Magazine Double Page Spread Development

Here is my research and development for my double page spread in my women's fashion magazine project. I have decided to separate my research and development from my front cover research to help me separate them and be more organized.

𝑺𝒆𝒍𝒇 𝑹𝒆𝒇𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏:

Problem (P): Throughout the double page development, I think this was the longest part to make. I had troubles on developing creativity of the layout and design of my magazine as I sort of regretted some of the pictures I have took. That was also a problem before creating my double page as my pictures were similar to the covers and I had forgot to capture fashion essentials or things that connects to my article themes to act as a visual aid in the page spread.

Solution (S): However, I discovered a drawing/sketch of my relatives of fashion designs. There are several choices but I chose the red fashion illustration as it fits to the color palette of my magazine.

I really enjoyed creating and designing the layout for the double page spread rather than the other pages because I found creativity within. It expresses my interests of fashion with unconventional visuals as fashion-lovers are usually interested by what's not commonly found in society. The layout subverts the typical fashion magazine but also remains interesting as it appeals to them because of the uniqueness of the design.

RESEARCH

Here is my research on elements of double page spreads on women's fashion magazine genre and layout/designs that appeals to be considered for my magazine's double page spread.

Click here to view the Canva file of my double page spread research.

DEVELOPMENT

Here is the development including processes on creating my double page spread, it captures the specific decisions I made in sequence.

SKETCHES

This is rough sketches I made before creating the digital layout. I apologize if they are messy.

I had chosen the second and fourth design because I thought one of them looked interesting as it was unconventional and the other one traditional that conforms the conventions of fashion magazines. I chose them because they look easy to make and I already have a picture in mind.

DIGITALISING/FIRST DRAFT

Here are two versions of my chosen designs:

CHOSEN ATTEMPT

I had choose to continue the first option because I like it best. The reason why I like it best is because it is more visually interesting. It's not something commonly found on our typical women's fashion magazine, it subverts the conventions because themes of women's fashion are more likely to be associated with elegance and grace which is kind of boring because there are lots of magazines that captures those themes. Although I still include those themes, I want to also appeal to the audience by presenting the visuals uniquely. Hence why I pick the first option.

These are the steps of creating the layout and design of my double page spread.

Step 1: Creating the headline typography, input texts, and arranging desired layout

This is my initial idea of my magazine's double page spread. It is a rough planning, but so far I love the display of the heading and the typography. The spacings and negative space looks unbalanced and I couldn't figure out how to include a picture if the whole spread was already so full.

After consultations with my Teacher (Mr Nick), he suggested several changes:

Insert the picture (as the whole project needs to include 4 images in total, and so I needed to include one to complete it)
Change the size of the text (body/content), it needs to be bigger
Include the year of the 'fashion event' for my article title
Change the typeface of the body text
White/negative space is fine as the heading is already complex (so it doesn't overwhelm readers)

Step 2: Fixing the headline

I made the headline smaller and added the year in red color to add vibrance to the page as it may look kind of boring with only black texts. I increased the texts (content) size and changed the letter spacing as it was one of the suggestions made from my teacher, but I have difficulties on changing the typeface that matches the generic conventions of a fashion magazine but fit to the theme of my magazine.

Letter spacing: 63, Source Serif Pro

Step 3: Cut texts and change typeface/font of article text

I realized that the text was still off with that letter spacing so I decreased it and figured out a typeface that fits along with my teacher's approval. And I thought that the negative space and spacing between each text is sort of weird so I wanted to alter it with additional borders. I had also cut some parts of the article as it was too lengthy. (I put my edits of the article in the end of this blogpost)

Step 4: Cut texts of the article and rearrange layout of text

I had cut and edit the article but it was still too much to include to the page. I couldn't add images to the page spread if there are limited space.

Step 5: Edit and cut the article for the second time (and last), arranging the texts, and inserting the image, its caption, and the by-line

I consulted with my teacher (Mr Nick) again, and he said to add more borders and guidelines to create more columns for the article text. After I had edit the article again, I fit everything into the column by the guidelines and it occupies the whole text while still leaving spaces for images and others. Then, I edit the fonts and typeface of the pull-quote to be differentiated from the article text. I had added a by-line in the side of the heading but it didn't look good and there are many empty negative spaces that seemed odd. There also 3 same images with different background as I struggled to find the right picture that matches with the theme.

