The document provides guidance for a magazine design and production project. It outlines that the student must design the front page and two double page spreads for an original business-to-business magazine. One double page spread must feature two separate articles, while the other shows one article. The student will need to research the chosen topic, conduct competitor analysis of other B2B magazines, and demonstrate pre-production techniques. They must also produce one product review, one interview, and one in-depth feature article. The document provides examples of potential magazine topics and considerations for each. It also analyzes layout examples from existing B2B magazines.
2. Magazine Design and Production
I am required to plan and design a front page and 2 double
page spreads for a business to business magazine. One
double page spread needs to show two separate articles and
the other you need to show one article
The subject of the magazine must be an original idea that
does not already exist on the market.
I will be required to show research into why I chose the topic
and show research into other business to business
magazines.
In addition, I will need to demonstrate pre production
techniques and suitable subbing practices.
The articles I need to produce should include
◦ One Product Review
◦ One Interview
◦ One In depth feature article
3.
4. I need to come up with a number of ideas to
research and develop so as to come up with a
final original magazine ideas so as to give me
flexibility and not get stuck into narrow-
mindedness
The ideas should ideally be aimed at things I am
interested in, this will allow me to keep up my
pace of work and make the magazine feel more
readable and show a greater level of knowledge.
The ideas I have at this stage are
◦ A Private Military magazine
◦ A Photography based magazine
◦ An Airsoft magazine aimed at retailers
5. These images are a selection to give a little
inspiration to my ideas and provide an
insight into potential magazine content
and be something I can refer back to at a
later stage for ideas these images are of
consumer magazines this is die to there
only being Airsoft magazines aimed at
consumers the only thing available to
retailers are magazines from
manufacturers.
7. I am going to talk briefly about why I chose to look at an Airsoft magazine.
I chose to look at an Airsoft magazine due to it being a subject area I know lots about as well
as being a hobby I take part in.
The current market for Airsoft magazines is one that is dominated by a few magazines namely
AI (Airsoft international) the magazine has the highest circulation among the genres
internationally however it is a UK based magazine and its main target are those Airsofters in
the UK. There are a number of magazines worldwide as highlighted in my image board but
since the UK market is so restricted and that is what I am creating my magazine for I do not
need to consider them in massive detail as to there impact. The magazines that are available
however are aimed at consumers and not retailers and therefore gives me a huge opening into
the market which is potentially rather large with there being hundreds of Airsoft shops in the
UK and thousands world wide the trends in Airsoft are the same internationally therefore there
will always be a market
The areas I may be able to look at are which guns to stock which accessories etc are popular,
interviews with manufacturers or other shops.
The Airsoft market is incredibly male dominated so that would be where I aim my magazine
with possibly some opening for a female section or female based marketing
The current age range for consumer magazines is 16-35 as this is usually the age of the
people that play store owners however tend to be 25+ and are generally in social grouping C
there background tend to be ex armed forces and ex skilled manual workers. An estimated
income of 30k a year per store.
8. The positives to this magazine idea is that there are none in the UK market I know
this because I know a number of retailers personally.
The fact there are no magazines aimed at this area is a positive this means I have
almost as much freedom as I want in terms of focus. Because of this I would
probably cover a broad area making the magazine as appealing as possible to as
many retailers as possible and possibly even the consumers that are interested in
the business side of things of the Airsoft world
Other ways to make it original would be through choosing one area of the Airsoft
industry and basing the magazine on that for equipment this would be a great
area with this I could even lure in another potential target or Airsoft
weapons/parts etc.
The cons of an Airsoft magazine the subject is limited making content ideas difficult
to cover there are literally only 3 areas equipment guns and parts however those
areas there is a fair amount to talk about each area. The fact there isn't already a
b2b magazine may suggest there is no market for it.
With the subject being one that is not widely know and an already dominated market
commercially this idea would be incredibly difficult to get off the ground if the
subject was more widely known it would be less of an issue.
The magazine would be controlled circulation with the potential to open up into a
subscription for some consumers that find out about it, income would be from
sponsorships and adverts
9.
10. Aim at retailers
Audience
18+
Market
dominated
Male and female
can be catered
for
Broad range of
sub genres
Saturated
market
Interview with
manufacturer
Equipment
review
Camera
review
Photography
Specialisation
into one area
Vintage
Photography
I know lots about
the subject
Interviews with high
end photographers
Aim at
photography
companies
11. I am going to talk briefly about why I chose to look at an photography magazine
idea.
I chose to look at a Photography magazine due to it being a subject area I know
lots about as well as being my job and a hobby.
