Proficiency in InDesign and Example of Best Design

This has been one of my favorite projects this semester, but it didn't start out that way. I had a really hard time at the thumbnail stage for this project. I think mostly because I had four pages to think about.  But it also could have been just a bad week for me... who knows. In the end I feel like I was able to pull off a successful layout. 

I am using this project to show proficiency in InDesign for the semester. Everything is technically correct  - all photos and graphics are .eps from photoshop or illustrator and have links. Resolution is set at 300ppi and color mode is CMYK for printing.  This is also my example of best design as far as structure, hierarchy, and the use of design elements and principles. I used a three column grid throughout the layout and kept a consistent color palette. the silhouette of Mickey's head on the cover compliments the six classic Disney character silhouettes found on the interior next to all the information that is Disney related in Marceline. The back outside cover, then, contains all the non-Disney related information. I enjoyed dividing up the text and organizing it the way I wanted to and I actually found copyfitting really helpful. It made the production step go so quickly and smoothly. 

I did have a problem printing this time around. I didn't center the layout in the middle of the page before converting it to a .pdf, so about 1/4 of an inch on the left side of the layout didn't print. So I reprinted and everything is fine! And the only thing that I have chosen to redo on this project was the cover. I never really liked it that much to begin with, but wasn't sure what else to do with it. It just wasn't cohesive; every element was seperate from the others. So I mad the title larger - much larger so that it overlapped Mickey's ear and even overlapped each other. Because of this, I included a blue stroke to the text to make it stand out from the ear and the other overlapping text and I think a sense of depth was created making it more interesting overall. I also added a blue horizontal band across the top to set off the headline "Marceline" and hightlight "Walt Disney's Hometown". By changing these two things, I think the cover is more unified and cohesive. I just wish I would have thought of it sooner.