I'd like to congratulate you on getting the job of planning the layout of Linux Journal....and I'd like to also say that it was much more enjoyable to read this time around. Thank you. —Monte Corbit monte@intellinet.com
I also wanted to compliment you guys on the excellent content level of LJ. —Tom MorseLernout & Hauspie Speech Products tmorse@lhs.com
It is seldom that an editor asks an opinion of their “art director”. Understandably since you have a layout person doing the work that an art director should your requests for an opinion is a cry for help.
Judging from the recent changes this cry of help seems justified. Your magazine was brought to my attention by my husband, one of your subscribers. His response was, “Look how amateurish this is.”
I would like to start with the visual on page 19. This is a bad shot. It may have been the only one that you had. Why wasn't it cropped differently or the background replaced? Did Amy like the hair sticking out and the UFO by his right shoulder?
The lime green? Was it inspired by the well designed ad on page 29? Do you feel it works as well as on page 6 & 7? Was the Linux color on page 3 chosen from the ad on page 59? Do you feel the two colors complement each other well on page 3?
In newspapers rough sketches lend well to the 80 line screens. In magazines as in your case the rough thumbnail sketches appear badly drawn and quite wobbly. Are you trying to give the impression that your magazine can not afford an illustrator?
Page 10. Why is 'Stop the Presses' so big? Is it to compete with the even larger horsey Headlines throughout your magazine? Doesn't by Phil Hughes look so small in comparison floating in all that white space. It gets a bit lost just hanging there. Shouldn't the three be married in a design unity? Stop the presses? (see page 116 of June Wired Magazine)
Why is the logo of your Magazine treated differently between the cover and page 3? Why is the date under Journal? Was the page intended to be smaller or did Amy feel the white space and the line added something? Why is the XBase lines so big on the cover? Do you feel that the cover breaths well of is it a clutter on design elements thrown on the page to fill up all space?
My suggestion is send Amy on a Design course or two. Perhaps if she didn't race through the design she may have done a better job. But remember you get what you pay for. —Most sincerely,Cinna cinna@interport.net
Kudos on the new look for LJ! Pass on my appreciation to Amy Wood. Keep it up. —Andy Cook andy@anchtk.chm.anl.gov