NID Graduate Project Document - Marg Paving the way to change

GRADUATE PROJECT MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE Sponsor : THE MARG FOUNDATION

Volume : 1 OF 2 STUDENT : NOOSHEEN N. MEHTA PROGRAMME : Bachelor in Design

GUIDE : TARUN DEEP GIRDHER

2015 FACULTY OF VISUAL COMMUNICATION (GRAPHIC DESIGN)

National Institute of Design Ahmedabad

The Evaluation Jury recommends NOOSHEEN N. MEHTA for the

Bachelor of Design of the National Institute of Design IN VISUAL COMMUNICATION (GRAPHIC DESIGN)

herewith, for the project titled "MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE " on fulfilling the further requirements by

Chairman Members :

*Subsequent remarks regarding fulfilling the requirements :

Registrar(Academics)

*

Copyright Š2014-2015 Student document publication meant for private circulation only.

All rights reserved.

Graduation Bachelor of Design, Graphic Design, 2014-15 National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, India.

No part of this document will be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means including photocopying, xerography, photography and videography recording without written permission from the publisher, Noosheen Mehta and National Institute of Design.

All illustrations and photographs in this document are Copyright Š2014-2015 by respective people/organizations.

Edited and designed byName: Noosheen Mehta Email: noosheenmehta@gmail.com Prof read: Rashna Mehta Processed at National Institute of Design (NID) Paldi, Ahmedabad - 380007 Gujurat, India. www.nid.edu Printed digitally in Ahmedabad, India.

October, 2015

ORIGINALITY STATEMENT

COPYRIGHT STATEMENT

I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and it contains no full or substantial copy of previously published material, or it does not even contain substantial proportions of material which have been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma of any other educational institution, except where due acknowledgement is made in this degree project. Moreover I also declare that none of the concepts are borrowed or copied without due acknowledgement. I further declare that the intellectual content of this degree project is the product of my own work, except to the extent that assistance from others in the project’s design and conception or in style, presentation and linguistic expression is acknowledged. This degree project (or part of it) was not and will not be submitted as assessed work in any other academic course.

I hereby grant the National Institute of Design the right to archive and to make available my degree project/thesis/dissertation in whole or in part in the Institute’s Knowledge Management Centre in all forms of media, now or hereafter known, subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act. I have neither used any substantial portions of copyright material in my document nor have I obtained permission to use copyright material.

Student Name in Full: Noosheen N. Mehta

Date:

Signature: Date:

Student Name in Full: Noosheen N. Mehta

Signature:

“Design everything on the assumption that people are not heartless or stupid but marvelously capable, given the chance.”

–John Chris Jones

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 1

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My heartfelt gratitude to Marg and Radhika for believing in me and giving me the opportunity and making my dream to design a magazine come true.

I would like to thank all the people at Marg for making me feel so welcome and comfortable during my duration at Marg. Thank you Aasha and Usha for always greeting me with a smile. Mary for being the most helpful and pleasant person to work with everyday. Shernaz for being such a friendly boss. Almitra for always sharing your lunch and all the cool places to hang out at. Savita for proofreading the same thing over and over again without any complaints and always smiling while doing so.

Gautam, for never getting annoyed or frustrated with my constant questions about production and always helping me out no matter what. And most importantly Naju, my only graphic designer friend at Marg, for taking the time out of your busy schedule and solving all my problems.

My most sincere thank you to my guide, Tarun Deep Girdher for seeing me through the most intense and trying time at NID. Your unparalleled enthusiasm and love for all things Graphic Design has inspired me to no end. Thank you for being my teacher and guide in the truest sense. You have always made me think and allowed me to make the right decisions.

2 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

A big thank you to Immanuel Suresh, for always knowing what to say and for always being there to make all the awkward and strange situations, just a little easier to get past. Your invaluable advice and depth of knowledge has made life at NID so much easier. Your wealth of stories can make everything seem okay and relevant.

To all my friends at NID, I do not know how it happened but we became a family. Geetika, my roommate of four years, my partner in all things evil and my confidant for life. Thank you for your blunt and honest feedback on everything I have ever done. You are my constant source of joy and comfort.

I would also like to thank all the faculty and staff who I have been involved with during my tenure at NID. Chakradhar Saswade, the father of my Foundation batch, thank you for being such a kind soul and guiding us children through one of the most difficult transitions of our lives. Rupesh Vyas, for being such a dedicated teacher. Tridha Gajjar and Anil Sinha for making my graphic design education so interesting and easy. Mahendra Bhai for all your knowledge about printing, it was a boon.

Gowri, my first college friend and the one who has stuck by me through this roller coaster ride. Thank you for being the off-beat voice of reason and for the constant entertainment. Thank you for filling my days with so much laughter and craziness.

I would also like to thank all my batch-mates, for being with me through this adventure and making it so eventful and memorable. Also, my NID seniors and juniors for constantly inspiring me in so many ways.

Naomi, for always being there no matter what, for staying up with me through all the jury preps and the panic attacks. Thanks for the motivational talks and the cold coffees. I do not know how this would have been possible without you. Your hard work and strength are inspirational. A big Hello, from the other side, at 40.

Pupul, for setting the bar so high with your high standards of perfection. You make me want to aim higher and be better at everything I do. Your sound reasoning that can simplify and make the most complex of matters so easy. Thank you for providing me with numerous typefaces and for magazine design tips and tricks.

Noopur, for always being there and listening to my endlessly strange thoughts and rants and for always leaving me with so much to think about. Your peacefulness is a balm.

Ishita, for being such a great source of energy and positivity. Thank you for keeping us motivated through the long nights.

Stuthi, for being my first magazine design buddy and for all your advice and support.

Kratu, for teaching me so much over the years about life and embracing everything that is different. Thank you for being the friend I can share everything with, no matter what. Your eternal optimism shall take you places.

Karina, my soul-mate and my constant cheerleader in everything I do, whether you agree or not with my ideas, thanks for always being there.

Late Ms. Shrin Darasha, my school principal, for giving me the conviction to believe that I could achieve anything I work towards.

My various art teachers since I was a child: Mrs. Sampat, Mrs. Tambe, Mr. Pramod Kurlerkar and Mr. Das, thank you for making NID a reality.

My brother, for always being so interested and encouraging. If not for our childhood adventures I would not have known how to activate the creative zones of my mind.

Arjun, for always being there and being so protective. Kalp, for being there when I needed you and for giving me shelter. Anupreeta, my old roommate and good friend, your sense of humor and smile are infectious, thank you for being there through those long Foundation nights.

Finally, I cannot put into words the gratitude and love I have for my parents, the sole reason I am what I am today. This is for the most hard working and sincere man, who taught me everything I know about hard work, my father. Thank you for knowing what I needed before I knew it myself.

Upamanyu, thank you for taking me in when I needed it most. Simoul, thank you for all your help.

My mother, my emotional rock, my support system. You were my first teacher and the sole reason for my entire education. Thank you for being my best friend and the voice in my head. You are a rock-star!

Siddhartha Tripathi, thank you for all you advice and guidance on how to make the water coloured backgrounds for the textures, you were a great help.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 3

4 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

SYNOPSIS Marg is a publishing house based in Mumbai. It began as a magazine by the same name in 1946. It is a magazine dedicated to the Arts. I was called on board to re-design their magazine. Marg always aims to be in the present and evolves over time.

Marg was re-designed in 2014, but they were not that pleased with the design and wanted something new. My brief also included a series of illustrations and some marketing materials for Marg, which was very straightforward work.

The clients wanted two final cover to cover designs for the magazine, and they wanted us, my guide and I, to recommend to them the final design. This was the hard part. Creating two full designs and then choosing one.

I began with researching the first volume of the magazine, that was released way back in 1946.

I also analyzed other later issues to understand the ethos behind the magazine. The research involved a study of other contemporary magazines.

It also involved understanding how a magazine is designed and what it entails to design a full publication which has to made into a template later.

This was an intense six-month project, which taught me so much more than I had anticipated. It was a lesson in life in the real world, which I shall cherish for a long time to come. It was a pleasure working for Marg and with my guide also. I am so grateful to all those people involved in making my project possible.

Both designs were similar in some aspects and very different in some. It was a lengthy process which involved great detail to attention and required patience.

The actual design process was a long and tenuous back and forth process. I was given an old issue to re-design. The aim was to make it look as different from the original design. It all began with my naive attempts at designing a magazine. This is when I learned a lot, about what to do and more importantly what not to do. It was from my failures that I learned the most.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 5

CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION National Institute of Design Graphic Design at NID & The Graduation Project About Guide

2. THE SPONSOR & CLIENT Marg A History Founder

3. THE PROJECT

The Brief Time line The Marg team Vol.1 No. 1 A study Other Volumes The Editor The need to Re-design The current designer Current Design Vol. 66 No. 1 A Design Audit Structure of the Magazine Flat Plan Other magazines a case study Understanding the readership

4.PICKING OUT PARTS

6 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

OF THE WHOLE Initial Design process Round 1 Chapter explorations Typography The Grid Geometry Guide Visit 1

5."THE WHOLE IS GREATER THAN THE SUM OF ITS PARTS" Round 2 Client Presentation & Feedback Decision-Making

6. CONCEPT 1

8. CONCEPT 1 VS CONCEPT 2

10. YET, ANOTHER PART

Concept 1 - Round 1 Concept 1 - Cover Options Concept 1 - Final Grids Final Type Decisions Client Presentation & Feedback Concept 1 - Improvements Concept 1 - Final

Concept 1 Concept 2 Similarities The Recommendation

Marketing Material Exchange Ad Proposal - Baroda AI- Baroda Press Release Baroda Order Form Cloth Bag CSR Subscription Form AI- In Pursuit of the Past Exchange Ad AI - In Andal's Garden Proposal - In Andal's Garden Exchange Ad Order Forms

7. CONCEPT 2 Concept 2 Round 1 Concept 2 - Cover Options Concept 2 - Final Grids Final Type Decisions Client Presentation & Feed back Concept 2 - Improvements Concept 2 - Final

9. ANOTHER PART Illustrations Sanchi Kuchipudi Wooden traditions of South India

11. CONCLUSION My Reflections & Take aways Glossary Bibliography Colophon

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 7

INTRODUCTION

8 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

This is the documentation of my last and final project as a student at the National Institute of Design. This is the story of my baby steps into vast and intimidating world of publishing design.

In today's day and age when information is available at the swipe of our fingers, this is my attempt to leave a mark on the traditional art of publishing. It is a study of the way humanity has indulged in the process of understanding written information and making sense of it. This has been made possible by the four and a half years of the unique education system at NID. I remember when I was in Foundation, I wanted to learn everything and if I could have I would have taken up almost all of the eight undergraduate courses offered, but I eventually decided on graphic design. One of the main reasons for my inclination towards publication design was that it is content driven, it gives me the opportunity to learn so much more and learn about innumerable subjects. What better way to learn about the world other than through books! It also gives me the opportunity to present information in my own special way and communicate with a wide audience.

When I was looking for a graduation project and stumbled across Marg, I was thrilled with the prospect of working for such an such an illustrious institution which is so dedicated to the Arts. I must admit that I had a lot of unrealistic, movie-like expectations of how a publication house works.

I was surprised by the small scale operation, it seems like a family run business, with a small group of dedicated and loyal employees, many of whom have been around for decades. Marg runs like a well oiled machine and all the employees are experienced and extremely competent at what they do.

It was wonderful to work in the art district of Mumbai, Kala Ghoda. It is always buzzing with such great energy and life. There is an art gallery in almost every building and the buildings themselves are a work of art. This was a truly special experience like no other.

Hope you enjoy learning about my experience at Marg as much as I enjoyed the process. Thank you.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 9

THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DESIGN National Institute of Design is internationally acclaimed as one of the finest educational and research institutions for Industrial, Communication, Textile and IT Integrated (Experiential) Design. It has been recognised as an ‘Institution of National Importance’ by the Act of Parliament and is an autonomous institute under the DIPP, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India.

The Government of India invited renowned Charles and Ray Eames to recommend a programme of design to serve as an aid to small industry. On the basis of their remarkable document, ‘The India Report’, NID was setup in 1961. The aim was to provide a multidisciplinary approach to design education that could satisfy the complex problems of India’s changing environment.

NID is a unique institution with many problemsolving capabilities, depths of intellect and a timetested creative educational culture in promoting design competencies and setting standards of design education. The overall structure of NID’s programme is a combination of theory, skills, design projects and field experiences supported by cuttingedge design studios, skill & innovation labs and the Knowledge Management Centre. Sponsored design projects are brought into the classroom to provide professional experience. Interdisciplinary design studies in Humanities widen the students’ horizons and increase general awareness of contemporary issues.

10 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

NID offers professional education programmes at Bachelor’s and Master’s level with five faculty streams and 20 diverse design domains and has established collaborative relationships with over 70 premier institutions across the world. NID has also been playing a significant role in promoting design.

NID’s vision is to emerge as a global leader in Design Education and Research and become a torchbearer for innovative design directions in the industry, commerce, development and social sectors. Scattered within India and abroad, NID graduates get employed with the manufacturing industry differentiated by wide range of materials, products and markets. Some graduates are designer-entrepreneurs having established their own companies while some graduates join socialdevelopmental projects, pursue higher studies or seek careers in academics.

NID provides both design education, as well as design services to various sectors. Design practice is a significant part of design education at NID. The education at NID is enriched with the allied activities of the institute consisting of Integrated Design Services where NID undertakes consultancy projects and professionally delivers design solutions in various areas of design disciplines; Outreach Programmes which brings Institute’s experience and training facilities to the service of those outside its regular education and client service activities; Industry Programmes and Projects (IP&P) which integrates design knowledge

with the varied segments of industry, commerce and service sectors; and Research & Publications.

Research at NID has traditionally been grounded in practice, especially in the field work conducted by its faculty, staff, and students over the last several decades. They have been able to translate these contextual findings into the design of products, processes, services and systems, which in turn have had a significant social and cultural impact at a national level. The dissemination of research is actively encouraged in the form of publications, especially books, monographs craft and course documentations to name a few.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 11

GRAPHIC DESIGN & THE GRADUATION PROJECT I joined NID's Foundation program in the summer of 2011, straight out of high school. My Foundation can be described as one of the most intimidating yet thrilling experiences of my life. It was my biggest learning experience professionally, where I truly understood what it meant to be a student of design. It was also the year where I had to make one of the most important decisions ever, which discipline of design to study for the rest of my duration at NID. It was not an easy choice, but I am glad I made the right one, Graphic Design.

The world has been witnessing dramatic change in the way a graphic designer works.

The rapid changes in the way communication is happening in recent context of technological advancement has made the understanding of graphic design much more important than ever before. The programme at NID prepares students to take on all new context challenges and technological advancements in the field of Visual Communication and specially in Graphic Design domain.

Paradoxically, traditional skills have become more necessary than before. Quality and creative solutions contextual to the user’s needs are still a basic human input. The fundamental importance of creating a visual vocabulary through drawing, the development of aesthetic judgment, values of form, proportion, image and word have become an integral part of learning graphic design at NID.

12 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

The areas of study in graphic design at NID, include typography & type design, publication design, image-making, illustration, photography, packaging, print design, corporate identity, branding, information & communication systems in digital domain as well as analogues medium.

After a year of foundation and three years of studying graphic design, the graduation project is the final leg of an NID student's life. It is when we are put to the test in the real world. It is the final culmination of our undergraduate education.

ABOUT GUIDE As part of the graduation project, every student must be guided by a faculty member from NID, with expertise in the project area the student has opted for.

Tarun Deep Girdher was my first teacher in graphic design, and with that first class he made a lasting impression. His enthusiasm for the subject and his whole-hearted approach to teaching and learning has been infectious. His classes have been the most exciting and intense challenges, that push you beyond what you expect of yourself. His ability to constantly keep me on my toes is what made me capable of taking up this project and it was only natural for me to have him as my guide.

He is the Chairperson of the Admissions Committee. He led the design team for the Young Designers series in 2000 and 2004 that won the best catalogue design award at the India Habitat Centre (IHC) in 2005 and 2008. Tarun has published widely and organised international conferences at NID such as Brands, Identity and Graphics 03 in 2003 and the Typography Day 2011.

Tarun has professional experience of over 18 years.

