Spread Design 1 Mock Up
After I was done picking out the images that I was going to use, I moved onto experimenting with the first layout I chose to create a mock-up of, this ranged from trying out different header layouts, different background colours, different gradients, adjusting body text and adjusting image placement. Here was the first "form" of a mock-up:
This is a quick mock-up of the layout I decided to create, I created it in photoshop using basic tools, the text isn't formatted in any particular way, I created this quickly just to get a grip on where everything would be placed, and how it would look. This was also how I managed to figure out how to put my fur font my mock-up.
After creating this, I moved the document into Adobe InDesign and began working on it as a mock-up. I started by setting up the document with a baseline and column grid. After this I began trying to import my fur typography into Adobe InDesign, this was rather difficult as we didn't know you had to create boxes for each element you wanted to pull into InDesign, be it text or images. We figured out that because my fur typography was layers in Photoshop, we'd have to create jpeg images out of each letters' layer and then import them into InDesign as stand alone images. It proved difficult because each letter had its own "white space" and the white space kept overlapping on each letter, this meant that we (me and my tutor) had to get the distance between the letters just right, we also had difficulty making the header look "even" over the two pages as we had three words and three is not an even number, it also meant that the "Are Hot" looked like all one word as it was quite close to together on the right hand page, we also had a lot to do a lot of fiddling around with the kerning of the letters, as sometimes the space between each letter looked uneven and unbalanced, the kerning was very important in my layouts as I really did utilise kerning in them all. I actually started experimenting with the lead-in font and body text before I imported the images above into InDesign, because I already knew where I wanted to put the images I decided to focus on getting the body text and lead-in text completed first. After we had completed moving the header around and getting that organised I moved onto experimenting with the lead-in and body text font.
Here's how I imported the letters into Adobe InDesign:
After creating this, I moved the document into Adobe InDesign and began working on it as a mock-up. I started by setting up the document with a baseline and column grid. After this I began trying to import my fur typography into Adobe InDesign, this was rather difficult as we didn't know you had to create boxes for each element you wanted to pull into InDesign, be it text or images. We figured out that because my fur typography was layers in Photoshop, we'd have to create jpeg images out of each letters' layer and then import them into InDesign as stand alone images. It proved difficult because each letter had its own "white space" and the white space kept overlapping on each letter, this meant that we (me and my tutor) had to get the distance between the letters just right, we also had difficulty making the header look "even" over the two pages as we had three words and three is not an even number, it also meant that the "Are Hot" looked like all one word as it was quite close to together on the right hand page, we also had a lot to do a lot of fiddling around with the kerning of the letters, as sometimes the space between each letter looked uneven and unbalanced, the kerning was very important in my layouts as I really did utilise kerning in them all. I actually started experimenting with the lead-in font and body text before I imported the images above into InDesign, because I already knew where I wanted to put the images I decided to focus on getting the body text and lead-in text completed first. After we had completed moving the header around and getting that organised I moved onto experimenting with the lead-in and body text font.
Here's how I imported the letters into Adobe InDesign:
![Picture](/uploads/2/2/6/9/22696966/922601.png?1400152337)
I set up the baseline grid to match the text size I'd be using for the body text, this was the first thing me and my tutor focused on as most magazine spread layouts are based off of an underlying baseline grid, we did this because it helps to keep text centered and even across the pages. We also set margins so there would be no issues with the bleed or images, text or my typography running off of the page. The body text size was set to 14pt, with line spacing at 12.001 pt. However, as you can see on this image, the lead-in above the body text and the header deviate from this baseline grid, most magazine layouts tend to deviate from their grids in some way, mostly by design, but most magazines have body text that follows the baseline grid.
![Picture](/uploads/2/2/6/9/22696966/9792009.png?1400156072)
I actually did most of the experiments regarding fonts and body text in Photoshop for some reason, I think it was because I had to download Adobe InDesign onto my computer, it would've made much more sense to have done it in InDesign, but I guess at the time it seemed more logical to experiment with the design aspects before moving into InDesign and having to learn the more technical aspects of InDesign. I knew I wanted the font for the lead-in and body text to be legible, but also stylish, as I was going for a Vogue magazine look/feel. I tried a few fonts for the lead-in, not so many for the body text, but I was much more focused on making the body text legible than stylish, whereas I wanted the lead-in to have a little bit more impact.
![Picture](/uploads/2/2/6/9/22696966/5272601.png?1400156176)
This was the first font I tried for the lead-in, I thought this font would be great as a font for a personal editors signature or note, but it just seemed a little un-professional in this context, plus it didn't really aid in the look I was going for, as Vogue magazine tends to use mostly sans-serif fonts, even with lead-ins and body text. If the spread I was designing was a little more casual, or even artsy, this font could have worked, but it doesn't really work for a high-fashion, minimalistic spread, which is what I was going for. And also the personal feel of the font clashes with the images which look very high-fashion and editorial.
![Picture](/uploads/2/2/6/9/22696966/8900574.png?1400156497)
Again, a script font seemed to clash with the theme/look I was going for, so I decided against any script fonts for this article overall. The font would work well with a much more artsy and homely magazine, such as an arts and crafts magazine, but it really doesn't give off the "Vogue" and professional vibe I wanted my spread to exude.
