Compact Magazine was a project I worked on for a Page Layout class. The objective was to create a magazine (12 pages total) on any topic using various text layout elements like byline, header, sub-header, page number, caption, etc.
Compact is a magazine about making small living comfortable. As more and more people struggle to buy a house, it becomes important to challenge the limited amount of space they have to make it not only livable, but also cozy. To challenge the available space is the core idea of Compact’s design.
Instead of flat shapes, I use isometric perspective to give a page more depth, so the space seems larger than it actually is. Some titles, quotes, and images are being written on the shapes imitating decorations on a wall.
The main color is soft and friendly which serves the tone I wanted the magazine to have. The color is not hard on the viewers’ eyes which allowed me to use it more often for shapes and text as well. On the other side, neon green serves more as an accent color making the visuals look bolder, more modern and fun. It is harder on the eyes that’s why I limited its usage to smaller details (except for the last spread, but there it helps to separate the section from the rest of the content).
The first cover of the magazine shows small bonsai between two large trees to illustrate the magazine's name.
Text for this project was taken from the sources as follows:
Pages 10-11: Information about the furniture was taken from the catalog on resourcefurniture.com
Pages 6-9: Upper West Side Studio on www.nevertoosmall.com
Page 5: Small Living with Brad Swartz on www.nevertoosmall.com
Page 4: Reimagining Small Space Living on www.nevertoosmall.com
MUJI Collaborated with Design Students To Make Dorms and Small Spaces More Livable on www.apartmenttherapy.com
The Best (and Worst) Places for Singles to Rent Studios on www.nytimes.com
Pages 6-9: Upper West Side Studio on www.nevertoosmall.com
Page 5: Small Living with Brad Swartz on www.nevertoosmall.com
Page 4: Reimagining Small Space Living on www.nevertoosmall.com
MUJI Collaborated with Design Students To Make Dorms and Small Spaces More Livable on www.apartmenttherapy.com
The Best (and Worst) Places for Singles to Rent Studios on www.nytimes.com
Part of the project was to create a webpage for the main feature (p. 6-9) utilizing Readymag. The goal was to make it look like the magazine's website applying some elements of its branding (based off the printed version), but also to take advantage of the digital world by using various features it offers, like animation and unlimited space. Check out Compact's page here.