The current market for Photography magazines is one that is dominated by a few
large named magazines such as Professional Photographer magazine the
magazine has expanded massively taking the lead with its photographer of the
year award that is world renound the magazine has the highest circulation among
the genre internationally however it doesn't cover any one subject in massive
depth which could be where I stand to make a mark although many magazines
have done this choosing a niche such as fashion photography, digital photo
editing etc etc. There are a number of magazines worldwide as highlighted in my
image board but the UK magazine market is saturated by photography magazines
both consumer and b2b. In terms of b2b magazines many of them have made
there way into the consumer market and are highly popular such as the British
Journal of Photography
I have no choice but to diversify this could be by aiming my magazine at retailers
of vintage cameras and equipment
The magazine could be aimed at retailers and or high end photographers or
photography companies or even modelling agencies and i could tailor the
magazine to advertise photography companies and modelling things to models
and agencies
12. The positives for a photography magazine are; I know exactly
what I am talking about so the magazine would come across as
knowledgeable and professional in its mannerisms.
As well as this the genre of photography can be effectively used
to cover almost any subject i will be aiming it if i do this idea at
photography companies so products such as cameras for use by
staff and lighting equipment would be things most likely to look
at.
Cons are the market is saturated and already owned by a group
of huge magazines that effectively cover all of the main subject
areas people are interested in as well as all the class types
The social class for this magazine would be classes A and B with
an income bearing in mind they are a photography company 80-
100k per year
The magazine would be both subscription and controlled
circulation with the bulk of profits from adverts
15. I am going to talk briefly about why I chose to look at
Military magazine idea specifically private military
I chose to look at a private military magazine due to it
being a subject area I know lots about and have a few
reliable contacts within the business.
There is currently not a single private military magazine
that I could find on the market yet I know there is space
for one with my contacts telling me this
Because there are no existing magazines already to make
it appealing I would have to cover a broad range of topics.
The magazine would be almost fully aimed at men as the
industry is heavily male dominated
There are magazines for armed forces however these are
specific to National standing armies and not to private
military users and are mostly US based.
16. The Pros are I know lots about the subject and have a few
reliable sources in the business.
The subjects i can cover are huge and therefore allows
flexibility
There is a wide interest in both the civilian world and
private military world into the subject so there is the
possibility of opening the magazine up to subscription and
one off sales however primarily it would be controlled
circulation.
The cons of the magazine is that because of the target
audience are on a strange social scale vs. pay scale.
There is a limited amount of products on the market so it
would have to be at a minimum of quarterly if not
6monthly magazine meaning it would have to be packed
full of content and have a large reliance on advertising and
sponsorship
17. Looking at my ideas it seems to me the best bet would be to go
for the Private military magazine as it allows me to use my
contacts effectively.
Initially I thought a photography magazine would be where I
would go however the market is too heavily flooded to even
attempt to enter. So since I know about the industry
I have direct contact with the CEO of a military company and I have
contact both indirect and direct with PMC personnel
Ability to write with first hand product knowledge and personal
accounts from personnel and in terms of products I myself have
first had knowledge.
I know the people that have no representation in the magazine
market and from this can easily find out what they want
There is no competition as there are no other magazine either
commercial or b2b that has any direct correlation so therefore it
makes sense to do this.
My target audience are 25+ with an average income of £60k and
are usually single. They have a difficult social group as they are
technically highly skilled professionals however tend to have a
low level of education So I would place them in groups B and C
18.
19. The task we have been set which from what I
have found is very rare to find in B2B magazines
is to have two 500 word articles on a double
page spread and one 1000word article on a
double page spread the 1000word article is
something fairly common its the two
500hundreds that are rare to have together so
analysing layouts where this has happened is
very difficult most use a single page article then
a full page advert or have a single page and 3 or
4 smaller stories on the next page so I will have
to analyse that first and if i find any matching the
task of course look at those I am not hopeful at
doing this however
20. For my project I have to create a double page this page has done this rather well with the article
carrying a noticeable but none intrusive headline that does not distract too much from the rest
of the layout a clear stand first directly below helps this layout. The layout is a lot like many b2b
magazines in the way that it is tidy and unlike consumer magazines so much easier to read
many consumer magazines are aimed at people of a lower social grade i will compare B2B
layouts to consumer magazines once I have looked at B2B. The images are laid out in a way as
to not interrupt the flow of text only one pull quote is used. The way the images are laid out is
effective and tidy they show off the products that the company they talk about is producing
The plain white background
allows images to stand out
and become far more punchy
the magazine tends to use the
colour red a lot for titles and
here have used it in the main
title the whole magazine
follows a tight design scheme
most pages show an image of
the person that wrote the
article this is something that I
see as unrequired as the
industry I am aiming my
magazine at is very closed
doors on identities etc so its
not something that the
readership would be
interested in knowing. The
page carries a section heading
in the top left to show what
part of the magazine the
person is reading this allows
people to easily flip through
to the correct section quickly
if they wish to find the page
again quickly and expose the
readership effectively to other
pages in the section creating
a balanced and fair system
meaning clients/sponsors all
seen as equals. The sub
editing however appears to
have left a number of orphans
something that to me at least
is very distracting and makes
some sections difficult to read
sub editing will have to be a
high priority
21. This is another great
example for page layouts
the page is balanced in
the way the images are
used in the top left and
the bottom and top right.
