2-Page Spread: Format Plans/ Drafts

Now that the cover and table of contents of the magazine are completed, I did research regarding the creation of spreads for fashion magazines. From there, I was able to gain some knowledge on how to create the best spread possible that helps keep the readers entertained and engaged. After conducting this research, I was capable of creating three very different format plans for the 2-page spread I will be producing. Each of the layouts has very different conventions that you will see in fashion magazine spreads. Therefore, it is important to recognize some such as titles, bylines, pull quotes, drop caps, page numbers, etc. That will assist you with creating the perfect spread for your magazine so let's get started. 

Example 1:

For the following spread, the main focus was to be fancy and unique. In order to do that, the font and image choice were the most important aspects. In addition, the way that the overall spread is laid out is extremely important as it puts the content together in a specific manner. 

Firstly, the spread will most likely use a black and white photograph of the individual being interviewed. The right page of the spread is solely the image and nothing but the image. This is so that the focus can be balanced between the two pages from the actual content to the model. The reason that it is on the right is because that ensures that the audience will not be distracted by seeing it first but instead, they can read the article first. The image will be a close up of the model or designer so that the focus can be on their face when interviewed and they can be easily recognized. 

As for the left page of the spread, the design is very simple yet very impactful. The way that it is set up follows almost every major convention of the spread. For instance, the title of the article is bigger than the rest of the text and centered on that page. The font used was used because of its modern and fashionable design that makes it align with the fashion genre very well. The line right below that is the overview of the article. This is like the hook that can persuade the reader to keep reading the article.  Under that is the byline which is necessary in order to credit the individual who wrote it for their work. Then, right below are two columns of text containing the actual content of the article. In almost every magazine, articles are written in columns and not essay-style so that they do not get uninteresting and appear long when seen. The color of all the text is black simply because it does not distract or pop too much while also being distinguished from the white background. The page numbers are placed on the bottom near the spine of the magazine. This allows for the reader to tell the pages apart by looking in one area hence how close they are. The one for the right page is black and the one for the right is white so that they do not blend in with their backgrounds. The overall color scheme is black and white for this one which is mainly because the black and white modeling pictures give off a vintage and aesthetic look. Therefore, the final design will have a unique-looking scheme to it which is exactly what you need. The placement of the text is from the biggest to the smallest text size and also by importance. The title is clearly more important than the rest then we have the headline and then the byline leading us to the actual text. The placement gives it a very organized and put-together look which is again, very much needed. 

Example 2:

For this design, a much simpler layout was chosen so that the options were variant from each other. This one uses a drop cap, brighter colors, and a pull quote. However, most of the other elements are present in the previous spread as they are necessary.

To start off, the image used here has a very bright and colorful color scheme to it. The color in the spread is mainly coming from that page. Now due to the large amount on information included next to it, the image is placed on the left side. It makes the overall spread look easier to read and way more colorful since it introduces the main color scheme. The main colors that will be used are summery and bright such as blue, yellow, and orange. Now that page, just like previously, is completely covered with an image. 

The right page, on the other hand, is solely focused on the article of the spread. Firstly, for a fancy look, a very fancy font is used for the drop cap. Then the rest of the content uses a sans serif font. This is because this font family is less serious than the previous one used in the way that it conveys information. Since we want the audience to feel connected, sans serif is used here for all the text except the drop cap. The text is all black so that it is not distracting since the color scheme has already been achieved with the image on the right and I did not want to overdo it. Now there is a pull quote placed right in the middle while the text of the article surrounds it and wraps around it in a square shape. The pull quote is there and bolded so it can have the reader's attention and be told apart from the rest of the article's content. It is placed right in between the two columns which are laid out that way for the same reason as the previous draft plan. Right below near the spine, the page numbers are written in black in order to be legible and also allow the reader to find them when navigating to the TOC. Overall, this design breaks many of the fashion conventions which makes it very sophisticated and unique. 

Example 3:

For the final format plan, it is probably the most sophisticated of the three due to the design and layout chosen for it. It uses an extremely large drop cap in addition to a certain placement of text which can be seen here and has been done for certain reasons.

As you can see, due to the large number of details included, a black and white image was used here as well so that it is kept simple. The image that will be used later has a chance of being similar to the one used here with a mis shot use. The color scheme itself is black and white so it works just fine. The image is put on the right side this time again because the drop cap needs to be placed on the left and it would look off to the reader if it was placed on the right page when it is read left to right. Therefore, the image and its placement work great to match the conventions and modern theme aimed for. 

Now for the left page of the spread, an extremely large drop cap is used in order to create a very unique design that is different from what you usually see in fashion magazines. The drop cap us bolded and has a shadow that is blurred for a special effect on the empty white space all around the text. The actual text wraps around the V in a slanted line so that the V looks live and real. The font used here is sans serif because it works just great with the V font used in order for it to fit on the page. The byline sits inside the V so that it is available but does not interfere with the text right of that. The main title is bolded and centered just like it usually would be. The other conventions and elements such as the page numbers and title and the reason they are chosen to be that way correspond to the reason in the two previous drafts that you saw. This design by far is the most sophisticated and modern looking due to the amount of uniqueness in it. 

Conclusion:

To sum up all the information that was presented above, the three drafts created are all unique in their own ways from what was chosen to how and why it was chosen. All three designs, however, follow the necessary conventions of fashion magazine spreads in order to maintain their recognition from the audience. The design that I am leaning to the most is the first one because it has the right balance between challenging the conventions while also following some of them. This includes the use of white margins to the placement of the text. That makes the final look very fancy and allows it to look like it belongs on a store shelf. Next, I will be picking the final design that I like and finalizing it.