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During the initial phase of creating my zine, which would be based off my typeface Stanth, I explored minimalistic magazine design layouts. This of course was going to be my stylistic approach to the design as I, as seen on my A1 for this unit, suits minimalistic designs as a decorative and modern serif font. This exploration aimed to understand how negative space, text size, visual hierarchy, and other design principles are effectively employed in such layouts. It served as a crucial first step in shaping the aesthetic direction and overall design approach of my zine.

One aspect I focused on was the strategic use of negative space. Minimalistic magazine layouts often embrace ample whitespace, allowing elements to breathe and creating a sense of openness and clarity. Dabner (2017) explains the effective control of this technique stating, "Negative space is everything around or within an object, the 'empty' space that helps to define the borders of the positive image [page]." By incorporating generous amounts of negative space, the design achieves a sense of balance, simplicity, and elegance. 

Text size played a pivotal role in achieving a harmonious visual hierarchy. Through careful consideration of font sizes and scale, minimalist magazine layouts direct readers' attention and convey information effectively. Heading and subheading text is often larger, creating a clear distinction and drawing attention to important sections. Smaller, more discreet font sizes are used for body text, promoting readability and enhancing the overall visual flow.

A cornerstone of minimalist design and an effective principle I wanted my zine to embody. By manipulating font weight, contrast, and alignment, these layouts guide readers through the content. Key elements are emphasized through bolder typography or varying color choices, while secondary elements are presented in a more subdued manner. The intentional arrangement of visual elements establishes a clear order and enhances the overall reading experience.

Other design principles I explored included simplicity and the strategic use of imagery (in this context the imagery would be the highlighted typeface). Minimalistic magazine design often favors clean and uncluttered compositions, with a focus on essential elements and a minimal color palette. It made me consider using the existing elements of my typeface - in this instance the minor strokes and major geometric shapes - because (for example) carefully placing verticle lines of varying weights show a gradually imposed order as they begin to form a grid (Dabner et al., 2017).

Grid-based structures provide a systematic framework for organizing content, promoting consistency and coherence. Thoughtful image placement and sizing contribute to the overall aesthetic and narrative of the zine.

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Initially I drew up a very simple graphic of the pages and what each page would cover. This would allow me to visualise the pages as spreads, and get a better understanding of how and who the pages would neighbour. 

By gaining that insight I storyboarded rough ideations, which utilised visuals and theory from my research, that would help communicate and encapsulate the visual narrative of what my typeface is about.

1-16 : Front & Back Page

2-15 : Table of Contents & Table of Contents

3-14 : Feature Article & Feature Article

4-13 : Feature Article & Feature Article

5-12 : Inspiration & Inspiration

6-11 : Inspiration & FY(t)I

7-10 : Type Trend & Type Trend

8-9   : Reflection & Reflection

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A lot of the pages that were drafted were successfully translated onto InDesign, and felt like they achieved the visual effectiveness I was after. However, the following spreads below were the areas that required a bit more though as it, initially, did not result as effective as I was hoping. This involved pages being too bland (minimalistic to the point of just being bare and not effectively focusing on the positive parts of the spread), they were too cluttered with text that refrained away from what I wanted audiences to analyse, or just plain stupid.

On this spread, which is the first of two spreads in the Feature Article section, I aimed to align with the minimalistic style I discussed earlier. To achieve this, I selected a glyph from the typeface that exhibited the most geometric shape and balance, effectively representing the essence of the typeface. In this case, the letter 'U' of Stanth that would be slightly manipulated by scaling the element to be larger within the frame. Additionally, I opted for a split-contrast design to draw attention to the specific elements of the glyph on the page. This design choice maintains consistency by reflecting the two core elements within the typeface and creates a striking visual impact through the harsh juxtaposition.

