For the past couple of weeks, our class has been working with InDesign, which is a publishing program that lets you create brochures, flyers, newspaper and magazine articles and more. Our first project required us to create an article using the program. It didn't matter what the article was about since the purpose was to get us familiar and comfortable using the program and its features. I chose to do a satyrical article on one of my favorite horse breeds - the American Quarter Horse.
Since this article was meant to be funny, I knew right away that I had to use this incredibly stereotypical Old Western font. It's over-the-top cheesiness added a lot to the article's overall look. Also, InDesign allows you to put picture over an entire article, move it behind text, and change its transparency so that it becomes an interesting background. Without using a background picture I think this article would have looked very bland. After getting those two things down, I started on the body of my article
After typing out a few paragraphs of text and adding a couple of pictures, I decided I wanted to add a fake quote from a cowboy who rode a Quarter Horse back in his day. I wanted people to see the man the quote came from, so I found a random picture of a man on a horse and used it in an ellipse frame. Beneath that I added the cowboy's quote and made its background grey so that it would stand out among the rest of the text. After that, all that was left was to make some slight adjustments. I put a black border around all of the pictures, shifted a couple pictures and text slightly, and added a solid black line to separate the two columns.
Considering this was my first time working with InDesign, I think I was able to create a fairly professional-looking article (despite it's completely sarcastic content). InDesign is very similar to Illustrator in many ways, and since I've used that program a decent amount, I think that helped me a great deal. I enjoyed this project and getting to work with InDesign, and I hope to be ably to become even more comfortable with the program so that in the future I can use it to create professional works.
Your whole layout seems really well put together--the background image creates some interest and isn't too busy that it takes away from the rest of your article. Also, all of your pictures have the same thin black lined border, which creates some nice flow. I like your use of the verticle line to separate your colomns--haven't seen that in anyone else's. Love your style and placement of your heading and sub head, I don't think there's anything I would like to see changed in this one. Awesome job!
ReplyDeleteMandy,
ReplyDeleteI love this! The colors, the layout, the pictures--everything! It all is working really well together, BRAVO! My only "complaint" is the white text color choice in the quote box. It's a little hard to read especially compared to everything else. I would like to see the orange-ish color you use for the headline and subheading incorporated into the quote box a little bit more. But that is my only suggestion. Great job!
I think you did a good job for using this for the first time. You were able to engage the reader. The layout helps move my eyes throughout the page. The quote is a bit hard to read, but otherwise I enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteWell I do agree that you are on your way to professional looking articles! I like how you put the black dividing line between the two columns because to me it adds to the appeal to my eye and the organization of piece. Also, I think choice of font is appropriate for subject and what you are trying to do. Furthermore, in your first attempt, it looks like you had one of your images(left) placed in such a way that it decapitated the head of a horseman in background image. I'm glad you made adjustments to that. There are two things that I think maybe-(that's a "maybe") could improve balance and appeal is 1) the subhead I think should be justified left instead of the diagonal stair- stepping placement with the headline and 2) the pull-quote in black for ease of reading. Otherwise much better skills presented here than I can produce right now. Great job!
ReplyDeleteThe first thing I noticed was the orientation of the headline and subhead. The downward sloping angle, is a little distracting, as it brings the eyes to the right, instead of the beginning of the article on the left. The next thing I saw was the dividing line in the middle and the black lines bordering the pictures, and I think they are very effective in making the pictures not blend in with the background picture, and also keeping the two columns of text separated. Overall, very well done! It looks very realistic.
ReplyDeleteCool looking article that you've come up with here.
ReplyDeleteI really like the way that your heading flows across the page. I would suggest that your image in the top right corner of the page is aligned with the top of the text.
I would also suggest putting your pull quote somewhere in the middle of the text, personally I think that keeps the article flowing nicer.
Finally, nice decision with the separator line down the middle adds something different from the rest of the article designs.