Final Book

COVER

First published in 2010.

Leeds College Of Art And DesignBlenheim WalkLeedsLS2 9AQT: 0113 202 8000F: 0113 202 8001E: [email protected]

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

All images in this book have been reproduced with the knowledge and prior consent of the artists concerned. Every effort has been made to ensure that credits accurately comply with the information supplied.

ISBN: 978 1 86592 433 5

First printed in 2010 by lulu.com.

Designed by Caroline Hensonwww.carolinehenson.co.uk

Contents04 Introduction06 My Work08 Editorial Design Basics10 Anatomy Of Editorial Design12 Cover Design16 Typography20 Layout24 Budget26 Production Cycles28 Unsuccessful Editorial Design32 The Future Of Editorial Design36 Inspiration

38 &Smith40 D842 Deep44 Design Has No Name46 Emily Tu48 Form50 No Zine52 Nylon54 Pentagram56 Public58 Purpose60 Shaz Madani

62 Sort Design64 The Consult66 Thirteen68 Interviews70 Matt Austin76 David Bailey82 Axel Feldmann88 Holger Jacobs94 Ken Leung100 Bibliography102 Acknowledgements

Effective Editorial Design

04

Introduction

Introduction

05

This book focuses on the ins and outs of editorial design. It documents many important factors that need to be taken into consideration when designing publications. It looks at what works and what does not in terms of design. It also features interviews with some designers who know more about editorial design than any book could ever teach you.

As a graphic designer my main interests lie within type and layout. Implementing this knowledge into design for publications and editorial pieces came with the territory. I have a love of grids and Modernist design conventions as demonstrated within my own design work as well as my dissertation study on the influence of grids within graphic design, art and architecture.

It took a while for me to realise that structuring layouts is where my strengths lie. Over the past three years this course has helped me to develop into the person I am today. To begin with I did not care about typography to the extent I do now. I was more interested in photomanipulation, advertising and illustration despite my lack of skill in this particular area. I now realise the capabilites of good type and layout and how it can be applied to anything from print making and advertising to branding and editorial design.

The purpose of this book is to document the essential things that you need to know in order to effectively design for various forms of publication. It will look at how type, layout, budget and audience all factor in editorial design. In order to fully understand what makes editorial design good we have to look at some unsuccessful designs and consider what it is about them that hinders the aesthetic quality.

The rest of the book is made up of work that I find to be particularly inspiring as a designer and has helped me to develop my own work as I am firm believer that you cannot design in a vacuum. I have managed to procure interviews with some designers as a way of finding out more about them and their approach to editorial design.

Overall, this book can be viewed as a record of what interests me about editorial design and works as an example of the kind of work that I take inspiration from. I hope to display some ability in editorial work through the design and content of this piece.

06


MY WORKA selection of some of the work completed over the past few years that demonstrates my desire to work in editorial design. Within my own designs I feel that clarity, structure and playfulness are important. I desire to present lots of information in a way that makes someone want to read it - whether thats through typography, colour, image or white space.

Above:In/Visible Grids exhibition leaflet

07

Introduction / My Work

Below:Maleficium information booklet / 10 Things You Should Know About... Gardening booklet set / O2 sim card leaflet


08

EditorialDesignBasics

Editorial Design Basics / Introduction

09

A simple way of defining editorial design is as visual journalism. Whereas other areas of graphic design such as advertising or packaging design tend to promote a single point of view or product, editorial publications can entertain, inform, instruct, communicate, educate or be a combination of these things. It is usually a mix of text and images but it might be made up solely of one or the other.

The vast majority of editorial has at its heart the idea of communicating an idea or story through the organisation and presentation of visuals (including information graphics and graphic devices such as rules) and words (arranged into display and body text). Each element within a spread fulfills a different function. In a magazine a headline will usually have been written and laid out to grab the reader’s attention, while a diagram will usually be there to clarify or support a point made in the body copy.

The design of editorial matter has many different functions, such as giving expression and personality to the content, attracting and retaining readers and structuring the material clearly. These roles have to coexist and work cohesively together to deliver something that is enjoyable, useful or informative - usually a combination of all three if a publication is to succeed. Editorial design is often a place where new stylistic innovations in designs are showcased and then taken up in other areas of visual communication.

Editorial design exists in various forms. These include newspapers, supplements, magazines and zines. It can also include broader documents such as leaflets, booklets and brochures.


10

AnatomyOfEditorialDesign

Editorial Design Basics / Anatomy

11

There are many different approaches to editorial design but ultimately designers tend to use an easy set of guidelines that have long been standard for magazine publishing. They are the four Fs of magazine design:

FormatDesign choices that span every issue and define a magazine’s overall look and feel determine the format. These include the logo, cover lines, size of the magazine, department headers, and folios.

FormulaThe formula sums the magazine’s approach to editoral content. Feature type and length, departments in the front and back of the book,photographic style and illustrations all contribute to the formula.

FrameThe frame is the standard for outer page margins and gutters. Some magazines use the same margin width through the magazine; others vary the width, using tall top margins for features to set apart the well, for instance. The rule for using margins establishes consistency from issue to issue.

FunctionThe function is, quite simply, what a magazine is trying to achieve and the message it’s trying to send. This differs greatly between magazines as it is entirely dependent on the subject matter.

The four Fs help to establish an overall look and feel for the magazine - which is essentially a brand. Every story in every issue must live up to the brand. Design’s role is equal to that of editorial content in

communicating the voice, mood and concept of each article. At the same time, it must reinforce the identity of the magazine as a whole.

As well as the four Fs, the magazine’s targeted audience may also dictate a design style. A good designer will design with a publication’s readership in mind. This is not to say that the design must slavishly adhere to what comes from the marketing department, but knowing, for example, that the majority of readers are male students aged 18 to 23 is valuable information that should feed into the publication’s style and design. Therefore a magazine for the elderly such as Saga should use an open typeface at a point size that is comfortable for its readership and ensure that elements such as reversed-out text, coloured text, or text over imagery are kept to a minimum. Because the ability to read small text diminishes with age, clarity is key with an older readership, but this does not mean that the design or colour palette needs to be dull or unadventurous. Conversely, an indie music magazine should be prepared to experiment and take risks in its design, reflecting the culture it belongs to. If you want to broaden your readership beyond such parameters, how do you do so without losing existing readers? By knowing the magazine, the readers and the potential readers you are hoping to attract.

The first and most important part of any publication on which to stamp the brand and its values is the cover. This is the part of the magazine that will work tirelessly for the publisher, both on the news stand, where it must get its feel across and stand out from the competition, and after purchase, where it will continue to sell the brand values on a more intimate scale.

12

Cover DesignEffective Editorial Design

The cover of any publication has an enormous task - it must be many things to many people. The publisher has to believe it will deliver sales. It has to be striking and stand out from the crowd, drawing the reader to it rather than to its competitors. If it is a periodical, it has to be familiar to regular readers but look sufficiently different from its predecessor so that those readers recognise it as being a new issue. It has to appeal to potential new readers without alienating existing readers. It has to express the publication’s character as well as its content. It then has to entice potential readers to look inside. So its no wonder that many publications and designers spend almost as much time, money and energy on this one page as on the rest of the publication.

There are many different approaches to cover design but broadly speaking, covers can be categorised under three headings: figurative, abstract and text-based. The latter are rare now as editors shy away from text-dominated covers and graphic puns, but the very fact that they are rare creates its own impact.

Figurative covers normally feature a photograph or an illustration of a face or a figure. These rely heavily on photography and tend not to depend on the skill of a designer. These can be made more engaging by approaching it with some element of originality. For example, instead of having someone smiling, they would be angry or sad.

Abstract covers are rare in publications that rely heavily on news stand sales, but feature regularly in special interest and subscription only publications, news weeklies or newspaper supplements. These often have

the luxury of minimal or no cover lines and freedom to place the logo wherever it best suits the design, since shelf visibility isn’t an issue. This can result in highly original designs, but it is important to remember that the brand and its message must be maintained through a clear design direction and approach.

Text-based covers are rare in contemporary periodicals, but many designers have used text-based covers to brilliant effect. There is no doubt that text-based covers work; but in a culture that is now so visually orientated their use is minimal - which of course can be useful for the editor and designer who is looking to make an impact or stand out: hence their use when traged strikes or a famous person dies.

There are also several finishing techniques that can be used to add further interest to a cover design. As well as the usual print finish techniques such as spot varnish, UV, embossing, etc. many publications also use split covers, gatefold covers, and dropdown covers. Dropdown covers are rarely used because they are so wasteful of paper however it is a good way to cram as much advertising as possible into one space right at the front of a publication.

There are no absolute rules to putting a cover together, as the history of magazines shows. Technology has been a big factor in terms of what’s possible (women’s monthlies weren’t glossy 40 years ago, but advances in varnishing and lamination have now made them so). Many people bemoan the move away from the sort of covers that made the Illustrated London News and Esquire famous, but readers’ tastes change; magazines must change with them or fold.

Editorial Design Basics / Cover Design

13

Young is better than old.Pretty is better than ugly.Rich is better than poor.

Movies are better than music.Music is better than television.Television is better than sports

...and anything is better than politics.

