To the fall 2019 semester of publication design,
Welcome! I hope you’re excited because this class is just as rewarding as it is challenging. To be able to hold a 20-something-page magazine at the end of the semester that is entirely designed by you is the best feeling in the world.
Over the course of this semester, I learned about the importance of white space on the page and how to let the elements breathe. My first instinct was to overdesign the page because I felt like I needed to fill it, but as the semester went on I learned how to delicately design a page that showed the elements in the best way without being too crowded. I also learned about how important it is to give myself time away from my magazine. Coming back to my designs again and again a few hours or days later gave me a fresh perspective and new things to try. Finally, I learned that every little detail matters. As just a magazine reader before this class, I didn’t realize how the smaller elements, like color and typography, really unified the entire magazine and how important those elements are.
Advice for the next class:
1. Give a lot of thought about your editorial concept and solidify it early on
This will only help you down the road. The more details you have planned out, the easier it will be to design your furniture, color palette, etc. It requires a lot of initial thought but is worth it.
2. Leave yourself a lot of time to complete assignments
This is not the type of class that you will be able to complete assignments the day before. Designing requires a lot of time both in front of and away from your designs, so plan accordingly. Rushing to design pages at the last minute will cause you to forget to include details, which will affect your concept overall. If you’re a procrastinator like I am, it is a hard habit to break but it will pay off. Giving yourself time every day to look at your magazine helps and gets the gears turning.
3. Choose a topic you love and it will be more of a passion project rather than something you are required to do
One of the best decisions I made was choosing a topic I really love. It made creating my editorial concept so much more fun. I genuinely enjoyed designing my pages all semester because it was something I’m interested in.
4. Use office hours
This is really important. Although in class feedback is good, one on one with Claudia is essential to making your magazine great and working on every detail. It is work outside of class, but it is so worth it and your magazine will be better for it.
Most importantly, have fun with it and design an awesome magazine! You’re at the beginning of a design journey. I wish I could be in your shoes and do it over again.