He has created visual identity and logos for various agencies, including Right to Information, Central Pulp and Paper Research Institute, Institute of Company Secretaries of India, National Institute of Naturopathy and Election Commission of India.

He has also designed over 35 publications for NID and several NGOs including the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Gujarat and Handicap International.

Tarun has been teaching at NID for more than 15 years. He did the five-year School Leavers Professional Education Programme (SLPEP) in Graphic Design from NID and joined the institute as a faculty member in 1999. He coordinated the Foundation Programme at NID from 2003–2005 and Graphic Design discipline from 2008–2011.

Tarun teaches courses such as Typography, Visual Narratives, Introduction to Printing Technology, Introduction to Specialization, Open Electives (book binding), Communication Skills, Letter Design, Publication Design, Introduction to Illustration, Environmental Perception and Hand Book Binding.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 13

THE SPONSOR & CLIENT

14 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

Marg is a quarterly Indian art magazine and a publisher of books on the Arts. It is a unique Mumbai-based not-for-profit publishing house whose mission is to engage and augment interest in Indian art and culture. It strives to light up 'many dark corners' in India’s cultural landscape and to spark debate on all aspects of art and culture among academics, critics, cultural connoisseurs and readers.

Marg’s quarterly books, initially published simultaneously with the magazine, have since diverged into independent publications. Marg’s special publications represent the diverse avenues Marg pursues in documenting Indian art and culture. These are published in a variety of formats with informative writing and are lavishly illustrated.

Marg started out as a magazine in October 1946. Back then its full form was the Modern Architectural Research Group, thus MARG. It translates as Pathways in Hindi.

Marg also produces films on India’s art and architectural heritage, combining evocative visuals with the latest information on sites from Art Historians and Archaeologists at the forefront of the site's research.

The founding editor Mulk Raj Anand intended it to be a loose encyclopaedia of the Arts of India and related civilizations. Since then, Marg, A Magazine of the Arts, has focused on grids of art and cultural traditions, reflects new trends, new research and new scholarship, with both upcoming and established art historians and scholars. The magazine is aimed at a wide audience.

The magazine was mainly funded by J.R.D. Tata of the Tata Group at its inception. Later on, after 1951 and until 1986, it was mostly funded by the Tata Group of companies; then the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) was formed as a trust with Marg as a division of NCPA. Since 2010 it has been functioning as an independent not-for-profit organization, The Marg Foundation.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 15

A HISTORY Marg began life with Mulk Raj Anand at the helm in 1946. With 'seven ads and two rooms' provided by the visionary industrialist J.R.D. Tata, it took up the massive task of identifying, cataloguing, and publicizing the nation’s heritage in the built, visual, and performing arts.

From 1951 to 1986 Marg functioned as a division of Tata Sons Limited. In 1986 it became a division of the National Centre for the Performing Arts (a Public Charitable Trust). In 2009 an independent Public Charitable Trust, The Marg Foundation was founded and it took over the activities of Marg in 2010.

The periods immediately before and after independence were path-breaking for Indian art, with the Progressive Artists’ Group challenging the character of Indian art as defined by the Bengal School. Marg, which means pathway, sought to provide a new direction to Indian art and worked towards publishing the ideals of this movement.

Nowhere was this association stronger than when Marg provided vocal support to Akbar Padamsee during a court case which accused him of obscenity in his paintings.

16 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

Architecture and planning was another realm in which the desires of both the nation and Marg came together. Regular issues of Marg were dedicated to defining the architecture of the time.

Marg became an urban catalyst with the magazine issue 'Bombay: Planning and Dreaming' (Volume 18 Number 3) in 1965.

While taking part in the debates surrounding contemporary art, architecture and culture, Marg also looked to provide a unique and thought provoking documentation of the past.

Walter M. Spink’s 'Ajanta to Ellora' (Volume 20 Number 2), 1967, is one of the earliest publications of his controversial theory about the chronology of the second period of construction of the Viharas and Chaityas at Ajanta.

The earliest excavations and studies at Hampi were documented in 'Splendours of the Vijayanagara Empire: Hampi' (Volume 33 Number 4) in 1981.

While scholarship has always been important to Marg, the guiding force has been an appreciation of Indian art and culture among the general public, with an emphasis on increasing contact between them and the art work. In 1993 Marg created a niche for guidebooks for the serious traveller with the publication of 'In and Around Ajanta and Ellora for MTDC.' With the production of films, Marg ventured beyond printed media. Purva Uttara, a series of eight mini-documentaries on important heritage sites in Indian art and architecture was produced with an informative narration from art historians involved in research and excavation at the sites covered. The documentary 'Bombay, One City, Two Worlds' (2002) suggested a re-visioning of the city’s future planning, thus rendering in film one of Marg’s most serious concerns – the future of Indian cities.

FOUNDER Mulk Raj Anand (12 December 1905 – 28 September 2004), philosopher, litterateur and social activist, was the Founding Editor of Marg.

An avowed nationalist and modernist, under his leadership, for some 30 odd years, Marg began to undertake the massive task of identifying, cataloguing and publicizing the nation’s heritage in the built, visual and performing arts, seeking to engender public debates about museums, monuments, urban planning, art education and questions of heritage.

He was an Indian writer in English, notable for his depiction of the lives of the poorer castes in traditional Indian society. One of the pioneers of Indo-Anglian fiction, he, together with R. K. Narayan, Ahmad Ali and Raja Rao, was one of the first India-based writers in English to gain an international readership.

During the 1970s, he worked with the International Progress Organization (IPO) on the issue of cultural self-comprehension of nations. His contribution to the conference of the IPO in Innsbruck (Austria) in 1974 had a special influence on debates that later became known under the phrase of 'Dialogue Among Civilizations'. Anand also delivered a series of lectures on eminent Indians including Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Rabindranath Tagore, commemorating their achievements and significance and paying special attention to their distinct brands of humanism.

Anand is admired for his novels and short stories, which have acquired the status of being classic works of modern Indian English literature, noted for their perceptive insight into the lives of the oppressed and their analyses of impoverishment, exploitation and misfortune. He is also notable for being among the first writers to incorporate Punjabi and Hindustani idioms into English and was a recipient of the civilian honour of the Padma Bhushan.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 17

THE PROJECT

18 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

THE BRIEF The brief was given to me by Radhika Sabavala, General Manager of the Marg Foundation. The project was to create a fresh design for Marg magazine, working towards bridging the gap in the current design, so as to make a strong statement, and to preserve the scholarly nature of the magazine. It was imperative to maintain the seriousness of the magazine and make sure the magazine was not made gimmicky by any means.

The brief was to make the magazine look more like a magazine, which they thought the current design lacked.

The project also included creating illustrations for Marg Foundation’s new on-line resource project.

This comes under Marg's Outreach department.

They plan to create an on-line archive of all the very valuable content that they have of various art and culture related topics from the Indian subcontinent. This is proposed as an educational tool or module for teenage students all cross the world.

The brief also included generating any marketing and advertising materials they required during my work duration.

Marg has a design advisory panel, which was not very happy with the current design and that is why they wanted alternative options for the magazine.

That was one of the main reasons I was called on board. This was the reason the project was not time bound, since they already had a design for the magazine. The convenient thing about the brief was that, there was no definitive deadline from their end which took off some of the pressure.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 19

TIME LINE The project can be broadly put into three parts. The main focus of the project was the re-design of the magazine. The others being the illustrations and marketing material. All three were done simultaneously and overlapped with each other but are presented and explained separately in this document.

FEB

This is a colour coded time line of my experience at Marg: The Magazine The Illustrations The Marketing Material (on a need basis)

MAR

The documentation of the project happened side by side and mainly in the months of September and October.

APR

17 28 1 31 1 30

Understanding and researching the magazine's previous issues, a design audit.

Reading the 3 modules and identifying the scope of work.

ILLUSTRATIONS

MARKETING MATERIAL

20 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

Looking and analyzing Conceptualizing and other magazines that visualizing what the compete with Marg. magazine should look like.

Exchange Ad.

Proposal Baroda

Initial design process.

Sourcing references for Sanchi module and illustrating.

Baroda AI

Exchange Ad

GUIDE VISIT-1

MAGAZINE REDESIGN

Re-analyzing everything about the initial design approach and starting over.

Sourcing references for Wooden Traditions of South India module.

Sindh (Special Offer)

MAY

JUN 31 1

Round 2 of designing the magazine with a fresh perspective and new ideas.

Sourcing references Kuchipudi module.

Cloth Bag Redesign

Sachi and Wooden Traditions of South India illustrations

Baroda Press Release

AUG

30 1

Sourcing references Kuchipudi module and illustrating.

'In pursuit of the Past' AI

GUIDE VISIT-2

1

JUL

31 1

Finalizing Concept 1 and Concept 2.

Concept 1 and Concept 2 initial stages.

Finalize all illustrations and hand over files.

CSR Sub Form 'In Andal Garden' AI

Proposal Exchange Ad 'In Andal Garden'

Order Forms

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 21

THE MARG TEAM Radhika Sabavala, General Manager, is at the helm of things at Marg, and I reported to her. She has a tight hold on the running of Marg and is the driving force behind everything Marg. She is a perfectionist and has an amazing eye for detail and an undying love for the Arts.

I also worked closely with the Marketing team on all the marketing material and advertisements I made for Marg. The Marketing team is headed by Shernaz Vasunia. She was a dream to work for and I learned a lot about marketing and how to work with very strict deadlines.

The Editorial team consists of Dr. Monisha Ahmed, the Associate Editor. Savita Chandiramani Executive Editor the one who answered all my editorial doubts and queries. The Senior Editorial Executive is Arnavaz K. Bhansali and the Text Editor is Rivika Israel.

The marketing team is held together by Mary Abraham. She is the Assistant Manager and I worked closely with her too.

I also worked closely with Naju Hirani, their inhouse graphic designer, who works on all their other publications. She was a great help and I discussed with her all my design related problems.

The production team consisted of Gautam V. Jadhav, the Senior Production Executive. He has had years of experience in publishing and was a great help when it came to any production related issues. He is assisted by Pradeep Musale, who was also very helpful and kind.

22 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

VOL. 1 NO. 1 A STUDY One of the first things I was asked to do at Marg was study the Vol. 1 No. 1 of the Marg magazine so that I could understand what Marg was all about, how it began and what it stood for. Also, I could understand the evolution of the magazine and how it is what it is today.

Right in the beginning of Volume 1 No.1, the editor of the magazine, Mulk Raj Anand, stated the objective and the goal of the magazine. He said that Marg was a group of like-minded progressive architects who wanted to stimulate an interest in the architecture of India. They aimed to create a magazine that would cover everything right from architecture to art to sculpture to industrial design to interior design and anything that had any relation to architecture and the arts.

They wanted to document as much information as possible to create an archive of knowledge. The magazine was to have an all-India outlook and capture the diverse culture and heritage of the Arts in India.

They very clearly stated which areas they would cover in the magazine. This was a truly pioneering attempt. There was no other magazine in India in 1946 that was dedicated to the arts in India.

The magazine was profusely illustrated and full of images of paintings, maps, layouts and architectural plans, surveys and illustrations.

The magazine had articles by Indian and foreign scholars proficient in their respective fields.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 23

The cover of the first magazines in the first volume are extremely simple and has one strong bold colour in the background. This changes in the later volumes.

In contrast, the inside, especially the first few pages of the magazine has a very aesthetic and ornate feel to it. The credits and contents pages have borders that resemble mogul Indian archways and entrances. The Editor's Note has an elaborate illustrated archway-like border on a spread that appears in all the first volumes, a similar theme is present in the volumes later.

24 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

The first issue has articles mainly focusing on architecture, planning, housing, town-planning and it goes on to sculpture and jewelry. Some articles have hand-drawn illustrations in red ink around the images and the text. The interaction of the images and illustrations is very interesting and well thought.

There is a lot of value addition in terms of a map of the town-planning and accurate isometric drawings and also technical drawings in the issue. The images of the sculptures are accompanied with simple line drawings that explain postures and poses. It is this extra effort and information that set the tone of the magazine as a scholarly journal.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 25

OTHER VOLUMES One of the first things Radhika asked me to keep in mind while re-designing the magazine was that, she would appreciate it if I could recreate the same feel that the magazine had back in the day. She wanted it to be reminiscent of what Marg had stood for all these years. She wanted it to feel like an artistic magazine.

When Marg was at its peek, it was produced using a lot of handmade papers and other transparent, opaque and special papers. It was full of handdrawn illustrations and they also experimented with different types of printing. Today, most of these things are very hard to be incorporated on account of high costs and production issues. The magazine still maintains very good quality in terms of production and images, but it is definitely not what it used to be. Also, the times have changed and the market and readership's demands are very different.

To get a better understanding of what Marg used to be all about, I did a study of some of the older issues that Marg has produced over time. These are some of the visuals of the older issues, where we can make a study of the different types of papers, typefaces and illustrations that Marg has incorporated into its design. The older issues of Marg are now collectible items and are highly treasured, and some of them are still sold on their website, depending on availability. This is a also my mini homage to the vast array of visually enticing work that Marg has produced over the years.

26 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

These are just a handful of the covers that Marg has produced over the years.

Their ability to out do themselves when it comes to choosing the right cover is just fantastic. They always choose the most exciting and thought-provoking cover. This makes the readers even more excited about the contents.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 27

This is the ever evolving masthead and contents page. It shows the journey from the ornately intricate arches to the more contemporary designs that Marg has made over the years.

On the facing page, is the synopsis or an editor's note. These used to be designed and illustrated with a lot of fanfare earlier. They had a sense of grandeur. It was a sort of prelude of what was to be expected from the coming pages.

28 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 29

30 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

On the facing page, are the various typefaces that were used. They include some very interesting illustrated drop caps and some very contemporary titles.

These are the examples of some little booklets that used to be bound into the magazine. They provided some interesting trivia accompanied by beautiful imagery.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 31

This is the example of some of the different and unique graphic elements that used to be found in the earlier issues of Marg. There were times when one issue would use 3-4 different types of such elements, depending on the type of articles they were publishing.

On the facing page, you can see the use of various types of papers. These include everything from every day brown paper to vividly coloured handmade papers. These added another layer to the magazine and gave it a visual and tactile texture.

32 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 33

Fold-outs have been a permanent feature of the Marg magazine. They have included some extremely elaborate and beautiful fold-outs as can be seen here. This was not a one off thing, any issue that needed a fold out no mater how long had it. They included everything from intricately done illustration to scrolled images. They have never compromised on quality and this is a perfect example of that. It would be so delightful to own an issue such as this.

34 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

This is an example of the way the illustrations used to be incorporated along with the use of various types of papers. They had images overlapped with illustration to get a better understanding of form and structure, of how the object could transform into something else and change. The use of papers was well thought out and created some very interesting interactive features in the magazine.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 35

36 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

These are examples of the vivid and varied use of illustrations and various types of images.They used everything, such as, architectural plans and drawings, perspective drawings, sectional drawings, maps and even water-colours so as not to leave any ambiguity about the subject mater.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 37

The following pages include more examples of the varied techniques implemented by Marg to produce exceptional quality publications year after year.

38 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 39

40 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

THE EDITOR The magazine is contributor based and has been edited by Dr. Monisha Ahmed. She is an independent researcher who has been visiting and writing about material culture, mainly the textile arts, in Ladakh since 1987. She received her doctoral degree in Social Anthropology from Oxford University in 1997. Her dissertation developed into the book 'Living Fabric - weaving among the nomads of Ladakh Himalaya' (Orchid Press, 2002), which received the Textile Society of America’s R L Shep award in 2003 for best book in the field of ethnic textile studies. Since then she has authored several articles on the textile arts of Ladakh, co-edited with Clare Harris 'Ladakh – Culture at the Crossroads' (Marg Publications, 2005) and with Janet Rizvi authored Pashmina – 'The Kashmir Shawl and Beyond' (Marg Publications, 2009). From 1997 to 2000 Dr Ahmed was the Projects Director at INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage), Greater Mumbai Chapter.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 41

THE NEED TO RE-DESIGN Marg Magazine used to be designed by Kirti Trivedi up until 2013, volume number 65. Then the task was handed over to Aurobind Patel. Aurobind has designed the magazine volume 66 onwards. He also recreated the nameplate of the magazine. This was Marg's attempt at giving the magazine a new and fresh look, and also re-create its identity. Marg did not do away with its otherwise iconic logo, only the magazine has its own identity now.