This mantra for cover images - and many variants of it - has been around since the early 1980s. It was coined by Dick Stolley, the founding managing editor of People magazine in the US in 1974. He has stressed that it was designed for People, which is regarded as having established the celebrity sector in the US. In a 1999 interview with the Peoria Journal Star, he added: “And after 1980 I amended the final line to ‘And nothing is better than the celebrity dead’,” following the death of John Lennon, “... which was the best-selling cover until Princess Diana on the occasion of her death became the bestselling news stand cover.

Now that we have looked at some of the different types of covers that magazines can have, let us move on to look at the many elements that covers need to have and their functions.

“

”- Dick Stolley

14


Above: Cover of Nylon magazine from March 2010.

Editorial Design Basics / Cover Design

15

Masthead (logo)The name of the magazine displayed in a specific typeface. This is the visual branding of the title and is often done in a specially designed typeface to be very recognisable and unique. The masthead is usually used on the contents page inside as well as the front cover, and as a logo for advertising and branding purposes.

DatelineMonth and year of publication, often with the price. Note that a monthly magazine usually hits the news-stands the month before the cover date.

Main ImageIn the case of this front cover there is a single image of the pop star Katy Perry. This image is slightly unconventional as most covers have a close up portrait of just the model’s face. Nylon is more of a fashion magazine so their cover pictures always feature a full length shot of the model. This is to help showcase the clothes and the whole pose of the model.

Model CreditThis says: ‘Katy Perry: on Lady Gaga, Russell Brand and dressing like a strawberry.’ It is unusual for such a credit to appear on a magazine front cover, but is done on fashion magazines where the model is also the main feature. The photographer and model credit is usually on the contents page.

CoverlinesNylon magazine uses a lot of cover lines, which are distributed around the main image without detracting from it too much. A mistake often made with cover lines is that they run over an image that has a lot of colour changes, rendering the words invisible.

Main Cover LineThis is very large - taking up almost a quarter of the magazine cover - and comes in a bright blue colour. It says ‘pop rocks’ which tells us that there will be lots of articles about pop music.

Left ThirdThe left third of the magazine cover is vital for sales in shops where the magazine is not shown full-frontage. The title must be easily recognisable in a display of dozens of competitors. The start of the masthead is important here, as are short cover lines that are easy to read.

Bar CodeStandard bar code used by retailers

Selling LineShort, sharp description of the title’s main marketing point or perhaps setting out its editorial philosophy. Nylon magazine doesn’t have one, but perhaps that is because they do not want to pin themselves down as the magazine covers such a variety of topics. Its readers are already aware of its indie credibility.

16

It is very important to get the type right within a publication. Even if its a fashion magazine where the majority of the spreads are made up of imagery, if the type isn’t legible, readable or the right point size, it can impact on the overall success of a publication.

There are many different typographic elements within a single spread of a magazine. The heading is usually the largest type size on the layout, as its aim is to stimulate curiousity about the feature and tempt you to read on. The content of the headline and its visual representation are interconnected and should be handled as such. The headline is normally a good place to feature display type rather than plainer fonts which are reserved for body copy.

The stand-first is another name for introductory text. It is normally around 40-50 words in length; any longer and it defeats its purpose, any shorter and it becomes difficult to get the necessary information in and can make the page look unbalanced.

The body copy can be handled in a number of ways. Columns of text are either justified, ranged left with ragged right or ranged right with ragged left. Lengthy blocks of text can be broken up, making overall readability easier, but also making the page lighter and more attractive to the reader. Some methods of doing this include spaces between paragraphs, indents at the beginning of paragraphs, large margins and using blocks of text as shapes to create balance within a page. It looks neater to have at least two lines of a paragraph at the top and bottom of a column.

As well as indicating where a story begins, drop caps and initial caps can be put into paragraphs to break up copy and avoid a page of monotonous grey blocks. Both of these can sit within the body copy or outside, they can be enormous, whole words or symbols. However the font chosen should be considered so that it complements the rest of the body copy.

Subheadings usually sit within the body copy but may be a larger size, bolder, uppercase, coloured or set in a different typeface.

Quotes, pull quotes and sound bites are another place where designers can get creative with display type. The sub-editor is normally the one who decides what bit of text should be used. Quotes are a great way of making someone want to read an article as if a celebrity says something completely outrageous, the reader will want to know what context the quote was said in, even if they normally wouldn’t care about an interview with a certain personality.

Straplines, section headings and running headlines help to reader to remember which section of a publication they are looking at. Graphic elements such as lines, blocks, bars and shapes can be used to give straplines an identity.

Captions usually appear near to or on an image, giving information about either that picture’s content or the reason for the image’s presence and its relationship to the story. These are normally set in a smaller point size to the rest of an article.

TypographyEffective Editorial Design

Editorial Design Basics / Typography

17

Above: Spreads with display type by Deanne Cheuk.

18


Above: Type heavy spreads from NY Times magazine.

Editorial Design Basics / Typography

19

Any publication should create an enjoyable, accessible and appropriate experience for its reader, and a large part of this is determined by the use of typography. Readers who are accustomed to unvarying pages of dense text in a novel would not read the same page in a magazine, where decoration, variation, space and cohesive use of design elements are expected. Type that is too small, too dense and too uniform will put off the reader, as will columns of grey text, an editorial designer has to employ a range of tricks to keep the reader interested.

Practical issues may need to be considered too. On some publications, particularly dailies and weeklies, designers need to accomodate exact lengths of copy and headlines. And lastly, but most importantly for a publication’s identity and appeal, aesthetic, emotional and contextual considerations apply. Type more than any other design element, signals certain associations to the reader. To address all these issues satisfactorily, each different form of type should be selected for its specific function, but also to form a whole that is appropriate to the publication.

There are no hard-and-fast rules for how big or small text and headings should be. Logically, the display text will dominate the page by being larger than body text and captions, while body copy should be large enough to be readable by its intended audience. The size of the publication will also have an effect on the size of the type. Readability and usability are the main considerations when choosing a body typeface because of its vital role in communicating the editorial message. The use of a serif typeface gives a formal feel to piece, while a sans-serif face has a more

relaxed, contemporary look. Type is meant to be read as a shape, and sometimes as a visual element in its own right. It is one of the most flexible elements of editorial design - the stylistic muscle of a publication.

In layouts where it isn’t possible to use images, or where found images are dull/low quality, typography has to be handled particularly creatively. A confident editorial designer can have a huge amount of fun with type. In fact, the duller the material, image or copy, the greater the challenge for the designer to employ imaginative and creative skills, using techniques such as typeface juxtaposition, changing the shape and arrangement of elements or letterforms and creating scale contrast. The spreads from the New York Times magazine on the opposite page are a good example of this. They use type really creatively and the big blocks of text are broken up well to enhance the balance of the pages.

While type is, at its most basic, a method of conveying words, it can do much more. An editorial designer will use type to interpret and express the editorial, communicate meaning, offer variation, work with the image and other design elements to convey emotions and make symbolic or lateral links. These can be achieved in a number of ways: manipulation can offer opportunities for creating links between, or playing off the type, image and meaning; combining different weights, leadings, sizes and ranging can offer expressive abstract or literal interpretations of the content; the use of a particular clichéd typeface, such as gothic or typewriter face can create a symbolic or cultural link that will immediately convey something about the content.

20

LayoutEffective Editorial Design

Above: Innovative layouts by Mr L’argent.

Editorial Design Basics / Layout

21

The layout of a page brings together all the elements and deals with the way in which they are arranged on a page. Although there is no magic formula for composing a layout, there are certain considerations that condition the design of an editorial publication. Essentially, it is about organisation, communication and navigation. It is important that an editorial designer has the ability to look at content as shape forms and make the constituent parts work withtin the proportions of a page, usually a rectangular shape.

Editorial layouts are structured within the grid system. This allows the type and images to line up and to create more dynamic layouts. Within the grid there are a certain number of columns. These help to organise information into clear sections. Columns must not be too big or too small for the information presented as there needs to be a certain amount of words on a line to ensure that the copy is comfortably readable.

Grids aid communication because they create a solid foundation for the designs, in turn improving the overall impact. When dealing with type it has to be treated in a way that makes it easy to digest, grids aid this process. The grid is the architecture of your magazine, the framework that keeps every page element in its place. It keeps columns consistent and anchors photographs, panels and boxes so they don’t float around. By not using a grid, designers risk their target audience not being able to absorb the information and that is obviously the main aim of editorial design as its main purpose is to tell a story.

For newspapers and news pages of magazines, flexible templates will speed up the layout and production processes and give the pages and overall design a cohesion that might otherwise be lost in the frantic days and hours before going to press. Templates simplify all aspects of page make-up, but they can also be restrictive in design terms, and care must be taken to ensure that they don’t make pages look too alike. Imagery plays an important role here; subject, crop, scale and tension can all be used to distinguish pages from each other.

Spatial issues are another part of layout that design that can make or break a publication. A publication that tends to run text-heavy articles will probably use white space to counterbalance the grey effect. However this can take up more space within a publication and if there is not a sufficient budget for these extra pages, the design is the part that will have to be altered. Even if an altered page then looks crammed with text and images there is not much that a magazine can do unless it gains more advertisers who can then fund those extra pages.

