FEATURE
|
GET
STARTED
WITH...
MAGAZINE
DESIGN
THINKING ABOUT A CAREER
WHERE YOU COMBINE WORDS
AND PICTURES FOR A WIDER
AUDIENCE? MARK RAMSHAW
LOOKS AT WHAT S INVOLVED
70 April 2006
|
A
ART121.starter 70 28/2/06 4:59:33 pm
R
T
1
2
1
.
s
t
a
r
t
e
r
7
0
2
8
/
2
/
0
6
4
:
5
9
:
3
3
p
m
esigners, by and large, crave exposure. Association, Roddy Llewellyn also holds the
And why not? There s little point position of senior art editor on this very
producing art that nobody else gets to magazine.  A BA degree, preferably specialising
D
see. Doubtless this is one of the reasons so many in editorial design, is typical for an art editor, he
are attracted to the world of magazine explains.  Many publishers will only take on
publishing. There aren t many other digital people educated to this level, although you can
design professions that can boast an audience of still sometimes work up through the ranks from
anything between ten and 400,000 a month. But an HND. The usual route is to go from designer
does the reality hold up? Most magazines aren t to deputy art editor, and then art editor. From
freeform flights of artistic fantasy; they re there some might progress to group art editor
designed to appeal to a mainstream audience. and finally creative director.
Then there are the deadlines, with many
magazines published monthly or even weekly. LABOUR OF LOVE
And just how does a magazine designer stand Llewellyn suggests that it can take a full five
out from the crowd anyway? years to reach an art editor position.  Art courses
As always when planning your career, it pays tend to concentrate on freedom of expression
to do a little homework, not only assessing and experimentation, which is great, but
whether you ve got what it takes, but which type magazines exist to make money, so many of the
of magazine work will suit your skills, tastes and skills required for that kind of design need to be
artistic ideals. After all, there are fundamental gained through experience.
differences between designing for a self- When it comes to job security, this area of
published magazine, taking on magazine work design gets tops marks, and although there s a
for corporate clients, or holding down a designer fair bit of competition for the limited number of
post at a major newsstand publisher. art editor positions available at any one
 The relationship between type and image will always be crucial, and many
of the old rules that have been subverted and forgotten still stand. While a
book or poster has a one-hit quality, a magazine design must be enduring
and engaging long-term and a suitable vehicle for a varied range of content
BEN REECE, Research Studios, www.researchstudios.com
The most obvious and arguably glamorous publishing company, talent does tend to rise to
magazine-based role is that of an art editor for a the top, with the better art editors getting the
newsstand publication. Whether the job involves opportunity to handle prestigious redesigns or
layout for a gossip weekly peppered with even new magazine launches.
paparazzi photos, an upmarket glossy such as Not that design skills are the only barometer
Wallpaper*, or a cool style bible such as for success. It may sound obvious, but the ability
Marmalade Magazine, this will generally be a to work as part of a team is essential if you re
full-time post. Whether at a fledgling looking to carve out a long-term career.
independent or a large publishing house, the  Magazines rely on communication and
working conditions will be broadly similar and organisation, agrees Llewellyn.  A successful
the choice of tools fairly standard  you ll need magazine is one where the editorial and art
to be proficient in InDesign, QuarkXPress, departments work together.
Photoshop and Illustrator. The relative stability offered by this sort of
An industry veteran with experience judging work does come at a price, however. Evening
magazine design for the Periodical Publishers stints in the office are common on deadline,
April 2006
| 71
A
ART121.starter 71 28/2/06 4:59:34 pm
R
T
1
2
1
.