The way images are used
in the larger articles are
highly important they
highlight exactly what is
going on in the article,
images can be a selling
point for a company
visual stimulation is a
huge factor in decision
making for a person in
this particular magazine
they are highlighting the
way atmosphere of the
audience how they can
make the arena look
impressive and an insight
into the quality of there
work. The bottom right
image is an advert for the
company. Again like on
the previous page I
looked at there is a
heading for the part of
the magazine that this
article is in.
Again as with the previous magazine layout the background of the article is white this seems to be a trend across b2b
magazines so possibly something I should be wary of when designing my own pages. Red is used heavily for headings as with
the other and both magazines are from 2 completely different publishing houses. This may be down to red being the second
colour the eye sees yellow is always the first colour the eye sees however the colour yellow is difficult to read on a white
background. I will be talking later about colour theory to back up what I have just said. The uniform colour scheme is easy and
appealing on the eyes the large bulk of text however looks like it requires better sub editing with again many orphans and 2
words barely going on the line leaving lots of white space. Here a serif font is used the curves make the font feel more natural
and give what might be seen as a relaxed feel to the title
22. Again using the colour
red to pick out areas the
writer thought as
important this appears to
be a pattern so
something I will
incorporate into my own
designs. This piece is a
mix of in depth article
and interview an idea that
I rather like adding depth
to my an in depth piece
and experience to the
article the images here
are centralised and the
page appears messy so
not a layout I would be
following I do like the
content and the fact it
has been well sub edited
with only one orphan in
the article that I can see
the image captions are
bold and stand out due
to the boxes they have
been put in. the article
again only uses one pull
quote this again seems to
be a popular theme
throughout b2b
magazines for in depth
articles this may be as
too many can distract
from the article and can
appear as too
consumerist. Once again
the page carries a section
header on the top.
The text at the top is difficult to read as there is no framing across the top just white
space. The layout has in my opinion all the right things to include just hasn't balanced
the items in a proper manner with everything being all over the page making it difficult
to read the reason i looked at this was as I keep saying because of what it includes. Page
numbers and the name of the magazine are also another feature included on every page
of all the magazines this is most likely so that if a page is taken out of a magazine it can
be easily referenced for others so they know where its from which issue and which page
so they themselves can read the article
23. This is obviously a singly article like i
have previously mentioned its not
next to a second article as this
appears to be rare for 2 full articles to
be next to each other. However this
layout (the left hand page) uses what
appears to be a standard layout for
B2B magazines again with all the
basic features that are also on the
double page so the title page number
section header etc again using one
pull quote that sums up as much of
the text as possible and draws the
readers eye to read through and find
it within the text the images set out
form a good balance to the text
making both easy to look at as
separate entities. Drop caps seem to
be a common feature as well this is
something almost all magazines both
consumer and B2B. Again a plain
white background similar to that of
the other pages I have looked at there
is not a great deal of variety with B2B
magazines with them all using almost
the same design layouts many of
them do not have a full time designer
this may be why many magazines are
the same as lots of companies will use
the same designer/group of
designers. The B2B style suits my own
designing style with much of the text
and images being in a very uniformed
manner.
In contrast with what i have seen so
far there is no red used in this piece
maybe that is only used for the more
in depth pieces to highlight main
areas. This font used here for the title
is sans serif it works here because it is
related to slightly geeky subjects with
it being the standard font of word
processors etc it adds minor interest
to a dull font in this case a serif font
in this instance would not be the font
of choice simply because of the
subject serif is more related to more
relaxed subjects
24. As you can tell this double page
spread effectively places its main
images that are the impact of the
piece across the top of the page the
end two images provide a frame for
the others by being of a similar
theme/nature the central images
add more detail to the story the way
this layout is setup similar to one of
the previous layout where the
images across the top can be looked
at as a separate object without
interference from the body of text
and vice versa. The title in this
layout is much bolder than the rest i
have seen possible use of colour
theory used here with blue being the
favourite colour of the human brain
attracting the eye to the title very
quickly . The stand first seems
rather long although this may be
because of the size, within the stand
first the writers name is in bold to
draw attention in a subtle manner.
The title uses a serif type font which
seems to work well if it was a sans
serif font I can imagine it would over
complicate this title which works
well as a simple form. Most of the
double page spreads seem to have
sub headings something that may
be worth looking into. Again page
numbers and such have been
included as a standard
25. This front cover is simple not particularly
busy however it is eye grabbing leading
with one main image and the
headline/tagline of the main article within
the magazine and just below that is a
section highlighting other features within
the magazine. The title is a serif font the
name of the magazine is simple and tells
you straight away who it is for impact is led
straight to the word Engineer through the
use of low caps on the so that it is hardly
noticed next below that is the tagline for
the magazine advertising the fact that they
are possibly “first for technology &
innovation” this is then followed up by a
website issue date and price. The price
suggests this magazine is also available for
consumers. There isn't a great deal on the
front cover this suggests that B2B magazine
already have there audience (possible
through controlled circulation) so the likely
hood is it will be read no matter what if it is
placed in a prime spot in this case for
engineers. The title is the most eye catching
part of this image done through the use of
large font and the red dot above the I this
draws the eye immediately as i have
previously mentioned and will discuss
further because of colour theory
26. Here the title is obviously at the top
followed by there standard tagline
they use a quote from someone as a
backup tagline this I can only assume
changes every issue. The background
image stands out well with the
subjects arm reaching in front of the
title showing importance and seems
to relate to the headline Keys to the
world... The magazine layout isn't
too busy at all using 3 headlines one
main and 2 small keep the clutter
down as aforementioned in the
previous layout B2B don't need
massive amounts of detail on the
front cover as they have a guaranteed
readership the front cover seems to
be there only to draw attention from
other magazines if the issue reaches
retail or if there are a number of
magazines of a similar type.
