Hey guys! So, today's post will kind of be a blend of genre research and magazine conventions. I really want to focus on how to make a style guide and why it is so important. I've read a few things about style guides, thanks to my earlier research, but I've yet to go in-depth. However, I know that they are very crucial in the making of any magazine and especially in a magazine surrounded around fashion and visual appeal. And that is what my goal for today is. Let's get to it!
First off, what's a style guide? Well, a style guide is a set list of rules and outlines for the design of a creative project. The reason why many projects prioritize style guides is because they maintain a consistency throughout the design process and avoid errors in conventions. It's usually one of the first steps in the creative process of any design project, especially those with multiple members to avoid confusion.
Being that they are all about the design choices, they are heavily important and reflective of your project goals and morals. Meaning, they're more than just a color palette. So, what's in a style guide?
Name and Tagline:
Well, before someone can sit down and start deciding the design factors of a style guide, they must create a name and tagline. The name is rather self-explanatory, but a tagline? Not so much. A tagline is a short but memorable phrase that captures the general goal or "mission" of a project. Both are to help create an identity for the project and make it unique from other projects.
Typography:
Once you have your "identity" for your project, the next choice is to start considering the visuals for fonts. This means your primary font style and secondary font styles. After that, you have to consider the weight, size, and hierarchy.
(Brief explanation:)
- Primary Font
- headings, subheadings, and copy.
- Secondary Fonts
- captions and quotes.
- Weight
- whether the font will be bold or light.
- Hierarchy
- the general guideline for font selections or the order of how you want readers to view your text.
Color Palette:
The next choice is to start deciding a color palette. In this color palette you would need a primary plus secondary colors for text and backgrounds, accent colors for highlights and or callouts, and a guide explaining when each should be used properly.
Imagery Graphics:
Next, the photography choices like lighting, angles plus any image treatments like filters, borders and overlays must be decided.
Editorial Style:
Next, the writing style is decided. This refers to the tone, grammar and punctuation rules, and headline/subhead style.
Examples of Do's and Don'ts:
And lastly, though it's not always implemented, visual examples of what each should look like are demonstrated with each feature of a style guide. This helps to provide a correct or incorrect comparison to avoid errors.
Using this as an outline, I think I'll have a much easier time when it's time for me to start making my own style guide. But for now, that's all I got.
Thanks for reading, see ya next time! :)
Sources:
Vanity Fair Magazine Radiates Rich Culture And Flair | Poposy
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com/blog/creating-a-magazine-style-guide/
https://www.cattediting.com/resourcehub/styleguide
https://fliphtml5.com/templates/35361903/fashion-magazine-design-layout-template/
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