It is also important to remember that at one point of time Marg published the same articles in their magazines as they did in the book that they published at the time. The magazine acted as a marketing tool for the books. But in the recent past, the magazine broke away from the books and is now an independent magazine. Therefore, there is a very urgent need for the design and layout to reflect the same.

At first glance, I did not understand why Marg would want me to re-design an already beautifully designed magazine. The current design is beautiful and seamlessly done. It allows the content to speak for itself and is simple and easy to read and follow. It is also easy to replicate and allows for the consistency to be maintained in all the issues. It was later that Radhika explained to me that she felt it looked more like a book than a magazine. The design was great but it did not look like what she envisioned the magazine to look like. The inside pages could easily be mistaken for one of the many other books that The Marg Foundation publishes.

Therefore, the need for a new design was felt.

It is interesting to note that this was also the reason why all the magazines from the mid 70s to 2008, varied in design. They used the same plate to print the magazine which was used to print the books that they were launching at that point, only a few more pages were added to complete the magazine.

This is also why they vary in size. The size of the magazine depended on the size of the book or books they were launching at that time.

42 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

I did not understand why Marg would want me to re-design an already beautifully designed magazine.

THE CURRENT DESIGNER Aurobind Patel is an accomplished graphic designer and typographer with expertise in Publishing Systems and he is noted as one of India’s finest designers. He has a Bachelors Degree in Commerce from Mumbai University and an MFA in Design from Southeastern Massachusetts University. He has also recently won the Lifetime Achievement Award at Typography Day 2014 held at Symbiosis Institute of Design in Pune. He has designed a number of esteemed newspapers and magazines including re-designing Marg Magazine from Volume 66 onwards. He created the game-changing Times Millennium typeface in November 1991. He served as a Design Consultant for several leading Newspapers like India Today, U.K. Newspapers like The Daily Telegraph and The Times and Design Director of The Economist. He is a whole time director of Laser Words Private Ltd., Chennai. He has also served as a Director of Delta Corp. Ltd. and served as a Director of Arrow Textiles Ltd. since October 1, 2008.

His design approach can be described as careful and extremely sensitive. He has paid careful attention to his choice of typefaces. They are extremely contemporary and perfectly apt. The use of colour is extremely vivid and attention has been paid to the smallest detail. The design is exquisite in its simplicity and its elegance. A lot of effort has been put in resolving the traditional conflict between content and design by fusing them into an integrated and harmonious whole.

He also redesigned the nameplate which was earlier the logo of Marg itself. The new nameplate is his own creation and is a work of art.

It was, therefore, an extremely challenging and daunting task to re-design the work of such an accomplished and experienced designer, at this point in my career, and all by myself. I wondered whether I was biting off more than I could chew.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 43

CURRENT DESIGN After analyzing the magazine, I realized that the same repetitive layout which allows the content to be the hero, gives the magazine a book or a coffee table book-like feel. Some people find that it even shares a resemblance to a textbook, due to its scholarly content. It is this bookish feel that the client was not pleased with and therefore, the need to re-design. The magazine lacks interaction and has an almost sterile and clean feel to it. With page after page of the same text block, the design does not add any interest value to the magazine. Thus, I realized that, the burden of making the magazine attractive lies simply on the extremely rich and vivid images that Marg is very well known for. The magazine lacks visual excitement and variety, and in an attempt to be subtle, it has become monotonous page after page.

The magazine itself occupies a space somewhere between a scholarly journal and that of a magazine.

The content is extremely scholarly and not all of it is for easy or casual reading. It is for the intellectual reader, with an interest in the arts, culture and heritage of the Indian subcontinent. Thus it occupies a special space in the market also, as a truly unique magazine with extremely rich and valuable content that is otherwise hard to come across. The visuals are also extremely fascinating and artistic in nature, they are one of a kind and are not the type of visuals that one would normally associate with those seen in commercial magazines.

44 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

The challenge was to make this publication look as much like a magazine as possible, to give it a fresh look and feel and recreate its visual identity as a one of a kind art magazine.

Thus it occupies a special space in the market also, as a truly unique magazine with extremely rich and valuable content that is otherwise hard to come across.

VOL. 66 NO. 1 I was asked to re-design Volume. 66 No. 1. This was the first issue that was redesigned by Aurobind Patel. I was told to re-design everything - the cover, the spine and all the pages. I was told to maintain the size and the type of paper, due to production restrictions. I was also told that the name plate could be changed if the redesign demanded it.

298.45 mm

The size of the magazine is 8.5 x 11.75 inches, which is a good size and I was glad to work with it.

I was given the liberty to use any typeface or use the one they currently use, but I was not able to do so unless I only worked on one of the two office computers which had the licensed typefaces that they use.

I was told to make its look as much like a magazine as possible and less like a book. Also, the design must be able to incorporate both the types of issues that they publish, the thematic issue and the general one. Both the issues are published alternately. The entire thematic issue focuses on any one topic for the full issue, while still keeping with the genre of the arts.

215.9 mm

298.45mm

215.9 mm

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 45

A DESIGN AUDIT I began by reading the entire content and understanding the interaction between the text and the images. The content is mostly educational in nature and the articles vary from 2000 words minimum to 7500 odd words maximum. Even though the magazine is text heavy there is always at least one image per spread. All the text and the images are contributor based.

The number of pages in the magazine vary from 130 -160 pages from issue to issue. The first 9-15 pages are the thematic advertising and the last 40 odd pages are general advertising. The back cover of the magazine is also an advertisement.

The magazine thankfully does not have any advertisements interspersed with the articles and that definitely makes it much easier and better to design.

The cost of the magazine is ` 330, and compared to its competition it is a little expensive. Its contemporaries cost around ` 200- 300.

The printing and binding of the magazine is out sourced to Silverpoint Press Private Limited (SPPL), which is based in Mumbai. They print around 8000 copies per issue. The magazine is not sold on stands and is only circulated among their subscribers. The magazine is printed quarterly. They use Lumi matt paper 130 GSM for the pages and the cover is also printed on Lumi matt Card 300GSM.

46 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

THE COVER

THE SPINE

The cover has a certain format. The editorial team choses an image that makes sense to convey the message of what it is they want to say in that issue.

If it is a thematic issue then the image must convey what the theme is about.

THe spine is the same colour as the nameplate, beside the bottom half that has a black area with an arrow like shape pointing upwards. This area includes the price and the Devanagari logo of Marg (see images on the facing page).

On the left is a list of five story lines that they are trying to advertise on the cover. Each has a graphic element at the end. There is also another graphic element on the spine.

The spine includes the name of the magazine, the tag line, the month and year of issue, the volume and issue number and a small graphic element.

All these elements are knocked out and appear in white, i.e. the colour of the paper on the spine.

Another characteristic feature of the cover is the colour scheme that it has for every issue. Besides the stark white background, a dominant colour that goes with the image is chosen, which becomes the colour of the nameplate and the spine. Another accent colour is chosen which is used alternately in the story lines list. In case of the thematic issue it is also the colour used to signify the name of that specific issue.

The background does not always have to be white.

It can also change as it did in Vol. 66 No. 3 where it was a shade of dark brown, but otherwise followed the same format.

NON-THEMATIC ISSUE

THEMATIC ISSUE- THE ARTS OF BHUTAN

Name plate

Magazine Name

Cost

Tag line

Magazine Name Tag line

Tag line

Tag line

Graphic element

Graphic element Cover image

Cost Date line

Date line

Date line

Name plate

Date line

Story lines

Story lines

Issue number

Issue number

Cover image

Name of issue Cost

Cost

Devanagari logo

Devanagari logo

Cost Devanagari logo

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 47

THEMATIC ADVERTISING The current design opens to a series of thematic ads, that go on for about 8-9 pages. These unique advertisements appear in the first section of the magazine. They allow advertisers to be a part of Marg’s commitment to supporting the arts in a visual, aesthetic form. For each issue of the magazine, Marg picks out an organization or individual working in the field of culture and visual arts, design and urban renewal and features them with a profile write-up as well as a portfolio of images. Should you choose to be a part of this section, your company’s logo will be placed below any one of the photographs in the portfolio.

Advertisers in this section will join a list of eminent companies that have been regular patrons of Marg’s efforts towards promoting Indian art.

Gate folded inside front cover.

48 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

THE MASTHEAD, THE EDITOR'S NOTE AND THE CONTENTS PAGE The thematic ads are followed by the masthead, the editor's note and the contents page. The masthead occupies 40% of the page width while the editorial note occupies 60% of the page width. The division is also subtly seen in the change in colour of the background. The contents page is traditionally on the right spread.

The readers attention is immediately taken to the Editorial Note since it occupies more space but at the same time the masthead is set on white which contrasts beautifully with the Marg red.

The contents page has a subtle indicator at the top right in the form of a tag. The contents is laid out in a simple way one after the other so it is very easy and convenient for the reader to navigate. The interesting images from within the text are placed again in an orderly fashion on the far right in a column.

The right hand corner has tags that divide the sections under which you can see the Devanagari logo type of the Marg Foundation, which has been beautifully accommodated into the design under which you can see the numbers within circles indicating the page on which the image can be found.

It would have been better if the images were placed in chronological order.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 49

OPENING PAGES

TYPEFACES USED

The landing pages of the first section i.e.

Perspective. On the opening pages, the text starts on the right and is accompanied by a full image on the left. The text starts with a four or five line drop cap and the first line in all the articles is in full caps.

The typeface used in the body is Sina Nova regular at 11.5pt with leading of 15.5pt. Sina Nova and all the other typefaces used in the magazine are

by Hoftype. The subheadings are set in Sina Nova Extra Bold at 12pt with leading of 15.5pt. The generous leading allows for comfortable reading.

Sina Nova is a slim typeface, it has a slightly vertical tendency, a higher x-height which makes it more open in small text sizes. The larger Xheight is more comfortable to read since most of the readership comprises of people over 50. Sina Nova has economical proportions with universal application, that can be used diversely.

The title of the article is set in Quant bold and regular while the author's name is in all caps Quant medium.

Impara is used in the running head or the section tags. It was designed in 2010. It is a slightly contrasted sans serif with a lively stroke ductus and distinct humanistic characteristics.

It represents a synthesis of linear coolness and classic elegance. It has been created for informational text applications and, in display sizes, it reveals elaborate details.

50 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

Section tags

Title

Author's Name Drop cap All caps line

Sub headings

Image captions Text box of body text

Margin

Page width

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 51

FOLIO

RUNNING HEADS

Folio consists of several elements. Page number is mandatory but others are optional. Others can be publication logo, date, month, section title etc. Few elements are more than enough since they are repeated all across the magazine.

Folios serve a bigger purpose and should be placed on almost every page, since the reader should know at every moment on which page he is or which page to go to. Folios are designed conservatively since they do not need to be too attention grabbing and should be noticed but in a subtle way.

Running heads are navigation elements that guide the reader. They are set in a colored box and bleed out of the page, and they are visible even when the magazine is closed. Running heads should be carefully designed to reflect the style and tone of the rest of the magazine. I do not like the current running heads and the typeface used here. They are too chunky and do not go with the elegant look of the rest of the magazine. They look out of place. They are large and in contrast to the largely empty margins they take up too much attention and dominate the page.

These section tags are also colour coded to each chapter. The dominant colour of each chapter is used to do this. It is also the same colour used very often in the title of the articles.

52 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

Running head/ Section Tags

Folio- Page number

Folio-Name of magazine, month and year of release and issue number

Folio-Author of article & article name

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 53

THE GRID One of the main design features of this layout is the grid. The grid is as simple as it could get. It is a text heavy one column grid, that uses justified text. There is a wide margin or a skinny column, the marginalia or white space on either side of the spread. This margin at times has image caption or at times even a small or slim and tall images inserted in it. It adds the much needed breathing space to the layout. It demarcates the central zone of the spread as the important text heavy area.

Most of the pages have images on the top half of the page and the bottom is mostly reserved for the text. At times images are inserted between text but that is just an exception, when there is a required break in the text. At the top right is the section tag which is just a little narrower than the width of the margin column.

The grid only changes in the Book Reviews section, when it changes to a two column grid. This implies a change in tone of the articles and the magazine itself.

It has been mentioned before that the magazine is extremely repetitive and over simplified in its layout. But it is this over simplification in terms of layout that is also the problem. The design does not look like a commercial art magazine as the clients would like.

54 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 55

IMAGES The images used are always of superior quality and are very well edited. The treatment of the images is extremely respectful and is never made to seem gimmicky. The images add value to the story and contents. Image cut outs are also a big part of the magazine's design language. The cut outs are very well done and make the images stand out more.

56 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

STRUCTURE OF THE MAGAZINE The magazine is editorially divided into 6-9 sections each with anywhere from 1-5 articles each. This varies from issue to issue and sometimes a section could be added and sometimes not all are included. The order of the sections also varies from issue to issue.

These sections are: Perspectives Focus Profiles Conversation Ancillary Photo Essay Exhibition Review Book Review Books Received Contributors Depending on the nature of the articles, they are put under a certain section. The criteria for which article goes under which section varies on the approach the contributor has taken towards writing the article. For example, an interview could be under conversations or profile depending on how the article is structured and on the importance the editor wants to give it.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 57

ORIGINAL FLAT PLAN Cover

Thematic advertising write up Gate fold

Gate Fold Thematic ad

Thematic Advertising

Thematic Advertising

Thematic Advertising

Thematic Advertising

1

Perspectives Masters of the Swirling Skies

Perspectives The Clock is Ticking

Perspectives Masters of the Swirling Skies

Perspectives Masters of the Swirling Skies

Perspectives Masters of the Swirling Skies

Perspectives Masters of the Swirling Skies

Perspectives Masters of the Swirling Skies

Perspectives The Clock is Ticking

Perspectives The Clock is Ticking

Perspectives The Clock is Ticking

Perspectives The Clock is Ticking

Perspectives The Clock is Ticking

FocusThe Ass Curse Stele Tradion

FocusThe Ass Curse Stele Tradion

FocusThe Ass Curse Stele Tradion

AncillaryHindu Symbolism in Sikh Art

AncillaryHindu Symbolism in Sikh Art

44

FocusThe Ass Curse Stele Tradion

76

Book Reviews

Book Reviews

95

58 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

Books Received

96

Contributors

Advertising

Advertising

Advertising

Advertising

Thematic Advertising

Mast head & editor's note

Contents page

11

Perspectives Mithila Painting

Perspectives Masters of the Swirling Skies

Perspectives Masters of the Swirling Skies

Perspectives Masters of the Swirling Skies

Perspectives Masters of the Swirling Skies

12

Perspectives Mithila Painting

Perspectives Mithila Painting

Perspectives Mithila Painting

Perspectives Mithila Painting

Perspectives Mithila Painting

ProfileMughal Mystique

ProfileMughal Mystique

ProfileMughal Mystique

ProfileMughal Mystique

FocusThe Ass Curse Stele Tradion

32

ProfileMughal Mystique

66

56

AncillaryHindu Symbolism in Sikh Art

AncillaryHindu Symbolism in Sikh Art

Exhibition ReviewThe Magic of India

Exhibition ReviewThe Magic of India

Exhibition ReviewThe Magic of India

84

Advertising

Advertising

Advertising

Book Reviews

90

Advertising

Advertising

Advertising

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 59

OTHER MAGAZINES CASE STUDIES Saudi Aramco World Saudi Aramco World is a bi-monthly magazine published by Saudi Aramco, the national oil company of Saudi Arabia. In 2004, the magazine's website was awarded 'Best Magazine Website' by the Web Marketing Association. The bimonthly magazine is published in Houston, Texas.

While Saudi Arabia is still frequently the main feature of articles, the magazine also covers the wider Arabic and Muslim world, and is aimed at both company employees and other interested readers. The website also allows free access to back issues going back to the early 1960s, including the photography.

This magazine is a personal favorite of my client and they introduced me to it. In many ways it is very similar to Marg magazine in its content but at the same time it is not as serious or intellectual.

The magazine has a more casual approach to it and is not text heavy, it is full of vivid images and it celebrates the past and the current world scenarios of the Arab and Muslim community. The magazine is more of a celebration of the Arab and Islamic world; it speaks of their art, culture, sports, business, food and heritage. It does not aim to be educational in its approach but just informative by simply touching upon the contents.