27.
28. Colour theory is a key area to look at in any form of design as there are so many
issues in regards to using colour, whether these are cultural as in some cultures
certain colours carry different meanings/emotions to western/ European culture or
evoke certain emotional responses the designer has to consider the impact colour
will have.
There are a number of definitions/areas within colour theory the main
definitions/areas are; the colour wheel, this takes colour theory to its basics
showing how different colours work together there are a number of colour
combinations and each combination of colours works differently dependant on the
context it is used within, the next is colour harmony this works alongside the
colour wheel essentially this is pretty much how the colours react to each other
and finally the context of how colours are used ie using colour to set a certain
mood
The main theories for colour are set out so as to create a basic outline/structure
for the use of colour.
The colour wheel is based on the three basic colours Red, Yellow and Blue (RGB)
this has been accepted as the norm since the creation of the colour wheel in 1666
and has been used by artists and designers ever since. There are variations of this
colour wheel which have developed and progressed alongside the advance of
technology for example in the printing industry the colours Cyan, Magenta, Yellow
and Key (Key being black and meaning it’s the key colour for creating tones)
29. The colour wheel is broken down into 3 areas Primary (the base colours which are
RGB) n traditional colour theory (used in paint and pigments), primary colours are
the 3 base colours that cannot be created through the use of mixing other colours
all colour is based on the primary colours.
Secondary colours are formed through mixing the primary colours and from there
allow the development of more complex colours and tones and are Green, Orange
and Purple
Tertiary colours these are the colours created by mixing a primary and secondary
colour and the debate of whether a colour is blue green or green blue etc was
formed. (sorry I couldn’t help but mention the silly argument over the name of a
colour) The theory behind colour is incredibly important to consider it sets the
mood of the work and can sway the mood of the viewer in a number of ways.
Firstly there needs to be a warm colour to draw the viewer in warm colours are
more likely to attract attention than cold colours for example here the red stands
out over the blue the eye is constantly drawn to the red even if we swap them
round this is still the case so I need at least one warm colour on each page to
drawer in the viewer and grab attention
30.
31. In 2004 a survey carried out at the Seoul International Colour exhibition showed that colour
and marketing had a very common very strong relationship. I carried out my own survey to see
if this was still the case and my results showed a similar correlation. Below are the results of
the 2004 survey and below that are the results of my own survey.
92.6% of people questioned suggested that visual factors played most of the part in wanting to
purchase a product whereas only 5.6% said that they put most importance on physical factors
and that the sense of touch is important, hearing and smell highlighted as the least effective
manner with only 0.9% each of people saying this was key. This suggests that my magazine
needs to be visually stimulating and potentially even to draw in the second largest area by
potentially using embossing to raise letters and perhaps even images themselves so as to give
the minority of people something to be drawn to therefore potentially expanding my market
share.
When the same people were asked to suggest the importance of colour when buying a product
84.7% of them said that colour makes up about half of their decision in whether to purchase a
product or not. This suggests that i need to be incredibly careful in the way i use colour as if
half of a person’s decision is based on colour then the theory of colour is one that i need to
pay very close attention too.
2. Research reveals people make a subconscious judgment about a person, environment, or
product within 90 seconds of initial viewing and that between 62% and 90% of that assessment
is based on colour alone.
Source: CCICOLOR - Institute for Colour Research. This suggests that the initial opinions of
people will more or less make or break buying a product before they have even taken in the
content of my product this is something that i defiantly have to address as a major issue.
3. Research by the Henley Centre suggests 73% of purchasing decisions are now made in-
store. Consequently, catching the shopper's eye and conveying information effectively are
critical to successful sales.
32. I looked briefly at 2 case studies i found that highlight the importance of colour and ther effect
that it has had on the marketplace, and the way that colour has in fact revolutionised
marketing within two well established companies.
1. Colour increases brand recognition by up to 80 percent
Source: University of Loyola, Maryland study
2. Case Study: Heinz
Heinz had massive amount of success when the released the product Heinz EZ Squirt Blastin'
Green ketchup the success came when over 10million bottle of the Ketchup was sold in
6months of the product being released Heinz had to keep their factories running 24/7 to keep
up with demand the product in this first 6months generated a sales revenue of 23million
dollars the highest sales increase in the company’s history the only difference with the product
was the colour this along highlights the importance of colour and how it can effect companies.
