Headline: Beyond the Sling

Deck: A real-life guide to raising confident, loving children the attachment parenting way

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/39969515416497857/

This headline and deck are featured in National Geographic’s August 2013 issue. I think the headline is clever and does a good job of introducing the article. The deck provides historical and current day information. I believe both the headline and deck catch the readers attention… it did with me at least. The photographs of the sugary goodness are really cool too. http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2013/08/sugar/clark-photography

This is a spread from the December 2012 issue of National Geographic. It really utilizes photography in its design. I think it is really hard to convey how tall and magnificent these giant sequoia trees are in a photograph. However, I believe these photos do these trees justice. I like how they open with a full page photograph of the trees. The second page opens to an even larger photograph. The story begins on the third page. They utilize the drop cap and place the story within two columns on each page. The fourth page provides a visual layout of the anatomy of the trees and a map of Sequoia National Park providing facts. I think National Geographic does an excellent job combining the visual and the story in a clear and professional manner. It can be read and understood by anyone.

This layout is a personality feature on former Chicago Bear’s QB Jim McMahon. Even though it’s text heavy, the photos they do use focus on the individual and help drive the story. I also like the use of pulled quotes throughout the article.

I have always loved ESPN’s Body Issue – the photos are stunning and represent what it truly means to be an athlete in such a diverse world. Since the photos take up the entire space of the spread, the dominance is placed on the athletes. The type is simple and informative, adding to the accomplishments of the people featured. Leaving the text small and in one specific corner keeps the focus on the human body and the amazing things humans can push them to do. Oh, and Kaepernick is (a) damn fine (quarterback).

I think this design is perfect. The color of the title and the girl’s dress are consistent, which works very well. This color scheme–yellow, grey and black–is bright and comfortable. Also, the visuals on the left page are triangles shape, while the dress of the girl is designed as the similar shape as those visuals. On the right, the words and the visual combine together creatively. The girl’s eyes lead readers to the beginning of the paragraph. Overall, this design is smartly, using similarity skill.

This magazine spread looks fantastic. It looks fun, casual yet very organized. Visuals definitely stand out and catch eyes. I like how the designer positions the visuals, which is really very well balanced. Also, colors in the visual work effectively as well. Red and green dominate the left side page while yellow and blue dominating the right half. Such color combination is smart — it sets the two pages apart automatically, which corresponds to the texts. The red dots throughout the page looks fun as well and introduces “similarity” that appeals to eyes.

This magazine spread struck me because the “R” is so cool where the picture is coming through the letter. It makes the spread eye-catching. Also the black and white images on the right page organize the information and make it very readable, balancing the left image, in color behind the “R”. The top left image looks like it’s in motion and is also appealing. I just like the overall simplicity of this spread.