Double-Page Spread Flat Plans

In my previous deconstructions I observed that the layout of a double-page spread is largely unique and very rarely has a conventional design. With my other flat plans I tended to adapt and expand on one design, but with this section I have done three completely different designs to shows the many ways that I can arrange my text and photographs. 

1) This is perhaps the most basic approach. It can be compared to that of a book, in the way that the text is on one page and the image on the opposite page. 

It separates the text and photo so that the reader has no issues finding where to start. Furthermore placing the image on the left page will be the first thing that a reader is drawn to, before they are put off by the quantity of text. 

Accompanying the image is a quote. The quote that is selected will be placed in bold and it's meaning will be controversial and unexpected in order to make the reader engage in the article. This is a common technique because the quote is taken out of context as a way of gripping the audience. Therefore once the reader is already enticed with the text they do not pay attention to how exaggerated the quote was made out to be. 

To offer some context to the image, a caption is placed in smallprint to give the reader additional knowledge.

Along the bottom I have added a website address. A common occurrence in magazines, this refers the audience to a digital medium as a way of introducing them to multimedia platforms. It emphasises the production scale of the industry as well as implies that there is more information to be found online. 

The discourse structure follows a columned layout, favourable because it  relates to newspapers, giving the text an expected level of formality. Primarily though, columns restrict the amount of text an audience has to read horizontally, and they feel more accomplished because the illusion is that they read quicker. 

Before the article, the headline and standfirst provide a gradual introduction that add impact in addition to some background knowledge on the artist. 

2) A big difference in this design is how the image bleeds across the double-page. The result is that is appears less generic and more vibrant due to the visual ratio in comparison to text. 

The headline is allocated in the foreground of the image, thus distinguishing itself from the text. This makes it more recognisable through its association with the celebrity in the image rather than simply acting as an introduction to the article. 

As the image spreads out across the double page the impression is that it is spacious, less cramped. The way in which the text only fills the lower third of the page makes it more appealing to the reader. This too is grouped into smaller columns to deceive the audience into thinking that it is concise. 

Since the headline is supporting the image and the quote, the standfirst replaces these features as the introduction to the article. Hopefully a vivid understanding of the celebrity will have already come from the visual connotations and the small bursts of bold text, so the standfirst can then delve straight into the context of the article without adding any more teasers. 

By placing the quote in front of the figure, the significance of its meaning is emphasised.

3) Segregation is the main theme with this approach. Once more the image bleeds across the page, and the conventional features like the page number, website reference and image captions are all present. But the distinction comes through the chaotic distribution of the individual sections. 

Whilst the text is still columned, it has been split into varying-sized boxes. In some ways this is better since it gives the reader short bursts on one topic, rather than compiling it all into one article. However the problem I see with this is the lack of completion. Splitting the information is beneficial in some aspects because it becomes more accessible, but it also undermines the audience. By simply giving them chunks of information rather than letting them find it for themselves within an article we are underestimating their abilities as readers. 

Not only this, but the distribution of text in the foreground draws too much focus away from the presence of the image.

Another variation I made was by adding another image. Of course it would need to relate to the feature on the double page spread, but it helps to enlighten the reader as to other aspects of a celebrity's career or personal life. The audience gets more satisfaction with another visual opportunity that may connote different themes and symbolism than that of the main image. 

The main reason that I am not so keen on the chaoticness of this layout is that the country genre is stereotypically simplistic and relaxed, so this design may be more applicable to a pop feature due to the energy and modernistic influence.