3. Case Study: Apple Computer
Apple is another company that has benefitted from the use of colour in their products going
from a company that was suffering massive losses and had in fact lost 1.8billion dollars in 2
years alone due to the market being dominated by other market giants to a company that now
releases a new product that is snapped up by millions every few months. The method this has
been done was originally done by bring about the use of colour in their products this on the
iMac and IPod’s bringing individuality and choice to the consumer this stood out against the
blacks and greys of the old market which has since developed with companies such as dell
cashing in on the splashing of colour.
33. Colour Increases Memory
The following sections are extracts that I will make comments on so as to show why I have included them within
this project
If a picture is worth a thousand words, a picture with natural colours may be worth a million, memory-wise.
Psychologists have documented that "living colour" does more than appeal to the senses. It also boosts memory
for scenes in the natural world.
By hanging an extra "tag" of data on visual scenes, colour helps us to process and store images more efficiently
than colourless (black and white) scenes, and as a result to remember them better, too.
Source: The findings were reported in the May 2002 issue of the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning,
Memory and Cognition, published by the American Psychological Association (APA)
"The Contributions of Colour to Recognition Memory for Natural Scenes," Felix A. Wichmann, Max-Planck Institut
für Biologische Kybernetik and Oxford University; Lindsay T. Sharpe, Universität Tübingen and University of
Newcastle; and Karl R. Gegenfurtner, Max-Plank Institut für Biologische Kybernetik and Justus-Liebig-Universität
Giessen; Journal of Experimental Psychology – Learning, Memory and Cognition, Vol 28. No.3., 5-May-2002
I have included this because i see it as yet another issue to assess as if a customer is in a shop and see’s my
product i want them to be able to remember it as i have found just from personal experience most consumers
browse and come back later to purchase something therefore i want my product in this instance my magazine to
stand out against the background of the hundreds of magazines on the shelf, my aim is to use misconception to
grab the readers of other magazines by using similar designs layouts fonts etc i have found as well from
personal experience i take an initial glance pick up a magazine pay then look what i have purchased when i later
read it and it has been on a few occasions i have picked up the wrong magazine and from this i have in fact
changed from the magazines i used to read to those i read now all because the initial look of the magazine
caught my eye due to remembering the layout of the magazines i used to read if that makes sense which i hope
it does as by this stage talking about colour and colour theory is really starting to kill my brain.
Colour Engages and Increases Participation
Ads in colour are read up to 42% more often than the same ads in black and white (as shown in study on phone
directory ads).
Source: White, Jan V., Colour for Impact, Strathmoor Press, April, 1997
Essentially this is telling me to keep away from simple black and white which makes sense unless the image i
use is so impacting and contrasting that it stands out against the rest of the images on the covers.
34. Colour Informs
Colour can improve readership by 40 percent 1, learning from 55 to 78 percent 2, and comprehension by 73 percent 3.
(1)"Business Papers in Colour. Just a Shade Better", Modern Office Technology, July 1989, Vol. 34, No. 7, pp. 98-102
(2) Embry, David, "The Persuasive Properties of Colour", Marketing Communications, October 1984.
(3) Johnson, Virginia, "The Power of Colour", Successful Meetings, June 1992, Vol 41, No. 7, pp. 87, 90.
Just another example on the importance of colour on this issue an example here would be a paper like the sun it will always stand out
against the rest of the newspapers on a shelf due to its massive use of colours this has been a key area in their marketing campaign
readership though for papers are generally down to the different class areas etc but the colours of the paper stand out more than the rest
of the papers this issue links with the point below about how colour attracts attention.
Colour Attracts Attention
Frequently Cited "Facts"
Tests indicate that a black and white image may sustain interest for less than two-thirds a second, whereas a colour image may hold the
attention for two seconds or more. (A product has one-twentieth of a second to halt the customer's attention on a shelf or display.)
People cannot process every object within view at one time. Therefore, colour can be used as a tool to emphasize or de-emphasize areas.
An American insurance company used colour to highlight key information on their invoices. As a result, they began receiving customer
payments an average of 14 days earlier.
Other Research
92% Believe colour presents an image of impressive quality
90% Feel colour can assist in attracting new customers
90% Believe customers remember presentations and documents better when colour is used
83% Believe colour makes them appear more successful
81% Think colour gives them a competitive edge
76% Believe that the use of colour makes their business appear larger to clients
Source: Conducted by Xerox Corporation and International Communications Research from February 19, 2003 to March 7, 2003, margin
of error of +/- 3.1%.
In our current state of evolution, vision is the primary source for all our experiences. (Current marketing research has reported that
approximately 80% of what we assimilate through the senses, is visual.)
Our nervous system requires input and stimulation. (Consider the effects of solitary confinement in jails.) With respect to visual input, we
become bored in the absence of a variety of colours and shapes. Consequently, colour addresses one of our basic neurological needs for
stimulation.
This highlights that where colour is the mind is stimulated therefore i need enough colour so as to stimulate the viewer but not too much
so as to overdo it and therefore de-stimulate the viewer over stimulation is as good as no stimulation with my magazine theme however i
cannot seeing that as an issue I will struggle with.
