One of my feedback points from my Summative Christmas hand-in was to consider the finer details of a printed document to improve the standard of my work. I decided that the best way to do this was to explore a magazine store, looking for publications where the layout, composition and content appealed to my aesthetic preferences.
Exploring such a store, it was definitely easier to decide what did not work for me, compared to picking out ones that I was drawn to visually. I knew that I did not want a magazine that was crowded and bold and that had a heavy uneven composition. I enjoy prints that are simple and clean with a muted colour palette and uniform layout.
I came away with two publications: Design Anthology and Milk Decoration. Both magazines have a very different finish, the first having a book-like finish, printed on heavy matt paper and the latter having a glossy typical magazine cover with thinner matt paper pages. Unintentionally, the two prints have an interior, architectural, travel and art focus which certainly fits my interests.
Design Anthology, in my opinion, is a focused editorial with a more sophisticated tone of voice and cleaner-looking finish compared to other design magazines that I have seen, whereas, Milk Decoration aims to inspire contemporary, urban, individuals in matters of decor, design, travel and lifestyle. I enjoyed the displayed seasonal favourites, especially their latest discoveries that were found on during travels, or during a chance meeting. This reinforced the idea that inspiration and insights can be found anywhere.
What I think works well is that fact that both make the subject matter accessible to a wide audience, providing a reading experience that transports the reader to the desired location as well as providing endless inspiration that is unlike anything in the mainstream eye.
Buying these two magazines has allowed me to conclude the type of layout and finish that appeal to my style. I intend to continually refer to these two prints when constructing and printing my future visual reports. They have a good balance of text and imagery; although the imagery has a great hierarchical stance, the two elements complement each other effortlessly, continuing the subtle narrative throughout. I have since followed the two brands on Instagram so I can be continually inspired every time they post.
Rachel
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