Design pt. deux

First of all, how adorable is that couple in the oval frame?! Very. These are my initial designs for the pet look-alike department pages. When I found the photos on the server I was floored — they are amazing! I was expecting something much different, but this professional, cheeky and almost "glamour shots" look is exactly what I was hoping for. I am planning on adding a subtle drop shadow to the frames (to add some context) and maybe a decorative hanging hook/ribbon above them with the names below treated like artwork labels. I'm not sure if this whole vision will work for a department, but I think it could look really cool.

Next up, more Renovate | Style work. Here are two of my three departments (I still need to get the editor's letter from the server.) The first is a three page department on easy ways to update your home's interior. It's a little more detail oriented than the rest of the departments, so I was excited to do some product cutouts for the "Hob Knobbing" page. It looks a lot like my original prototype department page...it's nice to be able to add a personal touch to my pages while still keeping them within the style guide. 

You know when you're designing and you just CAN'T look at a page any longer? That's how this following spread was for me. It's just two pages! About products! Why is this so hard? I wanted to avoid cutouts because I had already used them on the previous page, but how the hell do I incorporate DOORS, SUITCASES AND ARMOIRES on one page without using cutouts or boring square photos? I searched and searched Meredith for a single room shot that featured all of these items, to no avail, obviously. I finally just decided to do a strange feather effect on the single images to avoid the compartmentalization that sometimes consumes department pages. 

I will leave you with this, the redesigned ren|ovation page, the last page of the magazine!