35. Fonts are a key area to look at as fonts can attract or scare off a viewer, fonts have to be easy enough for a viewer to read yet complex enough to be attention grabbing, the font should
also be relative to the article for example a serious article requires a font that will not belittle the seriousness yet should also be creative. I am going to limit the amount of fonts i look at
as there is such a massive variety of fonts that are similar that decisions become more and more difficult to make, a limited choice makes decisions easier and more controllable to
generate brand recognition.
STENCIL STD
This font is bold and impacting easily drawing the eye the use of full capitals that the font uses makes it stand out and easy to read the font should be used for headlines only and most likely for only short sharp
punchy headlines with the added bonus its simple it’s a font that is hard to go wrong with.
Brush Script STD
this font is a lot more elegant and does draw the eye it makes the viewer stop to try and read what is written i would not recommend a large bulk of txt written using this font as it can be difficult to read and put
people off so again headlines only and most likely this would work better on a larger size
Cooper Std Black
this font is incredibly punchy the letters are easy to read due to each letter being clearly defined this font could be used i see potentially for both headline and the stand first this font appears to work on almost
any size due to its clarity
Times New Roman
this is a very standard font used world over the main use i can see this for is the body of the story being easy to read and easily manipulated via the use of bold and italics for this such as quotes and captions some
magazines use a similar font for there front page such as TIMES Magazine
Arial Black
this is a similar font to times new roman in terms of adaptability and one that can be used in any context of headline from a serious to a relaxed headline BlackoakSTD
this font is bold easy to read but is a large font and would not be practical to use as a headline due to the fitting an example being the rest of the font examples are size 32 font this is size 26so unless i had a 2
stage headline this isn’t much good to me.
Serifs and sans serifs are an area to look at as well with serifs using rounded or squared
fonts that generally are used to highlight a more relaxed tone Bauhaus (the world
famous design school) created one of the first more popular Serif fonts that is still in
massive use today and is related to the art Deco movement. Sans serif usually has hooks
and such on fonts and is used more formally and is the general standard font the font
selection above in order are a Sans Serif then another Sans Serif then a Serif then
another Sans Serif then a Serif then a sans Serif
36. Here are my questions for my survey I have included it in this position as
i have referenced this survey in the colour theory section before
anywhere else
Do you prefer visual, physical or oral stimulus?
Do you find colour plays a part in decision making?
What catches your eye first colour or fonts?
Do you tend to make a decision on the spot or return later to make the
decision?
What is your Favourite colour that is not black (as black is not a colour)?
How often do you read magazines?
How much would you pay for a magazine?
Do you like lots of adverts for the magazines content on the front cover?
What magazines do you read?
Are you male or female?
How old are you?
Do you class yourself as a professional, student, semi professional or
amateur
37. I interviewed 20people to get the results
shown below their answers will shape my
magazine to how consumers want it to be
0
5
10
15
Series1
yes
no
Do you find colour plays a
part in decision making?
Colour
Fonts
on the
spot
come
back later
not sure
blue
red
yellow
green
daily
weekly
monthly
rarely
£0 to 1
£1 to 2
£2 to 3
£3 to 4
Male
Female
16-18
19-21
22-24
25-27
28+
novice
professional
student
semi-proffessional
These survey results
are based on 20
people they show
that the bulk of
people follow the
trends expected in
terms of colour
stimulation being a
key factor they show
that the average age
of a reader is 22-24
they prefer a
monthly magazine
and are happy to
pay slightly more for
a magazine so long
as they get quality in
the product
38. This layout out would be difficult to read due to the positioning of the images force the reading to look around
the whole article this makes it difficult on the eye and makes it more difficult to read. The title and stand first
however seem to be in the best positions that they can be placed in. The right hand page however seems to be
just about right in terms of layout it balances the layout and so it shows continuity between the pages but also
highlights is a separate article possibly it may be worth switching the small picture to the opposite side so as to
create a frame for the spread also providing a picture on the right of the page will draw attention as most people
tend not to read every page and just flick through until something interesting catches there eye. One pull quote
per page seems to be common on a B2B magazine so that is something i have attempted to do here I placed the
right hand page pull quote dead centre of the text to drawer as much attention to it as possible thus creating
interest for the person reading the magazine to read further. The left hand pages pull quote is placed there
because it i think would be needed to break up a large body of text and also there didnt appear to be much
room elsewhere to place it
39. With this layout I have tided up and fixed the errors I believe I made on the first one by tidying up the images on
the left hand page and grouping them into one corner something i did forget to mention however on the
previous layout was the positioning of page numbers and other extras. I included page numbers on the right
hand page only this seems to be something that most publications do with that being the first page someone
sees when going through a book/magazine etc. I also included the issue number year and month again this is
something i found most B2B’s did this. What i haven't done however is the section headers although its
something that every magazine seems to do it seems irrelevant very few people ever even notice this. I used the
black border at the top and bottom of the pages so as to add a frame and stop the readers eyes from wandering
a problem I found with white backgrounds (which is something all b2b’s seem to use) is that the eye tend to
wander no matter how good the layout is so the frame traps the eyes on the page
40. Here I think I have got the page setup just right using the pull quotes to draw the viewer from one page to the next in a
step pattern I added more pull quote boxes to make this possible and it does seem to break the space up rather well
and also uses up what would otherwise be difficult space to fill I added an image box inside the title as I can assume
once the text goes in there will be while space. I have also decided which page will be for which article the left hand
page is for the product review this is because the four image boxes in the bottom left provide the space for a number
of images for the product whereas the second page does not have the required space. The interview will be on the right
hand page. The reason why i decided on one large image and one small imager for this piece is because lots of images
would distract from the interview and an interview doesn't particularly require images to back it up in the same way
that a product review needs to do. I opted for a plain white background as my research shows me that this is what the
vast majority of B2B magazines do, this seems to be done to make it come across as more formal as well as save on
printing costs and it makes things stand out better as well as looking professional the next few pages will show the
development as the layout grew with the adding of txt and images.
