Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Response to magazine designs
When I first found out that we were going to be designing a prototype for our assigned magazines, I was nervous, but more than anything I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Although we have been told that they are looking for something that is different than what they already have on the stands, I feel that it is very hard to veer away from that preconceived notion. I say this with Blair's design in mind. I thought that her cover was awesome, and one comment that was made (I don't remember by who exactly, so forgive me) really stuck with me - the class responded well to the magazine cover because it was familiar. FAMILIAR. What?? The whole time that I was thinking I didn't like typical designs that I see on the stands...I actually do because it's familiar?! Well that was enough to make my head spin. I guess it just took someone else saying it for me to realize it. As magazine consumers, we like what is familiar. Although we do like what is new and different (such as Esquire or Martha Stewart Living experimenting on the iPad), we also gravitate towards what is comfortable for us. Just some food for thought...
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I think that was me, Whitney. I did like Blair's cover because it was familiar and felt like an old-friend. I think it is human-nature when it comes to platforms that have been around for a while. Once the iPad because second-nature, I think it will be a lot harder for established brands to redesign their apps. Magazines always get a lot of backlash when it comes to changing its looks. I actually wrote about that for this week's blog posts because Glamour made some pretty significant changes for its March 2012 issue. I searched the web to get some feedback from other writers and commenters on such changes. They are pretty much what you expect to hear.
ReplyDeleteAll that being said, I think this magazine project, however, is a chance for us not to be stuck in that familiar place because these are just prototypes. Good luck finishing up round 2.
I had never actually thought about the fact that consumers might say they don't like a design, but are not actually able to accept a design outside of that familiar comfort zone. I agree that is was SO DIFFICULT to think outside the box for the magazine prototypes. I, at least, am still a little frustrated by how stuck I was in the typical home magazine style.
ReplyDeleteThe other thing to think about with this topic how a magazine like Esquire can develop a new kind of cover (the billboard style), and then tons of other magazines use it to the point where that cover is no longer unique, but instead familiar. So although consumers probably fight a lot of redesigns, it is only a matter of time before they are begging for those designs to stay put. (Also, Facebook just popped into my mind. Everyone, including me, gets so cranky when they redesign the site. And, as soon as I get comfortable and set on the new design, they throw another redesign in the mix.)
I think familiarity is a factor, but more so, I feel that consumers have expectations, and it is our job as designers to meet them, if not exceed them. Blaire's design met our preconceived notions of what a food magazine should look like. I think one of the first things we have to do is learn how to conform to industry standards, and from their, develop our own styles and grow from those standards. It's like breaking rules; you have to know what they are first.
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