Project Description
ARTD 444 Typographic Systems is an advanced design studio course that engages junior and senior students in the intricacies of typography as applied to magazine design. This semester-long project tasked students with creating a magazine from concept through to print and digital publication. The project was structured to incrementally build their skills in conceptualizing, designing, and producing a magazine. Students were required to devise a theme, strategically plan content, design the visual layout, and manage both the print production and digital presentation of the final product.
Learning Objectives
Typography and Narrative: Students learn to understand and harness the power of typography in shaping the narrative and aesthetic of their magazine design, ensuring that the type aligns with and enhances the magazine's thematic elements.
Design Cohesion and Functionality: Through the creation of various magazine sections—from the initial concept to the final back cover and digital flipbook—students apply advanced typographic systems that balance artistic expression with functional design.
Critical Analysis and Innovation: Students are encouraged to critically analyze design theories and apply these insights to produce innovative magazine designs that are both contemporary and resonant with target audiences.
Research-Driven Design: This project emphasizes the importance of in-depth research in informing typographic choices, helping students to understand the interplay between type, content, and reader engagement.
Experimental Design Techniques: Students experiment with various typographic techniques and methodologies to enhance the visual and communicative impact of their magazine design.
Feedback and Refinement: The project integrates peer reviews and professional feedback, guiding students through iterative refinements to improve the clarity, appeal, and effectiveness of their magazine layouts.
This comprehensive project is designed to deepen students' understanding of typography in graphic design, enhancing their ability to create compelling, visually appealing, and culturally relevant print and digital publications. Through hands-on design work, students are prepared to meet the challenges of modern graphic design and media industries.
STudent Samples
By Sonja Wise: Nomads' goal is to advocate for responsible travel practices while celebrating diverse cultures and communities around the world. Through this magazine, the aim is to promote a deeper understanding of global economics, foster social and cultural awareness, and empower individuals to make informed choices that positively impact the places they visit.
By Ali Ibanez: Niche Magazine is an editorial magazine designed to provide coverage on media forms and content that have had revolutionary impacts on the film industry, placing a specific emphasis on material that is labeled “niche” or “obscure” and is oftentimes overshadowed or forgotten to history.
By Huy Nguyen: The focus and concept of this magazine is a lifestyle one revolving around raving and festivals. This would feature hottest upcoming festivals, artists spotlights, trending items, proper festival etiquette, hot topics, and more.
By Hope Allen: Viro magazine, short for environment, is a publication focused on the current state of the environment, sustainability, and how to inform its audience about their impacts and abilities to make small, lasting changes.
By Charlotte Watson: Dear Diary, mag updates early 2000s preteen mags from girlhood to young adulthood, amplifying queer voices, and investigating the nuances of growing up in modern society
