In order to improve the journal, we had to understand where the journal currently stood. What was working? What could be improved? Based on the user interviews, we wanted to improve the branding of journals, create a more consistent layout between journal issues and within sections of a single issue, and make sure small details were attended to.
1. Branding
Below are the covers of the first two issues. We decided to tackle the branding challenge with the cover of the journal issue because the cover is the first thing that people see. Creating a consistent layout and cover will allow users to immediately see that the journal is The Equilibrium without really reading it.
Similarities
- Large, bolded article titles and author names appear at the top of the page
- Titles and names are highlighted by larger font and/or bolded
- The abstract is highlighted/segmented to draw attention to it
- Justified text is used throughout
Differences
- One column layout vs two column layout
- Serif font vs sans-serif font
- Prominent journal name vs not
- Highlighted in-text citations vs regular text
- Usage of footnotes vs not
2. Inconsistencies
Below, are examples of inconsistencies that we wanted identified in the 2016 issue. We wanted to get rid of these small inconsistencies in order to create a more clean, professional look. At the same time, we wanted to integrate design choices that we identified in the competitive analyses.