s
t
a
r
t
e
r
7
1
2
8
/
2
/
0
6
4
:
5
9
:
3
4
p
m
FEATURE
FEATURE
|
|
LITTLE WHITE LIES DAZED & CONFUSED FUSED MAGAZINE ANOTHER MAGAZINE
www.littlewhitelies.co.uk www.confused.co.uk www.fusedmagazine.com www.anothermag.com
IDEAS
The Church Of London Ltd Dazed Group Fused Magazine Dazed Group
Barely out of the starting gate and On a mission to shine a light on the Launched by Kerry Thomas and David By rights a newsstand magazine that
ON
already much acclaimed, Little White burgeoning talent in the British arts, O Coy, the Midlands-based Fused appears only twice a year shouldn t
Lies may well be the magazine music, fashion and photography Magazine continues to go from build up a faithful following, but since
world s next big indie success story. scene of the early 1990s, Dazed & strength to strength. Close its launch in September 2001 Another
PAPER
The subject matter  the world of Confused was conceived by a team of involvement with the arts and culture Magazine has proven rudely
movies  may be nothing new, but the London creatives led by Jefferson scene helps build the brand, while a successful. Ostensibly a fashion
A CLOSER LOOK AT
visual treatment certainly is. Taking a Hack and photographer Rankin. distribution deal with Borders can magazine, its interviews with A-list
SEVEN STARS OF THE
new film as the blueprint for the Fifteen years on, its circulation only help bring its music-worshipping stars give the design team even more
MAGAZINE WORLD
aesthetic of each issue is a risky continues to grow, the awards keep wares to an even bigger audience. ammunition with which to create
move, but it s one that is clearly on coming and the design remains beautifully pristine layouts.
paying dividends. effortlessly cool.
ABOVE AND RIGHT: Recently
launched Hi-Fructose focuses
on underground art, technology,
and collectable toys, and its
ABOVE: Artwear creators Sketchel provide ample ammunition for Fused magazine s designers to
innovative design reflects the
create a visually arresting spread. The magazine design (inset) is becoming ever-more inventive
irreverent topics, tone and title
and with many publications hitting newsstands embrace a degree of visual experimentation. But self-publishing. That way you really do get to take
every month, or with even greater frequency, it s crucial to remember that the art team is there full charge, shaping every aspect of the magazine s
burnout can be a problem. And then there s the fact to serve the editorial staff, and not vice versa. appearance. And if it proves successful you also
that commercial pressures mean newsstand reap all the rewards.
magazines tend to be quite soberly designed. WORDS RULE  We ve seen the evolution of the fanzine and
 The two imperative rules for successful  The editorial should always be the star, stresses many well-produced and well-sponsored indie-
magazine design are that type must be easy to read, Sacha Spencer Trace, art director at the visually looking publications, such as Marmalade Magazine,
and the magazine should be simple to navigate, striking Marmalade Magazine.  Balancing editorial which has given a new creative outlet for young
says Llewellyn.  So while magazine work can be with design is definitely a tightrope, but ultimately designers, but it s still possible to produce
creatively restrictive, it s for a good reason. the design only exists to seduce people into reading independent, non (or less) commercial publications
Not that sober has to equal dull (although many the articles. If you don t have a love of the printed that concentrate more on niche interests, observes
publishers have a number of less than glamorous word then this isn t the job for you. Ben Reece at Research Studios.
magazines in their portfolio, and somebody has to If the notion of a steady salary and a career The Tender Trio, created by artists Stephen
design them). Since the heyday of Raygun, The working behind a desk that belongs to somebody Kelleher (aka Frankenstyles), Brian Coldrick and
Face and Arena, even mainstream magazines else doesn t appeal, then you might want to consider Christian Reeves, is an example of one such
72 April 2006
|
A
ART121.starter 72 28/2/06 4:59:35 pm
R
T
1
2
1
.
s
t
a
r
t
e
r
7
2
2
8
/
2
/
0
6
4
:
5
9
:
3
5
p
m
FEATURE
|
FIVE STEPS TO
Â
GET
FONT HEAVEN
M-REAL WALLPAPER* WIRE
WHETHER YOU RE DESIGNING A
www.jbcp.co.uk www.wallpaper.com www.thewire.co.uk
John Brown Citrus Publishing IPC Media Ltd The Wire Magazine Ltd
NEW LAUNCH OR WORKING ON A
REDESIGN, IT PAYS TO REMEMBER
M-Real is a twice-yearly publication Given the positioning of that asterisk, Around in one form or another since
THAT WORDS AREN T JUST A
created by John Brown for paper it comes as little surprise to find that 1982, The Wire s freshness can be
company M-Real. Showcasing the Wallpaper* itself is a meticulously attributed to a staff buyout some six
MINOR INCONVENIENCE
company s brand, products and designed affair. But the self-styled years ago. It s also evolved from a
services, it s mailed to publishing bible for the best in architecture, magazine primarily focusing on the
STAR
creatives around the globe. industrial design, entertaining and jazz scene to one that embraces 1. START WITH THE TITLE
Impressing such an audience time travel surprises by also regularly music in all its forms (though with a
This is the first thing that gets read.