A good layout should have structure, hierarchy,

balance and rhythm.“- Antonio Carusone

22

In design terms, balance is vital. It can be achieved in a number of ways. Symmetry or an equal number of items are literal examples of balance that are not always successful if they create little or no dynamism, tension or contrast. Experiementation with balance can create a relationship that strengthens the design. For example, balance might be achieved in an asymmetrical way: one large image could be counterbalanced with several smaller ones or a larger, dark picture. Balancing the elements of a layout is individual to the designer but key to doing so successfully is ensuring that one side of a layout is given equal weight with the other.

Readers rarely read a periodical from cover to cover and the traditional pace and structure is built on the assumption that the reader starts at the front before dipping in and out of features and articles that are of interest. However, there is no reason not to experiment with this pace. Regular readers will soon become familiar with any structure; more important is consistency and a good navigation system to aid new or occasional readers.

The editorial style is the organisation and flow of the pages. This is normally set by the editor but it is up to the editorial designer to ensure that it is communicated clearly to the reader through the design style.

Once all of the pages are designed and laid out according to the flatplan, the last step is to take a look at the whole magazine. The spreads need to flow properly with a sense of rhythm and pace. A well laid out publication will be varied, yet consistent at the same time. If it seems like an overall balance has not been achieved to the designer, it will to the readers too. By taking the time to address these issues, the end product will benefit and the result will be a well designed publication.

The most important thing to remember when designing layouts for a publication is to design to the content. Good design stems from good editorial content but if the content is poor, the design has to make up for it in order for a publication to be successful.


Follow the content,over and over again.“ ”- Axel Feldmann

Editorial Design Basics / Layout

23

Top: Colourful, playful layouts that are very well structured by Socio Design.Bottom: Clear simple layouts from Studio Verse’s Process Journal.

24

BudgetEffective Editorial Design

Budgets play an important part in the design process - almost too important. It is imperative that a designer gets a clear picture of the budget before starting on the design work. Pretty much everything they add to a magazine will have an effect on the budget. Thankfully most magazines have quite a large budget but this is due to how much advertising is featured within the pages. This also has an effect on the actual design of pages. Rather than designing double page spreads, many features get reduced to one page in order to fit in the amount of advertising needed to keep the magazine in business.

If you look at any high fashion magazine such as Vogue, Elle or Harper’s Bazaar, the first 20 spreads are more likely to be double page spreads for designer brands such as Chanel, D&G or Marc Jacobs than actual magazine content. These brands are willing to spend lots of money of photoshoots and to get their work into the public domain they require advertising. By including advertisements from these brands in a magazine, the publishers are paid lots of money which is then used to increase the budget for original content. So they can employ more writers, more designers and feature more luxurious goods - all of which help to enhance the overall quality of the magazine.

The amount of space an advert takes up in a publication is determined by how much a company has spent to advertise themselves. The publication will have a higher budget if companies decide to take out double page spreads as opposed to a 4x6 cm advert in a corner of a page. Brands are therefore more likely to want to purchase a DPS because it will make them look better and allow them to stand out more.

However, limited cash can produce better designs. Some of the most striking graphic design today uses little in the way of detailed imagery or color. For those working within a tight budget, there are various ways to create something that still looks good. One of the easiest ways to reduce costs is to change the paper stock used.

Printers will always provide you with paper samples that they have in stock, along with access to a wide range of inexpensive yet attractive papers that can contribute to reducing the project’s bottom line. Here are some variables that can really impact the budget:

• Stock Coating: The degree of smoothness that is created during the paper-making process.• Stock Finishing: Refers to its texture.• Stock Weight: Describes the thickness and “heft” that a particular paper stock holds.• Stock Strength: The durability of the paper.• Stock Brightness: Refers to how much light that will reflect off the paper.

Four colour printing is the standard for printing magazines. There are so many colours that this is the best way to print the work. Although efficient and inexpensive, it is still often cheaper to reduce the costs of print jobs by using less than four plates for a print-run. A way of getting around budget issues is to bring out a zine. Real zines are incredibly cost effective as they are normally printed once and then the rest are reproduced via photocopy onto the chosen stock. Of course this isn’t an option for major magazines but it is a cheap way of making a publication with a large amount of copies.

Editorial Design Basics / Budget

25

Spot colors are predefined colors that you can use in a print project to achieve more accurate color than a color created using the CMYK process. Spot colors are excellent for reproducing bold graphics, such as logos or other vector art.

Once you choose a spot color, you can set the tint of it to display a percentage that will lighten the color without actually lightening the actual color. The process screens the spot color to give it the appearance of a lighter tint.

One-color printing means using only one-plate with one-ink. It’s also the cheapest type of printing you can have done. Keep in mind that if you use one-color, it does not have to be black, and the paper does not have to be white.

Two-color printing uses any combination of two colors, be it black with one or two-spot colors. Two-color printing is a fairly common practice for any number of print jobs, because it achieves a balance between budget and quality of output. Two-color designs may be low-budget, but they can still be highly refined and visually compelling.

Top Five Effects That Blow A Budget

1. Apply A Spot Varnish:A spot varnish is run just like a spot color, but a glossy varnish is laid down instead of an ink. You can incorporate subtle design elements into a project or gloss over just the title of a printed piece for added effect. You can also reverse a spot varnish, which has an opposite, but just as compelling, effect.

2. Apply A Metallic Spot ColorMetallic ink can be applied just like spot colors to create special effects within your designs. They are slightly more expensive to implement on press, but can really enhance certain projects with a metallic finish.

3. Apply A Fluorescent Spot ColorAlso a bit more expensive, these bright inks can often spice up the right design. Also, many magazines mix fluorescent inks into their four color process mixes on their covers to give the magazine added attention at an overcrowded newsstand.

4. Apply Foil BlockingFoil Blocking (or stamping) is the application of foil to paper where a heated die is stamped onto the foil, making it adhere to the surface leaving the design of the die on the paper.

5. Enhance The Design With Die CuttingUsing sharp steel rules to cut special shapes from your discounted printed sheets can really help “shape” your final design. This process demands that you supply a mock-up of the project, so the printer understands your “cutting edge” directions.


26

ProductionCycles

Production Cycles

27

In editorial design there is an ever-changing body of work to interpret and organise, so good planning is key to making day-to-day tasks work to the advantage of the creative process. These tasks and the tempo of the work vary depending on whether the publication is a daily, weekly or monthly.

Daily Publication Production Cycles

Pre-publication work (one-off and regular updating):Establishing a style (typography, colour, graphics, use of pictures etc.) and setting up templates and a rule book or style guide to ensure consistent implementation. On newspapers this stage is particularly important.

Pre-publication work (daily):Overseeing the output of all the different designers on the paper, as well as the picture and graphics departments. Also art-directing special projects (usually one-off magazines and supplements).

Publication work:Overseeing the daily page make-up, a task usually performed by sub-editors. The art director will oversee their work and ensure that text and visuals combine to make a successful layout.

Weekly And Monthly Production Cycles

Pre-publication work:Meeting photographers, illustrators, going to exhibitions, knowing who and what’s hot, so that when it comes to commissioning visual artists (2-6 weeks before publication) you know who to use and why. Regular meetings with the editor and features editor to discuss content ideas and their visual organisation.

7-10 days before publication of a weekly / 15-30 days of a monthly:Gathering together features material, development of initial design ideas and direction, cover consideration based on incoming material.

4-7 / 10-20 days before publication:Layouts for features to be worked up (based on flatplan), proofs distributed and edited. Gathering together news and non-feature page material, beginning layout of these pages with priority given to pages needing to go to printers earlier as determined by flatplan. Work up cover ideas.

2-4 / 3-10 days before publication:Feature proofs corrected, colour features and agreed flatplan sections to printer, high-resolution printer’s proofs checked by necessary staff, pages signed off. Non-feature pages are now being laid out edited, proofed, corrected, sent to repro, corrected and signed off.

1 day / 1-3 days before publication:Finalise cover decisions, cover lines written and pages sent to repro, corrected and signed off (most magazine covers will have been proofed, with copy all but decided, by this stage).


28

UnsuccessfulEditorialDesign

Unsuccessful Editorial Design

29

It is quite simple to figure out how to design publications by looking at work that is already out there. You can understand good design by studying good design and learning from it as well as studying really bad design and learning from it. The latter is often more useful than the former because you learn what to avoid.

For some magazines, high quality design is not a priority. There are many reasons why this is case including low budgets, low class target audience or just from hiring really bad designers. It seems that many of the designers at these magazines have no consideration for the aesthetic of a publication. They merely enter the text in the appropriate boxes using about 50 fonts in one spread, choose gaudy colours, and place low quality images at jaunty angles.

‘Trashy’ magazines such as Pick Me Up, Chat, That’s Life and Love It are all guilty of these design crimes. It could be that the design style all of these publications employ is the most suitable for its target audience. Perhaps if these were well designed like Grafik or Monocle magazine, people would not want to read them. The stories in these magazine are more real life stories than celebrity gossip. The main selling point of these magazines is that the stories are so incredible

that you want to read them for freak value. They are the kind of thing you would find in a waiting room or break room and people read them merely to gawp at freaks who have done something really weird or gross or amazing.

