Editorial design is a part of Graphic Design. A lot of considerations must be made when designing for an editorial such as layout, typography, graphics and illustrations. Good editorial design is cohesive. You can tell a lot by the front cover of a book and this goes to show with editorial design too. The main aim for editorial design is the make the publication look attractive to its audience and draw them in.
Editorial Design History
It is a very old art form dating back to more than 5,000 years when humans started to create, and design written texts. This was ever since the development of cuneiform script in Mesopotamia around 3200 BC. In ancient Egypt, the Egyptians used sharpened reeds or feathers to write on papyrus. This made us one step closer to creating books as we know them today. The famous Gutenberg Bible was printed using the first mechanical printing press.
Wyndham Lewis was an artist and writer who was active in Paris and London who made the first foray into editorial design. He was the co-creator of the avant-garde journal Blast. The art director of Vogue, Vanity Fair and House & Garden magazines in. the 1930’s, Mehemed Fehmy Agha. He used sans serif typefaces and photography, as well as illustrations.
Tips for Editorial Design
You must have a unique style when designing for an editorial. It has a voice when writing a book or magazine as a brand. A publication should consider the audience and use a consistent colour palette and typeface(s). The colours should be carefully considered as this evokes emotions for the viewer. The designer could even consider illustrations to add depth to the publication. Furthermore, an important rule to remember when designing for editorials is the Rule of Thirds, many classic graphic design principles such as the colour theory apply to editorial design. The Rule of Thirds is also considered. A designer should have a grid on the page diving space into thirds both horizontally and vertically. This helps you know where to place elements on the page. The elements can be positioned on the lines to create a pleasing and well-balanced composition. Lastly, typography should be considered well and fit into the brief accordingly. It is the key to a good ‘design eye’.
