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REWORKINGS

Art-style is a progression. Things tend to get better and more refined over time. Especially as someone relatively new to design, there are some choices I've made in the past projects that I think aren't as effective now as they could have been. But where is there to go, but up? On this page, I will share some critique about why I wanted to change a certain project, with examples of the reworked pages and images.

SPRING 2019 SISR Issue

This was probably the first design project I'd worked on since I was on my high school newspaper (which was in black-and-white). This was also during the transition period between the old Production Director and I, so I based most of my design on his templates (examples of his work here and here), as well as after a recent board discussion to add more color and a creative cover to the issue. As a result, this issue was a mix of me not wanting to stray too far from the beaten path while also experimenting with some new colors and slightly tweaked layouts. Three issues and 1.5 years later, I'm back to tackle it again with a (hopefully) better sense of design. 

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COVER

Critique

  • The first thing I noticed when I saw the cover again was that the heading at the top and the title do not look cohesive. How could they when one is a thin serif font, while the other is a relatively thick sans serif font?

    • Change: keep all text in the same font​

  • The title seems a little too far down the page, which draws attention to the alarmingly large space between the graphic at the bottom and the heading.

    • Change: move graphics and title strip up, make title text larger​

  • The gray background (as well as the blue background in the phone) of the old cover seem very flat.

    • Change: switch background to a photo of a sunny sky with clouds for more dimension

MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR

Critique

  • The two pages just look very plain.

    • ​Change: as in later issues, I moved the staff list to the inside of the back cover, which gives it more room and freedom with colors; I added some graphics from the cover for a more visually interesting spread

PAGE EXAMPLES

Critique

  • Font: originally Palatino Linotype, which looked fine on the computer but strangely typewriter-like in print

    • Change: switch font to Minion Pro​, which is a little smaller, rounder, and thicker than Palatino Linotype

  • Columns: originally one column, this limits the type and placement of text boxes I could use/do; looks chunky, difficult to read 

    • Change: two columns! There is an increase in white space for easier readability, as well as more flexibility for design choices (text boxes fit neatly within the column). Best decision ever.

  •  Use of color: half-page of color looks a little chunky; author's name in black stood out more than the white titles

    • Change: use strips of color for a more modern feel​; put titles in black to switch emphasis

  • Text boxes: looked very chunky; the dots made them look a little childish

    • Change: switch to a more standard looking text box that matches the color of the article for a point of emphasis

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