It's Jonny

*I do not own this image*

Jonathan Fraterman
Rober Jones
Hostory of GRA

Dynamic Graphics Magazine

Critique: Pros and Cons

Many professions rely on varied resources to stay competitive, but none as much as Graphic Designers. With ever-changing styles, techniques and generations, the graphic designer needs the most current and up-to-date resources available. I reviewed the Dynamic Graphics Magazine, volume 13, Number 6 from Dec./Jan. 2009. I have to say that this would definitely be a magazine I would subscribe to. I found the context both informative and visually appealing. The cover was colorful, yet when you examined it further you realize that there was minimal color used. The primary purple color was used top, middle and bottom, causing the eye to scan the entire cover for information.
I was drawn to this volume because the bold black font advertised “21 Really Good Logos”. The article was from Cassie Hart and made very simple points that I found both relative to my studies and informative. There was familiarity to the logos she used, like FedEx, and the graphics were eye-catching, drawing the reader directly to the logo. The contents was simply written which made it more useful and memorable. Though it seemed common-sense her remarks stayed with me. She instructed that the logo should be memorable and should evoke an emotional response. Using the familiar logos helped to make this point. There was very pointed description to the logos and gave “hints” about spacing and font size. The article instructed that the logo should be reproducible in various scale, something I admit I may not have taken into consideration, and that the colors be kept to a minimum. There was discussion about the negative space in the FedEx logo, something that might surprise those that did not know about the “arrow” there, and serves as a reminder of the uniqueness of the logo. Looking at the examples given, and knowing how memorable they have been just served to prove her point.
The magazine offered many good feature articles, columns and departments, though there was a very boring “In House Diaries” article. In this segment the author went into painful detail about re-energizing while doing nothing. He had broken his foot and chronicled his recuperative adventures. Though I believe that negative time, like negative space, does serve a purpose, I think this particular author could have used the article to share in his creative process. Instead he bored the reader with tedious rants with no productivity. This was not a very creative piece and I felt the space could have been better used.
Under the department of “Business of Design” there was a very informative piece on the “7 Financial Mistakes Designers Make”, by Daniel Schultzsmith. I found this article to be of particular interest because of the timely importance of the material. As an emerging designer I would certainly make some of these common mistakes had I not read the article. Not only did the author highlight common mistakes but he also provided solutions to these problems and gave supplemental resources for follow-up investigation. This I found to be particularly helpful. Many writers will highlight problems, but offer nothing in the way of solutions. I was actually surprised that issues were addressed and explained in plain and simple language.
The final section that caught my eye was the “Re-Design Winners”. This was a contest held by the magazine that highlighted the winners and their work. To see the winners and their work offered an inside look at a wide variety of avenues a graphic designer might take. The one that was of particular interest to me was from Daab Creative and dealt with the re-design of book covers. The article showed both the classic cover and the updated version, which gave a good side-by-side view and highlighted the subtle differences. The visual of both covers reinforced the prior article of Cassie Hart, regarding Logos, and drew attention to the changes made to appeal to a more contemporary audience.
Along with great graphics, the magazine offers informative advertising, giving information on marketplaces, continuing education classes and events that would be of interest to both the novice and experienced designer. The price of $7.95 makes it an affordable resource for everyone and a very user-friendly magazine. I did not feel intimidated viewing the magazine and could definitely see keeping the volumes to serve as a quick reference for informative articles.
Throughout the magazine I found an easy flow, with both the written word and the graphics. The articles were well written and well researched. Solutions and resources were provided at every turn and the advertising seemed to complement the entire magazine. The integrity of the publication seemed to be of a very high standard and this, like a well designed logo, gives you a positive emotional response. From the graphically pleasing cover, through the well written articles and to the end pages of resources the reader is taken on a well orchestrated journey for the senses.