Step 6: Finalizing display of image and organize negative spaces and layouts

After a few trials and errors, I had edited the picture by removing the background that refers back to my research with 'cut-outs' pictures. I used the idea and increased the size to balance out the wordy article and negative spaces. I also added the caption to fill in the negative spaces and moved the by-line up. But there was still and odd space between the heading and the image.

Step 7: Filling odd spaces

Furthermore, I edited the heading (the letter 'n' is bigger) to also occupy and fill in odd negative spaces. I added the word 'SPOTLIGHT' in the right top corner because it is the classification of the article in the contents page previously as it indicates how to find the article through it, as well as adding the page number.

Bigger "n":

'SPOTLIGHT':

ALTERNATIVE LAYOUT

Trying out ideas

I didn't know if it looked better than the version without because I think the text looks bland by color too, or whether it complicates the whole page and overwhelms the sight of viewers. I asked my female friends regarding this and all of them said it was better without, so I went with it because some of them are also interested in fashion which would be a suggestion for me to accommodate my target audience's preferences.

Here, I referred back to my idea previously in my research regarding to capitalized initial with the color red in the text and decided to try it, there are two options.

(Navy Susanne is the name of the founder of the event my article is about, she is a fictional famous fashion designer as it would appeal to my audience as their interests are fashion).

Turns out, both of the styles appealed way too much in a way that makes the double page seems so packed and full. I had decided to stay with the original plan without the capitalized initial.

FINALISING

Here, I split the double page into two so I could see how it looks if I print and display it out as a real-life book magazine.

I received feedbacks from my Media teacher, and he suggested this:

Change the red-colored texts a little bit bolder and brighter in color
Rotate the 'e' in 'Week' from the heading as it may confound readers into thinking it was an 'a'
Cut the text and put a pull-quote with a different color to add vibrance in the article section
Overall, the typography looks good enough

Here are the changes made after the feedbacks and it is now THE FINAL DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD.

I compiled the Contents Page with the Double Page to see how it aligns. At first, the page number seemed to be really off (P), so I created a new border for both of them so it can fit to the same position (S).

I also made some adjustments like switching the letter 'e' in the headline because my Media teacher had suggested me as it looked like an 'a', and I don't want my audience to mis-interpret that. He also suggested to cut some words and add a pull-quote in the middle of the article section to not look bland and too wordy. This may also add vibrance because I decided to color it red to fit in with the page's theme and stick out to the reader's eye.

ARTICLE DEVELOPMENT

I already prepared the article draft for my double page spread last term, however I made changes when developing the double page as they didn't fit. The original also didn't fit in to the date and time of my magazine issue, thus changes were made before I started the double page.

Original:

By the east of Java Island and west of Lombok Island, Bali, the famous tropical island in Indonesia, has been growing in popularity from their appeal to the western population. Known for their diverse rich culture (building engravings, artwork, dance, and drama), countries from all over the world admitted and acknowledged their sophistication in the field of artistry. Their talents and skills in craftsmanship had excelled to engrave the balance between art and culture. Hand-woven tapestry like sarongs weaves connections between artistic and religious customs that balance out perfectly, sarongs worn by men and women enables a wider accessibility for humanity to express themselves with respect in regards to social and cultural beliefs. This would also be further proven from Balinese dances and gamelan music performed in tourism locations and importantly sacred temples. The performance of this heritage encourages appreciation from tourists as the implication from their beliefs, folklores, and mythology through a crafted, intricate dance between tradition and innovation, preserving ancient techniques while embracing modern forms of expression.

Even their architecture had inspired many known designers like Navy Susanne who’s famous for her unique garments under her own name. Temple engravings had inspired her latest collection including garments that showed patterns and motifs symbolizing the temple walls, depicting stories of gods, heroes, and nature, creating a historical significance through the contemporary fashion trend. Many fashion critiques had been interested regarding this couture, which brought other fashion experts to follow this design. This trend had appeal to the whole world, increasing Bali’s popularity.

Regardless, it indeed has shocked the world when Bali’s art has been revealed to the world as what they don’t realize that their art and culture had transcended throughout eras while still being to appreciate cultural heritage and keeping up with the contemporary trends. From your local fashionistas to western designers have been coming to Bali and observing the wonders of their art themselves. Bali’s population had increased for the moment, which enticed Navy to change her fashion event conduction idea and move its location to Bali.

