Design Practice Blog: Hierarchy task

Hierarchy task - Magazines

Presented here is an image of the magazine I am going to deconstruct, EVO magazine. The article is fairly simple in terms of type and image ratio with what i feel is a 50-50 split. In terms of editorial and advertisements its 100% editorial. The magazine has a simple color layout with the blue color used in 'WATER' coming from a swatch from the wheels. The white color that contrasts on the dark tarmac image working well with the color of the car and overall been framed up by a white border on the page.

There are two fonts been used coming from one type family that derives from gothic origins and the sans serif category. 1 font is a regular version of this used in the body copy the other been a semi bold in uppercase used for the title and sub header of the article.

The stages I went through arranging a hierarchy based on what hits the eye first due to factors of type weight, body copy size, reversing out, type size, legibility and readability.

Further dissecting of elements with USA hitting in first due too its slight heavier weight.

Further typographic hierarchy and dissecting of elements, color pays a big part in how the eye is attracted in.

Bellow is an old edition of computer arts with 50% editorial and 50% advertisement with approx. 55% imagery and 55% text been used throughout the whole spread.

I believe there are 2 different sans serif typeface families used here in the editorial section. 1 family is that of a condensed style sans serif typeface in semi bold and regular fonts used on the header information for the events and the "whats on text". The Other family is a regular geometric and robust sans serif typeface used in bold and regular weights for the body text in the event information and the "Dates for your diary".

Within the advertisement there is a digital font used in uppercase for "stylus 1", an extended style font that is used in the olympus logo in uppercase, a small point size serif type tag under the logo and a regular weight sans serif font in uppercase and lowercase forms in the body text and 'move into a new age' and other product information. 4 font styles.

Initial deconstruction of hierarchy based on reversing out on the advert creating high impact and the digital inspired font drawing in the viewer first. The rest is based on type weight, body copy size, reversing out, type size, legibility and readability.

Further dissection off hierarchy within bodies off text, the eye is drawn to key information first with details on location and websites for further information (Due to font weight and underlined element, and volume of text), the second hit coming from the title off the event in question (condensed font contrasts with regular fonts causing this low volume word to hit in hard and draw the attention in) with the date coming in last after the body copy is read due to its subtly and daintiness.

The underlining element highlights what article is been read even though it is a lightweight condensed font the eye is drawn into this underlined element.

Further dissection based on type weight, body copy size, reversing out, type size, legibility and readability and color use.

Here is a spread in Hello gossip magazine. An absolute mess of a layout. There is a total off 5 different fonts used here. The HELLO logo is a bold weight uppercase sans serif font. Lifestyle is an elegant decorative style serif font, the headers in black boxes are reversed out italic serif fonts in uppercase the body copy is a regular weight serif font, highlighted quotes like "I am going" are in the same font used in "lifestyle". A bold sans serif font is is used to begin produce information bodies of text as well as starting the bodys of text located at the top left of the first page.

This is a heavy advertised article with advertisements embedded into the article itself to make you think like your going to look like your favorite celeb. So id say its a good 80% advertisements and 20% editorial, its also very picture heavy with again around 80% imagery and 20% text. The eye is bounced around the page with no real order just drawing you in too high impact elements and short hits of information then moving onto the next element.

Initial deconstruction off complex hierarchy with a range off different typographic elements, the first hit coming from the high impact headers and the decorative sheared sans serif font on reversed out font on black background. The second hit comes in from a high impact header in uppercase fonts with a contrasting red type element within it to bring the eye in even more, the other elements bellow use this element of red to draw the eye in and some elements of reversing out strengthen this use of hierarchy.