and again can t be easy, but a Best proving to be a visually stimulating penchant for the sounds to be found
Your magazine logo needs to be eye-
Magazine Design win at the recent creation. Typography, photography on the roads less travelled). Fantastic
APA awards highlights just how well and white space have rarely been design compliments some of the best
catching and memorable, without
it rises to the occasion. deployed with such care. music journalism around.
resorting to illegibility. Bear in mind
that it must be readable from a
distance, and also when partially
obscured by other publications on
WITH
the newsstand shelves.
2. CONSIDER CONTEXT
Remember when deploying
different serif or san serif typefaces
that each possesses more than
basic visual attributes. Choice of
font can make a magazine article
MAGA
appear elegant, formal, relaxed, and
so on. Try to choose fonts that suit
ABOVE: theBite (right) is the magazine s subject matter.
published in the Middle East
and designed in the UK by Roger
ABOVE: We try to keep the core design of LWLies slick and clean, so 3. GET FEEDBACK
Fawcett-Tang at Struktur Design,
the themes that each film introduces don t stop readers from knowing
publishers of Sketchel (above)
Fonts can provoke an emotional
what magazine they re reading, says art director Rob Longworth
response. You may even find that
certain fonts appeal more to
different age groups or sexes. It
DESIG
publication.  I had the idea of putting out a free does enable us to try different things and unite makes sense, therefore, to show
graphic magazine with them simply because I love artistically, he adds.  I would definitely recommend designs to a sample audience that
their work and wanted us to work on a project this kind of self-publishing as a good way to reflects your intended readership.
together, says Kelleher.  It had no real aim other broaden a portfolio, develop personal work, and
than to showcase our different styles and hopefully inspire and engender a creative atmosphere. 4. BE CONSISTENT
get a bit of noise going in the city. In Hong Kong, design studio Milkxhake has been Try to work with a limited palette of
With no manifesto and no apparent market, lucky enough to find backing for new publication font types and sizes. Create rules for
finding sponsorship proved troublesome, but the trio The Very First Magazine 2006. Created in font usage and element grouping
weren t deterred:  After a series of knock-backs we collaboration with paper company Antalis, the and then stick to them. This
decided to fund it exclusively, pay for everything out magazine enjoys a limited run of 1,000 copies per repetition will make the reader feel
of our own pockets, because we believed in it. I issue. Milkxhake s arrangement with Antalis has more comfortable and help the
knew from looking at the likes of Faesthetic that it made it possible to create a magazine free from layout become quickly familiar.
would be popular and stand out if only for the fact commercial restraints, resulting in an enticingly
that there were no adverts and scarcely any artistically-led publication without any of the usual 5. GIVE EQUAL BILLING
information  just an e-mail address. The public financial burden or associated risks. And like The Try to remember the rule of thirds,
reacted, hooked-in by the mystery element and Tender Trio, The Very First Magazine 2006 is also aiming for a balance between text,
appreciation of the effort I guess, and we received run as a side project  Milkxhake also devotes time imagery and white space. Be
great feedback and even a few commissions! to commercial ventures. generous with margins, line
The only problem, Kelleher concedes, is that the For some, though, the idea of self-publishing as a spacing, kerning, and don t get
lack of income from the project means it s likely to sideline isn t enough. Self-publishing with the aim carried away with colour.
remain an infrequently published sideline.  But it of earning a living is perhaps the most
April 2006
| 73
A
ART121.starter 73 28/2/06 5:00:06 pm
R
T
1
2
1
.
