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Sk8 History of Culture | Magazine Series
Book Layout+ Typography+ Infographic =History Sk8 History Magazine Context: SDSU » ART 442 Typography 3 Class » Instructor: Susan Merritt » Spring 2017
TYPOGRAPHY COLOR&TYPE SOME CONTEXT I laid out and designed a magazine called Sk8. Skateboarding has been an important part of my life. I did not own a car until my 4th year in college, so I would skate to class every day. I lived about 3 miles away from school, and the buses aren’t anything like SF, so this was my only option. Essentially skating got me through college. I owe my board a lot. Sk8, the magazine features a decade oriented, chronologically ordered history on skateboard manufacturing and culture. Each decade spread is accompanied by a system, which begins with a color and typeface, which through research, I felt represented the decade appropriately. Typography: As previously mentioned, I needed a face for each decade. I carefully picked font faces based on form and aesthetic. For example, the 1960s was a smooth, very wavy and peaceful time, and I felt no other typeface matched this aesthetic better than the rounded, loopy, and playful Alba Matter. For book layout purposes, once again, I used the Futura, because it is a perfect typeface for creating headers and callouts, which perfectly echoes the magazine layout feel I intended for. It has all of the obliques, condensed and bolds that I need to draw your eye in and read with good expression. For patent spreads, I used the serif font Times New Roman, to contrast the previously used San Serif font Futura, to further echo the level of seriousness I intended. Colors: As mentioned before, I wanted each decade to have its own color. I did some research and checked out some color theory and history databases and found that, for example, 1950s baby blue represents the decade well because it harks back on the age of baby boomers. 1980s retro green reminds people of the disco floor and the bright neon lights of the decade. And so on.
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Sk8 History of Culture | Magazine Series
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
Patent Drawings Each decade spread is accompanied by a corresponding patent drawing, with description of prior deficiencies, new innovation, and a representative model drawing. These patent drawings are provided by the United States Patents Office. I use these drawings to further elaborate on the innovations and changes to skate technology, decade by decade. Not only are these drawings informative, but the white, linework-focused documents add a level of seriousness to the playful magazine, and also serve as a nice break from the very densely packed and colorful decade spreads.
...and an innovation to match�
TYPOGRAPHY TYPE SPECIMENS
INFOGRAPHICS PROCESS
Breaking it Down As I looked into the evolution of skate design, I realized that there were many layers of innovation, each building upon the last. I wanted to implement this same idea into the illustrations itself. Each skateboard is built through this multi-layering process, which I felt helps with the overall consistency of the different designs. Having an element like this which contributes to the cohesion of graphics are especially important for infographics which display structural changes. Since the materials are vastly different (i.e. wood vs metal), this layering process is what helps make these skateboard infographics look like a single set.
Layering Process
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Sk8 History of Culture | Magazine Series
Creating a System
1970
+ Patent Drawing/Innovation
+ Logotype Specimen
+
Decade Typeface/Icon
+ Isolated Image
.25 inch bleeds
Innovation Infographic
12 in.
System: Begins with a patent drawing and icon to represent the innovation of that era, a unique font face, an infographic to further specify the new changes in skateboard manufacturing, an isolated image, and a
1970
logotype from one of various skateboarding companies (Champion, Converse, Bennett, Thrasher and Santa Cruz), that is utilized as a type specimen model.
3 Column
FPO .375 in. Gutter
6 in. .5 inch margins
BOOK LAYOUT PROCESS
BOOK LAYOUT SPREADS
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Sk8 History of Culture | Magazine Series
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Sk8 History of Culture | Magazine Series
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Sk8 History of Culture | Magazine Series
1976 culture