60 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

Design-wise it is exciting and dynamic. There is nothing standard about it and it does tend to get a little gimmicky at times, but its casual approach and content allow it to do so. The approach is very contemporary and the design is trying to be fresh and young. The design of the articles is driven by the content and the magazine is lacking in uniformity. Each article is designed and laid out individually. The type choices vary from chapter to chapter and in some areas there is scope to do much better. There is also an overload of graphic elements used and no uniformity in any of it. These are the reasons the magazine looks dynamic, but it lacks a harmonious design language.

The design of the articles is driven by the content and the magazine is lacking in uniformity.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 61

IQ Indian Quarterly is a richly-illustrated and elegantly-produced quarterly. It is inspired by magazines like New Yorker, Granta and Intelligent Life (the quarterly features magazine put out by the Economist). Its first issue boasts some of the best known names in Indian art, poetry and criticism alongside exciting new talents and a plethora of fine writers from the UK, USA and around the English speaking world. Just as The New Yorker exudes a Manhattan sensibility and always contains articles about New York, IQ manifests the fact that it is edited and published in Mumbai through its cosmopolitan, open-minded and provocative perspective on the world and on India.

IQ emphasizes those elements of magazine journalism that readers love but which are found less and less in contemporary publications: such as high quality in-depth reportage, essays and essay reviews, and photo-essays. Each issue is designed to include features that influence the conversation of well-informed and influential audiences here and abroad.

It is aimed at an intelligent, well-informed readership but not an academic or specialized one, nor one that is defined by a particular political point of view. Its content will reflect the fact that its readers have wide interests, that they are as concerned with our evolving popular culture and its implications, as in literature and the arts.

62 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

The magazine is an object of elegance, thanks to its photography, art and overall look,– a thing of some beauty that is easy to read and a joy to see.

It is easy to see that the magazine is designed with care, the wide margins and the ample white spaces makes it easier to appreciate the content and the images. The uniquely placed pull-out quotes, with their central alignment make the whole reading experience more enjoyable. The subtle use of colour in the type is very well thought. The typefaces chosen are contemporary and have a slight quirkiness to them. The body type has a large X-height which makes the reading experience smooth. The production is nothing short of superb and the image quality and treatment adds a different layer of excitement to the magazine. All in all, this magazine is a personal favorite because it is a beautifully crafted magazine.

The uniquely placed pullout quotes, with their central alignment make the whole reading experience more enjoyable.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 63

ART India ART India is India's premier art magazine: over the last eleven years, it has been responsible for the promotion of a critical discourse around diverse art forms, activities and disciplines. As an important forum for discussing, interrogating and appreciating art practices, ART India has been responsible for giving a platform to artists and critics to engage in a mutually replenishing intellectual dialogue with each other. This has led to the fostering of a vibrant atmosphere of sustained debate around crucial issues linked to the theory and practice of painting, sculpture, installation art, new media art, photography and architecture.

The design of ART India can be described as mature and classic. One of the main design elements of the magazine is the bands of colours used throughout. The colour pallet adds to the mature feel, the colours used are intense and have darker tones. This is understandable since attention must be placed on the actual art which they are trying to highlight. The magazine is well balanced; it is neither text heavy nor image heavy.

The text mostly follows a simple two-column grid and sometimes the column width varies, but only in a few places. There are a few exceptions to the rule when three columns are used. The design uses the line element throughout the layout, in some places it varies in thickness but it is a definite constant. The line is most visibly used to divide

64 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

the columns and is also subtly used in the section dividers and in the running heads.

ART India has a huge international following and has been chosen by Beaux Arts magazine, Paris, as one of the leading art magazines in the world.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 65

AI – Arts Illustrated Arts Illustrated is an Indian based arts and design magazine dedicated to understanding the contemporary arts landscape and creating a more inclusive ecosystem for the arts in the country.

It delves deeply into the visual arts and design narrative, offering a global and contemporary perspective to subjects, information and ideas that need to be heard by a larger audience. It is a visually laid out chronicle of the creative landscape and is published bi-monthly.

AI can be described as a gracefully designed and luxuriously laid out magazine. The magazine exudes an aura of opulence and finesse. The lavishly created covers are an immediate indication of what is to be expected from the inside. Uncompromising quality in each issue is what readers look forward to and what makes you want to peek through the laser cut double covers and then open it up! The dark gray text and the accent colour of golden colour sets a graceful tone of what is to come next. The use of a map at the start of some chapters gives it an international feel. The beautiful image quality and treatment in contrast to the wide white spaces gives the magazine an opulent feel. The treatment of the articles varies, but they all come together very harmoniously and add to the reader’s experience.

They do not have a conventional approach to their design, they are brave in their approach and are not afraid to experiment with layouts even though they

66 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

are aiming to be a sophisticated magazine. It has a young and contemporary design which does not have an overpowering feel.

The lavishly created covers are an immediate indication of what is to be expected from the inside.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 67

UNDERSTANDING THE READERSHIP Marg is a subscriber based magazine and is not sold on stands. It has a very niche subscriber base, that mostly includes an intellectual audience with an interest in the arts and cultural heritage of the Indian subcontinent. The magazine is not for commercial or leisure purposes. Reading any of the articles from the magazine demands a great deal of attention on the part of the reader. At the same time, it does not aim to be of a highly technical nature. It targets anyone with an interest in the arts.

Most of the readership includes people from an older age bracket of 45 years and above. Marg is also read by students of art, design, architecture and social sciences. The magazine does not print more than 8000 copies of each of its issues.

They have a loyal customer base that they have garnered over the years. They have subscribers that have remained loyal to them for decades and still continue to do so. This is due to their quality publishing and also the personal relationships they have maintained with their customers and subscribers.

Their service and dedication to their customers is remarkable. Marg is a warm and friendly place with an extremely competent and intelligent staff that goes above and beyond their duty to deliver. This is one of the reasons they have survived for almost 70 years in the business.

68 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

They have subscribers that have remained loyal to them for decades and still continue to do so. This is due to their quality publishing and also the personal relationships they have maintained with their customers and subscribers.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 69

PICKING OUT PARTS OF THE WHOLE

Vol. 10 Nos. 1-4 70 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

INITIAL DESIGN PROCESS After having read through the entire magazine I have to admit I could not wait to start designing and just 'play' around with the content and images.

I had no idea what I was getting myself into and as they say 'ignorance is bliss'.

I had no idea what I was getting myself into and as they say 'ignorance is bliss'.

At the Marg office I was mostly on my own when it came to designing anything related to the magazine. Radhika, the General Manager gave me the brief, told me she wanted the magazine re-designed and asked me to be as adventurous as I could. So I dove head first and immersed myself into the task. With my little knowledge of the publishing world and magazine design I charged on ahead.

My initial design approach can be described as clumsy. I familiarized myself with the content and began to create layouts.

I would describe this experience as 'learning how not to design a magazine'. It was a time where I tried to be as experimental in my approach and did what felt right to me. It was a back and forth process where I focused on different parts of the magazine and was looking for inspiration. What I learned was that it is only when you stumble and fall do you know how to stand up and rise.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 71

ROUND 1 I began designing with the second article which was the article featured on the cover. Also, it was a really interesting article to work with. It was a long article, but not the longest so I decided that it would be a good starting point. I began by trying variations of the landing pages.

Here I tried different layouts using various typefaces. I was trying very hard to make sure it looked nothing like what the current design looked like. I also wanted to try to make it look bold and fresh. But I was too influenced by the innumerable number of magazines in the market, that I had referred to in terms of layouts and look. I was trying to make Marg look and feel like a generic magazine, while it certainly is not. Another mistake I was making at this particular point of time was that, I was not treating the images with adequate respect. Cropping them and editing them to fit strange shapes is unethical and, is also very often not allowed with certain images that have been received from museums or other such institutions.

These images require to be treated with respect and that was something I learned.

When it came to the grid, I was trying to make things more exciting by trying 2 and 3 column grids and also trying uneven shapes. For example, in one of the explorations I tried creating a 'pathway', which I later realized was not a good idea. At this point of time, I was trying everything I could possibly think of without any real direction.

72 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 73

74 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 75

76 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

CHAPTER EXPLORATIONS

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 77

78 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 79

80 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

All these layouts were perfectly fine as they were.

But none had that spark or that one thing that made it look more like a magazine than a book.

Personally I liked the one that used varying column widths. But Radhika found it too confusing and insisted that I should not go with varying column widths.

I also liked the one with the vertical headers, subheadings and image cations I thought it looked really different and interesting, from anything else.

But Radhika though thought the one column grid made it look too much like a book. Also it was here that I decided to use typefaces more mindfully.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 81

TYPOGRAPHY Typography is extremely crucial to a magazine. It defines the voice and tone of the publication and helps create its visual identity. It helps setting the correct mood and sets up the ambiance for the reader. It is the magazine's mode of communicating with the reader. The variations in weights and styles is how a designer creates a strong visual hierarchy. It is very important for readers to be able to quickly navigate from most important content to least important and gives them a sort of scaffolding to quickly find specific content. It gives a design structure and a logical flow of presented information making it feel more inviting to readers.

When it came to typeface selection, I was overwhelmed by the extensive choices I had. The first choice was to go ahead with the existing typefaces, since they are really good typefaces.

On the other hand, typefaces are a big part of the design and since I was redesigning the magazine changing it would make the most sense.

Another dilemma I faced was whether I should choose open source typefaces or closed source, non-free typefaces. I did want to try using open source typefaces since I thought it would help create a different and non-exclusive approach to the magazine. Marg is an NGO now, and is striving towards making a lot of the knowledge that they have accessible to students and other such educational organizations. I also thought it would be a more sustainable design approach. That is why I tried various combinations of open source 82 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

typefaces. I also tried combining open source and non-free typefaces together.

Marg is a content driven magazine and, it was therefore essential to make the right choice when choosing a typeface or a combination of typefaces. That is why it took a lot of iterations and explorations to come to a final decision. It was only at the end when everything started coming together that I was able to make a final choice.

TYPE FACES CONSIDERED FOR BODY TEXT

Open Source Typefaces

Closed Source or Non-Free Typeface

Open Sans is a humanist sans serif typeface designed by Steve Matteson, Type Director of Ascender Corp.

Caslon is a group of serif typefaces designed by William Caslon I (1692–1766), and various revivals thereof.

Gentium is a Unicode serif typeface designed by Victor Gaultney.

Caecilia is designed by Peter Matthias Noordzij, and named after his wife, Caecilia, for Linotype in 1990. Its shapes are humanist rather than geometric. PMN Caecilia is easier on the reader's eye and so more useful as a text typeface than most slab serif designs.

Lora is a serif typeface designed by Cyreal, in September of 2011.

Vollkorn is the famous body typeface by Friedrich Althausen, Germany. Initially released in 2006 and one of the first at Google’s Webfonts in 2010.

FF Scala is an old style, humanist, serif typeface designed by Dutch typeface designer Martin Majoor in 1990 for the Muziekcentrum Vredenburg in Utrecht, the Netherlands.

Minion Pro is a serif typeface designed by Robert Slimbach in 1990 for Adobe Systems and inspired by late Renaissance-era type.

Roboto is a neo-grotesque sans-serif typeface family developed by Google as the system font for its mobile operating system Android.

Aller font family was created in 2008 for the Danish School of Media and Journalism, with the kind sponsorship of publisher Aller.

Warnock Pro is designed by Robert Slimbach, it is an Adobe Originals type composition family named after Adobe’s co-founder John Warnock.

Kepler is a contemporary type family created by Adobe type designer Robert Slimbach. It is an tradition of classic modern 18th-century typefaces.

Archer Pro is a slab serif typeface designed in 2001

by Tobias Frere-Jones and Jonathan Hoefler for use in Martha Stewart Living magazine. It was later released by Hoefler & Frere-Jones for commercial licensing.

Whitney is a family of sans-serif digital typefaces designed by American type designer Tobias FrereJones. It was originally created for New York's Whitney Museum as its institutional typeface.

Arno is a serif type family created by Robert Slimbach at Adobe intended for professional use.

Corda is an elegant serif family with an easygoing, flowing ductus. It is semi-contrasted and even in the heavier styles appears light and breezy. It has been designed by Hoftype.

Ashbury, is also designed by Hoftype. It derives its inspiration from 18th century transitional types such as Caslon and Baskerville. It is however not a revival but interprets formal aspects in a new and individual fashion.

Swift font family was designed by Gerard Unger and released by the German firm Dr.Ing Rudolf Hell Gmbh in 1987 after a three year design period.

Chaparral Pro is a slab-serif typeface designed

by Carol Twombly of Adobe Systems and released in 2000. Chaparral Pro is available in 32 fonts, including a huge range of weights and styles such as old-style and lining figures.

Typeface used in the current issue Sina Nova is designed by Hoftype. It has a slightly vertical tendency, a higher x-height which makes it more open in small text sizes and very easy to read.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 83

Open Sans | 10pt | 13pt L

Scala | 10.5pt | 14pt L

Adobe Caslon | 11pt | 14pt L

Omnimusa ntemqui blamus pratibus ium sequiam autae qui aut viduntur sum quia quibea quatis millaccus vendis voloris trumet doluptatest, odis in re coreperia am qui vid ex etusa voluptae vellam labo.

Omnimusa ntemqui blamus pratibus ium sequiam autae qui aut viduntur sum quia quibea quatis millaccus vendis voloris trumet doluptatest, odis in re coreperia am qui vid ex etusa voluptae vellam labo.

Omnimusa ntemqui blamus pratibus ium sequiam autae qui aut viduntur sum quia quibea quatis millaccus vendis voloris trumet doluptatest, odis in re coreperia am qui vid ex etusa voluptae vellam labo.

Gentium | 11pt | 15pt L

Minion Pro | 11pt | 14pt L

Omnimusa ntemqui blamus pratibus ium sequiam autae qui aut viduntur sum quia quibea quatis millaccus vendis voloris trumet doluptatest, odis in re coreperia am qui vid ex etusa voluptae vellam labo.

Omnimusa ntemqui blamus pratibus ium sequiam autae qui aut viduntur sum quia quibea quatis millaccus vendis voloris trumet doluptatest, odis in re coreperia am qui vid ex etusa voluptae vellam labo.

Lora | 9.25pt | 14pt L Omnimusa ntemqui blamus pratibus ium sequiam autae qui aut viduntur sum quia quibea quatis millaccus vendis voloris trumet doluptatest, odis in re coreperia am qui vid ex etusa voluptae vellam labo.

Vollkorn| 11pt | 14pt L

Omnimusa ntemqui blamus pratibus ium sequiam autae qui aut viduntur sum quia quibea quatis millaccus vendis voloris trumet doluptatest, odis in re coreperia am qui vid ex etusa voluptae vellam labo.

84 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

Roboto | 9.25pt | 14pt L Omnimusa ntemqui blamus pratibus ium sequiam autae qui aut viduntur sum quia quibea quatis millaccus vendis voloris trumet doluptatest, odis in re coreperia am qui vid ex etusa voluptae vellam labo.

Aller Light| 10pt | 14pt L

Omnimusa ntemqui blamus pratibus ium sequiam autae qui aut viduntur sum quia quibea quatis millaccus vendis voloris trumet doluptatest, odis in re coreperia am qui vid ex etusa voluptae vellam labo.

Warnock Pro | 11pt | 14pt L

Omnimusa ntemqui blamus pratibus ium sequiam autae qui aut viduntur sum quia quibea quatis millaccus vendis voloris trumet doluptatest, odis in re coreperia am qui vid ex etusa voluptae vellam labo.

Kepler | 11pt | 14pt L

Omnimusa ntemqui blamus pratibus ium sequiam autae qui aut viduntur sum quia quibea quatis millaccus vendis voloris trumet doluptatest, odis in re coreperia am qui vid ex etusa voluptae vellam labo.

Archer| 10.5pt | 14pt L

Omnimusa ntemqui blamus pratibus ium sequiam autae qui aut viduntur sum quia quibea quatis millaccus vendis voloris trumet doluptatest, odis in re coreperia am qui vid ex etusa voluptae vellam labo.

Arno Pro | 11.75pt | 14pt L

Swift Light | 10pt | 14pt L

Omnimusa ntemqui blamus pratibus ium sequiam autae qui aut viduntur sum quia quibea quatis millaccus vendis voloris trumet doluptatest, odis in re coreperia am qui vid ex etusa voluptae vellam labo.