However, when I added the header and body texts, along with additional graphics, to the spread, I noticed that the visual dominance of the glyph in the centre was being challenged by its neighbouring elements. I became concerned that the minimalistic style I aimed for was compromised. While the contrasting text on either side still directs the eye toward the centre, I felt it deviated from the desired minimalistic aesthetic. To address this, I limited the use of body text to a small portion, strategically placed to encourage the audience to analyse the main visual element—the focal point of the 'Feature Article'—thus maintaining the intended minimalistic approach. It is crucial that when combining different image modes, they exhibit a decisive contrast while also sharing certain visual qualities to establish a clear relationship (Samara, 2011).

This page was a resounding success, and I am immensely satisfied with how it came together. Right from the beginning, through the use of scale, placement, and the rule of thirds, this spread effectively highlights the typeface within a minimalistic design, instantly drawing attention to the first third (the far left) of the spread. The deliberate choice of a large scale and strategic placement of the 'minor' strand on the right conveys its significance and essential role in constructing the glyph, embodying the character it represents. Furthermore, the placement of the header and body text not only interacts with the text-wrapping of the shape but also conveys a sense of weight and physics as they appear to gradually descend onto the geometric shape, which is positioned at an angle. The use of thirds in this spread is placed in within an effective area that overlaps where the lines - within a 3x3 grid - cross within the spread for important visual effect (Morgan, 2018). This dynamic arrangement adds a captivating visual element to the spread and enhances its overall impact.

I also took advantage of the ample white space in this spread, effectively utilizing negative space to enhance the design. The generous amount of white space surrounding the showcased letters and main elements creates a sense of openness and balance, allowing the viewers' focus to be directed towards the featured content. By strategically incorporating negative space, the design achieves a visually pleasing and uncluttered aesthetic, which in turn emphasizes the importance of the showcased letters and their relationship with the surrounding elements. This intentional use of negative space enhances the overall composition, adding a sense of visual clarity and allowing the readers to engage with the typeface in a more focused and contemplative manner.

During this particular step in the design process, I encountered the greatest challenge in creating this spread. Initially, I intended to use the inspiration spread as a means to showcase the typeface. However, simply placing letters within the canvas proved to be lacking in interactivity and visual interest, failing to captivate the reader's attention. As a result, I deviated from showcasing the individual letters and opted for a very minimalistic yet abstract page that immediately grabs the reader's gaze. However, after careful consideration, I ultimately decided to shift my focus towards highlighting the balance and varying sizes of the glyphs. Regardless of their size, each glyph plays a crucial role in harmonizing with one another, forming an integral part of the overall typeface design. This decision allows the spread to effectively convey the interconnectedness and significance of the glyphs, emphasizing their collective importance in the overall composition.

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This zine is based on, created for the purposes of this unit, a font called Stanth. The initial mock-up stage of drawing basic layouts was experimentive and fun, which could only be achieved due to the opportunities the font provides based off its concept and technical aspects. I did not draw multiple iterations of ways to lay out the pages, which I should do in future to have a wider variety of exploration, but instead erased current work and refined it further. This experimentation highlighted the importance of finding visual ways to communicate information in simple ways; techniques such as negative space, scaling, contrast, as well as text placement. Translating that to InDesign further pushed visual theory, either refining mock-up ideas or starting from scratch, to create more visual appealing and creative ways to showcase a plethora of meaning through the simple act of a page. The main challenge that was enjoyable to learn from was solving how to showcase my typeface in a minimalistic style, while being informative. Lastly I had great enjoyment learning about how to have effecting visual hierarchy and how to lead the viewers eye whilst being impactful.

Dabner, D., Stewart, S. & Vickress, A. (2017). Graphic Design School: The Principles and Practice of Graphic Design. Wiley (pg. 40).

Morgan E. (2018). Vector Art Fundamentals: Digital Media Arts Series (2nd ed.). AuthorHouse (pg. 286).

Samara, T. (2011). Graphic Designer's Essential Reference: Visual Elements, Techniques, and Layout Strategies for Busy Designers. Rockport Publishers (pg. 20).