Marketing Graphics: Adobe InDesign Magazine Design Report

This report details the creation of a surfing magazine using Adobe InDesign, focusing on the application of design principles to effectively market surfing and Hawaii as a destination. The report analyzes the use of images, typography, and layout elements, such as grids, hierarchy, and symmetry, to create a visually appealing and informative magazine. It discusses how contrasting colors, strategic image placement, and the use of both text and illustrative images contribute to the magazine's ability to capture attention, convey specific messages, and engage readers. The report references design software, like Adobe InDesign, and design principles. The overall goal is to showcase how design elements can be used to create a magazine that is both entertaining and informative, ultimately achieving its marketing objectives.

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Marketing Graphics: Surfing in Hawaii
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Magazines convey information and in some cases, is a form of entertainment; this requires
that magazines are designed in a way that makes them entertaining as well as educational/
informative. Using illustrations, magazines can be made to be unique with graphics used to make
the content design-forward. Designing magazines requires the use of specialized software to create
the content and design it with the outcomes discussed in the previous sentences in mind. One useful
software for designing magazines is Adobe; specifically Adobe InDesign, a desktop publishing
software useful for such tasks as creating fliers, magazines, brochures, and newspapers. This report
is about the creation of a surfing magazine using Adobe InDesign. The magazine is created with
basic principles of design incorporated, and this report discusses the creation of the magazine and
why the design elements were incorporated as they have been done in the magazine
Designing is a complex and intricate that is also exciting, with a lot of aspects to consider
and do, and this magazine design was no exception. On the back cover, a huge image covering the
whole page is used and it creates the background and backdrop for the entire magazine. The image
used is that of a giant surfing wave to create a surfing background. The background image is scaled
to cover the entire page in order to draw attention of the reader. Assuming someone was interested
in surfing, seeing the huge background image of a perfect surfing wave would definitely interest
them; the scale of the image creates emphasis in a dramatic way. On top of the cover page, the name
of the magazine is printed in contrasting colors that help draw attention and make it easy and legible
to read. The contrasting colors used create interest and add to the impact of the front page. In the
following page, the text and font are used together with an image of Oahu, Hawaii. The image is
used to immediately draw the users’ attention to the information being passed, which is about
hidden surfing gems in Hawaii and the image used gives an idyllic feel of relaxation. The text and
image in the cover page are well spaced out and balanced through the use of symmetry; it is used by
balancing the text and content on the entire page axes (vertical and horizontal) (Graver& Jura,
2012).
The magazine extols people on the virtues and benefits of surfing and invites people to visit
Oahu this summer to enjoy surfing and its benefits. A single hierarchical grid is used in the next
page in order to align the elements; starting with an impact title, followed by text in two column
grids, and the image at the bottom. Using hierarchy helps with navigation and helps signal the
importance of elements; this was achieved through the use of line, scale, and images (color). The
text is is black impact font with a white background to create contrast for ease of reading. The way
the content is designed, the image attracts the reader as does the title, and then these draw in the
reader further to read the context in the middle of the page. Elements of composition, grids, balance,
and hierarchy are again used in subsequent pages. To avoid monotony and predictability, some

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pages employ the element of randomness (Williams, 2015), where images are used more than text,
with some pages being completely made up of images.
The images are used judiciously; for instance, on the page on learning how to surf, the first
image shows two people to create the impression of a person learning from another while the next
image shows a child surfing, to create the impression that it is something as easy to do as child’s
play. The benefits of surfing are communicated using text, with illustrative images of a human body
and showing the areas of the body that surfing benefits are used. As oft stated, a picture is worth a
thousand words; the use of images conveys specific messages, helps draw the readers’ attention, and
makes the magazine visually and aesthetically appealing to a reader. To encourage others to go for
the next summer’s surf fest, images from the past are used to show how exciting it was with images
of persons that appear to be relaxed and having the moment of their lives. The composition element
is also used with images used to create hierarchy, scale, and symmetry, while adding elements of
color in a way that makes the magazine very visually appealing as well as educative. Using those
elements of design in Adobe InDesign, the magazine manages t entertain, excite, and communicate
effectively, achieving the intended function of marketing surfing and Hawaii as the destination

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References
Graver, A., & Jura, B. (2012). Best practices for graphic designers: Grids and page layouts : an
essential guide for understanding & applying page design principles. Beverly, MA :
Rockport Publishers
Williams, R. (2015). The non-designers design book: Design and typographic principles for the
visual novice. Berkeley, Calif: Peachpit Press.