Indesign Lorenzo's session

On a Tuesday Lorenzo has been taking us for a class looking at layout within design, dealing with magazine layouts. We collected one high end magazine and one low end magazine both sharing a similar article we could work with. I picked to use the radio time's article on Alan Sugar and the TV times article on the Apprentice both dealing with Alan sugars current opinions on the BBC show and his views on current business.

We were first told to compare the differences between each magazine looking at the kerning of words, spacing between columns, the bleed around the page and heading sizes.

Low End Magazine (TV TIMES):

Word Count: 800

 Main Differences;

-Purple Headings,

-Thin Columns

-Centered Heading

-Lots of colour

-Combination of both serif and sans serif typefaces

 High End Magazine (RADIO TIMES):

 

Word Count: 1000

 Main Differences;

-Grey, Black and Red colour scheme

-Wide Columns

-Type flows around outline of bottom image

-Title is at the top of page

-Only uses serif typeface

Some up of each Article;

The layout of the Radio times was definitely more professional, the way the columns had been layed out made the flow of the words alot easier on the eyes. They travel from the top left hand side of the page down top the bottom right corner before you take in the image and the heading. I like the colour scheme, the black grey and red is minimal and limits the amount of information you need to take in, making you more prone to reading the article. 

However the Radio Times is much harsher on the eyes, the main image in the middle shows the cast of the apprentice and has been arranged so your eyes pick out each individual person then read the sub-heading placed next to them. I dislike the colour scheme and think a halftone image or photo filter would have worked to push the image back so that the text becomes the main attraction. The way the columns have been set out confuses what you are looking at, the page appears to be broken down into two sections one image and one text. If the rule of three was applied here i think visually it would be much more engaging.

New magazine Layout Ideas;

I wanted to keep my ideas as simple as possible because from looking at the two different magazine i think this is the key element to making a page flow. My idea above is my favourite so far. The staring faces help to concentrate the reading on the words in the center because of the direction the faces create. 

The digital grid i planned my page out to.