So it could be that the design is really considered in that the audience just do not care about how it looks. They know that the stories are not high quality fashion photoshoots like in Vogue, so why should they look like they are?

I’m not saying that these magazines need to look classy, as the target audience is obviously anything but. However, the text is difficult to read, the images look awful and they generally look like a mess. By doing some simple tweaks, these magazines could be a lot more accessible its readership. They want to casually flick through these stories whilst eating their lunch, not read a novel, so the designers could attempt to break up the text more or add a bit more balance to a page. I know its because they want to cram as many stories as possible into the magazine but it is quite difficult to read through the articles when all these poor design decisions are stopping people from doing so.

30


Above: Cover, contents and one of the stories from the 22nd October 2009 issue of Pick Me Up.

Unsuccessful Editorial Design

31

Let’s consider some of the many things that are wrong with the design of Pick Me Up:

New LookIt says in the top left corner of the cover that this is the ‘new look’ version of Pick Me Up. God only knows what the magazine looked like before the redesign. Sometimes magazines use the lure of an updated look as a way of getting people to pick up magazines to see if it actually looks better. I don’t know if it does as I do not read Pick Me Up. It was merely the design of this magazine that made me want to comment on the quality of the magazine.

Colour SchemeThe colours they stick to as brand colours are yellow, pink, purple and white. Each individual story also has its own theme colour. Its really bright and gaudy and is quite painful to look at. They have probably used these colours because it will make it stand out on a shelf amongst all the other magazines.

TypographyThey use a really plain sans-serif font for the type. The inner spreads seem to have about four different fonts on one page which is too many. To emphasise the weird bit of a story they just switch the text to uppercase. The sans-serif fonts are easy to read but they pack way too much text on one page and the spreads use five columns. This magazine is a little bit smaller than A4 so five columns is a bit excessive. The articles are forced to be set in a miniscule point size and it is hard to read text when there aren’t enough words in a line.

LayoutThe front cover is awful because all the different sections have random borders, colours and are at a jaunty angle. Everything seems to be placed at a weird angle as if this was meant to break up the content. It doesn’t, it just makes it look really messy and unstructured. The structure of the grid system is supposed to aid communication by clarifying the content of a page. They have just plonked items wherever they want, without considering the balance of the page.

ImagesSome of the images they have used are obviously taken on a phone which means they have printed at a really poor quality. The images are badly cut out on photoshop because all the edges look smooth in places where there should be texture such as in hair. All the images are at an angle different to the text. The model on the front cover is completely random and has been excessively photoshopped.

StockThe cover and inner spreads are all printed on the same stock. The stock is very rough and thin which shows how cheap it must be. This edition of the magazine only costs 68p so its not any wonder that you can buy it for such a small amount of money.

AdvertisingThere isn’t a great deal of advertising in Pick Me Up which is a plus point. Theres only the odd full page ad which offers an explaination for the poor content, quality and design of the magazine.


32

TheFutureOfEditorialDesign

The Future Of Editorial Design

33

Traditional editorial publications have an uncertain future. New technology could seriously impact on the survival of printed matter. At this point in time it is impossible to predict exactly how technology will impact on editorial design but designers must be ready to meet fast-changing shifts that may see publications alter to much smaller formats or begin to incorporate video, podcasts and interaction.

Apple have played an important part of these new technological shifts. First they brought out the iPhone which has many applications that allow you to view magazines or read novels. Off the back of the success of the iPhone, they have very recently brought out the iPad. One of the main problems with reading magazines on the iPhone was that the screen is quite small so you had to zoom in loads to be able to read articles which could be quite annoying. The iPad fixes this problem as it is a lot larger (242.8 x 189.7 mm) meaning that you can pretty much view full pages and double page spreads at half the size of a normal magazine. They sell the magazine applications at exactly the same price the printed versions are in the shops so it works out as a very convinient way of getting a new issue of a magazine without going outside, as long as you already have the luxury of owning an iPad that is.

However, many designers feel that the convenience of downloading publications onto a laptop, iPhone, iPad or Kindle will never take the place of printed matter. There is a certain feel, smell and joy in being able to flick through a magazine with your hand rather than swiping a screen with your finger. Plus not everyone can afford one of these luxury items.

Magazines in print form are accessible to all people from all walks of life. Even if you pick up a free magazine such as Shortlist or Stylist, its something you can physically flick through and pull out of your bag to provide some form of entertainment. But companies are now using the exclusivity of technology such as the iPad as a way of communicating solely with a well off, high class, elite target audience. Virgin are set to launch the first iPad only magazine in October called Maverick. Virgin know their target audience well so this is a very good move for them.

A statement I hear banded around alot that ‘print is dead’ is

utter nonsense, print will never be dead. Even as

generations become more and more savvy with the digital realms

there are still areas where digital cannot compete,

reading a 500 page book on a screen is simply no comparison to having it in print even with these new

digital books available.

“

”- Paul Felton

34


Above: A copy of Glamour magazine as viewed on the Apple iPad.

The Future Of Editorial Design

35

There are some parts of editorial design that are sure to change once new technology such as the iPad becomes more commonplace. We can say goodbye to the idea of monthly magazines, or weeklies, or dailies. Print publications, already under siege by the Internet and 24-hour news cycle, will have to learn to adapt to a world of instantaneous updates. This is most obvious for news and business publications, but it’s just as true for fashion, entertainment and specialized titles.

Advertising within magazines will also have to change. The conventions of online advertising such as banner ads and pop-ups aren’t popular with readers, with advertisers, and certainly not with designers. The iPad’s a new medium that will create a whole range of opportunities. Once people start exploiting what it can do, we may see the kind of creative renaissance that will focus on video and viral advertising. People could start subscribing to certain i-mags just for the ads alone.

Editors have been telling magazine writers and designers for years that people won’t read long stories online. Yet they will read 1,000 page novels on their Kindles. What will they be willing to read on their iPad? Technology could herald the return of long-form journalism. At the same time, visual storytelling will take deeper, richer forms. Information design will also be more important than ever.

Printed matter will never die out completely, but it will take on a different role in the world. If digital magazines with rich, uncompromised, real-time content corner the market on delivering what you need to know right now, what’s the point of print? The publications that end up enduring will be the ones that exploit what print alone can do. The best ones will be things that you want to save, not toss in the recycling bin. They’ll project a sense of craftsmanship and permanence. And each one should be an object that just feels terrific in your hand. If you’re spending most of your free-time holding an iPad, you just might welcome a change of pace.

Print design will always be there.An iPad just doesn’t have the same smell as freshly printed

uncoated paper.

“”- Holger Jacobs

Inspiration

This section is a chance to showcase just a handful of the work that has inspired me during the creation of my own designs. The work shown here is not limited to editorial design, instead it documents inspirational work in all forms of publication. Anything from leaflets to zines to brochures - I think it is important to look at design conventions within a wide range of formats to be able to effectively design typography and layouts.

Due to my interest in Modernist design principles, most the work focuses on clarity, legibility and simplicity. I tend to favour sans-serif type, bold colours and innovative formats as will be displayed over the next few pages.

&SMITH / D8 / DEEP / DESIGN HAS NO NAME / EMILY TU / FORM / NO ZINE / NYLON / PENTAGRAM / PUBLIC / PURPOSE / SHAZ MADANI / SORT DESIGN / THE CONSULT / THIRTEEN


38

&SMITH&Smith

Studio 52 Pinchin Street

LondonE1 1SA

[email protected] 7265 0010

&Smith are a small London design studio with an impressive roster of clients including Cancer Research UK, MTV and The New York Palace. Their work encompasses corporate identity, branding, print, web solutions, book design, signage and packaging.

39

Inspiration / &Smith

The publication design work at &Smith focuses on the use of photography with simple typography to counter balance the bold imagery. They tend not to use any kind of experimental type within their work, favouring simple serif and sans-serif fonts instead. The real strong point in their work is the way they combine type and image to create pieces that are balanced, strong and clear.


40

D8D8

90 Mitchell StGlasgowG1 3NQ


D8 is a design company with studios in both Glasgow and Birmingham. They design across many formats including print, interiors, web, multimedia, advertising and most others you could mention. As well as their publication work, the interior graphics they do for a large variety of clients from bars to exhibitions has been very successful.

41

Inspiration / D8

D8’s approach to publication design is incredibly colourful and playful. They use bold typography as a way of illustrating what would otherwise be quite boring information. I like their Tramway exhibition guides as they have used an interesting fold out format to display the information and a clean Modernist aesthetic on the front that clearly informs you about the exhibition.


42

DEEPDeep

7th Floor, Block 2Elizabeth House

39 York RoadLondon

SE1 7NQ


Deep is a creative agency in London who work in branding, digital and print, formed in 1997. Their strength lies in offering a creative and strategic partnership that helps brands to communicate and to grow. They create work with a strong aesthetic, yet usable design which communicates well with their target audiences.