In tribute to the Balinese culture, Navy initially created a ‘fashion week’ idea to promote cultural backgrounds to people with interest of fashion as representative for them to express who they are, although this idea was further added the cultures from Bali and changed her target to promote the Balinese culture in modern and contemporary ways in fashion. This idea was then developed in early 2023 and was initially launched on the 25th of May, 2023. The first event was then fully occupied by people from all over the world. In the first event, Navy planned for her guests to wear exquisite garments appreciating the Balinese culture in the theme ‘Folklore & Legends’, this was implemented from depictions of the guests’ costumes from multinational designers, which were fantastic as the first launch of this fashion event and satisfied international fashion critiques. Her fashion week idea was claimed to be informal and does not require specific dates and invites to be able to attend and watch the parade with ticket payments, of course, however guests who are running in the walk were personally invited and listed. Navy officially named her event ‘Bali Fashion Week’ and confirmed that it will be held in Bali annually.

The 3rd Bali Fashion Week, which happened recently on the 6th of May, has been a major success within the local fashion industry. With the theme ‘Elegant Engravings’, guests from all over the world, famous actors and actresses, supermodels, and other celebrities, a homage to the imagination and creativity in tribute to rurales and carvings. Based on Balinese histories, the engravings were made according to the rules, style, guidance, and rituals of Balinese architecture whose designs were consulted by famous Balinese architects to ensure the preservation of the true cultural heritage. In a recent fashion extravaganza, celebrities wore garments embroidered with motifs inspired by the sacred carvings of Balinese temples. The event displayed a balance between cultural heritage and high-end style, where the rich history of Balinese artistry met the glamor of celebrity fashion. The fusion of these temple-inspired engravings with rural elements in the garments showcased a poignant narrative. Embroideries evoking lush Balinese landscapes, vibrant flora, and mythical faunas of rural tribute to temple motifs. The juxtaposition of these elements added depth and layers of storytelling to each ensemble, elevating them beyond mere fashion pieces to intricate works of art.

As celebrities paraded down the runway, the convergence of ancient Balinese culture with the glamor of the fashion world was evident. It reflects each of the celebrities’ personality and traits presented in the beauty of fashion.

One of the most iconic appearances was presented by Kila Marrie, famous supermodel and top-tier movie actress. Her attire was personally customized by the mastermind of the event herself, Ms. Navy Susanne. Kila and Navy has always had a special bond and was always invited to attend and walk on the red carpet in every BFW she held. Kila thoroughly thanked Navy for her accomplishments in mode, “I really respect her and look up to her, I felt so honored when she invited me and asked me directly to represent my people, my background, and my culture.”

Grace was embodied by Navy in a dress that was a tribute to cultural heritage and architectural opulence. Her corset design reminded of the sculptures that decorate the ancient temples, and each stitch was woven with the essence of tradition and historical significance which is a testament to the Navy's honor for cultural stories.

Under Navy's instructions, this dress was more than just material and decorations. It turned into a wearable work of art, a tribute to her creativity as well as her deep regard for architectural beauty and historical heritage. “It was a simple attire that I feel anyone could be wearing anywhere, that’s the idea, to represent how cultural heritage may be worn and showcased by whoever and wherever,” Navy said in regards to the design. Her design was an outstanding representation of heritage in the world of fashion, demonstrating Navy's artistic ability and respect for ethnic differences.

After cut/edit:

By the east of Java Island and west of Lombok Island, Bali, the famous tropical island in Indonesia, has been growing in popularity from their appeal to the western population. Known for their diverse rich culture (building engravings, artwork, dance, and drama), countries from all over the world admitted and acknowledged their sophistication in the field of artistry. Hand-woven tapestry like sarongs weaves connections between artistic and religious customs that balance out perfectly, sarongs worn by men and women enables a wider accessibility for humanity to express themselves with respect in regards to social and cultural beliefs. This would also be further proven from Balinese dances and gamelan music performed in tourism locations and importantly sacred temples. The performance of this heritage encourages appreciation from tourists as the implication from their beliefs, folklores, and mythology through a crafted, intricate dance between tradition and innovation, preserving ancient techniques while embracing modern forms of expression.

The architectural elements of Bali have served as a muse for renowned designers such as Navy Susanne, known for her unique designs. Her latest collection draws inspiration from temple engravings, including patterns and motifs reminiscent of temple walls, which depict tales of deities, heroes, and nature. This fusion of historical symbolism with contemporary fashion has captivated the attention of fashion critics, leading other experts to adopt similar designs. This global trend has propelled Bali into the spotlight, elevating its prominence in the fashion world. Fashion enthusiasts, both local and international, are flocking to Bali to witness its artistic marvels firsthand. This surge in interest has prompted Navy to rethink her fashion event strategy, relocating it to Bali to accommodate the growing audience.