s
t
a
r
t
e
r
7
3
2
8
/
2
/
0
6
5
:
0
0
:
0
6
p
m
FEATURE
|
PROJECT FOCUS:
MARMALADE MAGAZINE
ART DIRECTOR SACHA SPENCER TRACE ON WHY PUBLISHING MUST BE MORE
THAN AN AFFAIR OF THE HEART
 We launched Marmalade Magazine three years of restricting yourself to one medium. I
ago. From the beginning it was conceived as a graduated from Central Saint Martins and
business, rather than an affair of the heart. We worked first as an animator and then a fashion
had backers, a business plan, and almost three photographer before ending up on a magazine.
years of market research to identify a market  I ve been lucky enough to meet Neville Brody,
focusing on the DIY generation, people who have and he s become a really good mentor, and Robin
become fed up with consumerism and are now Derrick, creative director at British Vogue, has
more into the idea of making their own stuff. been really supportive.
 I never actually set out to become the  We re now selling 50,000 copies every issue.
designer, it just happened after getting positive We want that to keep growing, with the aim of
feedback for the mock-ups I put together. In fact launching further titles, too.
ABOVE:  We wanted an eye-catching design, so came up with the idea
I d never designed anything in my life, although I
of taking a sort of 3D approach, says Sacha Spencer Trace.  Too much
theory becomes paralysing, and many magazines suffer as a result
am very visual and don t really believe in the idea URL: www.marmalademag.com
ABOVE: Created by John Brown Citrus Publishing for paper company M-Real, the M-Real magazine is
both a showcase for the client s paper and a communication tool. The design changes every issue
ABOVE: The Very First Magazine 2006 is funded by a paper company and designed by Milkxhake.
 The idea is to mix the concepts of a calendar, magazine and visual diary, says Javin Mo
attractive option of all. But then it s also the
riskiest, effectively requiring the creation of a brand
new business to power the venture. It s not
something to be undertaken lightly, but for a few comes with the Saturday edition of The Times to a piece of design where strict attention to detail
initial pointers see the  Self-publishing for profit newspaper. It s recently been given a makeover in typography and logical grids will create an
box on the opposite page. by Research Studios. outstanding piece of work, he adds.
 The studio has a long relationship with the Over at creative design agency Deep, co-director
CONTRACT PUBLISHING broadsheet press, ironically mainly through our Grant Bowden estimates that commissions from
Designing magazines for paying clients arguably work designing the Guardian website, though we ve contract magazine publishers account for some 20
offers the best of both worlds. It may offer less glory also worked in the past on the Life and Review per cent of the studio s output. He says this is due in
than self-publishing, and less security than sections of the Observer and branding for Die part to the limited budgets often associated with
employment at a publisher, but it still facilitates a Woche, explains Ben Reece.  Neville [Brody] has contract magazines.  But we do intend to keep our
degree of autonomy, often allows for greater also art directed The Face and Arena. hand in, he stresses.  It s definitely one of the most
creative expression than newsstand magazine work, Despite such formidable credentials, Research enjoyable types of project we get to work on.
and has the potential to be very lucrative indeed. Studios does surprisingly little magazine work. Bowden says that the studio tends to work for
Jobs can range from one-off design commissions Reece suggests this is less a conscious decision and publishers, who in turn pitch for the contracts to
to contracts for regular design work, and may be more a reflection of the fact that the studio avoids publish corporate magazines:  It s quite a
focused on anything from a magazine distributed pigeonholing by never developing or reproducing competitive area. These magazines tend to be
in-house to staff at a blue-chip company through to any one particular style.  While we re often funded through advertising, so some publishers
glossies read by millions. An example of one such employed to do experimental branding and even pay corporations for the right to publish. This
publication is T2, the magazine supplement that concepts, everyone here enjoys applying themselves level of competition means that the design is an
74 April 2006
|
A
ART121.starter 74 28/2/06 5:00:18 pm
R
T
1
2
1
.