Omnimusa ntemqui blamus pratibus ium sequiam autae qui aut viduntur sum quia quibea quatis millaccus vendis voloris trumet doluptatest, odis in re coreperia am qui vid ex etusa voluptae vellam labo.

Whitney Book | 10pt | 13pt L

Omnimusa ntemqui blamus pratibus ium sequiam autae qui aut viduntur sum quia quibea quatis millaccus vendis voloris trumet doluptatest, odis in re coreperia am qui vid ex etusa voluptae vellam labo.

Corda Light | 10.75pt | 16pt L

Sia Nova| 11.5pt | 15.5pt L

Omnimusa ntemqui blamus pratibus ium sequiam autae qui aut viduntur sum quia quibea quatis millaccus vendis voloris trumet doluptatest, odis in re coreperia am qui vid ex etusa voluptae vellam labo.

Omnimusa ntemqui blamus pratibus ium sequiam autae qui aut viduntur sum quia quibea quatis millaccus vendis voloris trumet doluptatest, odis in re coreperia am qui vid ex etusa voluptae vellam labo.

Ashbury | 9.75pt | 14pt L

Omnimusa ntemqui blamus pratibus ium sequiam autae qui aut viduntur sum quia quibea quatis millaccus vendis voloris trumet doluptatest, odis in re coreperia am qui vid ex etusa voluptae vellam labo.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 85

TYPE FACES CONSIDERED FOR TITLE Open Source Typefaces Open Sans is a humanist sans serif typeface designed by Steve Matteson, Type Director of Ascender Corp.

Playfair Display is well suited for titling and headlines. It has an extra large x-height and short descenders. It can be set with no leading if space is tight, for instance in news headlines, or for stylistic effect in titles. Playfair has been designed by Claus Eggers Sørensen.

Josefin Sans was designed by Santiago Orozco.

The x-height is half way from baseline to caps height, unlike any other modern typeface.

Lora is a serif typeface designed by Cyreal, in September of 2011.

86 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

After selecting the typefaces I decided to see how they would work in a grid, on the spread with various combinations and at different sizes and in colour. It was here that I realized how much scope each typeface had, in terms of the glyphs set and the extent of type family. I tried using them in various ways as can be seen in the following pages.

Playfair Display & Josefin Sans

Playfair Display & Josefin Sans

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 87

Lora

Lora

88 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

Closed Source Typefaces Amplitude font family is a sans serif typeface design from Christian Schwartz. Schwartz’s vision when designing Amplitude was a design that would behave like two separate typefaces when viewed at alternate sizes.

Bembo design is an old-style humanist serif typeface originally cut by Francesco Griffo in 1495 and revived by Stanley Morison in 1929.

Caecillia is designed by Peter Matthias Noordzij, and named after his wife, Caecilia, for Linotype in 1990. Its shapes are humanist rather than geometric. PMN Caecilia is easier on the reader's eye and so more useful as a text typeface than most slab serif designs.

Amplitude

Mrs Eaves is a transitional serif typeface designed

by Zuzana Licko in 1996. It is a variant of Baskerville, designed in Birmingham, England in the 1750s.

Arno is a serif type family created by Robert Slimbach at Adobe intended for professional use.

Adobe Jenson is an old-style serif typeface drawn for Adobe Systems by type designer Robert Slimbach.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 89

Bembo

Caecillia

90 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

Mrs Eaves Italics

Mrs Eaves

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 91

Arno Pro

Arno Pro

92 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

Adobe Jenson Pro

It was after exploring all these typefaces in the body and as headers that I decided that I must also pay equal attention to the layouts.

It is not that I had not been paying attention to the layouts. But in many cases I had not been very mindful of the grid and it was time that I started to take into account the grid. Also, now I had a better idea of what body text I wanted to use. Therefore, it was easier to resolve the question of the baseline grid and settle on one option.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 93

THE GRID The grid is the most important unseen element of the design. It is the scaffolding of the layout.

The basic function of a grid is to organize the information on a page. A grid provides the structure and form for all the elements on a page, which make the entire process of designing a layout much easier. It is used to enhance the accuracy and consistency of all the pages, while allowing for efficient use of time. It is an organizational tool used in publication design to arrange typographical information on a page or a spread. You can use a single or multiple grids to achieve an unmatched consistency and coherence over large projects, like in this magazine. This being a magazine, the grid is something that helps maintain the consistency in the most fundamental way possible. Grid system is incredibly important because, although invisible on the finished project, it can be referred to when creating layouts.

Structure also aids function – predictability allows the reader to read rather than decode each layout as he/she come to it.

On the other hand, it is important to not imprison your thinking into standard format since it can hinder the creative process. It is also important sometimes to have a break in the grid since it helps

94 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

making the layout interesting.

The grid is used to create columns, which are essential tools to standardize your layout. They help in getting order and structure of your magazine.

Line length is the number of characters or words per line, is closely related to column width and those two terms work together as a unit. It is important to maintain a minimum and maximum line length. This determines how many times a reader has to jump to the next line and also the length of the article. Of course other factors such as the type-size and the kerning also help determine line length.

I began designing my layouts on a flexible 12-column grid. The more columns you have, the greater the layout possibilities. The grid defines margins, the number and width of a column.

The reader takes comfort in standardization and familiarity. In addition to columns, most grids provide space called gutters or alleys. This is the

space between the columns.

A standard size page is never laid out with twelve actual columns . But, at its most basic, a 12 column grid provides twelve units from which the most standard magazine layouts can be derived. Six units plus six units renders a two-column layout, three unit columns provide a four column layout.

These can sometimes be mixed on the same page – it is not uncommon to see a sidebar use a different grid structure than the main story. One of the strengths of the 12 column grid comes from its use to organize space in open layouts. Using this grid it allows for expansion of the gutters to one-twelfth of the page, or precise placement of pull quotes or sidebars, or integration of white space in a placing ratio to other elements on the page.

An example of one of the 12 column grids that I used to design the layouts.

Top margin

12 column grid 1 unit of 12 columns

Inside margin

Gutter space

Outside margin

Bleed

Bottom margin

The baseline grid varies from design to design and the typeface used, since the baseline grid depends on the typesize and leading.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 95

GEOMETRY Sacred geometry involves sacred universal patterns used in the design of everything in our reality, most often seen in sacred architecture and sacred art.

The basic belief is that geometry and mathematical ratios, harmonics and proportion are also found in music, light and cosmology.

In ancient civilizations, the golden ratio (sacred geometry) was often employed in the design of art and architecture - from the simple spiral to more complex designs. Today sacred geometry is still used in the planning and construction of many structures such as churches, temples, mosques, religious monuments, altars, tabernacles, sacred spaces and the creation of religious art. I really wanted to incorporate sacred geometry in the philosophy of my design since I thought it could give a different take to the magazine. I thought it would be a good value addition as it would give the magazine a scientific take, which could be really interesting. I mainly wanted to use patterns and shapes that are based on principles of sacred geometry in the running heads or section tags. I did try various types of shapes to see how things would work. I also tried to incorporate these into my designs. But these did not work out and I had to abandon this idea.

96 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

This did not work out, since creating these shapes and a vast range of them is extremely time consuming. I wanted to make a vast range of such shapes that would symbolize each section of the magazine. This would mean making around 10-12 such shapes. I was able to make a handful, but I did not think I was able to do justice to them. Some of them were also inaccurate and I did not want to settle for anything that was not perfect.

GUIDE VISIT 1- 24TH -25TH APRIL My first guide visit was an eye opener, about everything I did not know and needed to learn about magazine design. We discussed a lot about magazine and publication design.

The first thing I learned was that a magazine must be approached holistically and not article by article. I also learned about a lot of technical details as to how type is set, and how to set tabs in proportion to the leading. I also learned about paragraph spacing and a lot of other such details, I had not been paying much attention to. I was really lost and in desperate need of some guidance.

This guide visit was like going for a 'how to design a publication' class. It was here that I learned to embrace the structure of a publication.

This guide visit was like going for a 'how to design a publication' class. It was here that I learned to embrace the structure of a publication. I learned the importance of the grid and how much of a help it could be when designing a magazine with so many sections. I understood the need for continuity in the visual vocabulary.

It was here when I decided to take a set back and re-evaluate everything. I decided to put everything I had learned up to this point to improve my work and change my design approach. I decided to look at the content and images I had with a fresh perspective and see the scope in it. I also learned that I must respect the images and treat them with reverence and not as adornments, they ad to the text and are at times more or equally important.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 97

“THE WHOLE IS GREATER THAN THE SUM OF ITS PARTS.”

98 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

After stumbling and falling, I came to the realization that the best principle that I could apply to my design approach is that the entire magazine is greater than any one individual article and that is how I should tackle it. I was initially approaching each article differently, but a magazine is a collection of articles and should be designed as one object.

Therefore the quote “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.� This Chapter is round 2 of designing the magazine. Here I took a step back and tried to understand what kind of tone of voice I wanted the magazine to have and also how to incorporate my client's needs too.

Gestalt psychology or gestaltism is a theory of mind of the Berlin School of experimental psychology. Gestalt psychology tries to understand the laws of our ability to acquire and maintain meaningful perceptions in an apparently chaotic world. The central principle of gestalt psychology is that the mind forms a global whole with selforganizing tendencies. This principle maintains that when the human mind (perceptual system) forms a percept or gestalt, the whole has a reality of its own, independent of the parts. The original famous phrase of Gestalt psychologist Kurt Koffka, "The whole is other than the sum of the parts" is often incorrectly translated as "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts" and thus used when explaining gestalt theory, and further incorrectly applied to systems theory. Koffka did not like the

translation. He firmly corrected students who replaced "other" by "greater". "This is not a principle of addition" he said. The whole has an independent existence.

This quote might have come into exsistance because of a mistake and misscommunication, but it something that makes most sence to the process of my project. It also brings my education at NID to a full circle. We bagan in foundation with Gestalts principles of similarity, continuation, closure, proximity and symmetry. These are the basis of design education. It was after coming to this realisation that I began my second round of explorations.

The pages in this section that have a red border are the explorations that have been taken forward and been improved upon.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 99

ROUND 2

100 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

In this exploration I have used a 2 column grid. This layout has been made using the dominant colour of the image on the spread. There is a large band on the left side of the page that bleeds out. There is a play on colour to try to create a more visually well composed page. The body text used in this exploration is Corda Light at 12pts with 18pts leading. The headings are set in Philosopher and the tertiary typeface used is Caecilia.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 101

This was one of the most challenging layouts to create and crack. The idea was to make something that kept moving and have an element that would guide you through the pages.

Here the image captions are always placed outside the line and mostly on the opposite

102 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

page. Only the body text is to remain inside the lines. The lines must start where the line left off on the previous page. The body text used is Lora and the title and the image captions are in Open Sans.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 103

104 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

This concept was derived from the fact that all the 3 articles in the Perspectives Section were about paintings.

Also,w I was trying to create textures since Radhika kept mentioning how the earlier issues used to have hand made papers and other textured papers. So I tried

creating textures that were visual since I had no control over the production of the magazine. The body text used is Lora and the title is set in Archer Pro.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 105

This is a continuation of the line concept which I have tried out in the next article also. Each article uses two colours.

I have also tried to incorporate the section tags here. They are a variation of an octagon sliced through the center, overlapped with the same smaller shapes in the center.

106 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 107

This is the third article which is set using the same concept of the line. I have used the colour combination of yellow and green. Here all the pages beside the first page are set using a flexible 2 column grid. Also, the section tags appear as they did in the earlier article with only a change in size and colour.

108 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 109

This was a variation to the earlier water-colour exploration. Here I tried using more intense colours and also tried to make it more relevant to the article. The use of the textures is less and only appears as backgrounds

110 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

to the pull-outs. They do not appear as full backgrounds.

Also, this layout uses a three column grid. The body text used is Lora and the title is set in Caecilia, along with Source Sans Pro, in some places.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 111

This is another layout to article 3. It has a yellow and grey colour scheme. It uses yellow bands both vertically and horizontally occasionally through the design. Here the pull-outs are highlighted using square brackets and

112 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

are only on the top of the page and not in between the article, thus it does not hinder the readers while they are reading the article. This article used Lora in the body text and Chaparral Pro in the title and in the pull-outs.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 113

This article is set using the classical combination of Whitney for the body text and Archer for the title and in other places such as the pull-outs. The image captions are also set in Archer in the margins only, in a shade of light grey. Here I tried using colour in the body text since I thought it would create an interesting and different feel.

114 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 115

In this exploration I tried to do something different and instead of using pull-outs I simply decided to highlight the interesting parts in the running text by increasing the type size, making it bold and by changing the colour. This would make it easier for the reader to find the interesting parts but still not hinder the process flow of reading.

This design uses the combination of Lora in the body and MrsEaves in the title and in other places.

116 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 117

This article deals with some rather unique subject matter which is extremely interesting and has some very provocative visuals. Therefore, I thought it would be better to create a more subdued design, that has a calming effect. That is why I used a subtle light blue background colour. I tried making the layout more interesting and interactive.

This design uses the combination of Gentium Basic in the body and Knockout in the title and in other places. I wanted it to have a clean and bold feel.

118 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 119

This is a different approach to the same article. Here I have used a three column grid. This design uses the combination of Gentium Basic in the body and Avenir in the title and in other places.

120 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 121

This is the Ancillary section. I have used a flesh-tin background colour since it seems to give the article a more pleasant feel and goes well with the design. The dark maroon colour in contrast makes for a harmonious design.

This design uses the combination of Lora in the body and MrsEaves in the title and Open Source in other places like the pull-outs.

122 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

In this article I tried to incorporate something different by adding some illustrations and icons. The opening page of the article has an image which I have extended to create an entrance like feel to the article. I also decided to add some pigeon icons over the title and in one of the subheadings to make things more interesting.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 123

This is the review section. Here I wanted to change the tone of voice of the magazine to more relaxed and casual section. This design uses the combination of Vollkorn in the body and Cochin in the title and other places.

124 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

I wanted this article to feel magical. This was made possible by showcasing the full beautiful skirt on the rich plum colored background with the contrasting light ochre yellow of the text.

All the images stand out beautifully on the background colour.

This design uses the combination of Vollkorn in the body and Cochin in the title and other places.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 125

This is the last and final article of the magazine and it is a review of different books in the market, by various scholars. I tried to use the line concept to see how I could tie things up at the end, if I happened to go ahead with the line concept. This design uses the combination of Lora in the body and Chaparral Pro in the title.

126 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

CLIENT PRESENTATION & FEEDBACK

Radhika did have some very specific likes and dislikes that I had to learn to work around. She did not want all the columns in one article to be of different width, she did not like the explorations I made in that direction. She did not want any images cut off at odd places. She wanted me to try and make use of the images the way they were given to me, unless it was imperative that they be edited or cropped, and that too as little as possible.

On the other hand, she did appreciate a lot of the work too. She saw that including pull-outs was a good idea in the direction of making it feel more like a magazine. Also, she liked the use of colour in the backgrounds and the variations in the way the text was laid out. She liked the use of columns which was a big change from the current design. She liked various typefaces that I used and the choices that were there. She particularly liked how the line was being used differently from how it is used in other magazines. But she also thought that it could get too much to have the same thing throughout the entire magazine and asked me to try incorporating the line in different ways in the magazine. She liked the use of water-colours but could not see how it could be used throughout the magazine.

Also, she did not want images placed between two columns of text. She did not like images being text wrapped. She also preferred justified text, and encouraged me to try it as much as possible. I was not too keen on doing so but did give it a shot. She did not like images being spread across images since they very often would get cropped in the spine while binding. She had her reservations about text being in any colour beside black.

One of the most obvious changes that we all noticed that made the magazine look less like a book was the use of pull-out quotes. It created multiple entry points for the readers and gave the magazine a more dynamic feel. Radhika had her very valid reservations about how the pull-outs created the left aligned text to rag, and cause discomfort while reading. This was something I had to be very careful about and avoid in the future.

I presented all the designs from round two to Radhika and the team at Marg. They liked some specific things and some they did not like. I must admit that I was given a lot of leeway when it came to making design decisions, since they wanted me to be as free and creative as possible.

