How shall I begin to tackle this project? A good start would be to identify some of the major design shortcomings of the previous editions of DC Chefs. Doing this evaluation will give me a better grasp on the major points I need to address with this redesign.
Starting with the cover, I see a lack of drama. I personally do not feel like the image of silverware wrapped in a ribbon captures the drama and passion of the food being presented by the DC chefs. It would be nice to see food on the cover - although I'm not sure how this idea will be received. Joyce and Michel both like the DC Chefs masthead - they like the sans serif Century Gothic font, but, I think the maroon color is depressing, and not very appetizing.
Flipping through the magazine, I encounter many opportunities for improvement, such as - line length, lack of margins, the entire table of contents needs to be reworked (pt size, font, lack of design) - the addition of another contrasting typeface/color would add interest to the pages. COLOR! It would be nice to see a soft background color used in some of the spreads to break up the monotony. I see a lot of room for improvement in the typography department - especially pt size, emboldened type (On the Side), folios (positioning, lack of interest). I would like to brand each chef with his corresponding restaurant logo in an interesting way.
