récréation
DESIGN
The key innovative design element of Récréation is the Polaroid photograph inspired cover, contrasting the current mainstream magazines that have covers filled with the different articles inside. The idea is that Récréation will appeal enough for consumers to pick it up, before flicking through to see the content inside - article titles within the publication will be advertised on the back of the issue.
WHY A POLAROID? A polaroid fits a certain aesthetic - often seen on social media, mainly Instagram and Tumblr. Polaroid pictures are so simple, and require little skill - the minimalism aesthetic is exactly what Récréation is - the kind of magazine you see on coffee tables and on the ‘cool girl’ Instagram.
CUSTOM SIZE
To achieve the Polaroid look, Récréation is a custom size 170mm x 240mm. Originally A5, it became clear that this page size was too small for the amount of content included and would make reading longer form articles difficult. The custom size is between A5 and A4, and still embodies the polaroid.
COVER GIRL
The idea of having a polaroid inspired cover also means that the imagery can’t be too perfect no retouching, and not necessarily a high quality image. This will avoid the cover looking like a general, mainstream magazine with a glossy cover. Récréation will have a girl-next-door feel to the models used on the cover, as it wants to appeal to all types of women, choosing cover girls they can relate to can encourage them to pick up a copy.
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NAME CHANGE The Diary RĂŠcrĂŠation The name change of The Diary occured when researching other current publications, and it became apparent that having one word rather than two, fit the minimalist aesthetic best. It was also brought to my attention that The Diary is very similar to Journal - a publication already on the UK market. Definition: Temporarily suspended time Withdrawal - from surrounding Recreation = Activity of leisure Essential element of human biology and psychology Mental or spiritual consolation Recreare - create again, renew
WRITING PROCESS Fashion Sustainability - Layout The layout for the sustainability article was split into three sections, this was due to how text heavy the article was (4000+ words), rather than scare the reader with a text and topic heavy article, I wanted to create an easy reading experience by splitting it up using colour and imagery to contrast other, text heavy mainstream magazines. “Layout, considered typographic treatments and ingenious image and colour usage...can provide added elements of differentiation” - Ambrose & Harris
1 - Knowledge sector - aimed to educate the reader about the impact of fashion. 2 - Where to shop, after hearing the facts about the fashion industry this sector of the
article suggests more sustainable brands to highlight ways they could shop sustainably. 3 - The Interviews. The aim of having interviewees was because their knowledge (as women making sustainable fashion choices) is more insightful than my own and other articles. Interviewees I chose to interview two women who I felt could provide an insight to fashion sustainability that was different to research alone. Allison has a sustainable wardrobe, cultivated over the years, whilst Taylor is fairly new to the sustainable movement and in the process of becoming more sustainable. By having two participants with the same end goal, but at different stages would give differing insights for the reader.
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INTERVIEWEE FEEDBACK