Magazine Design
PBDS 641.185

NOTE: This is representative of the syllabi for this course. It is not necessarily the syllabus being used in any one semester.

WHAT YOU SHOULD GET FROM THIS CLASS

1) An overview of the magazine industry and a bit about its history.

2) An understanding that the design of a magazine is as important as its editorial mission. We will examine the importance of:

a) the magazine's mission, why it exists and how it came to be

b) what the readers of a magazine expect and how an art director can meet these expectations,how does the design deliver the message?

c) knowing the target audience and the number of readers (circulation).

3) An understanding of how magazines differentiate themselves by examining the design of publications with very different messages. I will be asking you to explain WHY a certain design structure/type treatment/style of photography or illustration was chosen in either a magazine we are examining or a magazine spread or department you are designing.

4) An understanding of the magazine's structure, learned by examining publications and completing assignments that introduce the importance of the cover, contents page, editor's page, departments, and features.

5) Examples in the form of an end-of-class portfolio that show:

a) a solid understanding of the magazine's grid/structure;

b) exemplary ability to layout magazine pages in a way that makes good use of photography, illustration, type, and any charts, graphs or other material used to get the message across;

c) excellent understanding of type and how to use the right type for the right situation. (Even though Typography is a prerequisite for this class, it's such an important part of magazine design that we will need to spend time exploring it.)

6) An introduction to what a career in magazine design is like-what skills you need to get there, how you progress, and what sort of money you can expect to make.

WHAT YOU CANNOT GET FROM THIS CLASS

I can't teach you to love magazines or love to read or be excited about the visual/verbal relationship between an art director and editor. I can tell you that your work as an art director will be enhanced if you are excited about these things. But ultimately this must come from a place within you and isn't something I can pass onto you in this class.

EXERCISES AND PROJECTS

You will be assigned several exercises and 5 projects to design. The projects have been conceived to help build your portfolio. As a result, we will spend time critiquing them in class, and you will be given time to refine your designs before their due date. You will also be expected to read assigned sections of the textbook and will be asked to keep a clip book of different magazine design examples that you collect during the semester.

PRESENTATION

Throughout the semester, beginning week 3, each student will give a to-minute presentation that describes a magazine's mission and discusses how well its design either addresses or fails to address the mission. A written synopsis will be required at the time of your presentation.

GRADING

Your grade will be based on a combination of the following:

how appropriate your designs are to the given assignment

how well you meet deadlines

the clarity of your in-class presentation

your enthusiasm and willingness to learn

the neatness and display of your projects

While I won't give you extra credit for class participation and attendance (at your level of study, both are expected), I will mark your grade down accordingly if you fail to take part in class discussions and/or if you don't show up for class. Please let me know in advance if you're aware of any classes you might miss.

MATERIALS NEEDED

Access to a computer with page layout software and a sizable selection of fonts.

Layout boards (preferably black, but a color that contrasts with your project will be fine)

Spray mount, T square, Triangle and X-acto blades for mounting assignments.

A large, unlined notebook or large folder to hold your clip book collections.

TEXT

Magazine Design That Works, Stacey King

Optional Texts:

Issues, New Magazine Design by Jeremy Leslie and Lewis Blackwell

The 36th Publication Design Annual.

Both books are available through amazon.com




			Magazine Design PBDS 641.185 NOTE: This is representative of the syllabi for this course. It is not necessarily the syllabus being used in any one semester. WHAT YOU SHOULD GET FROM THIS CLASS 1) An overview of the magazine industry and a bit about its history. 2) An understanding that the design of a magazine is as important as its editorial mission. We will examine the importance of: a) the magazine's mission, why it exists and how it came to be b) what the readers of a magazine expect and how an art director can meet these expectations,how does the design deliver the message? c) knowing the target audience and the number of readers (circulation). 3) An understanding of how magazines differentiate themselves by examining the design of publications with very different messages. I will be asking you to explain WHY a certain design structure/type treatment/style of photography or illustration was chosen in either a magazine we are examining or a magazine spread or department you are designing. 4) An understanding of the magazine's structure, learned by examining publications and completing assignments that introduce the importance of the cover, contents page, editor's page, departments, and features. 5) Examples in the form of an end-of-class portfolio that show: a) a solid understanding of the magazine's grid/structure; b) exemplary ability to layout magazine pages in a way that makes good use of photography, illustration, type, and any charts, graphs or other material used to get the message across; c) excellent understanding of type and how to use the right type for the right situation. (Even though Typography is a prerequisite for this class, it's such an important part of magazine design that we will need to spend time exploring it.) 6) An introduction to what a career in magazine design is like-what skills you need to get there, how you progress, and what sort of money you can expect to make. WHAT YOU CANNOT GET FROM THIS CLASS I can't teach you to love magazines or love to read or be excited about the visual/verbal relationship between an art director and editor. I can tell you that your work as an art director will be enhanced if you are excited about these things. But ultimately this must come from a place within you and isn't something I can pass onto you in this class. EXERCISES AND PROJECTS You will be assigned several exercises and 5 projects to design. The projects have been conceived to help build your portfolio. As a result, we will spend time critiquing them in class, and you will be given time to refine your designs before their due date. You will also be expected to read assigned sections of the textbook and will be asked to keep a clip book of different magazine design examples that you collect during the semester. PRESENTATION Throughout the semester, beginning week 3, each student will give a to-minute presentation that describes a magazine's mission and discusses how well its design either addresses or fails to address the mission. A written synopsis will be required at the time of your presentation. GRADING Your grade will be based on a combination of the following: how appropriate your designs are to the given assignment how well you meet deadlines the clarity of your in-class presentation your enthusiasm and willingness to learn the neatness and display of your projects While I won't give you extra credit for class participation and attendance (at your level of study, both are expected), I will mark your grade down accordingly if you fail to take part in class discussions and/or if you don't show up for class. Please let me know in advance if you're aware of any classes you might miss. MATERIALS NEEDED Access to a computer with page layout software and a sizable selection of fonts. Layout boards (preferably black, but a color that contrasts with your project will be fine) Spray mount, T square, Triangle and X-acto blades for mounting assignments. A large, unlined notebook or large folder to hold your clip book collections. TEXT Magazine Design That Works, Stacey King Optional Texts: Issues, New Magazine Design by Jeremy Leslie and Lewis Blackwell The 36th Publication Design Annual. Both books are available through amazon.com home \| bs, corporate communication \| ba, english \| ma, publications design \| mfa, integrated design \| mfa, creative writing & publishing arts \| people \| portfolio \| facilities \| classes \| undergraduate applications \| graduate applications \| contact \| site index \| university of baltimore

Magazine Design PBDS 641.185

Magazine Design
PBDS 641.185