/image columns.

Here the only tools of communication the viewer has, is typography and layout- nothing else. The absence of imagery can act in two ways- detract the audience from engaging with the page due to the lack of visual stimuli and colour, or alternatively, make the viewer more focused on the information of what is in the magazine as the only thing they can concentrate on is the type.

I chose to parody Vogue, selecting the same typeface, kerning, leading and grid system to comply with their conventions, yet remove the 'fantasy' from it's pages. 

The use of typography and layout is still more interesting than that of other publications (the newspaper for example), as creativity has gone into the subtle mixture of fonts and line lengths, highlighting to the viewer that the information is segmented and still relevant to the Vogue reader. A mixture of italic, capitals, lower-case, bold and regular weights give a variation to Bodoni, yet allowing a stylistic consistency across the page, indicating to the viewer that it is still Vogue, despite the lack of images.

Development Screenshots //

Second / 3rd Page

The original spread, quite simple in design and quite reliant on some form of image. A narrow grid system was used to create the narrow typographic/image columns.

With placeholder boxes

First page: 

Alternative version without any placeholder rectangles. By removing the suggestion of images from the page, the viewer is only receiving the linguistic message and grid system, with narrow columns (at this screen perspective), illegible. I parody'd the exact page design, overlaying them in photoshop and opting for Vogues typefaces, Bodoni Italic, Bodoni Bold and Avenier Regular. The mixture of traditional and contemporary typefaces speaks for Vogue's brand, which does draw on history yet with a contemporary spin.  Despite this, if a typographic layout was done in the 'real world', then the negative space would have potentially been filled up more, as to be more legible to the viewer and utilise the page more. Never the less, in conventions, magazines such as Vogue do maximise on negative space to give the illusion of wealth of space.

It was difficult to copy the type exactly in this way as - looking back, I should have recreated it on illustrator, using the same grid system as Vogue grid (6 column) 

As excellent execution was important for the success of this outcome, I wanted to make sure the recreation went into tiny detail, so I altered the kerning and typography where appropriate to get the right effect.

   <photograph of print out zine>

The overall success of this concept would depend on the execution and feel to the tangible magazine. The cost and time of reproducing a whole magazine in this style, isn’t really 

possible. Comparatively, incorporating photography would synthesise better with the essay.