Magazines are ever-present and eye-catching; they beg for attention in supermarket aisles, peek out from piles of mail, and demand attention in otherwise unexciting waiting rooms. Their striking covers and conspicuous headlines demand our notice; the best compositions can draw a reader’s hand and eyes to the cover, then the front page, and then through the remaining pages.

But that reader traffic is contingent on a magazine’s ability to snag the reader at first glance, and to pique enough interest to inspire a closer look. Needless to say, this makes designing layout a high priority; even the most engaging content can flop when presented in a droll, obnoxious, or confusing way. This essential need to engage readers makes magazine development a marketing-based venture at its core, and as such requires designers to think creatively about how to attract a targeted audience.

Aspiring brand developers should approach layout however they think best, given their audience and goals; however, there are a few best practices to follow when formulating a design.

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