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49. I made a number of decisions in the building of the page, these include the size of the fonts font types colour
etc.
The reason I chose red for the text of the stand first is to make it stand out i noticed in the initial stages while I
was looking at colour theory and existing magazines that red was used to highlight key areas the stand first in
my view is a key area as it is used to effectively sell the story. (red after yellow is the first colour to catch the
viewers eye)
I chose to use size 10 minion pro font for the main article this is an industry standard which seems to work so
therefore I adopted this into my work. In the stand first i used size 12 font to make a slightly bigger impact yet
doing this subtly. On the pull quotes I used bold text and size 18 font to make them stand out and drawer the
viewers eye pull quotes are hugely important for attention drawing.
I used for both pages a double headline one to grab attention the other to explain better about the headline this
is too match the social class of my target audience where many of them having not finished education although
intelligent don't always want to have to put thought into things such as a headline.
the images I selected for the product review i chose because the bottom left images show different angles of the
vest and the types of armour that can be equipped inside it the top two images, the person image I chose to
show how the vest looks on a person using it and the company logo i thought would be a good touch for the
image next to the title showing the company and it filled the white space effectively.
The images on the interview (right hand page) I chose due to the fact they were generic and fit the theme well
the top image highlighting the close protection job of most PMC’s the other showing there ability to deploy.
The page appears to me to look well balanced with the left page bottom heavy and the right page top heavy this
creates a a border and b a way of separating the two articles.
The pull quotes work in the way I wanted to pull the viewer from one article to the next
50. The biggest problem with this layout is that there could be too many individual images and
confuse the eye however the good parts to the layout are that it frame the page well allows
plenty of space for text I have allowed for 2 pull quotes placing them directly in the centre of
the layout to grab the attention with the way the image boxes create a frame this emphasises
the pull quote boxes effectively. The title i think will as standard just sit in the top left with the
stand first below it. There is a lot of wide open space on the right hand page this would pretty
much be a solid block of text and be difficult for someone to read maybe a fact box could be
used to fill the gap however this would then limit text space. The images would ideally all be
captioned and contain images direct to the article as this is an in depth feature i have used the
same page numbering and framing as i used in the previous spread to keep the magazine
feeling more continuous and flowing
51. In this layout I addressed the previous layouts issue of large open space on the
right page by using one large image across the bottom of the page possible a
panoramic image this layout should allow for the 1000words to fit. The problem
with this layout is the issue of find an image that is large enough to effectively
cover that image box and that with the spreading the image across two pages the
image would not be seen to its capacity with the centre being distorted. All in all
this layout at initial stages seems good however i will try one more layout building
on this design and the one before.
52. With this idea i intend to have one large image on the background with a low opacity ideally i will be
able to find an image that has a natural bottom so rocks cars etc etc to create a natural frame to the
image. I moved the pull quotes so as to break the text up better with there currently being large
spaces of text that could do with being broken down as i have mentioned in the design of my other
double page spread my readership isn't a highly educated group however they are intelligent but
even still they will not want to read one large body of text there are very few magazines that are
setup in that way even for subjects that are text heavy. Having an image in the background is slightly
breaking the conventions of B2B magazines however i felt this would be an important thing to do to
catch the attention of my readership the large image should ideally capture the viewer and bring
them into the article the top right hand images like in previous layout ideas a hook to bring people
onto the page the large image background will hopefully keep them long enough to quickly notice
the pull quotes highlighting interesting areas and the stand first that tells the reader what will be
discussed. This is the layout idea that I will go ahead with.
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62. In building this layout I used a number of techniques that I have tried to some level of success in previous
projects. The technique i used was to make the whole page one image but with the ability to be able to read the
article without any issues while still providing something interesting and solid for the background. To do this as
can be seen in the step by step I started off with one image that initially started off covering the whole page I
cropped it to cover half the page and left the opacity at 100% next I added the second layer which was a more of
a close-up of a PMC I lowered the opacity to allow the original image to show through this second layer I needed
both layers to blend together creating a ghosting to complete the technique I created a third image layer
identical to the first but this time un-cropped so as to cover the whole page this created the shown effect. With
the image now in place so that the image and text did not interrupt each other I had too use the pen tool on
inDesign to create an outline to place over the rocks and figure once this was done I changed the wrapping on
the outline so that writing went round it. Again as with the other layout I used red writing for the stand first to
draw attention. The smaller images I selected to tie in with aspects of the article such as the graph ties in with
troop deployments vs. PMC deployment.