I was given a lot of leeway when it came to making design decisions, since they wanted me to be as free and creative as possible.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 127

DECISION-MAKING My second guide visit was extremely fruitful and productive. It was at this point that most of the designs started developing and actually taking form. It was with the help of my guide that I was able to come to a resolution about the way forward.

That is why we decided to go ahead with both the line and dot concept and the water colour concept and resolve both of them. Also, the clients wanted two full designs, one of which is recommended by us, my guide and I, as the final design to be published.

It was in this week that many decisions were made. I decided to take the line concept forward since the team at Marg liked it, and also my guide and I saw a lot of potential in the subtle design intervention of the line. This concept further evolved into the line and dot concept or concept 1. The line was now to be accompanied by dot element to give it more holistic togetherness. We decided to explore other typefaces and to take the concept further.

The following sections of the documentation showcases the approaches to concept 1 and concept 2. It shows the entire process of how both concepts evolved.

I went on to design more articles using the line and dot concept. The idea over here was to let the line and dot guide the reader visually through the entire publication, without being a distraction, or over-powering the content. It was to act as a design element, that guides the eye of the reader.

128 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

CONCEPT 1

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 129

CONCEPT 1 - ROUND 1 Here, I have used the lines and dots, simple elements used to create a subtle, simple and elegant design composition. This is a concept that can be implemented in numerous ways. This concept and the elements themselves allow for varying intensity and visibility of the lines and dots. It is this very idea that has been taken forward and you can see as you turn the pages of the magazine, how the intensity and visibility of the lines and dots vary.

Another very important factor about the concept is the use of the grid. I have used a 12 column grid that does not follow any strict order or structure.

The entire magazine is set on the same grid and the number of columns starts from 2 in the beginning, to 3 in the later chapters and ends with 2 columns.

The thing about the columns is that they do not have any particular fixed position especially in the perspectives section. Here the lines and dots run throughout the entire section guiding the reader as they flip through the pages. As you go further into the magazine the intensity of the lines and dots reduces. It also changes and takes different forms.

Its function also changes, it is no longer used to guide the reader but to enhance or highlight sections or to bring various elements together.

The aim over here was to make something absolutely different from the current design in the sense that the columns and its usage remains absolutely dynamic and unconventional.

130 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

The thing about the columns is that they do not have any particular fixed position especially in the perspectives section.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 131

This is the second section, the Profile, where a prominent personality is discussed or interviewed. Here the use of the lines and dots decreases dramatically. They no longer run across the pages, but only appear in the corners at right angles before the sub-headings. They also appears

132 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

where the article ends and next to the Notes on the left.

Also, there is a combination of two colours used in every article. Here the combination used is an emerald green and maroon.

This article also follows the same format as the profile sections. But it uses a different colour combination. Like the profile section it follows a three column grid structure.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 133

These are the various section/article openers that I made as explorations. These section openers are very important since they add great variation to the design and have, therefore, been explored extensively.

134 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

This is the Ancillary section. It uses the line and dots only in the pull-outs and to indicate the beginning and end of the article. There is also a very well written poem in the article which is in a different colour from the running text and is also in italics. This is to distinguish it from the rest.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 135

This article uses the line and dot in the most minimal way possible. The grid also changes here and the margins become much narrower. The body text is now in Whitney, a sans serif, unlike the rest of the magazine.

136 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

Here I wanted the line and dot to come full circle and that is why I tried making the line and dot run across the pages, but it did not work out the way I wanted it to. The grid also changes here and is two- column grid, with narrower margins.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 137

THE FRONT MATTER The front matter are the pages of a book or magazine before the main text, such as title page, copyright page, Table of Contents, masthead, and so on. These were designed after the main text was designed. These are some of the explorations of the thematic advertising, the mast head, the contents page and the contributors' page which I thought should be brought to the front from the back for this concept.

Cover exploration, open gate fold.

Inside cover, open gate fold

138 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

These are the thematic ad pages.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 139

These are various explorations of the masthead, editor's note and the contributors' pages which I decided to bring to the front from the back. I decided to do this because I thought the contributors deserve to be up front. But putting them side by side with the mast head was not the best idea. I later decided to have an image from the magazine on the left and the masthead and editor's note together.

140 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

The contents and contributors pages being side by side made more sense since the chapters are colour coded and the author's information can be found right there while the reader looks through the contents.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 141

CONCEPT 1 - COVER OPTIONS

142 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

CONCEPT 1 - FINAL GRIDS The entire first concept is constructed on a twelve column grid. The same grid is used throughout the entire magazine. It is used in various ways.

The twelve column grid allows for many variations and combinations. It is a perfect way to design a publication with various combinations and permutations. The bleed is 3mm on all sides.

The baseline grid all though out is 14pts or around 5mm.

In the Perspectives Section it has the most flexible usage, to create a non-static and more dynamic layout. In figure 1 you can see that only the first page uses ten units together to get one column of 146mm width. This acts as the article's starting point. The pages that proceed are in two columns of five units each. The placement of these two columns shifts depending on each layout by either one or two units. But the gutter space is maintained between the columns at 4mm. The width of each column is 71mm.

The Profile and Focus sections are not based on a dynamic structure of the moving columns. But on a different three column grid, each column here is made up of four units each. The width of each column is 56mm. The reason I chose to do this is not to have anything stagnant and shake things up.

I did not want any two layouts to look the same.

The Ancillary section is something that appears occasionally and features in articles that are supportive to the other articles. That is why this one goes back to a two column grid. This one is based on the same structure as the perspectives section but the columns do not move. They are in two columns of five units each and are aligned towards the spine, with a margin on the outside of two units. The gutter space of 4mm is maintained between all columns.

The last section which is the Review section is a simple and wide two column grid of six units each and here the margin space is very narrow. Since this is the latter half of the magazine the treatment of the text changes completely and takes on a more casual tone. This section includes the review of exhibitions and books. This is a section that Marg has maintained for a long time and the readers look forward to.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 143

Example of the grid used in the Perspective Sections

25mm

12 column grid

25mm

14 pts

1 unit of 12 columns

4mm

15mm

15mm

144 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

Width of column

25mm

25mm

15mm

15mm

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 145

Example of the grid used in the Profile and Focus Sections

146 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

Example of the grid used in the Reviews Sections

25mm

25mm

15mm

15mm

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 147

FINAL TYPE DECISIONS One of the first decisions I made was the typeface for the body text. After a lot of consideration I chose to go with something new and unconventional. I decided to choose Lora. Lora is an open source Google Font, and was created by Cyreal. Lora can be described as a well-balanced contemporary serif with roots in calligraphy. It is a text typeface with moderate contrast well suited for body text. It is the brushed curves in contrast with driving serifs that give it the delicate and yet sturdy and reliable feel. The overall typographic voice of Lora perfectly conveys the mood of a modern-day story, or an art essay. Technically Lora is optimized for screen appearance, and works equally well in print and that is why I decided that it has that unique and contemporary quality that suits Marg best. Also, it has a large x-height that makes it very suitable for reading longer articles.

I chose to use Lora for the body text in both my concepts. The only issue with Lora as a typeface is that it lacks a variety of weights, and therefore, has to be used wisely.

148 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

WEIGHTS

Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.

Lora Regular

Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.

Lora Italics

Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.

Lora Bold

Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.

Lora Italics Bold

For the headers, I was looking for a typeface that had an extensive set of weights and also one that had interesting set of elegant swashes. I also wanted a contemporary typeface with a strong and unique personality and Warnock Pro fit the bill.

Designed by Robert Slimbach, Warnock Pro is an Adobe Originals type composition family named after Adobe’s co-founder John Warnock.

Warnock Pro’s structure is both rational and dynamic, striking a balance between innovation and restraint. A mix of calligraphic and constructed character shapes, as well as both angular and rounded elements, give clarity and visual tension to the family. Rather than falling into any single historical classification, the features of Warnock Pro are eclectic, borrowing elements from earlier lettering disciplines and introducing new features previously unseen in a text type.

The serifs, which are un-bracketed and triangular, help to give the type a chiseled appearance. In Warnock Pro, the serifs are razor sharp at display sizes, becoming heavier and wedge- shaped in the smaller optical masters where a more rugged design is required for optimum letter definition.

WEIGHTS

Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.

Warnock Pro Light

Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.

Warnock Pro Light Italics

Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.

Warnock Pro Regular

Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.

Warnock Pro Italic

Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.

Warnock Pro Semibold

Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.

Warnock Pro Semibold Italic

Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.

Warnock Pro Bold

Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.

Warnock Pro Bold Italic

Warnock family is offered 4 weights: light, regular, semibold and bold for each of four optical ranges: caption, text, subhead and display for each two styles: roman and italic. This sums up to 32 fonts of the total member of the family (4 weights x 4 optical ranges x 2 styles).

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 149

After deciding on two serifed typefaces I decided that I needed another tertiary typeface, something completely different with extreme contrast and that is when I decided on the multi-purpose Whitney. It is used in the caption images and for pull-outs, and in the contents page. Since it is such a versatile typeface with such a large and extensive family it is even used in the body text for sine chapters, especially the Review sections since the tone of the magazine changes then.

Whitney is a humanist sans-serif typeface designed by Tobias Frere-Jones and released in 2004 through H&FJ (now known as H&Co).

Originally developed as an institutional typeface for New York’s Whitney Museum, Whitney aims to be functional for signage as well as editorial usage by bridging the gap between gothics such as Franklin Gothic and humanists such as Frutiger. Whitney is an extremely comprehensive font family and includes romans, italics, roman small caps and italic small caps, each available in six weights, plus tabular figures, fractions and extended symbols.

WEIGHTS

Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.

Whitney Light

Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.

Whitney Light Italics

Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.

Whitney Book

Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.

Whitney Book Italics

Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.

Whitney Medium

Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.

Whitney Medium Italics

Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.

Whitney Semibold

Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.

Whitney Semibold Italics

Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.

Whitney Bold

Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.

Whitney Bold Italics

150 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

CLIENT'S FEEDBACK This was perhaps one of the main interactions I had with the team at Marg. They were extremely excited to see the developments for the magazine.

There were some reservations about concept 1 but it was very well appreciated and accepted.

The addition to the dot in the line concept was really loved by Radhika. She also liked how the grid was used and the variations in the columns between chapters. She did have problems with the placement of the running heads/section tags. She thought the centrally aligned section tag at the top in a bold colored box took up too much attention.

Also, she wanted the profile and focus sections to have different treatments of the line and dot, since she felt that something similar would work, but it should be distinguishable.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 151

CONCEPT 1-REFINEMENTS The running heads or section tags were one of the main problems areas. Designing them was extremely challenging and I was finding it difficult to crack this specific element. This was mainly because it appeared on every single page and had to go with all the layouts. The colours could change, but changing the form did not seem to help. I tried I a lot of things but the main problem was binding it into a shape with a strong colour gave it far too much importance than it deserved on a page.

That is why decided to go ahead with just lines on top and on the bottom. Making it simple and not complicating the form was key.

152 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

Here I tried to use a band at the top of the page so it would be easy to spot all the information that is part of the folio in one place, thus making navigation simple. But this approach worked in some of the articles while in others it did not fit in very harmoniously. It worked well on the pages with coloured backgrounds, but not on the pages which were white.

I also tried using the line and dot element vertically but that did not work.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 153

Another improvement this section required was that the line and dot element, needed to change.

Here I was again a little at a loss, I did not want it to be too different from the profile section but it still needed to change. I struggled with this part a little but finally we, Radhika and I, came to a conclusion.

We decided to use a short line with dots at the end before every subheading.

154 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

FINAL CHOICE

CONCEPT 1- FINAL

156 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 157

158 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 159

160 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 161

162 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 163

164 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 165

166 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 167

168 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 169

170 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 171

172 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 173

174 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 175

176 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 177

178 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 179

180 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 181

CONCEPT 2

182 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

CONCEPT 2 - ROUND 1 This concept was developed when my guide saw the potential in a few of my explorations from round 1.

This concept is visually more exciting and dynamic. The grid in this one has more structure but, it is here that the textures and the subtle use of colours adds that something more to the layouts and makes it a design. It borrows directly from art, each of the hand made textures adds a more personal touch to the otherwise digitally printed magazine.

It was a long process that required a lot of effort and hours of explorations in terms of creating the textures and choosing the correct papers and colours. Getting the colours correct was not easy since things look very different on paper when painted and very different when scanned and seen on the computer. This was a long back and forth process, where I was very often left doubting if it would work out. But it was with the conviction and guidance of my guide that I pushed through and concept 2 finally came to life. It was definitely worth the effort.

This was a long back and forth process, where I was very often left doubting if it would work out.

The water coloured background is used to create something different, colorful and exciting. The idea was to make something exciting that had the ability to be interesting and not too loud, but yet connect with the readership. The water coloured backgrounds also had scope to be adapted into other types of textures and backgrounds that can change with time and the content obviously.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 183

184 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

This was one of the initial layouts I tried making of the water coloured concept. I was trying to create some kind of template which is easy to recreate. The water colours start off the article and also end it. The section tags sit on the water coloured backgrounds or are positioned on the right margin of the right hand side page.

I have used a combination of Lora in the body text, Kepler for the titles and Today Sans as the tertiary typeface.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 185

This is the Profile Section. I tried some variations for the opening pages. I also tried placing the section tags or running heads on th side of the page in the center. The page number also appeared right below it. It also acted as a way in which there could be a bit of the water-colour on each page.

186 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

Each article is colour coded and has a range of watercoloured swatches dedicated to it specifically. Here I used a range of darker blues and purples to highlight the important text.

In this round of explorations all the water colouerd backgrounds are cut off at the top and the bottom to accommodate the folio and the running heads.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 187

188 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

I tried doing this article in both styles, with the section tags on the side and at the top. I also tried using long narrow rectangles of the water coloured blocks to demarcate a new section and/or to end the article. All the pull-out's backgrounds are cropped to make a rectangle.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 189

In this article the images stand out better and are more enhanced with the use of a colored background. Therefore, I decided to use it on all the pages. Also, it is a short article so I could afford to do so. This article does not have any pull-outs so it was the only way to increase the use of the textures in this section.

The placement of the folios was not yet decided and I was still trying to figure out what would make the most sense.

190 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

In this review section I tried out various combinations and placements of water-coloured textures.

In this one I tried placing the textures as the background for alternate book review. The only thing that bothered me was if in other issues there were only say two book reviews, then I did not want it to seem like one was more important than the other.

Here I also made use of the grids the information about the book takes up four units or the width of two columns and makes a break and indicates where the nest book review starts from, with the help of the image of the book.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 191

FRONT MATTER

The cover is an exploration and the inside is a gate fold.

192 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

These thematic advertising pages. They are the front matter of the magazine.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 193

The explorations for the masthead and Editor's Note.

194 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

These are the explorations for the contents page. Here I wanted a full spread for the contents page. This is because I wanted to use bigger images and more textures in my explorations.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 195

COVER OPTIONS

These are some of the shortlisted options for the design of the cover.

196 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

CONCEPT 2 - FINAL GRIDS The second concept is set on a six column grid. This one is also constructed on the same principles as the first grid, but this layout follows a strict two column grid made up of three units each. This layout has wider margins and is more spaciously constructed. The grid in this concept do not vary much and are based on the same format.

This layout has wider margins and is more spaciously constructed.

All the sections beside the last two review sections are in 2 columns. The reviews are in a three column grid of two units each. The review section has a different tone to it. It becomes more casual and relaxed, just like in the previous concept.

The masthead and the contents pages are based on a slightly different grid. This is an eight column grid.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 197

Example of the 6 column grid.

6 column grid

0.25in or 6.36mm

14 pts

198 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

1in or 25.4mm

Example of the 8 column grid, used in the front matter.

1in or

8 column grid

44.45mm

1in or

1in or

25.4mm

25.4mm

0.75in or 19.5mm

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 199

Example of the 6 column grid, used the review section.

1.75in or 44.45mm

1in or 25.4mm

0.25in or 6.36mm

1in or 25.4mm

1in or 25.4mm

200 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

FINAL TYPE DECISIONS The titles are set in Kepler. Kepler is a classic modern workhorse type family created by Robert Slimbach and published by Adobe. Named after Johannes Kepler, the renowned German Renaissance astronomer, Kepler is a humanistic font family that was during a 6 year period of intensive design and has an enormous 168 typefaces, from compressed to black. With elegant and refined lines, based on oldstyle proportions and classic calligraphic details, Kepler delivers a much needed warmth and energy into every typographic endeavor. Astronomically beautiful!

