Magazine Cover Designs

Purpose:
• To use knowledge and tools of Photoshop, along with conceptual design to create a magazine cover for a fictitious magazine.

        First and foremost, one important concept I have learned is the importance of "Placing the text: dark on light, light on dark." Finding a suitable spot for text is extremely significant, as this is important in allowing the viewer to read the text on the cover. Next, I learned of the interest and usefulness of including "Text in the 3rd dimension: behind and in front of the image." This enhances a magazine cover is so many ways, as it creates depth, evidence of attention to detail, and overall appeal and “pop.” Lastly, another important concept I found to be particularly significant is that of "Placing emphasis: backgrounds, bolds, italics, etc." I found this to be important because the whole point of a magazine cover is to "sell" the stories inside the issue. Thus, with the use of bold and italic fonts, one is able to capture the attention of the viewer and emphasize certain words that are important. In terms of how these three concepts are important to my future work, these are all notions that can be applied not only to magazine design, but also to many different fields amongst the “design” realm. In particular, the first concept I mentioned largely has to do with contrast, which is one of the most important and central things to all design. In terms of the second concept mentioned, this represents creating the illusion of depth within a 2-dimensional piece of work. Again, this is another key design element. Finally, the third concept I mentioned is important to any assignment in design involving words, as there are always words that are meant to be emphasized and thus, more prominent to the viewer.

        All in all, I would rate my Magazine Cover a 3.5-4 out of 4. Based on the necessary requirements, I feel as though I met all them and did my best to go above and beyond. First, my cover is a 16” by 16” cover with a resolution of 72. Next, I also created a cover story (“Top Winter Trends”) that is in keeping with the theme of my magazine (fashion/beauty). Also, the picture I chose came from Morgue File, a free stock photo website. In addition, my cover includes a date, five other storyline titles, and a barcode. Overall, I feel as though I deserve a 3.5-4 on this assignment because I met all the needed requirements and strived to create a professional-looking cover that incorporates many important elements of design.