OUGD402 | Studio Brief 01 -TOPSHOP Free Magazine

Editorial design is what sparked my interest in graphic design, I was always a regular reader of fashion and beauty magazines, mainly for the design rather than the content. I am still considering this as a career option for when I graduate.

Recently, I picked up Topshop's free magazine in store. I was instantly struck by its cheeky design that would probably annoy some graphic designers. The magazine for me was refreshing in terms of design because I feel that Editorial design has hit a wall. The majority of fashion/beauty magazines are designed in the same style and it's probably not helped the already decreasing sales of the physical copies. In my opinion, these magazines need something different and new, and Topshop magazine is a good example of this. 

So what make it so different. The text size is particularly interesting, considering the size of the magazine is just larger than A4 and the body copy is 20pt +. This unusually large text size would be frustrating to some designers but I am a fan of the rule breaking. The larger text makes the magazine much easier to digest for people like myself who find reading large amounts of text difficult. Similarly, the titles are HUGE, which I love. Larger type allows you to admire the details of letterforms, in my opinion, type usually looks better in a larger pt size. The design of the magazine is also very simplistic, yet it somehow achieves a quirky feel, fitting of Topshop's style. Perhaps this quirkiness is because of its unique style compared to the normal magazine design. 

Another fun detail is sticker-like eyes and hearts dotted across the spreads, encouraging readers to scan the pages and interact with the magazine as well as giving a scrap book feel. The sticker images have a childlike feel which I love - they are so different and I love the sense of rebellion against design that ties in with it. 

Finally, I have always loved fashion photography, which the magazine is full of. The images sit perfectly on the choice of stock which feels like a lightweight newsprint, simply staple bound. The magazine as a whole is playful, cheap to produce and something new. I am beginning to wonder if breaking the rules (well!) is a style that I would like to adopt!