In tribute to the Balinese culture, Navy initially created a ‘fashion week’ idea to promote cultural backgrounds to people with interest of fashion as representative for them to express who they are, although this idea was further added the cultures from Bali and changed her target to promote the Balinese culture in modern and contemporary ways in fashion. This idea was then developed in mid-2023 and was initially launched on the 25th of July, 2023. The first event was then fully occupied by people from all over the world. In the first event, Navy planned for her guests to wear exquisite garments appreciating the Balinese culture in the theme ‘Folklore & Legends’, this was implemented from depictions of the guests’ costumes from multinational designers, which were fantastic as the first launch of this fashion event and satisfied international fashion critiques. Her fashion week idea was claimed to be informal and does not require specific dates and invites to be able to attend and watch the parade with ticket payments, of course, however guests who are running in the walk were personally invited and listed. Navy officially named her event ‘Bali Fashion Week’ and confirmed that it will be held in Bali annually.

The 3rd Bali Fashion Week, which is set to be on the 6th of July, is planned to be a major success within the local fashion industry. With the theme ‘Elegant Engravings’, guests from all over the world, famous actors and actresses, supermodels, and other celebrities, a homage to the imagination and creativity in tribute to rurals and carvings. Based on Balinese histories, the engravings were made according to the rules, style, guidance, and rituals of Balinese architecture whose designs were consulted by famous Balinese architects to ensure the preservation of the true cultural heritage. The event should continue to display a balance between cultural heritage and high-end style, where the rich history of Balinese artistry met the glamor of celebrity fashion.

Famous supermodel and top-tier movie actress, Kila Marrie, is rumored to attend this Fashion Week again. This was later confirmed with the addition that her attire was personally customized by the mastermind of the event herself, Ms. Navy Susanne. Kila and Navy has always had a special bond and was always invited to attend and walk on the red carpet since the very first BFW. Kila thoroughly thanked Navy for her accomplishments in mode, “I really respect her and look up to her, I felt so honored when she invited me and asked me directly to represent my people, my background, and my culture”.

“Under Navy's instructions, this dress was more than just material and decorations. It turned into a wearable work of art, a tribute to her creativity as well as her deep regard for architectural beauty and historical heritage. It was a simple attire that I feel anyone could be wearing anywhere, that’s the idea, to represent how cultural heritage may be worn and showcased by whoever and wherever,” Navy said in regards to the design after a meeting with Navy. “Her designs are always an outstanding representation of heritage in the world of fashion, demonstrating her artistic ability and respect for ethnic differences.”

After cut/edit 2:

Navy initially created a ‘fashion week’ idea to promote cultural backgrounds to people with interest in fashion as representative for them to express who they are, although this idea was further added with the cultures from Bali and changed her target to promote the Balinese culture in modern and contemporary ways in fashion. This idea was then developed in mid-2023 and was initially launched on the 25th of July, 2023. The first event was then fully occupied by people from all over the world. In the first event, Navy planned for her guests to wear unique garments appreciating the Balinese culture in the theme ‘Folklore & Legends’, this was implemented from depictions of the guests’ costumes from multinational designers, which were fantastic as the first launch of this fashion event and satisfied international fashion critiques. Navy officially named her event ‘Bali Fashion Week’ and confirmed that it will be held in Bali annually.

After cut/edit 3:

The architectural elements of Bali have served as a muse for renowned designers such as Navy Susanne, known for her unique designs. Her latest collection draws inspiration from temple engravings, including patterns and motifs reminiscent of temple walls, which depict tales of deities, heroes, and nature. This global trend has propelled Bali into the spotlight, elevating its prominence in the fashion world. Fashion enthusiasts, both local and international, are flocking to Bali to witness its artistic marvels firsthand. This surge in interest has prompted Navy to rethink her fashion event strategy, relocating it to Bali to accommodate the growing audience.

Navy initially created a ‘fashion week’ idea to promote cultural backgrounds to people with interest in fashion as representative for them to express who they are, although this idea was further added with the cultures from Bali and changed her target to promote the Balinese culture in modern and contemporary ways in fashion. This idea was then developed in mid-2023 and was initially launched on the 25th of July, 2023. In the first event, Navy planned for her guests to wear unique garments appreciating the Balinese culture in the theme ‘Folklore & Legends’, which was fantastic as the first launch of this fashion event and satisfied international fashion critiques. Navy officially named her event ‘Bali Fashion Week’ and confirmed that it will be held in Bali annually.

