Lesson 5&6: Graphic Design - Designing Magazine through a brand new lens

At the beginning of the week, we were introduced to Assignment 2 and our task is to design and complete an 8 or 12-page magazine that related to the podcast’s main topic. Designing a magazine also requires us to approach new software apps and it also was the first time that we have the chance to experience InDesign. In order to get familiar with this app, we have an exercise to re-produce an article depends on some available features. Although having detailed instruction from our lecturer, in my opinion, I still think that InDesign is complicated software. Because it includes so many functional tools, so it is quite easy for me to get the distraction or can not follow the lessons step by step. As a result, the most essential thing that I learned through today's lesson is to be concentrated whenever I attend the software skills class. By paying much more attention to the lecture’s example before starting the process by my self, it will make my practical experience much more fluent.

From my own perspective, the magazine always is a great combination of appealing illustrations and informative content. However, before this lesson, I have not known that the art of managing these two fundamental elements is called Graphic Design.

I realized that Magazine Design is a sophisticated area and it contains several sections that aim to navigate readers' experience. Due to our magazine’s topic: minimal living style, the theme concept should be classic and elegant. Therefore, 2 aspects that I paid special attention to were: White Space and Layout. Because I understood that without a well-composed layout and appropriate White Space, we can not bring the minimal sense to our readers.

Moreover, this Friday class also allows us to practice more with InDesign. Although I did not have so many troubles as the first time, there are several tools that I still need to learn in order to utilize this app for our final magazine.