43

Deep use their publications as a way of promoting the brands that they have as clients. They create brochures, magazines and leaflets that help show the public who a brand is and informing them in a well designed manner. They use very bold techniques to garner interest in a specific subject. Their work is always appropriate to the subject matter. From the high contrast colours and clean type used in their work for retail developers in Manchester and Dubai, to the cuter vector designs and brighter colours used in the Lend Lease welcome back and sustainability guide, they really understand what kind of design style communicates effectively with specific audiences.

Inspiration / Deep


44

DESIGN HAS NO NAME

Design Has No NameJJ Paso 409 PB E Martinez

Buenos AiresArgentina

[email protected]+54 11 4798 6594

Design Has No Name is an independent visual communication studio established in Buenos Aires, Argentina, since 2007. They are a multidisciplinary studio that develops efficient communication solutions and they pride themselves on the high level of research undertaken when starting a new project.

45

Inspiration / Design Has No Name

I think the spread designs that Design Has No Name have come up with a visually stunning. I really like how they’ve combined bold type with smaller body copy even in small areas of the page. Their use of colour works well with the images and links each publication so even though the pages look incredibly different you can tell that they belong together. This is an important skill in editorial design as you do not want your readers to get bored of looking at the same thing but you want to still link each page visually.


46

EMILY [email protected]

020 8816 7737Emily Tu is a graphic designer from Toronto, Canada who has studied at York University, Sheridan College in Toronto as well as the Bauhaus-Universität in Germany. She used to be part of Underline Studio, an impressive Toronto-based firm specialising in editorial design. She has now re-located to London.

47

Inspiration / Emily Tu

What I like about Emily Tu’s work is the incredible detail in her typgraphic designs and how she has applied this to all kinds of formats from business cards and identity work to magazine and brochure spreads. Many editorial publications use really bold, intricate typography as a way of introducting an different feature and Tu’s work does this beautifully. She has a great understanding of how to balance this display type with body copy to create some really amazing spread designs.


48

FORMForm

Ground Floor47 Tabernacle Street

LondonEC2A 4AA


Form is a large design studuo in London founded by Paul West and Paula Benson. They have done very successful art direction and design collaborations within the worlds of music, media, TV/film, sport, advertising, architecture, events and for design-led brands such as furniture and fashion.

49

Inspiration / Form

Form specialise in design and visual branding with a particular understanding of contemporary culture. I really like the educational publications they have done as there is a good mixture of type, image and infographics all held together with really well structured layouts. I also like how they mention that they don’t create ‘eye candy’ because they are more interested in the message and communicating with an audience. Their work is beautiful, seductive and has impact but not at the expense of the information they are trying to relay to a reader.


50

NO ZINEPatrick Fry

13 Queensdown RoadLondon

E5 8NN


No Zine is an independent arts zine put together and designed by Patrick Fry. The zines are released in a series. The first collection; 1 to 3 features a variety of young artists, designers, writers, photographers and illustrators. Each issue is conceptually centred around it’s issue number.

51

Inspiration / No Zine

No Zine is unique within the zine world in that the design of the actual publication is more interesting than the actual content within the booklet. I love the strong colour schemes and the way that along with black, white and grey, that issue’s particular colour is the only colour within the zine. The content is such a mixed bag, it has allowed Fry to try many different design techniques in order to showcase each contributor. These books are visually stunning and really high quality in real life that they almost do not deserve to be labelled as something so downmarket as a zine.


52

NYLONNylon Magazine

110 Greene StreetSuite 607

New York, NY10012


Nylon is an American magazine that focuses on pop culture and fashion. Its coverage includes art, beauty, music, design, celebrities, technology and travel. The name Nylon derives from the magazine’s often featured articles on “self-willed sibling-cities New York and London”.

53

Inspiration / Nylon

Considering it was founded by some of the people behind the legendary Ray Gun magazine, its no wonder that the design aesthetic of Nylon is so strong. There are two main designers who work at Nylon - Nicole Michalek and Kristin Eddington. What I like about Nylon is that the designers make me want to read it. Obviously I love fashion and popular culture so I’m already attracted to the subject matter but when I’m just reading through it I’m always drawn to the design elements. I always think to myself “I like how they’ve done that bit of type there” or “This has exactly the right balance of content and white space”. Eddington’s hand rendered type is often what makes an article such a joy to look at.


54

PENTAGRAMPentagram

11 Needham RoadLondon

W11 2RP


Pentagram is a large design agency that originated in London in 1972 and has since opened up offices in New York, San Francisco, Austin and Berlin. Many famous designers have worked there over the years including Alan Fletcher, Michael Beirut and James Biber.

55

Inspiration / Pentagram

Pentagram are one the really famous design studios out there and with good reason. Their work is consistently well designed and is often the source of trends within the whole design community. Luke Hayman is one of the partners who is most involved in editorial design. He used to be the design director for iD magazine and the work he has done for Pentagram so far has been very successful. I really like the Circular magazine that Pentagram themselves publish. The spreads are highly typographic and definitely encompass a Swiss style.


56

PUBLICNicholas Jeeves - Public

The Manor House Cottage26 Bancroft

HitchinHertfordshire

SG5 1JW


Public are a small design studio in Hertfordshire which is headed up by Nicholas Jeeves. They have become internationally known for delivering clear, creative and finely-crafted works for a long list of highly regarded clients such as V&A, Blackberry, Saatchi & Saatchi and the UK Film Council.

57

Inspiration / Public

The work at Public is really amazing for such a small company. I particularly love the brochure they made for the UK Film Council. The colour scheme, type and layout are all spot on. The work is so bold that each new spread is intreguing and something completely different to look at. The work has a good balance of white space which makes the body copy a lot easier to read. I think it works well because they have made something which on close inspection looks quite boring to read, readable. That should be the aim for all designers.


58

PURPOSEPurpose Ltd.

14A Shouldham StreetLondon

W1H 5FG


Purpose are a London design studio who create visual identities, print, exhibition and pack designs for a variety of clients, from individuals to global organisations. They create high quality work which is innovative and stands out within the design world.

59

Inspiration / Purpose

These are some spreads from various issues of the EFFP View magazines that Purpose produce. They were designed by Paul Felton. When I emailed him he told me that he designs one of these magazines in about a week which I think is impressive considering how good they look. The black and white colour scheme shows how you don’t need colour to create a successful design. These are bold, impactful and makes the information presented look really exciting.


60

SHAZ MADANIShaz Madani

13 Queensdown RoadLondon

E5 8NN


Shaz Madani is a graphic designer from London. She went to London College Of Communication and is currently part of the Topshop design team. She has contributed to many magazines and was one of the featured designers in No Zine. She also lives with the creator of No Zine, Patrick Fry.

61

Inspiration / Shaz Madani

The work that Shaz Madani has done for Topshop has a really strong Modernist aesthetic. It is very appropriate for the Topshop audience as they are interested in fashion and appreciate bold, exciting design. The fashion photography from Topshop has been combined well with the type to create some really nice spreads which helps to maintain Topshop’s strong branding and identity.


62

SORT DESIGNSort Design

7 Donegall QuayBelfast

BT1 3EA


Sort Design is a Belfast based graphic design and branding studio founded in 2006. With clients large and small across the UK and Ireland, Sort provide a full range of design services including company naming, branding, corporate work, website design, marketing materials and exhibition design.

63

Inspiration / Sort Design

What I like about Sort Design is how they use different paper formats within another format, like their work for Love Olive. As well as using different colours for a new section, they also used a different size, making the piece really interesting to look through and explore. They use bold typography in appealing colours which really stands out. Their layouts are effective because they are eye catching and even the black and white work is fun to look at.


64

THE CONSULTThe Consult Design Limited

Gledhow Mount MansionRoxholme Grove

LeedsLS7 4JJ


The Consult are an award-winning design agency delivering effective & considered communications based in Leeds. They have an interesting range of clients from the Church of England to WeightWatchers, but one thing remains consistent - the strength of their design work.

65

Inspiration / The Consult

One of the pieces that really stood out to me from The Consult’s website was the work they have done for the Church of England. I think they were really successful in appealing to a younger generation. The rest of their work is also really strong and each one has its own identity. Their use of finishing processes is also very good and helps their work to stand out and look really professional.


66

THIRTEENThirteen

146 Gloucester RoadBishopston

BristolBS7 8NT


Thirteen are a creative communications agency based in Bristol who work with clients in corporate, cultural and government sectors. They work in editorial design and marketing and promotional communications, and have extensive experience in information design and wayfinding systems.

67

Inspiration / Thirteen

I really like the clarity in the work by Thirteen. They seem to do lots of work for galleries as well as editorial design in information packs for companies such as Orange and Dyson. I like the way that they use folding to reveal new information or images within a page. Their work seems quite corporate but playful at the same time which are qualities that I admire. They also make great use of finishing processes as many of their covers look really sleek and professional from the use of spot varnishing and debossing.

Interviews

MATT AUSTINDAVID BAILEY

AXEL FELDMANNHOLGER JACOBS

KEN LEUNG

Interviews

MATT AUSTINDAVID BAILEY

AXEL FELDMANNHOLGER JACOBS

KEN LEUNG

70


71

Interviews / Matt Austin

Vast1 Saw Mill Street

LeedsLS11 5WE



72 73


What first made you interested in graphic design, in particular typography and layout?

