FORM AND FUNCTION Every publication begins as an idea: a subject or message with a function but no form. Real estate, sports, and cooking are all ideas/topics. The function is to involve an audience in a message or subject matter over a period of time.

FORM AND FUNCTION We’ve already determined our target audience, who the typical reader is, using the questionnaire. We’ve determined what our main topic is and focused it accordingly.

MAGAZINE PRODUCTION Next step: develop content that will convey message. -articles, reviews, photos, infographics, and art. -table of contents -style guide

ARTICLES ARTICLES: You can write your own articles for this project, or collaborate with others in class to write each other’s articles for a wider range of voices. You can use any previously unpublished articles, as long as the writer permits you. Of course articles written specifically for the magazine also work.

REVIEWS REVIEWS: If applicable, you can also use reviews, whether it’s product reviews, film reviews, or literary reviews. Keep the focus on your topic, though.

Use only original photography, or photography that someone has given you permission to use. (If possible) PHOTOGRAPHY

INFOGRAPHICS Infographics, while not necessary, can be a great way to visually communicate information. They can be as simple as a pie chart or bar graphic or a detailed map.

INFOGRAPHICS

ART AND ILLUSTRATION Relevant art can make the layout more aesthetically pleasing. Like photos, all content needs to be used with permission or licensed (i.e., istockphoto)

TABLE OF CONTENTS While text should be used for a majority of the table of contents, use photos as well for interest.

Source:

COPY STYLE GUIDE What words will you capitalize, even if it’s an exception to the dictionary? How will you refer to people in the industry?

LAYOUT STYLE GUIDE Consistent look (repetition) Color (use color codes)

COVER DESIGN Cover Design should include some clues or information as to what is inside. Use a consistent style with the text and appropriate photos and/or art.

BUILDING CONTENT Use the concept to create content. THREE FUNCTIONS OF THE CONCEPT: -Visual Sources -Audience Resonation -Branding

VISUAL SOURCES The content is the driving force behind creating a visual concept (make the design appropriate to the context and audience). A magazine about classical music should differ from a magazine dealing with hip hop music. An annual report for an insurance company should communicate stability while a weekend recreation magazine should communicate activity and fun. (Refer to questions from earlier class to help determine look and consider audience/concept).

AUDIENCE RESONATION It’s critical that the content of the magazine resonate with its target audience. It should be relevant and accessible. These criteria determine the physical form of the magazine, its visual style, and its organization. Is the audience young or old, predominantly male or female, working class or wealthy? Social background? How many of them are there? What joins them together as a recognizable group? They should have an assumed need for the information in the magazine.

BRANDING Designing to influence an audience’s perception of content so that it resonates with them adds a layer of meaning to the overall content of a publication. The messages in the magazine are often abstract visual level that alters the audience’s perception of the content, effectively changing the subject’s meaning. In other words, magazines (the articles and visuals) have a point of view that situates the subject in the minds of the audience relative to other sources of information. This sets a magazine apart from the competition.

BRANDING For example, an annual report doesn’t just deliver information, but portrays the company in a positive light. A magazine’s branded identity is usually part of the corporate identity—the logo/masthead and materials it uses to identify itself, including color, typography, and so on.