Front Cover Design - Research

The Skinny:

These illustration pieces are featured in the most recent print of the Skinny. The illustrations are produced by Louise Lockhart who is an independent illustrator who has developed her own business, The Printed Peanut. Louise creates her designs by drawing, printing, cutting and using collage materials which are then applied to household products, books, toys and games. She also produces work on commission as well as for the fun of creating!

The colour in the illustration make it eye catching and fun. The layout of the street relates to the 'Venue' section of the handbook as well as adding a fun, visual element to the publication section. These visual factors are similar to that of the front cover design of the Skinny. Using bright colours in an illustrative form is a common technique used to attract a student audience. This is also something that I have picked up on from talking to a wide range of students. They are attracted to read a publication that uses bright and fun designs as it reflects their interests. 

The Independent Leeds, Little Black Book:

Although this illustration front cover design is in black and white, it reflects the quality and class of the Independent Leeds. The vector shapes that form the background to the front cover design range from a mix of buildings that are unique to Leeds as well as cocktails glasses and burgers. This illustrative piece reflects the content of the book therefore subtly informing the reader on first interaction with the book. As well as the front cover design, there is also an illustration on the context page. This is a more condensed view of the city, produced in freehand outline illustration style. 

Feast Magazine:

FEAST Magazine covers content on the forever changing culinary scene. The magazine informs the reader of the latest restaurants, cooking skills, gadgets and kitchen decor. As the magazine releases a new issue each month, the front cover designs are continuously changing, depending on the content. This is a common technique used by magazines to ensure a fresh interface each time an issue is released. Looking specifically at August 16's issue, the illustration design is eye catching and stands alone against the other issues which take on a more photographic cover. This demonstrates how producing something that has a different appearance to what else is out there is something that can play to an advantage of attracting the audience. Although the colours used in the illustration are all different tonal variations this creates a theme that is used throughout the magazine. 

Artful Living:

This front cover design for Artful Living was designed by Justina Blakeney, an L.A based designer, artist and blogger. The piece is described as being 'the perfect inspiration for the season ahead' (Artful Living, page25). The designs stands out due to the bright pop of colour that is created against the black background. Although the piece is a photograph, the art composition behind the design gives it an unusual element that stands out against other photograph front covers.