Critique: Parents & Pageants

Cover: I chose a cut out that I had made for my cover. Toddlers & Tiaras really inspired my typography choices and, of course, the title I picked for the headline. (I also love ampersands, so it was fun for me.)


Opening Spread: I wanted my opening spread to be styled like my cover. I chose my favorite photo as the leading visual because it demonstrated the father-daughter relationship I was focusing on for this feature. It also worked well with my cover as both photos are dark. The reverse type was a little much. A less intense display of the copy on this page may have been easier on the eyes.


Second spread: Two things I struggled with while designing were
1) the copy and
2) the photos.
That seems a bit much since most spreads are mainly made of those two components. Wanting to keep the columns of text the same width, limited what I could do with the text and where I could really place it. I had originally thought I was going to have a full column on the side of one of the pages, but I realized the length of the story really didn't call for that. I also didn't know what exactly to do to display the photos in a way that pushed the design. I knew which photos I wanted to use, but I didn't think the story (or the photos) called for an unusual or exciting arrangement.

Last page: I wanted to the end the photo order with what I believed was the natural end to the day - the awards. I chose to play the photo of Ellie larger because that is what I believe that the story was leading to. Ronnie really wanted his daughter to be self-sufficient when she grew up - to be able to stand on her own. The previous spread showed his involvement and devotion to her growth and eventual independence.




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What's next:
The spring preview assignment due date is Friday afternoon. To be quite honest, I have a lot to do before then.
I don't have anything to show for this assignment right now, but I have been brainstorming some un-spring ideas. That is to say, I think we have all heard several times to avoid flowers and rain boots and whatnots. I've thought of literal springs - you know, the mattress type. I've thought of binoculars, monacals, and stationary viewers. I've thought of 3-D letters for "spring preview" covered in a sheet - like something spectacular about to be revealed, even though you can tell what it is. My final decision will really depend on the ease of creating or finding these images.
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