I’ve always had an art interest, but more the structure in type and layout that graphic design offers, rather than an illustrative art route. I was inspired by the likes of Carson, Brody, Spirale, Brockmann, Atler from the Bauhaus movements and also architectural and furniture design by the earlier European pioneers.

How did you start out in graphic design, and get yourself noticed in the industry?

Started out working for the Attik in Huddersfield, and after 3 years set up my first agency with my business partner. VAST was formed in 2002.

What does an average day consist of for you?

Now, its very much about running and developing the business. I personally develop the fashion side, where I art direct the photography and concept the ideas for our clients marketing objectives.

Who/What has been your inspiration for your design work?

As question 1 with regards specific designers, but photography is now a big part of my inspiration for projects and how the two marry together.

How much does budget play a part in your design process?

We always create solutions within our clients budgets, but push format, design, layout and production as much as we can within that structure. That’s what gives our clients the edge - we maximise the impact of the budget at hand.

How important is the cover of a publication as opposed to the design of the inner spreads?

Image is everything.

Matt Austin is the creative director at Vast which is a design, branding and marketing consultancy with offices in Leeds and Nottingham. Since its inception in 2003 they have built a reputation by creating successful and engaging solutions for both online and offline media. They produce relevant ideas that engage, inspire and communicate a client’s products and services. They also have an inhouse magazine that they produce called Shufti.

Opposite top: We Love Holbeck regeneration booklet.Opposite bottom: Going Global Awards 09 booklet for

the Yorkshire and Humber trade awards.


72 73



I’ve always had an art interest, but more the structure in type and layout that graphic design offers, rather than an illustrative art route. I was inspired by the likes of Carson, Brody, Spirale, Brockmann, Atler from the Bauhaus movements and also architectural and furniture design by the earlier European pioneers.


Started out working for the Attik in Huddersfield, and after 3 years set up my first agency with my business partner. VAST was formed in 2002.


Now, its very much about running and developing the business. I personally develop the fashion side, where I art direct the photography and concept the ideas for our clients marketing objectives.


As question 1 with regards specific designers, but photography is now a big part of my inspiration for projects and how the two marry together.


We always create solutions within our clients budgets, but push format, design, layout and production as much as we can within that structure. That’s what gives our clients the edge - we maximise the impact of the budget at hand.


Image is everything.

Matt Austin is the creative director at Vast which is a design, branding and marketing consultancy with offices in Leeds and Nottingham. Since its inception in 2003 they have built a reputation by creating successful and engaging solutions for both online and offline media. They produce relevant ideas that engage, inspire and communicate a client’s products and services. They also have an inhouse magazine that they produce called Shufti.

Opposite top: We Love Holbeck regeneration booklet.Opposite bottom: Going Global Awards 09 booklet for

the Yorkshire and Humber trade awards.


74 75


When you develop a design, in what order do you undertake a project and then in which order do you work?

With regards client work, its always initially based on their needs and objectives, they then rely on us to maximise whatever we are asked to create. We start with the look and feel, and look through the extensive research material we have in the studio. We’ll also look at models and possible locations, and then present all this to the client. Once they are happy, we will then develop design concepts for that job, a look book, website, in-store concepts etc... Once this is agreed, we then commission the photography and create the story. After the shots are selected, the finished design are then completed and delivered in whatever format we are creating for that specific client.

With regards Shufti, we do whatever we want to showcase what we can do as an agency - no boundaries here.

What attributes should a good layout have and why?

You need to articulate to the customer/reader what you are selling or what story you are telling. A layout that doesn’t communicate this fails on both fronts.

What considerations need to be made when developing a layout for editorial design?

Editorial design is about telling a story, which is what Shufti is about. Creativity and imagination is all that matters here.

Which publications do you think are particularly well designed?

Monocle, Inventory, The Rake, Esquire, Wallpaper etc...

Where do you see editorial design heading in the future?

I see more value in offering the reader something different, but still associated to the lifestyles people are leading. So it may be different formats, which is what we try and do with Shufti and exploring different photographic and production techniques. The content needs relating back to reality, no matter how tenuous this may be.

Anything else you’d like to add, or any other advice you could give to a budding designer?

Be different and push yourself. Look back and explore how designers approached things when there wasn’t a Mac, and understand the basics. Students rely too much on what a Mac can do, it should be used as an aid to maximise your idea.

Opposite: Shufti - a design magazine put out by Vast.


74 75



With regards client work, its always initially based on their needs and objectives, they then rely on us to maximise whatever we are asked to create. We start with the look and feel, and look through the extensive research material we have in the studio. We’ll also look at models and possible locations, and then present all this to the client. Once they are happy, we will then develop design concepts for that job, a look book, website, in-store concepts etc... Once this is agreed, we then commission the photography and create the story. After the shots are selected, the finished design are then completed and delivered in whatever format we are creating for that specific client.

With regards Shufti, we do whatever we want to showcase what we can do as an agency - no boundaries here.


You need to articulate to the customer/reader what you are selling or what story you are telling. A layout that doesn’t communicate this fails on both fronts.


Editorial design is about telling a story, which is what Shufti is about. Creativity and imagination is all that matters here.


Monocle, Inventory, The Rake, Esquire, Wallpaper etc...


I see more value in offering the reader something different, but still associated to the lifestyles people are leading. So it may be different formats, which is what we try and do with Shufti and exploring different photographic and production techniques. The content needs relating back to reality, no matter how tenuous this may be.


Be different and push yourself. Look back and explore how designers approached things when there wasn’t a Mac, and understand the basics. Students rely too much on what a Mac can do, it should be used as an aid to maximise your idea.

Opposite: Shufti - a design magazine put out by Vast.

7776

Interviews / David BaileyEffective Editorial Design

KioskThe Site Gallery

Brown StreetSheffieldS1 2BS


7776

Interviews / David BaileyEffective Editorial Design

KioskThe Site Gallery

Brown StreetSheffieldS1 2BS


79

Interviews / David Bailey


I was never interested in typography or layout initially. I was interested in exciting image-lead communication. The type and layout just came with the territory.

I did gain an interest in typography though. My early influences being as diverse as Josef Muller-Brockmann, David Carson, Tomato, and The Designers Republic.


I ran a clubnight in Sheffield with a group of designers/artists/DJs. I would do illustrations for the flyers, which were then artworked up by one of the designers. Whilst they looked nice, I felt I wanted a stab at composing the final design/layout. So I bought myself a Mac and taught myself how to use Freehand and Photoshop. During this time I got to know fellow Sheffielder Ian Anderson (owner/director of The Designers Republic). He encouraged me to pursue my design interests further.

I undertook an HND in graphic design and wound up being employed by The Designers Republic.


• 60% business matters/correspondence etc • 38% design time • 2% lunch


Anything and everything. No restrictions, no definitions, no rules. Just ideas and communication.


We try to treat every commission, be it well paid, low paid or zero pay, with equal importance. However, studio time and ‘working smart’ often must play a part in how much time we allot each project. Therefore mental pre-planning is key.

Opposite: nottdance09 - Art direction / design of nottdance09, the internationally renowned festival of contemporary dance based in Nottingham, UK.

David Bailey is the creative director of multi-disciplinary design studio Kiosk in Sheffield and is well known throughout the creative industry. He used to work for The Designers Republic who were known for their anti-establishment aesthetics, while simultaneously embracing brash consumerism and the uniform style of corporate brands, such as Orange and Coca Cola. At Kiosk, Bailey leads a team that manages to produce playful yet high quality identities for their clients.


78

79



I was never interested in typography or layout initially. I was interested in exciting image-lead communication. The type and layout just came with the territory.

I did gain an interest in typography though. My early influences being as diverse as Josef Muller-Brockmann, David Carson, Tomato, and The Designers Republic.


I ran a clubnight in Sheffield with a group of designers/artists/DJs. I would do illustrations for the flyers, which were then artworked up by one of the designers. Whilst they looked nice, I felt I wanted a stab at composing the final design/layout. So I bought myself a Mac and taught myself how to use Freehand and Photoshop. During this time I got to know fellow Sheffielder Ian Anderson (owner/director of The Designers Republic). He encouraged me to pursue my design interests further.

I undertook an HND in graphic design and wound up being employed by The Designers Republic.


• 60% business matters/correspondence etc • 38% design time • 2% lunch


Anything and everything. No restrictions, no definitions, no rules. Just ideas and communication.


We try to treat every commission, be it well paid, low paid or zero pay, with equal importance. However, studio time and ‘working smart’ often must play a part in how much time we allot each project. Therefore mental pre-planning is key.

Opposite: nottdance09 - Art direction / design of nottdance09, the internationally renowned festival of contemporary dance based in Nottingham, UK.

David Bailey is the creative director of multi-disciplinary design studio Kiosk in Sheffield and is well known throughout the creative industry. He used to work for The Designers Republic who were known for their anti-establishment aesthetics, while simultaneously embracing brash consumerism and the uniform style of corporate brands, such as Orange and Coca Cola. At Kiosk, Bailey leads a team that manages to produce playful yet high quality identities for their clients.


81


80


Both are as important as each other, but have different duties to fulfill. A cover must draw an audience in. The inner spreads must keep them there.


