ETHOS MAGAZINE

culture Food food culture InDesign Korea magazine norway publication publication design South Korea

ETHOS

28-PAGE MAGAZINE & BRAND IDENTITY

Ethos magazine is a modern twist on the classic travel food magazine that highlights various cultures and locations around the world. It seeks to inspire its readers to learn more about the uniqueness of each place it showcases, with each feature spread including a new spot to discover. The atmosphere of this magazine should feel quirky and welcoming with a knowledgable and informative edge. Each spread should feel organic and artsy to bring excitement to the information given. Ethos aims to bring a sense of comfort to its audience, and make them feel at home- wherever that is.

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In order to create a magazine that could stand out against its competitors, Ethos utilizes a unique colour palette that is harmonious with the organic nature of the illustrations. Additionally, by including an illustrative element to the spreads, it breaks down the information in an exciting way that is otherwise lacking in other travel food publications that focus heavily on photography. Finally, these elements in conjunction with each other allow the magazine to create a tone that is welcoming, informative and lively.

Kylie Marchitello ● Multidisciplinary Designer

MIND MAPPING

CREATING THE NAME

When approaching this magazine, I knew I wanted to create a unique name that was easily digestible. I wanted one word that could fully encapsulate both food and culture together as a harmonious subject. When thinking of different words to use, I thought of it both literally and figuratively. In the end, I had more success with the figurative route, as I was able to come up with Ethos which, essentially, is the spirit of a culture.

MOODBOARD

DECIDING ON THE ROUTE

When deciding which direction to take this magazine, I knew I wanted to create eye-catching spreads that made the information easier to digest. In order to do this, I wanted to incorporate bold colours as well as interesting layouts of the illustrative and photographic elements. I wanted to include both, because being a food magazine competing with similar publications, you want to ensure your audience is getting the full picture. Additionally, I wanted the art style to be slightly quirky, with a sketchy line style and fun patterning which will aid in the visual interest of the spreads.

COMPETITORS

A LOOK AT SIMILAR PUBLICATIONS

Competing publications in the culture magazine space are different in that they heavily focus on other aspects of culture, such as the people and traditions of the locations that are explored. I wanted my magazine to be different in that it focuses mainly on the origins of the foods as well as the rich history behind it. Additionally, competing magazines such as the ones shown below have a different style to them, utilizing photography over illustrations, and relatively tame colour palettes. Opportunities from these examples are the great logo use, including a strong branded name and placement on the cover. Additionally, metaphorical collage-style layouts such as The Gourmand's cover is a great way to add interest while combining styles.

LOGO

BRANDING THE MAGAZINE

Taking what I learned from competing magazines, I envisioned Ethos to be a bold statement piece on the front of the cover. In order to achieve this, I made sure to pick a weighted font that could stand out against the chaos of the illustrations, but would also look minimalist if needed- which led me to a bold serif typeface. I tried various lockups with the logo, but ultimately landed on a simplistic rendition that included a tagline below it reading "A Taste of Culture" alluding to the fact that it is both a food and culture magazine.

COLOUR PALETTE

SELECTING THE SWATCHES

While my main aim for this magazine was to create something full of character, I also wanted to keep true to an organic feel that would feel as though this could be seen at a farmers market. In order to achieve this, I selected various bold colours that could represent a multitude of illustrations that I did and made them less saturated and more earthy. For example, I opted for a salmon instead of a bright pink, and I chose a mustard yellow instead of a neon one. This allowed me to keep true to the culture theme, but still make it interesting enough for a reader.

TYPOGRAPHY

CHARACTER MATTERS

The voice of Ethos is to be playful yet informative. In order to achieve this I selected a variety of sans-serif fonts that vary in weight. The mix of the bold of the headlines with the thins of the body create a sense of liveliness as well as a structured sense of hierarchy. Similarly, I wanted my pull quotes to enhance the illustrations and keep the animation alive, so I opted for a textured font that slightly varies in its tilt with each character.

COVER EVOLUTION

CREATION OF THE ISSUE

From digitized sketch to the final product, this covers concept evolved from a simple idea of having the outline of Scandinavia being in a bowl of salmon soup (which is a traditional food served there.) In the final product, I decided to go slightly less literal than the middle iteration. I wanted to allude to the fact that this could be a meal, but could also be the shape of the earth as well. Additionally, I opted to overlap some of the elements in the final cover, as they felt too disconnected from one another. Finally, I added page furniture to aid to the magazines legitimacy and give the reader more context as to what the issue is about.

Ethos / Cover Shot

Ethos / Covers & Spine Shot

Ethos / South Korea Spread Highlight

Ethos / Norway Spread Highlight

Ethos / Hero Shot

EVALUATION

REFLECTING ON THE FINAL PRODUCT

Ethos is a magazine dedicated to making learning about other cultures more interactive and entertaining. Current competitors on the market do not break down the information in artistic renditions that allows for easy reading, and they do not focus on specifics relating to the origins of food within a location. The name Ethos encapsulates this message, and is also memorable mark on the publications branding. The publication also allows for even more issues, featuring two new sets of locations each print. Additionally, the colour and type choices aid to the magazines tone, and create the welcoming nature that it set out to accomplish. In further issues, this magazine can continue to push its illustration's playfulness, and continue the liveness that makes turning to each spread a new experience that garners attention from the reader and keeps it for prints to come.