TOC RANT

Has any one tried to find the TOC in some of the more popular magazines. Well if you are looking for it you will have to go through around 50 to 100 pages of advertising. When will publications understand that the TOC is the key to their magazines and reader need to find the TOC in order to find the articles we would like to read. This makes me feel like the advertising is more important than the readers. We all understand that advertisers pay a lot of money for their ad placement but the publications need to make the readers feel like we are just as important important.

I was looking through GQ magazine and counted over 100 pages before I could find the TOC. THis number seems to be getting bigger and bigger as time goes on. Magazines are giving into the old mighty door. I often wonder how effective these ads are in the front of the magazines.

Where has the Album Covers Gone?

The usage of album covers use to be an art form. I know I could not only wait to hear the music but I also use to look forward to seeing the art covers and surprises that may be in the albums. With the MP3’s being used the album cover design/art and the content inside is becoming obsolete. The quote below is the best way to sum up what has happened to this art form.

"For a while, there was a true 'marriage' of two very distinct and different media -- art and music. In their heyday, LP covers were an outlet for experimentation, art, fun, social comment, and the power of the visual image to sell you the music that was contained therein. It's over I guess. The 'cover' of a CD is about 14% of the size of a record album; the artwork on the cassette box is just 7% as big. That's barely enough space to put the name of the artist, much less some breathtaking or unusual artwork."__Bill Walsh

Cover Article

There is a great article that appears in the September 2007 issue of Folio magazine. The article focuses on three magazines that have to use images and cover lines to draw attention to their magazines on newsstands. The article tells the challenges and the process the magazines go through in order to produce an effective cover that catches the eye of their old and new readers. This is a great article for every designer to read.

The FRO vs Balanced Layout

Is this an ad where the designer did a great job keeping a balanced layout or did the designer decide the FRO was to big to fit in the ad space anyway?

Like a Fox Freddy

If there were ever an image that matched the text this is a perfect example. On the September 10, 2007 cover of Newsweek there is an image of presidential hopefull Fred Thompson looking like a “FOX” waiting to jump on its prey. By taking out the background Newsweek makes you focus on the image and words. It is a very clean and devious looking cover.

The cover made me think that Fred Thompson is an old calculating candidate that has been waiting for all of the Rebuplican candidates to attack each other. Then when they attack each other he jumps in and takes out the weak.

What is your ideal work environment?

Hello Everyone,

I was reading the October 2007 issue of HOW magazine, when I ran across an article about an advertising agency that has revamped its own image. They decided to change their logo, create a new slogan and move their 75 employees to a new office. The new office has more of a retro feel to it. The office halls have artifacts from different eras and every office or open work area has "HANG IN THERE" on the walls.




This article made me think about when I graduated from undergrad and knew the world was at my feet. I saw myself working for an agency or company that would have this type of work environment. BOY OH BOY was I in for a rude awaking. My first job was doing paste up for a local newspaper. (I know most of you don't remember a time when Photoshop was a stat-camera.) The production room smelled like wax and developing solution from the stat-camera room. You were lucky if you were able to end the workday without shedding any blood from your X-acto knife.

Today my ideal work environment would be anyplace that has good people. One thing I have learned through the years is that designers need other good people around them. It is cool to work for a place that has a great color palette in the office and great artwork, but it is always better to have someone with whom you can bounce ideas off. It could be a tough environment to be creative without this support.

Today’s designers work in all types of work environments. We work in law offices, business offices, agencies, newsrooms, from home, etc. What is your ideal work environment?