TWO PAGE LAYOUT AND COVER: THE BRAINSTORM

A great portion of our project is creating a two page spread. In order to have a successful online magazine, I know I need to write about something interesting, current, and popular, so that the audience will be tempted to read all about it.

Fashion magazines don't just publish "whatever" story they like, or "anything" that comes to their heads for their two page layout. There's a thought process and specific ideas that go through trial and error in order to be the "final" choice. Today I read a very informative article that explained what really goes on in deciding the two page layout spread. With this information I was able to begin brainstorming my own.

Magazine Spreads - Good and Bad Practices:
- Readers see a two page spread as one unit, this is because magazines are smaller than newspapers, and can be observed in one view because our peripheral vision encompasses the entire spread at normal viewing distance.
- When you go to the newsstand, you pick up magazines with your left hand and with your right you flip through the pages. The most visible area at that point is the outer upper part of the right page. Therefore not all areas of the spread are equal.
- Everything should have flow, you should work your way from top left to bottom right. Headline, intro copy, main copy.

With the help of my notes, I began thinking of possible ideas for my two page spread that could fall under this layout easily. My options were...
- Women: The New Look
- Gemini Outfits
- Match By Not Matching
- The Louboutin Silhouette

This was just the beginning of my brainstorming I know more ideas are on their way...

While looking through examples of this layout in magazines such as Vogue and Harper's Bazaar (my biggest inspirations) I realized the majority of the magazine covers used in certain issues corresponded to to the main cover line. In this case, my two page spread would need to correlate to my magazine cover, this was becoming confusing because I couldn't exactly picture the images I wanted to produce because I didn't have my two page story choice ready. However I had two things determined. One: My images would be modern, contemporary, and minimalistic. Two: They will incorporate young women which will be in simple poses yet send bold messages.