5 things to read and see
This week, learn how to master a design critique and see The Daily Californian’s great cover for their Black History Month special edition.
5 things to read
1. Want To Build A Culture Of Innovation? Master The Design Critique
I have always loved getting my work critiqued, but sometimes if the critiques aren’t structured well, they aren’t particularly unhelpful. This article explains some of the best ways to give feedback and observe coworkers’ designs to ensure the entire design team flourishes.
2. 6 ways to get out of your creative rut
Ruts strike everyone at random times, so the next time you find yourself out of ideas, use these six tips to find inspiration in what’s around you.
3. Inside Aardman Animations
The studio behind “Wallace and Gromit” and “Chicken Run” sat down to talk about how they craft their stories and bring their characters to life.
4. What I Wish I Knew at Every Age
While there are a lot of articles with advice from established designers for their younger selves, I like how this one divides up the advice by decade and takes into consideration the different stages of life.
5. How Paper Chase Press Went From Office Supply Store to Designers’ Darling
This is a part of a series called “FIRST THING I EVER DESIGNED.” This article focuses on Paper Chase Press and how the design of a yellow product flyer helped turn them into a press-and-bindery operation that’s a favorite of designers.
5 things to see
- History in the making | The Daily Californian, University of California Berkeley
This is such a powerful illustration, with the strong stance of the woman, the the silhouette of Berkeley in the background and the warm color palette that draws the reader into the page. In the inside pages, I love how the little triangle details are repeated, which keeps the edition cohesive.
2. Super Sunday | The Quinnipiac Chronicle, Quinnipiac University
I think this is a really fun spread about the Super Bowl, and I really enjoy the header images of the two teams with the football divider in the middle. The designer fit a lot of information into this spread and did it pretty well. I just wish there was a little more white space on the page to keep it from feeling cramped.
3. Now is a good time to enter the workforce | The Post, University of Ohio
I really like the detail in the illustration that starts off the spread, and combining it with a graph, chart and pull quotes really creates a thorough article. I also think the big lead enhances the importance of the article, but I do wish it had a deck to give a fuller explanation of what the piece is about in relation to Ohio University students.
4. Slamming it home | The Daily Pennsylvanian, University of Pennsylvania
The treatment of the photo on this page is really interesting. I like the way the headline wraps around the basketball player in a way that doesn’t distract from both the article and the main part of the image. I think that the hierarchy in the headline is a bit off though — my eye is drawn to the words “it,” then “home” and then “slamming.”
5. Getting it right | The Diamondback, University of Maryland, College Park
I really like the layout of this page. With the main two photos at the top and a smaller photo in the bottom left along with a couple of pull quotes, it’s very well-balanced. However, the headline is almost impossible to read because it’s so subtle and I don’t understand the white rectangle through the page. Overall I like the layout, but I think the details could use some work.
If you think you have a well-designed page or a good read to share for the next roundup, email me at shays2@elon.edu
Students, did you know you can join the Society for News Design for as little as $5 a month?
