Spectrum (Magazine) Case Study
Spectrum is a magazine meant to craft a new outlook on the ways in which the queer community is looked at. It talks about aspects of queer life that isn’t normally promoted and erases all negative stereotypes about this community. I could talk about theory all day, but let’s move into how it was made.
A Queer Idea (Sketches)
The Logo
When trying to start this magazine, I know I wanted the feeling of high fashion and glam similar to Vogue. Using the Sans Serif font, Didot, to create a feeling that this is more than just a normal magazine, but has purpose and sense of place in the world. Breaking the word in half and pushing it together reinforces the ideas of breaking the stereotype and forming a new outlook
The Layout
I wanted the layout to be fun and invigorating with fun shapes and dynamics encompassing the background and text. With photography, I really wanted to be fashion forward to enhance the ideas of Vogue and making the stereotypes around the queer community more easily faced and talked about.
Font Families
Back to Basics
I wanted the energy of this magazine to be refreshed and renewed. So, I went back to the primary colors to enhance the ideas of relearning ang reenergizing within the magazine and exhibition.
Let’s Add Some Color
Spectrum Blue
# 00AFBA
RGB: 0, 175, 186
CMYK: 75%, 7%, 29%, 0%
Spectrum Red
# BA2025
RGB:186, 32, 37
CMYK: 18%, 100%, 100%, 10%
Spectrum Yellow
# E6C225
RGB: 230, 194, 37
CMYK: 11%, 20%, 98%, 0%
Midnight Green
# 0C353D
RGB: 12, 53, 61
CMYK: 91%, 61%, 57%, 53%
Rich Black
# 0D0D10
RGB: 13,13, 16
CMYK: 76%, 69%, 64%, 84%
Breaking Free Of The Square
I wanted to avoid harshed edged squares in order to eliminate the harsh lined box the queer community is put into. If a rectangle is used it has rounded edges to make it seem more friendly and accepting. Designing primarily in circles and triangles was also a good challenge.
Shapes & Patterns Are In This Season, Right?
Circles
Triangles
Zig Zag
Coming Face To Face With Queer
These massive 5 foot posters are hung tightly together in the exhibition in order to force the audience to see what queer actually looks like in the real world. The shapes and patterns around the figures help draw in the viewer’s eye and drawn directly to the model’s face for the confrontational moment.
Let’s Take It On Home
After all the theory and thoughts behind this project it is a project of love and labor to express the need for a modernization in how we view queer individuals. Within the articles I wanted to see the juxtaposition of male and female stereotypes, whether it be the male and female symbols with text or having the models standing in predetermined poses that create gender performance.
