The Four F's of Magazine Design

 

In Magazine Design there are four F's that we should know in order to create a successful magazine; format, formula, frame and function. They are adapted from Stacey King's book titled 'Design That Works: Secrets for Successful Magazine Design'. Other key factors of a successful magazine are Consistency because it should have the same fonts and colours used throughout the magazine and Unity because the magazine should remain as a united field throughout.

Format

This involves design choices that are allowed to be spanned over every issue. These define a magazine's overall appearance and feel. These include the logo, cover lines, size of the magazine, department headers and other things that look the same at each issue.

 

 

Formula

This is a combination of the editorial content in the magazine. The types of article, their length, departments in the front and back of the book all contribute to the formula.

 

 

Frame

The frame is the standard size for outer page margins and gutters. Some magazines use the same margin width through the magazines; others vary the width, using tall top margins for features to set apart the well, for instance. The rule for using margins establishes consistency from issue to issue.

 

 

Function

The function is, quite simply, is the objective. It's what a magazine is trying to achieve and the message it is trying to send.