s
t
a
r
t
e
r
7
4
2
8
/
2
/
0
6
5
:
0
0
:
1
8
p
m
FEATURE
|
SELF-PUBLISHING
Â
GET
FOR PROFIT
FIVE TIPS FOR BRINGING YOUR
FIVE TIPS FOR BRINGING YOUR
VERY OWN MAGAZINE TO MARKET
VERY OWN MAGAZINE TO MARKET
1. PREPARE YOURSELF
Launching your own magazine is a
ABOVE: The Tender Trio s content ranges from vector art to hand-rendered
ABOVE:  Because it s funded by ourselves and done in our spare time,
illustrations assembled using Photoshop and Illustrator.  When that s done, costly endeavour, even if you intend
there s a very loose structure to each issue s development and completion,
we ll sit around and decide which pieces to include, says Kelleher
says The Tender Trio s Stephen Kelleher to start out small. Formulate a
STAR
business plan, get a financial
advisor and consider how you re
going to put a team and studio
together, and whether you need a
loan, business partners, or help
from venture capitalists.
2. FIND YOUR AUDIENCE
Make sure your magazine focuses
WITH
on a subject that has real appeal and
won t face too much competition.
LEFT: Selected by
Also ensure your intended audience
Design Week as
is one advertisers will want to
one of the UK s
reach.  So many magazines start up
three most
and quickly fold because they re not
interesting
magazine designs, targeted properly, and so don t sell
ABOVE: Created for Alma Media by Deep, The Power Station showcases Rank was created
and can t bring in advertising,
the redevelopment underway at Battersea Power Station. It was a finalist by Deep for Rankin,
warns Sacha Spencer Trace at
in the Magazine Design Awards Best Business-to-Business category the portrait
Marmalade Magazine.
MAGA
photographer and
co-founder of
Dazed & Confused 3. PLAY THE NAME GAME
The jury is out on how much of a
difference a name makes in the
incredibly important element, particularly during
branding game, but at least consider
the initial pitching stage. how it best advertises your product.
There s a reason so many
While strong design skills are essential for
magazines have names such as
securing work in this generally prestigious area, say the best idea would be to get some work at a
Practical Photography rather than
commercial considerations can be just as important publishing house or design agency first, and then
DESIG
cool but non-descriptive titles.
as with newsstand magazines.  Some corporations consider a move into this area.
can be extremely strict about what they re after, From the underground world of DIY fanzines,
4. PRINT, BUT DON T BE DAMNED
says Bowden.  We ve been careful about the types through to self-published commercial ventures, and
You re going to need help with
of client we work for, even to the point of turning right up to monthly lifestyle bibles boasting yearly printing and distribution. Ideally
bring in somebody with experience
away work because it was creatively restrictive. circulations in the millions, the magazine industry
and contacts in this area, but also
don t be afraid to talk to other
publishers for advice. Also be sure
 To those who would like to self-publish projects I would say don t
to keep tabs on sites such as the
rely on anyone but yourself, and don t expect potential sponsors to
Periodical Publishers Association
share your vision. Ultimately, producing the work, and the
(www.ppa.co.uk).
satisfaction that comes with getting your publication out there,
5. RESPECT THE READERSHIP
should be the main motivation STEPHEN KELLEHER, Frankenstyles, www.frankenstyles.com
Make sure your project reflects
commercial needs.  Many small
magazines probably end up closing
But while newsstand publications are often large- continues to thrive, grow and evolve. Key to this
because people design the type of
scale affairs, the benefit of designing for contract development is fresh input brought as each magazine they want, rather than
aiming it at the reader, says
magazines is that they re often created by smaller successive generation of digital designers gets an
Computer Arts s Roddy Llewellyn.
teams.  We typically have two people working on opportunity to flex its creative muscles. So the real
 They end up with something that
each magazine, and I d definitely say this is an area question you have to ask yourself is, do you want to
may be great to look at, but isn t
where an individual designer could find work, says be one of those shaping the industry, or one of those
legible or easy to navigate.
Bowden.  You will need a track record, though. I d who just reads about it?
April 2006
| 75
A
ART121.starter 75 28/2/06 5:00:33 pm
R
T
1
2
1
.
s
t
a
r
t
e
r
7
5
2
8
/
2
/
0
6
5
:
0
0
:
3
3
p
m