The Renaissance astronomer Johannes Kepler tied his interests in optics and astronomy together and invented an improved version of the refracting telescope. It's fitting that the typeface that bears his name was designed with an eye to optical purity as well as design.

Traditionally, modern typefaces are known for their cool intellectual quality, but Slimbach’s Kepler captures the modern style in a humanistic manner.

It is elegant and refined with a hint of oldstyle proportion and calligraphic detailing that lends it warmth and energy.

WEIGHTS

Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.

Kepler Light

Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.

Kepler Ligh Italic

Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.

Kepler Regular

Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.

Kepler Italic

Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.

Kepler Medium

Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.

Kepler Medium Italic

Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.

Kepler Semi-bold

Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.

Kepler Semi-bold Italic

Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.

Kepler Bold

Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.

Kepler Bold Italic

Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.

Kepler Ultra

Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.

Kepler Ultra Italic

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 201

The tertiary typeface for this concept is Today Sans. It is a humanist sans-serif typeface designed

by Volker Küster in 1988 and published through Elsner+Flake. The italic takes on a flowing, calligraphic feel especially evident on the letters “k” and “p.” Today Sans is available in six weights — extralight, light, normal, medium, bold and ultrabold — each with matching italics and small caps styles.

WEIGHTS

Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.

Today Sans Light

Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.

Today Sans Light Italic

Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.

Today Sans Regular

Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.

Today Sans Italic

Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.

Today Sans Medium

Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.

Today Sans Medium Italic

Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.

Today Sans Bold

Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.

Today Sans Bold Italic

Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.

Today Sans Ultra

Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.

Today Sans Ultra Italic

202 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

CLIENT'S FEEDBACK The second concept had a more luke warm response from Radhika, but Naju the in-house graphic designer did seem to think it had scope for a lot of interesting things and textures in the future issues. They did not really like the way the water coloured backgrounds would be cut off at the top and bottom and they requested that I think of more alternatives for it. There were some changes that I also wanted to make to many of the water coloured textures I had used in this concept. Also, they were not too happy with the way the running heads seemed to hang on most of the pages on the top where they were not placed on the water coloured backgrounds.

Naju the in-house graphic designer did seem to think it had scope for a lot of interesting things and textures in the future issues.

Here we decided that I would work further on both the concepts and make the improvements that were suggested and then we would take it forward from there.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 203

CONCEPT 2-REFINEMENTS Concept 2 required a lot of changes. There were many colours and water-coloured textures that needed to be changed and reworked. The backgrounds for the pullouts needed to look more natural instead of being cropped and made into sharp edges. Some of the biggest changes that needed to happen were the way the opening pages looked. The sharply cropped backgrounds just were not working of us.

Also, the section tags or the running headers were not blending into the layout. These were some of the things that had to work out to create the final design. The problem areas have been highlighted in the images.

204 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 205

I tried various ways to resolve these issues. I tried to include the texture as a background into the running head itself and make it bleed out at the top of the page. I also made alternate textures for the pull-outs.

206 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

I created an extensive range of textures in various colours, with various inks and paints. This was also an attempt to resolve the issues with the section tags on the article's opening pages.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 207

This was finally how I solved all the issues. I decided to have tiny cut outs from some of the important images as anchors next to the page numbers. This would continue in the whole section.

Each section has one image cut out, as an anchor, on each page conner. This helps add to the artistic and quirky feel of the layout.

208 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

The textures for the pull-outs were recreated and made in various shapes and forms. We decided to create organic forms loosely based on a rectangular shape. I even made outlines such as these, but did not want to use more than one type in an issue.

I also decided to try to understate the textures towards the end of the magazine. It should only appear where it is able to add value to the layout and not just for the sake of it.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 209

210 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 211

212 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 213

214 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 215

216 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 217

218 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 219

220 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 221

222 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 223

224 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 225

226 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 227

228 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 229

CONCEPT 1 VS CONCEPT 2

230 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

At this point of time I had to assess the worth of both the concepts. Radhika wanted two options from me and she wanted my guide and I to recommend one option to her as the designer.

This was not an easy decision to make. I was extremely conflicted and saw the merit in the both concepts. I found it very difficult to make a choice.

I felt like I was being asked to choose between both my children.

I was extremely conflicted and saw the merit in the both concepts. I found it very difficult to make a choice. I felt like I was being asked to choose between both my children.

My guide and I had a lot of back and forth discussions and a few minor disagreements about which concept to recommend to Marg.

Initially my guide and I were leaning towards the first line and dot concept. We saw it as an interesting and yet subtle approach to the magazine. It was later after reanalyzing things and looking back at both concepts, we decided that the subtle use of the lines and dots across the entire magazine might be lost on the reader.

We then decided to go back to concept two and re-work certain aspects of the design since we thought it still had some scope to evolve and grow into something very interesting. It was when both the concepts were at par that we were finally able to come to a decision.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 231

CONCEPT 1 Concept one was created from the need to be different from what the magazine is currently.

It was my attempt to conform to the current trends, with a twist and compete with Marg's contemporaries, but still have its own identity. I think I was successful in doing so, in my own way.

Concept one is based on the use of graphic elements that try to create a different yet simple reading structure. This is most visible in the perspective section. At the same time concept one is a little complicated, even though it can be described as flexible. It follows a very strict set of rules. For example, in the perspective section the image captions are never placed inside of the line.

This is designed to look serious, structured, mature and intellectual. It has a subtlety to it that does not over power the context. It aims to be constantly changing, from article to article. Here the idea is that one article should not look like any other article from the same issue.

Also, this concept challenges the stereotypical ways in which publication design is approached, in the way the grid is used. This design also does not underestimate the ability of an observant reader and has the ability to put him/her out of his/her comfort zone and take notice of the design.

232 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

KEY WORDS Flexible Serious Structured Mature Constantly changing Different Subtle

CONCEPT 2 Concept two on the other hand was created for visual appeal. It was created to stand out among its contemporaries and assert its own identity.

As I have mentioned before, Marg is unlike any other magazine out there. It has its own voice, which is the voice of the arts. It stands apart from the rest as a tool or a platform of information.

Unlike other magazines it does not have an agenda and neither does it take a stance, it simply stands by the art. Therefore, concept two stands apart as an attempt to exhibit the art.

Concept two's philosophy is simple, add a visual texture. It adds a burst of colour to an otherwise formal magazine. This is done sparingly so as not to over power the content or to compromise the journalistic nature of the publication. Its understated tone is used so as not to overwhelm the reader's sensibilities. The textures and colour add a layer of youthfulness that was lacking in the earlier design.

KEY WORDS Simple Fresh Young Colourful Bold Textured Organic

The organic textures allow for small breaks from the otherwise academic approach of the magazine but they do not take away from the tone of the magazine. This approach is a careful combination of structure and colour.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 233

SIMILARITIES There are a few things in both concepts that are similar. The first being the typefaces choices. The body text in both the concepts is the same, Lora, an open source Google Font. I chose this typeface because it is a well crafted typeface and also because it is my way to say that knowledge is for the masses and should be within the reach of all who want to acquire it.

Some might say that the typefaces chosen for the titles in both concepts have a similar look and feel, this is also deliberate. Both Warnock and Kepler have a similar tone of voice and I think they represent the tone of Marg beautifully. I have not tried to give Marg a different voice in both concepts, it is only the visual approach that varies.

If one choses to compare the colour combinations chosen for each article there are also similarities there. This is because of the images in the article.

The colours are picked to enhance and flow harmoniously with the images and therefore, they are often similar, in both concepts.

234 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

THE RECOMMENDATION It was after a lot of deliberation and discussion that my guide and I finally came to the decision to recommend concept two. We decided to do this because we felt that it was the more radical choice.

It had the ability to leave a more lasting impression on the minds of the reader. It has the ability to even make the most ignorant reader take notice, without compromising the integrity of the magazine.

Concept one in comparison is too subtle and its design could also be adapted to be used in any other magazine. In comparison concept two is more unique in its approach. It would not really work for any other magazine. Where as concept two is designed to be one of a kind, something that would not work for any other magazine. Thus making it an absolutely clear choice.

Also, since Marg was looking for something new and fresh it made more sense to recommend the more colourful and youthful choice. This also makes the magazine more appealing to a younger audience.

There was also the question of production. Since the magazine is section bound, it is more difficult to print the line and dot concept. The lines run across the spread which requires far too much attention to be paid to the binding process. This becomes very difficult and makes the production process much longer. A final design should be as simple as possible and concept one is not simple.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 235

ANOTHER PART

236 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

ILLUSTRATIONS Marg is currently working on their Out Reach Program. Under this program, Marg is creating an on-line resource of the archive of invaluable information it has acquired and collected over the years.

Marh is planning to create an on-line educational platform of this information. This is targeted at teenage school-going children. This information may be provided to schools and other educational institutions, on an on-line platform. This information is in the form of modules, which are based on various subjects that are related to art, architecture, sculpture, performance arts, textiles, handicrafts, etc. that can be found on and around the Indian subcontinent.

Most of these modules are extremely text heavy and are interspersed with images. But there are areas which have scope for illustrating. I was asked to illustrate three such modules.

They included the Sanchi module, Kuchipudi module and the Wooden traditions of South India module.

I first had to read all the modules and to identify what could be illustrated. I was given a few recommendations as to what they would like illustrated and what styles they would like.

One of the main things I was asked to make was maps. This was because they were targeting a young international audience. That is why we had to be sure they understood the locations of the places they were studying. Also, since these were illustrations they wanted them to be as accurate as possible, with no scope for ambiguity or doubt.

This was one of the main reasons I chose to create most of the illustrations in vector format. I tried many other techniques, but Radhika and her team felt that the vector line illustration was the most accurate and appropriate, in most cases. There are also water colour illustrations and some hand drawn ones.

Beside the text, I also used books published by Marg and other sources such as the library at Chhatrapat카 Shivaji Mah훮r훮j Vastu Sagrah훮lay (CSMVS) museum, for referances. I also used images and videos from the Internet in some cases, and of course my imagination.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 237

SANCHI These illustrations are accompanied with parts of the text I was provided. They describe the illustrations.

Sanchi Bhopal

MADHYA PRADESH

The Map: Locating Sanchi geographically is necessary to understand the significance of the Great Stupa. ‘Sanchi’ is in fact the name of a hill, located 48 kilometers from the town of Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh (Dehejia, xvi-xvii). Sanchi had an important location of being 7 kilometers from Malwa’s ancient capital called Vidisha, which in turn was located on the confluence of the Betwa and Bes rivers. Since riverine trade was prevalent in ancient times, Vidisha became an important mercantile center. It linked the cities of Patliputra (modern Patna) in the east to the western coastal ports and the northern trade route from Shravasti.

238 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

Note: The maps reproduced here are sketch-maps only, and do not repersent accurate boundries and coastlines.

NEPAL

Kapilavastu

Mathura NEPAL

Lumbini

Shravasti

Lauriya Nandangar /Lauria Nandangarh

Kasinagar

UTTAR PRADESH BIHAR Sanchi

MADHYA PRADESH

UTTAR PRADESH

Kosambi

Kesariya Dona Stupa Vaishali

Sankasya Sarnath

Patna

BIHAR

Nalanda Vikramasila

Barabar Hill Gaya Bodh Gaya

Jethian Kurkihar

Praghodhi/Dhungeswara Moutian

MOUNTAIN

Note: The maps reproduced here are sketch-maps only, and do not repersent accurate boundries and coastlines.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 239

The stupa has a large hemispherical body called the and a through which the axial yasti or pole pierces the centre. A square superstructure in the form of a railing on top of the dome of the stupa, surrounding the yasti is known as the harmika. The vedikas or railings define a circumambulatory path or pradakshinapath around the stupa. Rather than being barriers, scholars have regarded them as directional entranceway, meant to invite devotees closer to the stupa in a mode of veneration.

240 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

3rd century BCE: Mauryan period – construction of the base of the Great Stupa measuring 18.25 metres, surrounded by a balustrade marking a circumambulatory path, a raised terrace, a harmika surmounting the dome, one or more umbrellas raised above the harmika, surrounded by a small fence.

Mid 2nd century BCE: Sunga period – base reconstruction of the Stupa expanded the structure to a 36.5 metres and 16.5 metres height. It was done by building a circular wall around it at an appropriate distance, and filling the intervening space with rubble. The addition of an elevated terrace with a surrounding stone balustrade was made, two stone staircases offering access for processions, a stone harmika enclosing a stone

relic box surmounted by a third stone balustrade and stone umbrellas were added. The Great Stupa was then faced with sandstone slabs cut from the Sanchi hillside.

Latter half of 1st century BCE – addition of four toranas and the four entrances to the lower processional path in the cardinal directions. The stone for the carvings came from Udaigiri hill, about 7 kilometres away.

7th century CE: rule of king Harshavardhana – a number of stupas, monasteries and temples were added to the Sanchi complex. Additional sculptures and Hindu structures were continuously added up till the 12th century. Thereafter, the hold of Buddhism weakened in India, and Sanchi fell to ruins.

5th century CE: Gupta period – appearance of four seated Buddha sculptures in stone at the four entranceways to the Great Stupa (Dehejia, xviii).

The phase of Buddhism before the 5th century did not have any icons of the Buddha himself, hence can be referred to as an ‘aniconic’ period.

The Gupta period saw new icons of Gautama Buddha that allowed for the site of Sanchi to remain relevant after changes in the religion.

Buddhism itself had transformed from Theravada to Mahayana, with the latter involving rituals of worshipping Buddha’s figure. The first stone temple in India, referred to as temple 17, was also made at Sanchi at this time.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 241

242 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

The Gupta Period (4th-6thc. CE) is known as the Golden Age in the history of India. This was so because of the flourishing economy and cultural practices, political expansion and stability, growth in the streams of science, mathematics and literature as well as the commissioning of art, sculpture and architecture in places such as Ajanta, Sarnath and Mathura. Buddhist sculptures during the Gupta Age evolved a distinct style that was inspired from Mathura, while temple building contributed to the spread and strengthening of Hinduism.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 243

Each cardinal direction had a gateway made of triple-architrave toranas, bearing narratives and scenes from the Buddha’s previous lives in the form of jataka stories. In their shape, the toranas imitated parchment scrolls or charanchitras that communicated written messages and illustrations in ancient times. You can see the rolled scroll like carvings at the ends of the three architraves or horizontal registers in each torana.

244 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 245

All four gateways carry an identical theme on their top architrave, a set of seven trees or trees alternating with stupas. These correspond to the seven earthly Buddhas, of which Gautama had been the seventh. While Gautama had sat under the asvatta or pipal tree to achieve enlightenment, the others respectively had their own trees: patali or bignonia tree for Vipassi, pundarika or white mango for Sikhi, shal or shorea for Vessabha, shirisha or acacia for Krakuchanda, udumbara or fig for Kanakamuni and nyagrodha or banyan for Kashyapa. Only this gateway bears with botanical precision, the seven types of trees corresponding to the seven Buddhas 246 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

Pipal Tree

Banyan Tree GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 247

Shirish Tree 248 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

Sal Tree

Patali Tree GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 249

Umbar Tree 250 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

White Mango Tree GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 251

KUCHIPUDI

LOCATION AND ORIGIN: In the Krishna District of Andhra Pradesh, about 18 miles from Machilipatnam (previously known as Masulipatnam), is a small village called Kuchipudi. Founded on the banks of the river Krishna, the art of Kuchipudi dance-drama thrived here. Inhabited by a largely Brahmin community, the families living there today have descended from the Kuchipudi artistes to whom the land was gifted centuries ago. The area around Kuchipudi is also of great historical and cultural significance.

During the 2nd century B.C., the Satavahana dynasty of kings established the capital of their empire only six miles away at Srikakulam.

252 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

Kuchipudi

ANDHRA PRADESH

Note: The maps reproduced here are sketch-maps only, and do not repersent accurate boundries and coastlines.

The ornaments worn by a Kuchipudi dancer are integral to a deeper understanding of the art form.

In Kuchipudi tradition, the braid ornament is one of the most important adornments of Satyabhama.

