Assignment 1: Exercise 2

Brief: Research the content and style of one of the following local design magazines. Provide a link and refer to visual examples. Comment on layout, type, content, style, genre, niche/market.

• A Look Away
• One Small Seed (click through to the website)
• Enjin
• Design Indaba

See the 25th issue of One Small Seed titled 'The Bigger Picture' here.

The layout of the magazine is very creative and different to what one would usually expect to see in a magazine. They have strayed away from the normal flush left layout most magazines have and this makes the magazine visually intriguing and interesting to look at and read. It is interesting how every single page layout differs from the next, even when it is the same article on the following page, but by repeating a colour or typeface throughout an article it still creates unity in the design. Me being a lover of different typefaces, I enjoy seeing all the different typefaces used throughout the magazine (headers and subheadings) and that they do not fall to the mainstream way of using one set typeface for their headers throughout the entire magazine which makes it extremely boring for the viewer in my opinion. 

In terms of content, One Small Seed is a pop culture magazine which means the content could be about anything interesting that is happening in the entertainment, fashion and art/design/photography industry. As a graphic design student, pop culture magazines are what I read most so to me it's great to see something that isn't only interesting to read but to look at as well and this is what One Small Seed does. 

When it comes to style, One Small Seed has it's own style that reflects South African design and popular culture very well. It shows how advanced South African design has become and also the unique creativity that we have here. It shows that in a society where everything has become so much the same, one can still create a different and unique look. The style of the magazine is a little alternative and for a wide but specific market - I would say the younger generations, say for ages between 18 and 35, maybe only 30, and also then for people in the journalism or art and design fields of work. 

All in all One Small Seed is a great magazine that reflects the skill level of South African design, photography and journalism while generating interesting articles to read and intriguing layout for the viewer.