1. Switch on brain2. Sketch ideas (sometimes)3. Switch on computer4. Design


Contrast and space. If everything were the same size and spaced equally we’d get bored, walk away, and thus learn nothing. Good editorial design should be influenced by good editorial content.


The audience.


Monocle (magazine)The Guardian


Everywhere, thanks to mobile devices.


Have fun. Have a plan B.

Opposite: Art Sheffield - Identity, on & offline advertising and print campaign for Art Sheffield, a biennial citywide

contemporary art festival.


81


80


Both are as important as each other, but have different duties to fulfill. A cover must draw an audience in. The inner spreads must keep them there.


1. Switch on brain2. Sketch ideas (sometimes)3. Switch on computer4. Design


Contrast and space. If everything were the same size and spaced equally we’d get bored, walk away, and thus learn nothing. Good editorial design should be influenced by good editorial content.


The audience.


Monocle (magazine)The Guardian


Everywhere, thanks to mobile devices.


Have fun. Have a plan B.

Opposite: Art Sheffield - Identity, on & offline advertising and print campaign for Art Sheffield, a biennial citywide

contemporary art festival.

8382

Interviews / Axel FeldmannEffective Editorial Design

Objectif9A Peacock Yard

Iliffe StreetLondon

SE17 3LH


8382

Interviews / Axel FeldmannEffective Editorial Design

Objectif9A Peacock Yard

Iliffe StreetLondon

SE17 3LH



84 85

Interviews / Axel Feldmann


I had a natural interest in illustration and printed matter. The college I went to (Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany) had a huge amount of influence on the way I think about design, although being far too dogmatic.


I worked in many different small design studios across europe, before setting up on my own.


25%-50% administrative, 75%-50% design.


I take much inspiration from many different people. I don’t think I have a particular style/ideology, but whatever is appropriate for the specific content.


A lot. I find myself usually working with small budgets (arts/culture) and therefore having to find cheap but nice solutions.


Extremely important, unfortunately.

Axel Feldmann is the creative director at Objectif in London which was established in 2004. In addition to editorial design their work extends to related fields such as exhibition design and narrative architectural environments. Their clients are from a variety of disciplines, with a focus on cultural institutions, education, architecture and fine art. Their approach to design has helped to establish a reputation for work that is simple, clear and playful.

Opposite: Regeneration plan for the town of Leysdown, on the Isle of Sheppey on the Kent Coast.


84 85



I had a natural interest in illustration and printed matter. The college I went to (Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany) had a huge amount of influence on the way I think about design, although being far too dogmatic.


I worked in many different small design studios across europe, before setting up on my own.


25%-50% administrative, 75%-50% design.


I take much inspiration from many different people. I don’t think I have a particular style/ideology, but whatever is appropriate for the specific content.


A lot. I find myself usually working with small budgets (arts/culture) and therefore having to find cheap but nice solutions.


Extremely important, unfortunately.

Axel Feldmann is the creative director at Objectif in London which was established in 2004. In addition to editorial design their work extends to related fields such as exhibition design and narrative architectural environments. Their clients are from a variety of disciplines, with a focus on cultural institutions, education, architecture and fine art. Their approach to design has helped to establish a reputation for work that is simple, clear and playful.

Opposite: Regeneration plan for the town of Leysdown, on the Isle of Sheppey on the Kent Coast.


86 87



First we have a consultation with client to extract the brief from him/her. Close collaboration on the design development. Then quick turnaround once the concept is established.


Follow the content, over and over again.




Sorry, have to pass - will take me too long now to assemble a list.


I’m positive about it - books aren’t going to die out. Magazines will, eventually.


Keep going...

Opposite: Prospectuses for the London College of Printing. Above: Martin Parr photography book.


86 87



First we have a consultation with client to extract the brief from him/her. Close collaboration on the design development. Then quick turnaround once the concept is established.






Sorry, have to pass - will take me too long now to assemble a list.


I’m positive about it - books aren’t going to die out. Magazines will, eventually.


Keep going...

Opposite: Prospectuses for the London College of Printing. Above: Martin Parr photography book.

88


89

Interviews / Holger Jacobs

Mind DesignUnit 33A

Regents Studios8 Andrews Road

LondonE8 4QN


91



I was a punk rocker and wanted to study painting at the art academy in Düsseldorf (Germany) because a lot of other punks were messing around there and were doing wild things. However, they didn’t accept me because my work was too clean and organised. So I got into graphic design and typography where I could do clean and organised things.


After the RCA I wanted to go to Japan. I would have taken any job there but I was lucky and managed to get a job as the art director in a large publishing company more less by coincidence. After returning from Japan I continued designing books but tried very hard to do projects in other areas of design as well. Now we mostly do corporate identity projects which combine everything from print to web, to interior design. Our work has been shown in quite a few magazines, books and on blogs. I guess there is a certain snowball effect, once you are in one or two publications others follow.


Answering e-mails. They never stop coming.


Friends and people I worked with. Mostly from Switzerland. Art Deco. The work for the Mexico Olympics by Lance Wyman. A lot of inspiration also comes from the printing process and various other production processes.


It should play a far bigger role than it does. We never really time our work to the budget. We just work until we are happy with the result. Maybe thats why we are so broke.


The marketing people always think its the most important thing. I disagree with that.

Opposite: Circus cocktail bar booklet.

Holger Jacobs is creative director of Mind Design, an independent London based graphic design studio founded in 1999. Mind Design focuses on integrated design which combines corporate identity, print, web and interior design. They work for a wide range of clients across various sectors. Their work demonstrates a passion for craftsmanship and typography and do not try to separate content and form. Their work is exciting because they do not follow a house style; every piece is unique.


90

91



I was a punk rocker and wanted to study painting at the art academy in Düsseldorf (Germany) because a lot of other punks were messing around there and were doing wild things. However, they didn’t accept me because my work was too clean and organised. So I got into graphic design and typography where I could do clean and organised things.


After the RCA I wanted to go to Japan. I would have taken any job there but I was lucky and managed to get a job as the art director in a large publishing company more less by coincidence. After returning from Japan I continued designing books but tried very hard to do projects in other areas of design as well. Now we mostly do corporate identity projects which combine everything from print to web, to interior design. Our work has been shown in quite a few magazines, books and on blogs. I guess there is a certain snowball effect, once you are in one or two publications others follow.


Answering e-mails. They never stop coming.


Friends and people I worked with. Mostly from Switzerland. Art Deco. The work for the Mexico Olympics by Lance Wyman. A lot of inspiration also comes from the printing process and various other production processes.


It should play a far bigger role than it does. We never really time our work to the budget. We just work until we are happy with the result. Maybe thats why we are so broke.


The marketing people always think its the most important thing. I disagree with that.

Opposite: Circus cocktail bar booklet.

Holger Jacobs is creative director of Mind Design, an independent London based graphic design studio founded in 1999. Mind Design focuses on integrated design which combines corporate identity, print, web and interior design. They work for a wide range of clients across various sectors. Their work demonstrates a passion for craftsmanship and typography and do not try to separate content and form. Their work is exciting because they do not follow a house style; every piece is unique.


93


92


I think of the printing or production method first. Then I start structuring and organising the content. The actual design comes very late and can be based on rather spontaneous ideas or random influences. I almost design backwards.


It really depends on the content. In some publications the layout should just serve the content and communicate it as good as possible. In other publication the layout can be more expressive and become content in itself. However, there are some basic typographic rules that should be followed in both cases.


See above. There are practical reasons as well. Especially with books. Books are usually paid quite badly so it is important to develop a grid and a system that allows you to design a book relatively fast. I used to be very good at designing very functional grids. One of the important things was when there were standard picture sizes to start developing the grid based on those.


I think most Swiss books are very well designed.


The death of print has been predicted too many times. I think print design will always be there. An i-pad just doesn’t have the same smell as freshly printed uncoated paper.


If you want to earn money don’t become a book designer. If you want to learn about design that will help you in all other areas as well then do.

Opposite top: Tom Dixon catalogue.Opposite bottom: Cupcake brochure.


93


92


I think of the printing or production method first. Then I start structuring and organising the content. The actual design comes very late and can be based on rather spontaneous ideas or random influences. I almost design backwards.


It really depends on the content. In some publications the layout should just serve the content and communicate it as good as possible. In other publication the layout can be more expressive and become content in itself. However, there are some basic typographic rules that should be followed in both cases.


See above. There are practical reasons as well. Especially with books. Books are usually paid quite badly so it is important to develop a grid and a system that allows you to design a book relatively fast. I used to be very good at designing very functional grids. One of the important things was when there were standard picture sizes to start developing the grid based on those.


I think most Swiss books are very well designed.


The death of print has been predicted too many times. I think print design will always be there. An i-pad just doesn’t have the same smell as freshly printed uncoated paper.


If you want to earn money don’t become a book designer. If you want to learn about design that will help you in all other areas as well then do.

Opposite top: Tom Dixon catalogue.Opposite bottom: Cupcake brochure.

9594

Interviews / Ken LeungEffective Editorial Design

Modern Publicity47B Elizabeth Avenue

LondonN1 3BQ


9594

Interviews / Ken LeungEffective Editorial Design

Modern Publicity47B Elizabeth Avenue

LondonN1 3BQ



96 97

Interviews / Ken Leung

Where are you from originally?