Again here i used the same font and font sizes as with the other layout to create a sense of continuity
throughout the magazine.
Something I haven't talked about is my use of the number of columns per page I chose 3 this allows the text to
be more easily read allowing more words per line and looks more attractive than 4 columns, the problems with 4
columns are that the sentences appear to be squashed and it restricts the development of images in the way i
have created this background. 4 columns is generally for formal use with little images placement along side it or
in places where pages are large enough to warrant four columns such as newspapers where pages are much
larger than magazines and it allows subjects to be broken down far easier.
The empty space next to the title is there to allow the fainter image to have some impact with the persons head
it hasn't worked completely due to the amount of space required for text however it does enough to stand out.
The text wrapping around the image creates a more casual feel for the article which has serious undertones
however the people that read the magazine tend to be very relaxed easy going people that do have of course a
very serious side so the article and layout play off each other to match the wants of the reader.
The positioning of the pull quotes has helped to break the text down effectively leaving only one large section of
text within the article.
63. The main thing i want on the front cover is a
large image that takes up the full page as a
background and then build on from there
the image will effectively control the layout
in an ideal world i would be shooting the
image and have full control but sadly this is
not an ideal world. For this layout i have
allowed space for a large title and font to
stand out this would be if the magazine was
to eventually make it into the consumer
market. The smaller text boxes around the
title are for the tagline of the magazine the
issue number and date and possibly a
website. The reasoning behind a large
background image is to be eye catching the
text boxes and such will work around the
image creating balances off balances etc to
create something eye catching.
The bottom two image boxes will be of
possible products or sponsorship ads
The bottom left is for a barcode and other
information associated with a barcode this
would be in case the magazine become
popular enough to reach out to a small
proportion of the commercial market or for
subscription customers.
In terms of layout this is pretty much a
standard B2B layout i noticed in my research
there are 2 main styles one full page image
with everything built on top of and around
the image. What i don't like about this
layout is the positioning of the items need
jiggling around as they don't look in quite
the right places. I shall use the basis of this
design to develop further.
64. Here i shrunk the title realising
that currently while being the only
magazine of its specific kind on
the market the need for a large
title seems obsolete as well as this
the Title of the magazine “Private
Military Magazine” in a large font
would take up too much space the
impact would be lost as the title
would have to cross two decks and
a magazine title doing that looks
messy and unprofessional and
something that doesn't appear to
be done in any magazine I have
looked at. I also decided to cut
down the clutter of the page so i
removed the two image boxes as
could not come up with a suitable
enough idea as to what to include
especially with my subject matter
once removed i moved the barcode
and associated parts of it over
creating a large space on the left
for an image subject such a s
person that would be clear of text
and images therefore creating a
creating impact. Again pretty much
the same principles are required
here as on the previous design.
The final layout depends on the
image i wish to use.
65. This layout is the same as the
last however i have shrunk
the text box as i will only
need 3-4 headlines that do
not require a large amount of
space each headline will have
one short description of the
piece as a bait to consumers.
I moved the text box to the
opposite side as i found an
image were the figure is on
the right rather than the left
this will in fact work better as
most people see the will
notice the right side first its a
general rule that people drift
to the right of a page before
reading left to right. This
creates my main focus and
pull the same principles as
previously described apply
still. The reasoning behind
why i do not have the title
directly at the top is due to
the fact that otherwise there
would be too much space
below the title creating a void
that would appear unnatural
and unappealing to viewers.
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76. The final design came together rather well the headlines are balanced against the
barcode and fits in cosily alongside the figures head, creating an imaginary speech
bubble this creates a natural ease to the cover subconsciously comforting the
viewer I had to, to help fit the text in more comfortably adjust the gap between
lines and letters I did this as little as possible to create as little confusion to the
eye I had to make sure letters didn't start touching or lines start joining together.
To emphasis the importance of each headline I had the main article a slightly
larger font than the other two headlines so as to highlight it as the magazines
main feature.
The use of 3 colours within the cover means that there is nothing complicated for
the eye to look at and with the main colour being a warm colour (the orangey
goldie colour) the eye is naturally drawn to it. The tagline for the magazine is
balanced by the issue and website. The title of the magazine is tidy and clear and
only uses one line similar to the headlines mentioned on the front page I had to
adjust the gaps between the letters so as to fit it all together.
I chose this image because it is simple I didn't want lots of detail I wanted
something that is eye catching and something that doesn't require much thinking
for PMC’s armed personnel are a common and easy sight to relate too with it
being a silhouette it allows the reader to place themselves in the magazine making
it feel more personal to themselves.
In terms of technical aspects used in the making of the front cover I haven't done
anything in particular that would make a difference i wanted a simple straight
forward cover for simple straight forward people this I have achieved.