A Change of Pace

Folio: The Magazine for Magazine Management, August 1, 2002

Byline: John Johanek

Anyone who enjoys jogging will probably agree that running in the country is better than running in a city. Without the stop and go caused by crosswalks, traffic, and pedestrians, you can establish a steady, comfortable pace. It's not much different for a magazine. Properly planned pacing in magazine design means fewer barriers to negotiate, and ultimately that inspires readers to spend more time soaking in every page.

In the attempt to create a visually exciting read, it's easy to inadvertently drop unwanted design hurdles into the magazine. But today's busy readers won't work to get through a story that's choppy and awkward to navigate. And they'll toss an issue that's haphazardly sequenced. So while some may claim that beauty has its costs, let's not forget that readability is a primary function of magazine design.

STORY PACING

Opening feature layouts should have a clear star-one design element that grabs the reader. It can be a strong piece of art or photography or a large headline. That's an easy design problem to resolve. But when layouts become more complex, many designers lose control. They don't prioritize elements on the page. Designers have to have the discipline to bring readers into the layout at point A - the headline, for example - and lead them through the page or spread by gradually putting less emphasis on other design elements such as photos, drop caps, subheads or art.

There are three ways to assign importance to something. You can make it the largest item on the page - size always grabs attention. You can give it the brightest color - like a red buzzword in a black headline. Or you can place it at the top of the page where it's seen first when reading naturally from top to bottom. But it's what you do to the other elements to de-emphasize them that will ultimately make the layout succeed or fail.

A spread with multiple photos can usually prioritize them simply by adjusting the size from large to small, although how those images are placed in the layout will signal their importance, too. A smaller photo at the top of a page may become more important than a slightly larger one positioned below it. And if the smaller photo partially overlaps the larger photo, the smaller one appears to be even more important. Designers have to be sure that primary photos aren't upstaged by secondary photos that are more colorful or placed higher on the page.

Other design elements such as headlines, drop caps, spot art or pullquotes can also unintentionally become the dominant element. A large photo will become subordinate to a colorful headline at the top of a page - even more so if the headline is placed on top of the primary graphic. Designers need to mentally assign a 1-2-3 priority to each item and make sure one graphic doesn't compete with another. Once the reader is properly led - from artwork to headline to subhead to drop cap, for example - then the layout is doing its job.

There are other things that slow down readers. As they turn from the opening spread or page, readers expect to continue reading. So the first thing they should see at the top of the next page is more text. It's not realistic to design every carryover page with body text at the very top, but it is possible to avoid placing too many obstacles between the last page and the continuing text. Don't make a reader search through a maze of photos, sidebars, charts or pullquotes to figure out where the story continues.

Readers shouldn't have to constantly leap over graphic elements, either. Sidebars are especially troublesome when their body text becomes confused with story text. Although color tints and strong borders may help to set them off, they can also overpower more important design elements like photos or art. Sidebar colors should always reflect the tone of the story, but be sure your color choices also convey the proper editorial importance.

ISSUE PACING

The same thoughtful design that ensures proper story pacing should be applied to the entire issue. Many magazines lump all their feature stories in the middle of the magazine. But this will not work unless there's a clear design distinction between feature and non-feature material. The design of departments and columns should be highly formatted. Headlines should be strong but not overpowering. Visuals should not take on the prominence of those in features, and fixtures like overlines, headlines and subheads should be standardized.

The non-feature pages should be used to bookend the issue, providing a logical organization that becomes familiar to the reader. The design of feature layouts will create visual energy while the uniform look of departments and columns provides the magazine's identity. To build on this concept, departments and columns should appear in the same basic position each issue.

It's also wise to clearly flag stories on the inside that may be highlighted on the cover or table of contents such as a special section or the cover story. When you do, also be sure that the headline wording from the cover to the contents to the story itself remains constant. And try to ensure that the first page of every story has a number on it so readers can locate it where the table of contents says it is. Causing readers to mis-connect only adds frustration and undermines all other attempts to provide a smooth flow throughout the issue.