Hi friends!
In my Layout 2 course, I am creating a magazine cover for my 2nd-year project that will be showcased at our portfolio show at the end of the year. As I was creating the cover, I was using an image of a person whom I had interviewed for my featured article. I wanted to use the whole image to show off her cool outfit and the funky background, but something just felt off about the balance of the page.
When I approached my instructor to get his feedback, he asked me why I needed to keep her whole body in the frame. I told him that it was so that the reader could get the full picture of what they were going to read about (her interview and personality, the space that she works in, etc.). Although he understood what my intentions were, he suggested that I take a look at my proportions on the cover. Particularly, the size comparison of my subject and my headline. I would have guessed that my headline was larger, and that my subject was smaller. I was wrong.
My instructor had me add a rectangle to my design and place it over my headline. Then, he had me copy that same rectangle and place it over my subject. To my surprise, they were almost exactly the same size. As a visual learner, that trick was so important to me because it made the proportions click. I will definitely be using this trick in other projects and designs!
P.S. Thanks Tony!