I was born in Kuala Lumpur but my family moved to Perth when I was two months old, so I am very much an Australian.

When and how did you come to be interested in graphic design?

I was rarely without my Textas (marker pens) as a kid and I remember spending hours drawing the logos of my favourite brands onto reams of computer paper. By the age of 10, I had pretty much memorized most of the well known corporate identities.

Who or what are your influences?

My bookshelves are mainly filled with monographs of all the great modernist graphic designers and typographers. I am also influenced from other areas like music, architecture and film as I think it helps to bring a fresh perspective to my work. I get just as inspired by the beauty and simplicity of a Mogwai track as I do from a Jost Hochuli book.

What was your first design job?

I started off as a newspaper designer straight out of university which taught me how to work to very tight deadlines. It also got me really interested in editorial design even though at the time I was being advised to go into web as print was supposedly dying. I am so glad I stayed with print as I think newspapers and magazines will always be an important source of information and entertainment.

Ken Leung started his career in newspapers before moving to Melbourne in 2003 where he established Ken Leung Design, a design consultancy which worked on start up magazines such as Poster and The Age Melbourne Magazine as well as book projects and corporate identity. Relocating to London in 2005 he worked for Icon magazine, Nick Bell Design and Winkreative before joining Creative Director Richard Spencer Powell to work on the launch of Monocle magazine in late 2006. He has now founded a new design consultancy called Modern Publicity.

Opposite: Monocle magazine front covers.


96 97


Where are you from originally?

I was born in Kuala Lumpur but my family moved to Perth when I was two months old, so I am very much an Australian.

When and how did you come to be interested in graphic design?

I was rarely without my Textas (marker pens) as a kid and I remember spending hours drawing the logos of my favourite brands onto reams of computer paper. By the age of 10, I had pretty much memorized most of the well known corporate identities.

Who or what are your influences?

My bookshelves are mainly filled with monographs of all the great modernist graphic designers and typographers. I am also influenced from other areas like music, architecture and film as I think it helps to bring a fresh perspective to my work. I get just as inspired by the beauty and simplicity of a Mogwai track as I do from a Jost Hochuli book.

What was your first design job?

I started off as a newspaper designer straight out of university which taught me how to work to very tight deadlines. It also got me really interested in editorial design even though at the time I was being advised to go into web as print was supposedly dying. I am so glad I stayed with print as I think newspapers and magazines will always be an important source of information and entertainment.

Ken Leung started his career in newspapers before moving to Melbourne in 2003 where he established Ken Leung Design, a design consultancy which worked on start up magazines such as Poster and The Age Melbourne Magazine as well as book projects and corporate identity. Relocating to London in 2005 he worked for Icon magazine, Nick Bell Design and Winkreative before joining Creative Director Richard Spencer Powell to work on the launch of Monocle magazine in late 2006. He has now founded a new design consultancy called Modern Publicity.

Opposite: Monocle magazine front covers.


98 99


How did you get involved with Monocle?

There were a handful of creative agencies that I really wanted to work for when I first moved to London. Winkreative was at the top of my list because of its editorial background (being owned by Tyler Brûlé from Wallpaper*), as well an amazing body of corporate identity work like Stella McCartney, Craft Design Technology and Swiss Airlines. I worked with them on a variety of editorial and branding projects until Tyler started Monocle and I was brought on to work on the launch in late 2006.

Monocle’s layout is built upon a rigid grid based structure. What led you to head in that direction?

Monocle’s design philosophy is an unquestionable nod to Swiss graphic design. The Brockmann-style grids provide a strong foundation to begin building and designing a page in the most legible and concise way possible. Using such a strict grid also enforces restraint, which, in my opinion is where the most interesting design comes from.

I notice many of the illustrators you collaborate with for Monocle have a similar aesthetic. Could explain your selection process?

I choose illustrators that display a sense of craftmanship and detail in their work. They should have confident styles that aren’t based on trends or an over-reliance of technology. A sense of wit never goes astray either.

If you had to recommend 2 books to another designer what would they be?

“Grid Systems in Graphic Design” by Josef Müller-Brockmann is a great reference for designing with grids. I also love the Japanese design magazine IDEA that produces comprehensive monographs of famous designers every issue.

What are you currently working on?

After Art Directing 25 issues of Monocle I have just gone freelance to concentrate on independent work. Currently, I’m focusing on a couple of editorial projects in New York so hopefully you’ll see more of my work on newsstands soon.

Opposite top: Spreads from Monocle magazine.Opposite bottom: Monocle corportate identity work.


98 99


How did you get involved with Monocle?

There were a handful of creative agencies that I really wanted to work for when I first moved to London. Winkreative was at the top of my list because of its editorial background (being owned by Tyler Brûlé from Wallpaper*), as well an amazing body of corporate identity work like Stella McCartney, Craft Design Technology and Swiss Airlines. I worked with them on a variety of editorial and branding projects until Tyler started Monocle and I was brought on to work on the launch in late 2006.

Monocle’s layout is built upon a rigid grid based structure. What led you to head in that direction?

Monocle’s design philosophy is an unquestionable nod to Swiss graphic design. The Brockmann-style grids provide a strong foundation to begin building and designing a page in the most legible and concise way possible. Using such a strict grid also enforces restraint, which, in my opinion is where the most interesting design comes from.

I notice many of the illustrators you collaborate with for Monocle have a similar aesthetic. Could explain your selection process?

I choose illustrators that display a sense of craftmanship and detail in their work. They should have confident styles that aren’t based on trends or an over-reliance of technology. A sense of wit never goes astray either.

If you had to recommend 2 books to another designer what would they be?

“Grid Systems in Graphic Design” by Josef Müller-Brockmann is a great reference for designing with grids. I also love the Japanese design magazine IDEA that produces comprehensive monographs of famous designers every issue.

What are you currently working on?

After Art Directing 25 issues of Monocle I have just gone freelance to concentrate on independent work. Currently, I’m focusing on a couple of editorial projects in New York so hopefully you’ll see more of my work on newsstands soon.

Opposite top: Spreads from Monocle magazine.Opposite bottom: Monocle corportate identity work.

BibliographyBooks:

Balius, A. (2003) Type At Work: The Use Of Type In Editorial Design, BIS Publishers, Amsterdam.

Foges, C. (1999) Magazine Design, RotoVision, Hove, East Sussex

King, S. (2001) Magazine Design That Works, Rockport Publishers Inc, Gloucester, Massachusetts.

Leslie, J. (2003) magCulture: New Magazine Design, Laurence King Publishing, London.

Losowsky, A. (2007) We Love Magazines, Editions Mike Koedinger, Luxumbourg.

Moser, H. (2007) The Art Director’s Handbook Of Professional Magazine Design, Thames and Hudson, London.

Muller-Brockmann, J. (1996) Grid Systems In Graphic Design, Verlag Niggli AG, Switzerland.

Rothstein, J. (2007) Designing Magazines, Allworth Press, New York.

Zappaterra, Y. (2007) Editorial Design, Laurence King Publishing, London.


100

Websites:

www.1designsource.comwww.andsmithdesign.comwww.artofthegrid.comwww.blurb.comwww.brainyquote.comwww.cargocollective.com/emilytuwww.creativereview.co.ukwww.dandad.typepad.comwww.dhnn.com.arwww.emigre.comwww.eyemagazine.comwww.fusioncreativeservices.co.ukwww.grainedit.comwww.graphic-design.comwww.issuu.comwww.kristineddington.comwww.letskiosk.comwww.lulu.comwww.magculture.comwww.magforum.comwww.minddesign.co.ukwww.modernpublicity.comwww.nylonmag.comwww.objectif.co.ukwww.pentagram.comwww.redhouselane.com

www.spd.orgwww.tbgd.co.ukwww.ted.comwww.thedesignersrepublic.comwww.thevastagency.comwww.thirteen.co.ukwww.zinio.com

Interviews:

Matt Austin, Vast - email interview.David Bailey, Kiosk - email interview.Axel Feldmann, Objectif - email interview.Holger Jacobs, Mind Design - email interview.Ken Leung, Modern Publicity - Grain Edit interview.

Thom Bennett, TBGD - email interview.Mike Brough, Fusion - email interview.Antonio Carusone, AisleOne - email interview.Paul Felton, Purpose - email interview.Adam Nash, BrandNew - email interview.

Bibliography

101

AcknowledgementsI would like to say thank you to all of the designers who took the time out of their busy schedules to answer my questions. Most designers these days won’t give students the support they need to succeed in the industry so the fact that all of you delivered on your promise to help is greatly appreciated. Your input has been invaluable in the putting together of this book. It has been very interesting to discover how you got started in the industry. I feel that I have learned a lot by reading through the responses as well as looking through your work.

I would also like to take this opportunity to say thank you to all the tutors who have helped me at Leeds College Of Art. The past three years have been the best of my life and I believe it is all down to this fantastic course and its tutors. You have given me the support I needed to grow as a designer, find my area of specialism and complete the course even when the odds were against me.

Thank you,

Caroline Henson


102

COVER

Documents

Final Book