Breaking Down Typography & Photography

We will be breaking down this magazine spread from “Good Housekeeping.” This is page 52 and 53 from their March/April 2024 issue. Good Housekeeping is a company that issues monthly magazines to over 30 million subscribers. The link used to find this magazine spread is linked just under this paragraph. https://flipster.ebsco.com/c/kbuxoq/reader/3807020?callbackUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fflipster.ebsco.com%2Fc%2Fkbuxoq%2Fdetails%2F3879364%3FbackTo%3D%252Fc%252Fkbuxoq%252Fbrowse%253Fcategory%253DFashion&accessionNumber=3807020&pageSet=0&page=0

Typography Categorization

The title of this magazine, “#SkipTheseTips,” is a modern heading. The way we know that the typography is modern is by looking at the horizontal serifs, lines at the beginning and end of strokes, and the extreme transition of the thickness the letters have. We can see clearly that the letters have a drastic change in width throughout the stroke. Modern typography is great for titles.

The body text of this magazine layout is sans-serif, meaning the letters have no serif. We can see that the letters have have hard edges. Sans-serif fonts are great for any use.

Typography Contrast

The title uses a modern typography, which only contrasts with a sans-serif through the widths and edges of the letters. It is common for magazines to use a sans-serif as the body font because it contrasts well with the other typographies used for heading.

Photography

The photographer used depth of field in this photo by having a focus on the cat and its owner. The depth of field is classified as a shallow depth of field. We know this because the background is blurry, but the subjects are in focus. This photo does not work as a rule of thirds because of how close the camera is to the subject. The designer may have also intentionally put the lines to draw attention towards the center to put a focus on the subject, this is called leading lines. The most prevalent principle of photography in this is the depth of field.

Replacement Photos for Layout

These three photos would work well in the magazine because it follows the principle of the depth of field. It is clear that the magazine had inspired these photos. The animal is in the middle of the photo with a blurry background. They also would line up with the lines of the advertisement. Though these stuffed animals may not cause us allergens like cats do, they must be kept clean to prevent illness.

Summary

Magazines are common users of photography and typography because most of them feature photos and stories. It is important for a designer to understand the principles of photography and typography to create media that is pleasing for consumers to view. Typography must contrast to bring interest to the viewer’s eyes. There are different kinds of typography, but few works well together. Photography is used to elevate the design and give the viewers an image to see.