In creating my inside page, I wanted to have a package about options students have after graduation from college. I had to be creative because these stories did not have a lot of art to go with them, as far as photos.
To avoid having a page that was too grey, I decided to try an alternative story form. I put a “How to” story in the center of the page, using big, red numbers to break the story up into smaller units. I had to edit down the content to figure out how to fit it into the four categories and how to make it fit on the page. This was the most fun part of designing this page. This story uses an alternative story format, though it’s different from mine.
Like mine, though, this uses art that isn’t necessarily amazing, but works really well as a dominant element on the page.
I chose the other stories to go on this page because they all deal with options students have after graduation. I chose to put the two one-column stories along the two sides so it would look and feel symmetrical. The Peace Corps story fit well along the bottom. I wish this story had a photo that I could have run, so the page wouldn’t be quite so grey. I think my rough layout is similar to this. The difference is that I have a story on the bottom instead of the top of the main, boxed element. This design also has one-column stories along the edge.
I used boxes and rules to separate the stories on the page. At the top of the page, I used an overline at the top of the page to make sure the reader knew that these stories all related in a package about what students can do after graduation. I put a box around the how-to story so that it would stand out on the page. I decided to put the headline sort of the in middle with white space around it, so that it could be a dominant visual element in the absence of other art. I also placed two pull quotes to break up the greyness of the page.
I really like this layout and how the related articles are packaged. The box in the center makes it the dominant element on the page. My eyes were automatically drawn to that area. I first read the headline then saw the graphic of the cap and diploma. Next my eyes went to the numbers. The numbers in red really make it stand out.
ReplyDeleteI also like how the stories on the sides are symmetrical and the rulers help to separate the heavy copy.
I agree that a picture for the Peace Corps article would have been nice to minimize the gray. However, the package in the middle makes the layout flow very well. Nice crop of the young lady's face, it looks really good.
I like this inside page a lot. You really utilized the space and chose a great alternate story form.
You did a really nice job in this layout of packaging all of these related stories in a unique and interesting way. The middle package featuring the post-graduation survival tips is creative and helps to break up the monotony of strictly grey text.
ReplyDeleteI like how you wrapped the headline "How to: survive after graduation" and placed it in the middle of the package because it becomes more than just a headline and serves as a strong visual element that really grabs the reader's attention.
My only suggestion would have been to change up the numbering in the "How to" package to give it a more natural flow. Placing the second "tip" below the first would give the package a more natural feel, as most people typically read down the page or column before returning to the text at the top of the page.
Otherwise, this is one of the most creative inside pages I've seen.