According to the stories, when Lord Vishnu took on the role of the celestial apsara Mohini, in order to distribute the amrita or nectar to the Devas and Asuras, he was wearing the braid ornament. But he had no use for it once he resumed his original role, and so Lord Vishnu incarnated as Krishna bestowed upon Satyabhama this gift.

The braid ornament itself is said to represent the universe. At the top left of the dancer’s head is a plate, one and a half inches in diameter, signifying the sun. To the right is another plate that resembles a crescent moon. In the centre of the head is a string of pearls connecting the ornament to the forehead. Over this is a mounted parrot symbolizing nature. The portion at the back shows the hood of a serpent representing supreme knowledge and is followed by twenty-seven pieces referring to the twenty-seven asterisms of Indian astronomy. It ends with three bunches which are the Tribhuvanas or Three Worlds. These are split up into three smaller bunches each, representing the nine planets. Kuchipudi artistes believe that Sathyabhama is the Jiva or soul to which the universe is connected.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 253

WOODEN TRADITIONS OF SOUTH INDIA

While wooden traditions exist in various parts of the country, it is especially prolific and developed in the south. The region referred to as south India includes the states of Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. This area is rich in natural resources with fertile soils and minerals and is well connected by sea for trade with other countries. There has thus been much mercantile activity accompanied by cultural exchange and migration in the region for several centuries. The fact that the Mughals did not invade south India led to the preservation of links with the past without any discernible break, as reflected in the continuous nature of the art and artefacts of the region.

254 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

The architecture of the chariots, is determined by the scriptures such as the vastushastras and the 16th or 17th century manuscript, Manasara. The latter classifies rathas on the basis of overall shape, which may be circular, semicircular, elliptical, rectangular, octagonal, hexagonal or oval, although some rathas may be a combination of more than one shape. The material used for building chariots is the hard and durable wood of the mahwa tree. In terms of structure, rathas are planned into square plots called padas that resemble the mandala like ground plan of temples. Vertically, the chariots rise to about three successive storeys that project outwards, creating an inverted pyramidal effect.

They have four side wheels, bolted crosswise and often strengthened with metal bars and rings, and two or more additional smaller wheels supporting the structure from underneath. Beams and steel bars support the superstructure above, but the entire wooden framework is concealed behind friezes of heavily carved panels, covering it like a curtain wall. The top storey of the chariot is horizontally closed with a heavy wooden deck, upon which are three receding pyramid-like square or octagonal platforms called the vedi. The vedi is left undecorated and is the actual platform on which the deities are placed. An outer pavilion conceals the vedi, and is a temporary element in the chariot, newly erected at every festive occasion.

This pavilion comprises a number of posts fixed vertically around the vedi, topped with a pyramid of bamboo rafters tied together with ropes. This is in turn capped by a pot like piece called the

kumbha, much like the top of a temple. The pavilion is further cloaked in colourful textiles, painted with sacred emblems and images.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 255

Elaborate sculptures appear on all four sides of the chariots, facing the four cardinal directions.

Figural, animal and vegetal motifs are related to the respective temple to which the chariot belongs, although their arrangement is not identical to the one found on the temple walls and towered gateways or go puras. While most figures appear in the three or more tiers along the middle of the chariot, there are crouching lions or elephants arranged along the corners in the form of brackets, interspersed with smaller brackets bearing maidens, horses and parrots between them. While there are three main tiers around the chariot, there may be several hundreds of panels on them, bearing singular or multiple themes from the divine world.

256 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

The temple is usually not a single body, but a conglomeration of several buildings in an enclosed compound. The main deity is housed in a square, rectangular, circular or elliptical shaped structure called the srikoil, and multiple srikoils may accommodate numerous deities within the same compound.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 257

258 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

A typical mansion in Chettinad followed a common set rules of building. The floor plan consisted of an outside verandah for guests with rooms at both ends for conducting business, an inner courtyard for ceremonies, followed by a series of small double rooms off the main courtyard ending in a smaller courtyard at the back for cooking. Burmese teak wood columns were made to support a sloping tiled roof above the verandah and courtyard, and these bore carved foliate designs at the top and the bottom.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 259

YET ANOTHER PART

260 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

MARKETING MATERIAL The marketing work I did for Marg during my time there was a series of mini projects. I was given a brief and had to make advertisements or single page leaflets and a press release or two.

It was here that I learned how to work under intense pressure and with deadlines looming over my head. In all the other projects I mostly worked alone. Here I had to work with a lot of people right from Shernaz, the Head of Marketing and Sales to Mary, the Assistant Manager to the editor, Savita and Gautam the Production in charge, and of course Radhika for approval. Naju, also helped very often. It was a team effort to even put out a single advertisement.

All the projects I did for them during my tenure, were mostly launched in the market immediately. I really enjoyed working with the team and learned a lot from my experience.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 261

EXCHANGE AD An exchange advertisement is when two or more magazines are in agreement to advertise in each other's magazines without either party paying. This is done among a small group of magazines mainly since they are circulated to similar audiences.

Therefore, both companies get to advertise and do not have to pay. This also helps maintain healthy competition among magazines that compete in similar markets.

The Brief

This was an exchange ad that would be featured in various magazines with whom Marg exchanged ads. I was told to create a one page ad in various sizes advertising the 20% discount on their newly released book, 'Books, Letterforms and Design in Asia'.

I spent most of my time trying to figure out how to make the 3D book mock-up. This was the final ad that was chosen and the explorations are on the opposite page. This was the first assignment I was given at Marg. I was still new to things and had a lot to learn about marketing.

262 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 263

PROPOSAL - BARODA Marg is a unique combination of a publishing house and an NGO, which requires financial support from its patrons and supporters of the arts to publish its books.

264 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

The Brief

This was a book on the city of Baroda and its changing position in a cosmopolitan province and its contribution to the arts. It is for this purpose

that Marg sends out proposals to interested parties asking for support to sponsor the publication.

This includes a brief write-up on the book, the contents of the book, its specifications and what the sponsorship entails.

AI- BARODA The Brief

An AI is the advance information about a book.

It is a leaflet sent out to book shops and other distributors of the book to get an estimate on the order of the book. It includes most of the information about the up coming release, such as some interesting images, a brief write-up about the book, the contents of the book and the author. This was the AI for the Baroda book.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 265

PRESS RELEASE - BARODA The Brief

The press release contains more detailed information about the book that is yet to be launched. It creates anticipation and demand for the book.

266 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

I was asked to make this one. It includes a writeup about the book, the cover of the book , the technical details, more images than seen in the AI or the proposal. It includes Th final contents page

after the book has been edited completely.

It further goes on to include one image from each chapter and a write-up about that specific chapter.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 267

ORDER FORM - SINDH The Brief

This was a one off offer on a book on Sindh being sold at an exhibition in London, by the author herself. She wanted an order form along with a brief and an image of the book.

268 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

CLOTH BAG The Brief

Marg sells their books in a white cloth bag, which was to be given for re-print and they wanted to include more information on it. Therefore, I was asked to tweak the already existing design. I was to add the "Magazines, Books , Films" line to it and the website. Since it was a one colour print job there were limited possibilities. One side had to use the English logo and the other side the Devanagari logo. I did make a few explorations for this.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 269

CSR SUBSCRIPTION FORM Marg has a CSR (Corporate social responsibility) program, where they publish books for libraries and schools under the Marg Art Education Initiative: Read a book Program. This is sponsored by various corporates under the companies' CSR program.

The Brief

I was asked to tweak an advertisement and add an order form to it, so it could be sent out along with the books they were sending to the libraries and schools. This was to encourage the recipient of the books to subscribe to the magazine also.

270 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

AI- IN PURSUIT OF THE PAST The Brief

Make an AI, advance information for the upcoming book In Pursuit of The Past: Collecting Old Art in Modern India circa 1900-1950. I was provided with certain information and images and asked to make the AI.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 271

EXCHANGE AD The Brief

Make an exchange advertisement for IQ, Art India, Hornbill, Save Us, Oriental Art and Art Science News. Advertising the upcoming issue of the Marg Magazine.

I was allowed to use either the cover mock-up or any image from inside the magazine. I tried doing a lot of things, but we eventually went ahead with an image from the Photo Essay Section of the magazine. I came up with the copy and the format, which later became like a template for advertising the magazine.

Final Ad 272 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

Explorations GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 273

AI-IN ANDAL'S GARDEN The Brief

Make an AI, advance information for the upcoming book In Andal's Garden Art, Ornament and Devotion. I was provided with certain information and images and asked to make the AI.

274 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

PROPOSAL- IN ANDAL'S GARDEN The Brief

Make a proposal for support for the book In Andal's Garden Art, Ornament and Devotion. I was provided with certain information and images and asked to make the AI.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 275

EXCHANGE AD The Brief

Make an exchange advertisement for IQ, Art India, Hornbill, Save Us, Oriental Art and Art Science News. Advertising the upcoming issue of the Marg Magazine.

I tried various layouts, but eventually all of us decided to go ahead with the same format that we had used in the earlier exchange ad.

276 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

ORDER FORMS The Brief

Make order forms for universities in Europe and UK. These books were specifically targeted at certain universities and their departments that would be interested in the book, they were being offered at special rates.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 277

CONCLUSION

278 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

MY REFLECTIONS & TAKE AWAYS My experience at Marg has been something I will remember and cherish for a long time to come. For a few years now I have wanted to design a magazine and it was a dream come true to see it come to light as my graduation project.

Technically this project might take some more time to see the light of day. But its is something that has allowed be to grow so much as a graphic designer and as a person.

Working at a place like Marg, under Radhika was an enriching experience, her attention to detail and her relentless demand for perfection is something that pushed me and motivated me to achieve more.

I learned so much from my experience at Marg, about how publication design works, about how every detail is important. I learned that putting a magazine or even a book out in the market is a task that involves the blood and sweat of a team of extremely dedicated people. It is a mammoth task!

It involves time and effort.

From all the work I did at Marg it was only the marketing jobs that had deadlines, another very important take away was the important of these deadlines. It was this pressure that motivated me to work hard and be as creative as possible, being able to be creative in retrospect is of no value.

ON DESIGNING A MAGAZINE It all begins with understanding the content and what the author is trying to say. Knowing your content is key. When designing a magazine the designer is required to have a deep understanding of the content, and how it can best be presented.

Reading is a visual process and it is up to the designer to compose article after article in the most cohesive way possible. Understanding the structure of the magazine helps you tell the story better.

You must also remember that a magazine is not always read at with complete involvement, eventhough I like to believe that Marg is the exception to the rule and the engaging text, always has the reader's full attention. That might not always be the case. This was the main reason to add pull-out quotes to the magazine. The earlier design had no hint of any pull-outs, which added to the feel of it being more bookish. It allows the reader to have an alternate entry point or a can highlight a point of interest, in some cases.

Each decision you make as a designer has to be well thought out and executable. The key element in a magazine is continuity and consistency, in though, language and design. The design must reflect all these things, it must successfully bring together the ethos of the publication.

I also learned how important it is to listen to your clients and understand their needs and what exactly they are looking for. The brief I was given was simple, but it was the other little details that held the key to understanding what the clients were looking for. It was hard to understand the unsaid things, it is almost as though it is a graphic designer's job to me able to read people's (client's) minds.

Another thing I had to work hard on was looking at the magazine as a whole, while trying to still maintain the visual diversity from article to article. While also keeping in mind that this is not a book and will not be read in a liner way.

The magazine must be stitched together as a whole, but an individual article must be equally impactful.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 279

GLOSSARY A

AI An AI Stands for Advanced Information announcing a new publication to book trade partners. The AI normally gives basic bibliographic details, key selling points, a blurb, cover image, brief author information and ordering/availability details.

Ancillary Ancillary he is the name of a section in the magazine is it means in addition to something else, but not as important. This is to distingwish it from the Lead story i.e the Perspectives and Profile sections.

B

Baseline The baseline the invisible grid. It is a technique used to better your the use of typography.

Essentially, it aligns all your text to a vertical grid where the bottom of each letter is positioned onto the grid, just like writing on lined paper.

Bleed Bleed is when any image or element on a page touches the edge of the page, extending beyond the trim edge, leaving no margin it is said to bleed. It may bleed or extend off one or more sides.

280 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

Body text Body text is the term for the text forming the main content of a book, magazine, web page or other printed matter. This is as a contrast to both the headings on each page, and also the pages of front matter that form the introduction to a book.

C

Colophon It is the statement at the end of a book, typically with a printer's emblem, giving information about its authorship and printing.

Cover line Cover lines are short statements found on the cover of the magazine that allude to or describe the articles inside. Their purpose is to entice the reader into picking up and/or buying the magazine.

CSR It is the voluntary activities undertaken by a company to operate in an economic, social and environmentally sustainable manner.

D

Design Audit It is an ​examination of the ​design of something, in this case a magazine, to ​check that it is ​effective and whether it could be ​improved.

Drop Cap A drop cap is a large capital letter at the beginning of a text block that has the depth of two or more lines of regular text. It is used to indicate the beginning of a phargraph.

F

Flat plan The flatplan is a page plan of a publication that shows how the articles and adverts are laid out.

Front matter Front matter, or preliminaries ("prelims", for short), is the first section of a book, and is usually the smallest section in terms of the number of pages.

Each page is counted, but no folio or page number is expressed, or printed, on either display pages or blank pages.

G

Gutter Space The inside margins or blank space between two facing pages is the gutter. The gutter space is that extra space allowance used to accommodate the binding in books and magazines. The amount of gutter needed varies depending on the binding method.

J

Justified text This is when the text is aligned along the left margin, and letter- and word-spacing is adjusted so that the text falls flush with both margins, also known as fully justified or full justification; centered—text is aligned to neither the left nor right margin; there is an even gap on each side of each line.

L

Leading The technical typesetting term for line spacing.

The term originated in the days of handtypesetting, when thin strips of lead were inserted into the forms to increase the vertical distance between lines of type.

Lorem Ipsum In publishing and graphic design, lorem ipsum, derived from Latin dolorem ipsum, translated as "pain itself". It is a filler text commonly used to demonstrate the graphic elements of a document or visual presentation.

M

Masthead In American usage, a publication's masthead is a printed list, published in a fixed position in each edition, of its owners, departments, officers and address details, which in British English usage is known as imprint.

Pull-out A pull-out or a pull quote is a key phrase, quotation, or excerpt that has been pulled from an article and used as a graphic element, serving to entice readers into the article or to highlight a key topic. It is typically placed in a larger or distinctive typeface and on the same page. The term is principally used in journalism and publishing.

R

N

Running Head More familiarly known as a header, a running headline is the repeating text that appears, usually at the top, of each page or every other page in a book, manual, or newsletter. Although customarily at the top of the page, running headlines can appear in the side margins or at the bottom of the page where they are known as footers. The running headline may be the book or publication title, chapter or section title, or it may alternate.

P

X

Name Plate In American usage, a publication's nameplate is a publication's designed title as it appears on the front page or cover. In the United Kingdom, it is known as masthead

Press Release A press release, news release, media release, press statement or video release is a written or recorded communication directed at members of the news media for the purpose of announcing something ostensibly newsworthy.

X-height In typography, the x-height or corpus size refers to the distance between the baseline and the mean line of lower-case letters in a typeface. Typically, this is the height of the letter x in the font (the source of the term), as well as the u, v, w, and z.

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 281

BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Laura Meseguer, TYPO Mag Typography in Magazines, 2011. Barcelona, Index Books Second Edition.

2. Gavin Ambrose and Paul Harris, Basics Design 07 GRIDS, 2012. Switzerland, AVA Publishing SA. 3. Gavin Ambrose and Paul Harris, the Layout Book, 2007. Switzerland, AVA Publishing SA. 4. Laurel Saville, 100 Habits of Successful Publication Designers: Insider Secrets foe Working Smart and Staying Creative, 2008. USA, Rockport Publishers 5.

282 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 283

COLOPHON This document has been designed and written by Noosheen Mehta under the guidance of Tarun Deep Girdher, at the National Institute of Design, Ahmadabad.

It was created using Adobe InDesign CS6.

Printed on 130Gsm Art Matte paper, by The typefaces used were Knockout, by Hoefler & Co. Warnock Pro by Robert Slimbach.

Futura by Paul Renner.

Frutiger by Adrian Frutiger.

284 | NOOSHEEN MEHTA | B. DES. | GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2015

GRADUATION PROJECT | MARG-PAVING THE WAY TO CHANGE | 285