![Picture](/uploads/2/2/6/9/22696966/3270578.png?1400156765)
I really thought that this font could work with my spread, but as soon as I started typing I realized that it would completely overpower my fur typography, and it wasn't actually that legible, I actually thought that this calligraphy inspired font looked quite "Vogue" (if Vogue ever did a spread on Samurai or Ninja inspired fashions). Also, the serifs on this font were way to long for me personally, it would work perfectly if you wanted to mimic an old-fashioned letter, from shall we say, Victorian times, but for a high-fashion modern magazine it doesn't really have much impact, or too much. As you can see on this screenshot I've also changed the body text font, the font was downloaded from Dafont.com and I think it's called Gravity, but I'm not sure. I chose the font because it was very legible, and really screamed "Vogue" to me personally, although the size is way too big for body text in this specific screenshot, this font really stood out to me, and has slowly became one of my favourite fonts to use when designing.
![Picture](/uploads/2/2/6/9/22696966/5653527.png?1400161939)
This font was much better suited to the theme of this spread, it's stylized but also quite legible and it looks somewhat professional, but even though it had the qualities that I wanted, I still felt that it really lacked that proper professionalism that I wanted, and it didn't really scream "Vogue". Again, I felt that it was a little too casual for this type of spread and would've worked better for a more casual and laid back type of magazine theme. It also didn't scream "High fashion" or "Glamor" to me either. This is where I realized that a sans-serif font was much better suited to the look that I wanted. Although towards the end I did go back and forth between a sans-serif font and more fancy-looking fonts, because I found some fonts while I was working that I thought might suit the spread.
![Picture](/uploads/2/2/6/9/22696966/7636747.png?1400162453)
Another sans-serif font, I felt that this really screamed "Vogue", because it stood out an was very legible, it really had the professional look that I wanted, without being too bland or boring, it stylish yet legible, a perfect font for my spread! I really liked this font anyway, so I was much happier with this font. As you can see nothing has been changed in regards to the body text, but that's because I knew exactly what kind of fonts I wanted to use anyway, and since I already knew, I didn't see much point in experimenting with the body text at all.
![Picture](/uploads/2/2/6/9/22696966/5936978.png?1400162498)
All I did in this screenshot was switch the body text font and the lead-in font around, this also looked really good in my opinion, but the lead-in didn't have much impact at all, so I reverted to the fonts above, I kept these fonts for quite a while until making some finishing touches on the layout, where I had seen a font I wanted to experiment with, so I changed it, but these two fonts really had what I was looking for, and I didn't want to experiment too much, when I had already finalized what fonts I was going to use in my head. And so these two fonts really stuck with me because they looked like a font you'd see in "Vogue" they were modern, stylish and legible, and they looked professional without, again, being too bland or boring.
![Picture](/uploads/2/2/6/9/22696966/8155470.png)
The next thing I moved onto was experimenting with gradients for my layout, from the beginning I had it in my head that I was going to use a gradient on this layout, because I have an issue with my layouts looking too "flat" and I felt that adding a gradient would give the layout more depth and professionalism, so I started with a basic black to white gradient, I couldn't place the letters on top of the gradient layer (which I created by creating an object box and then using the gradient tool) because of the white space around the letters, so I had to make sure that the letters weren't covered by the gradient at all, at least not in black or any other colour except white, and because of this I also had to make sure that the gradient started at the bottom of the page, and faded out to white or transparent, as to not show up the white space on the letterforms.
![Picture](/uploads/2/2/6/9/22696966/7080756.png)
The next colour gradient I tried was a simple gray to white gradient, I chose this colour because I didn't want the gradient to be too obvious, and I wanted it to match the greyish shades within my fur typography, again, I had to make sure that the gradient had faded out completely to white before reaching the fur typography, because of the white space, I really liked the grey to white gradient as it just seemed to "go" with my fur typography, without being too overpowering or obvious. I felt it gave it a really glamorous and "cool" vibe to the letterforms.
![Picture](/uploads/2/2/6/9/22696966/7752983.png?1400423368)
Here is the layout with the gradient applied to it, I really liked the way the grey gave it a cool and glamorous look, I felt that this really went along with my Vogue magazine feel and really put the emphasis on my typography, I also felt really good about how it somehow made the body text and lead-in stand out and jump out of the background, I felt that it gave depth to the layout and a more stylish look.
![Picture](/uploads/2/2/6/9/22696966/1997556.png?1400428237)
This is actually the font I used for my magazines front cover header! I actually think that it looked really beautiful as a lead-in, but it doesn't really make me think "Vogue", the font is fancy enough to stand out, and doesn't overpower the fur typography too much, I also tried it in different colours, but I couldn't really find a colour that I would be satisfied with.
Final Mock Up
Here is the final outcome of this mock-up! I really like the way it turned out, it's very minimalistic, but that was what I wanted the layout to be. I decided upon a light sans-serif font for the body text and the lead-in, because they are legible, I felt that the peach toned lead-in really gave the layout some spice and made it "fresh" and stylish. In this case I have sacrificed creativity for legibility, but I do not feel that this is a bad thing. I'd much rather have a simple layout that is stylish and legible than one that is mostly creative and not very legible at all. Overall I am pleased with the way it turned out.