Anatomy of a Publication
If you are going to produce publications this semester, they need to become familiar with their composition. In this assignment, you will identify the parts of a magazine of your choice. The idea is to flag the stylistic elements in a magazine to recognize the consistency we often miss.
Project Highlights
- This project is worth 10% of your final grade. 8 points for thoroughness and 2 points for presentation.
- Identify elements of style in a magazine.
- It is due at the start of next class.
This is an example of how I identified the elements of my magazine.
Starting Points
- Use a current, mainstream magazine.
- Identify the elements with inserts as demonstrated in class.
- There are many elements to identify within the areas listed.
You will be graded on the depth of your work. You need to identify elements related to:
- Layout
- Identify the grid(s) used. Note the hierarchy of the text. How do the sections work? Are they identified as you leaf through the pages?
- Production
- Note special inks and printing processes. Is the paper different in any way? Is the binding the same as any other magazine? Please document anything you think may be worth pointing out.
- Typography
- Which are the main fonts used in the magazine's identity, pages, etc… How do they treat the page folios? Are there any notable elements in the typographic treatment?
- Photography
- Are there techniques or styles used throughout the publication? If so, which are they?
- Advertisement
- What is the ratio of content to advertising? Is there anything different in the way the magazine included advertising?