Double page magazine spread

What do you think? the writing is of no consequence but it is my own
I didn't want to go too much into graphics but it's really not about me making loads of little bits of vectored crap or whatever technically, do you like it? also any ideas on anything like ways i can improve or just things you'd do differently i'm open to ll suggestion and don't hesitate to say you hate it.
http://xs116.xs.to/xs116/07265/magazine.jpg

I think below the text there is that bright area which is on the image i think perhaps i should remove it and so it stops the attraction to that area rather than the text. Anything else?

http://xs116.xs.to/xs116/07265/magazine2gkntgkjtrn.jpg
Edited spelling mistakes (hadn't slept when i wrote lulz) and added a larger quote to attract more attention to it. Thoughts?

(this is not shown to the actual size of the magazine, actual magazine is bigger)

The quote you added doesn't really stand out. To attract more attention to it, use a different coloured font or accent the quotations with a different colour. something to set it apart. As for the text, it's toooooooooo cramped. you have to space out the columns a bit more..

The graphics are great, as usual. No problem with that. Just work on the layout itself a bit.

what fade said, and I think the font size should be bigger. bit hard to read.

yeah i forgot to mention this spread will be alot bigger, size doesn't take effect with this because i made it smaller than what it will be printed thanks for the ideas with the font colour man i'll get on that and cheers for pointing out the columns i tried to make the gutter wider but for some reason indd wasn't having it.. i'll work on it though =D

you should use more of the image. Also, try to point out various prominent aspects of the text by quoting a portion of a quote, make room for it, and blow it up to about 4x the size of the normal text. This way you make it easier for someone who wants to scan the text and look at the important aspects rather than be forced to read the whole thing. Your layout of the text just seems extremely bland.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Solaris

you should use more of the image. Also, try to point out various prominent aspects of the text by quoting a portion of a quote, make room for it, and blow it up to about 4x the size of the normal text. This way you make it easier for someone who wants to scan the text and look at the important aspects rather than be forced to read the whole thing. Your layout of the text just seems extremely bland.

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Good point i'm glad you mentioned because i was experimenting with the columns being in zig zagged positions across the page and with the image i wanted to grab the attention of the read by having it overbearing on them almost like it's looking right at them as it is. The problem being that it's hard to find space to position the text where it doesn't disrupt the image though since you mentioned this i would would the text to follow the line of the combine robot into a curve around it i'm going to try that now.

lemme make an example for ya to show you what i mean

http://xs216.xs.to/xs216/07265/magazinepage2.jpg

Like this maybe? (ignore the black line and the gradiant i can remove them)

Is this an advertisement or an article. If it's an article it's great, but if it's an ad there is WAY too much text.

haha god no not an advertisement, i know that with advertisements it's maybe 1.. 2 words max XD haha

but seriously it's an article because i have so much to write about (and it'd get me extra marks) i'm thinking of continuing the article and making it a one time magazine possibly dedicated to just half life 2 or a full pdf magazine which would go nice in my portfolio.

I guess you could call it a splash but the idea was that you'd be drawn into reading by the huge picture and then continue onto the next page so if i do proceed to make the next page i'll cut off most of the text here and distribute it throughout with an added few paragraphs (initially leaving only the text under the half life 2 logo) the text can be placed anywhere which is becoming a problem because it's difficult to decide on where to put it as the ideas i'm getting from your input are all so good.

if you want to take a professional approach to it, you could try it like this.
http://solarisdesigns.net/images/examplemaglay.jpg



You just gotta figure out whats more important, the content, or the image. IMO the conformed text seems a little cheesy, but its your article so your decision.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Solaris

if you want to take a professional approach to it, you could try it like this.
IMAGE

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Yeah, good idea man. I'm going to cut down the text a little and add all those little ideas and with the remaining text make another page to get more marks haha cheers =D

and ftw, tahoma sizes 11 and 30 at no antialias


edited mine, tried to pretty it up a bit to give you some ideas for creativity. I thought it would be cool to try and dress the elements using colors from the image to match (via eyedrop). Also spiffed up the quotes. eh? what about grid foreground patterns =D

http://xs116.xs.to/xs116/07265/magazineFINALFINALLY.jpg

I think i'm happy with this as a final piece what do you all think? Thanks for the already amazing ideas.

check out my update see if theres anythin ya like


additions:


* Used glow from "eye" as color and glow for divider
* Used dark color scheme from robot to color boxes and background
* highlighted quote text to match text in banner
* added banner (obviously) tried to center the text, miraculously saving an "eye" for focal points sake
* added a grid pattern to the background of the box (for tech flavor?)
* text formatting (centered quotes, indentation, etc)


And also try to put the quote boxes somewhere close to the actual quote, for quick finding. Makes no sense having the quote on the other side opposite the box quoting it.

Yeah, I like the update, there deady. It looks a lot neater and more professional.

well i actually read up on a few magazines and the quotes weren't too close to the actual paragraph where it is written, but if you look the quote works well into the context as the second mentions how many games there will be after i listed them. and the first is in a place where it's describing a few of the games and to be honest i thought it looked nice there.. and let's face it magazines are mainly about aesthetics rather than logic the reading age of so many publications such as these are young and so the writing standard isn't that high and where they're being so spread out i think it balances out the pages being that it's a double page (sorry i'm going to like copy all what i've said in these posts and include them in my self evaluation so i'm sorry i sound a little invasive on your ideas i'm not hahaha they're actually good points :)) also yeah your glow and everything i figured that taking it from the image is a nice idea. the only problem is i used a gradiant to merge into the image without having it blocky because being double page again it creates more of an open feeling and with yours if you see it's blocks so the line is a great way to divide having colour and such but then with the colour merges it into the image, i just used a different way is all but they both work good =D i will change the colour of the boxes though to match the robot and i didn't want to align the quote to the middle i don't know i like it left aligned

well im just here to help, im not taking anything in an "invasive" sort of way. Embellish what you may. Just remember to indent, etc.

btw, glad i could offer some help ;)

haha glad to recieve it, also gave me more to include in my written work could say i had it reviewed by others to gain further knowledge of what my selected audience would like to see so i get more points =D hahahaha cheers also yeah i saw you indented i was like CRAP! where's my tab button! XD!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by deadloader

http://xs216.xs.to/xs216/07265/magazinepage2.jpg

Like this maybe? (ignore the black line and the gradiant i can remove them)

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i cant read theat part over blue. the original was ok just needed more ork on the ext so it didnt seem just "paste" over the pic/