Motor Trend Magazine cover redesign

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// Project Brief

Redesign the cover of a magazine while maintaining the chosen publication’s brand image and appeal to their target audience.

// RESEARCH

// Research on Motor Trend Magazine

Motor Trend Magazine tends to use bold, sans-serif type for its main cover lines. In the case of the “Future Shock” issue, a typeface with a much lighter weight is offset with bullet points above. The use of buzzwords like “ludicrous” and “shock,” along with exclamation points, capture the reader’s attention to the contents of the main story.

// Research on Motor Trend Magazine

In more recent issues, the main cover lines have taken a more casual approach in their wording, presumably to appeal to a younger generation that spends most of their time on the web and on social media sites. In all examples of Motor Trend covers shown here, there seems to be a lot (borderline overload) of information that is being displayed. Pair that with cover photos that have a group of subjects, or multiple cover photos altogether, simplification could be a priority in the redesign of this magazine.

// Research on Competitors

In this grouping of competitors, both Car and Driver Magazine and Automobile Magazine have similarities with Motor Trend’s designs. Both are information-heavy in terms of the amount of text present around the subject matter. However, the actual cover photos are more focused, and in the case of Automobile, the text tries to work with the form/angle of the subject matter rather than being placed in a predefined grid layout (seen mostly with the cover featuring the Lincoln Continental).

// Research on Competitors

This grouping of Road & Track Magazine and Racer Magazine highlights what a magazine design could look like if the focus was on simplicity. Both possess a premium, upmarket feel thanks to engaging imagery, clean typography, and good use of color. Road & Track either color matches or contrasts their logo with the subject matter, while Racer heavily utilizes an illustrative style for their cover photos.

// CONCEPT SKETCHES

// Process Work

// Cover Photos

Even though there’s a plethora of images to be found on the Internet, I wanted to complete this project using my own work. Fortunately, I happen to own a Lamborghini Aventador, a Ferrari California T, and a Ford Raptor (well, scale models of them... still works!) so I used them as my subjects. Not only did I get my photos, I was able to practice my photography and I was also able to experiment with light painting to get the reflections around the car bodies. Enhancements were made in Lightroom.