
BUG MAGAZINE
Bug is a new monthly magazine focusing on insects and spiders. It is intended to be a tool for parents who are supporting their children’s primary education with extracurricular activities. The magazine helps them introduce their children to the field of entomology, and build on their knowledge each month. Bug presents dramatic high resolution photographs alongside dynamic writing that can be understood by older children and that is easy for parents to translate for younger children.
Target Audience
Intellectually curious parents who are interested in helping their children explore STEM fields, particularly the natural sciences. Targeted at Millenial and Gen X parents, ages 25-45 female and male, with children ages 5-13. Previous knowledge of entomology is not required.

Design Problem
The main challenge is designing a magazine that appeals to two disparate age groups. It needs to be clear to parents that they will enjoy experiencing this magazine with their child. The design needs to be dynamic enough to attract children while remaining stylish and restrained enough to charm aesthetically-aware parents.

Design Process
I began by researching the landscape of children’s magazines, comparing traditional titles (National Geographic Kids, Highlights) with the more modern design-centric ones (Dot., Anorak). I spent a lot of time experimenting with color palettes, mainly using Adobe Color; I was looking for fresh combinations of bright colors that strayed away from the rainbow palette of traditional children’s magazines. I wanted to stay away from green as well, since most photographs of insects include the color. In terms of fonts, I searched in particular for a serif font for the headlines with a little bit of character. I devoted a lot of time to the design of the masthead - I was looking for a way to make the short title fill the entire edge of the page.

Design Solution
The completed cover design is simultaneously playful and modern, with a design that is very deferential to the composition of the photographs. I chose the name “Bug” because it will be immediately recognizable to children, but is also consistent with the modern landscape of trendy single noun names (Calm, Petal, Loom). The masthead is bold and unusual, with a 70s vibe to add a touch of nostalgia for parents. In terms of palette, I generally chose contrasting pastels that were playful and bright, but wouldn’t look out of place in a magazine for adults. I limited the colors to three per cover and kept the text white to avoid overwhelming the viewer. The colors vary from cover to cover, but the consistent header and footer provide continuity. I added the bug with the speech bubble to increase the cover’s friendliness towards children.


I designed posters as issue giveaways as a low-cost way of getting kids excited about their monthly magazine.

Giveaway trading cards were another way to get children excited about learning







The cartoony subscription card is also intended to draw kids in.



Software
InDesign | Illustrator | Photoshop