The 3rd Bali Fashion Week, which is set to be on the 6th of July, is planned to be a major success within the local fashion industry. With the theme ‘Elegant Engravings’, guests from all over the world, a homage to the imagination and creativity in tribute to rurals and carvings. Based on Balinese histories, the engravings were made according to the rules, style, guidance, and rituals of Balinese architecture whose designs were consulted by famous Balinese architects to ensure the preservation of the true cultural heritage. The event should continue to display a balance between cultural heritage and high-end style, where the rich history of Balinese artistry met the glamor of celebrity fashion.

Famous supermodel and top-tier movie actress, Kila Marrie, is rumored to attend this Fashion Week again. This was later confirmed with the addition that her attire was personally customized by Navy herself. Kila and Navy have always had a special bond and were always invited to attend the first BFW. Kila thoroughly thanked Navy for her achievements in mode, “I really respect her and look up to her, I felt so honored when she invited me and asked me directly to represent my people, my background, and my culture”.

I had to make lots of changes and edits from the first drafting because as I display it to my magazine, it doesn't really fit and filled up the whole page with words. This makes the page spread to look bland, which is something I try to avoid. A bland double page spread is bad for my magazine as it is aimed towards fashionistas, they prefer interesting designs and layouts with lots of unconventional images and visuals as the magazine acts as a source of information for them. (P)

I try to keep up the standards of my magazine to target the wanted audience (women who likes fashion). With my research, I found that fashion magazine's double page spread do in fact use up a lot of its space for the content of the article. The size of letters are usually small and wordy. Hence, I kept important parts of the article but reducing unnecessary parts to shorten the length of article to fit it to the page. My article is a bit wordy but I had reduced the words from up to 1000 to only 600 which is quite enough for me. And the article had also been perfectly fit and aligned with all the other elements without looking to bland, wordy, and full. (S)

However, as I compiled all of the pages to assemble the whole magazine I asked my media teacher (Mr Nick) for comments and suggestions. He said to crop some more texts. This needs to be done as the first/left side of the page is full of texts with no color. Cutting out some words and adding a pull-quote may bring color and vibrance to the page. It was just a small cut from a paragraph in the middle of the article.

This is the final edit:

The architectural elements of Bali have served as a muse for renowned designers such as Navy Susanne, known for her unique designs. Her latest collection draws inspiration from temple engravings, including patterns and motifs reminiscent of temple walls, which depict tales of deities, heroes, and nature. This global trend has propelled Bali into the spotlight, elevating its prominence in the fashion world. Fashion enthusiasts, both local and international, are flocking to Bali to witness its artistic marvels firsthand. This surge in interest has prompted Navy to rethink her fashion event strategy, relocating it to Bali to accommodate the growing audience.

The 3rd Bali Fashion Week, which is set to be on the 6th of July, is planned to be a major success within the local fashion industry. With the theme ‘Elegant Engravings’, guests from all over the world, a homage to the imagination and creativity in tribute to rurals and carvings. Based on Balinese histories, the engravings were made according to the rules, style, guidance, and rituals of Balinese architecture whose designs were consulted by famous Balinese architects to ensure the preservation of the true cultural heritage. The event should continue to display a balance between cultural heritage and high-end style, where the rich history of Balinese artistry met the glamor of celebrity fashion.

Famous supermodel and top-tier movie actress, Kila Marrie, is rumored to attend this Fashion Week again. This was later confirmed with the addition that her attire was personally customized by Navy herself. Kila and Navy have always had a special bond and were always invited to attend the first BFW. Kila thoroughly thanked Navy for her achievements in mode, “I really respect her and look up to her, I felt so honored when she invited me and asked me directly to represent my people, my background, and my culture”.

FINAL

This is the final look for my magazine's double page spread.

First page:

Second page:

Compiled:

Here is the link of the Canva file of the final double page spread.

Final only: https://www.canva.com/design/DAF9bGoDWrg/YieYwD-NzAiqHjV73OJb6g/view?utm_content=DAF9bGoDWrg&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=editor

Development: https://www.canva.com/design/DAF80gT4-tE/Pxhg0BlyLiTYaKoD_8omOA/view?utm_content=DAF80gT4-tE&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=editor

𝘼 𝙇𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡 𝙈𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙖 𝙎𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙞𝙚𝙨 - 𝘼𝙪𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙮 𝙎𝙤𝙚𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙜𝙤

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Tuesday, February 20, 2024