Taking into consideration the research I had done and the feedback I had received, I began applying these ideas into my design. I began with the front cover as I felt that it would be a good way to establish my editorial’s aesthetic. As I have previously mentioned, I wanted to focus my attention on creating interesting visuals for my design, therefore I spent a significant amount of time ensuring that I experimented with all the imagery possibilities.
From the start, I had decided that I wanted my visuals to consist of photography style images. I felt that using pictures of real people would connect better with my dissertation topic as I would be able to add a more personal feel to the editorial – which will allow readers to relate easier. I selected the image below from a website called ‘Pexels’. It displays a woman with a very thin physique grasping at her body. I believed that the use of this image on the front cover would be very effective as it subtly demonstrates the subject of eating disorders. This is very relevant within my dissertation, therefore this image would instantly convey this to readers.
I then took the original image and experimented with its appearance on Photoshop. I was eager to use effects such as the inverted and posterise filters. In my opinion, these filters add a harsh effect to the image and conveys the seriousness of the editorial’s topic. With my imagery, I ultimately aimed to achieve a distorted look. I did this to try and replicate how the public’s perception of their bodies have been distorted by the design industry.
Further experiments:
In the two images below, you can see that this is where I began to experiment by incorporating the text. I found this part of the process the most difficult as I wanted to keep the front cover minimalistic but still interesting. Due to the main image being so large, I found it tricky to add the text in an effective way. I noticed that using a small point size for the cover would be difficult as it did not stand out enough against the imagery. To combat this, I would need to enlarge the text, however I wasn’t happy with using bigger text as I find that it can make a design appear childish and often unprofessional. I knew moving forward that I would have to edit the main image further if I wanted to help the title appear more visible.
Holly Anderson's Design Journal 