Need Some Objective Input

Number 2, Number 2!!! Absolutely the better of the 2. I'm not 100% sure about the typeface you (I assume) used for the Kenigsberg article, but perhaps there's a reason for that choice that I'm not aware of. Overall, your alternative is 10,000 times better. Needs the bar code, of course.

The first one? Much of the text is illegible, the line on the William & Kate article breaks horribly, the closeup of the model's hand dominates the whole page, and it's just ugly -- and, with all the weight on the left, UNBALANCED, too.

Go to the mat on this one.

the layout and typography is better on two (but the 4 red flags thing needs some fixing, there's some font confusion there).

while i understand mara's comment about the hand, i find the extreme close-up on the face more compelling to look at. i realize that the wider shot is a little more traditional and may be more appropriate to the magazine's look and feel, but if I had to choose which image would make me pick up the magazine on a rack, it would be the close-up. It's just more personal and inviting. There may be a better shot of her w/o the dominant hand and that could leave some comfortable space to put your article teasers.

Which cover pays more with less effort?

Seriously... Yours is much better. Just look at the two side-by-side.

The "other designer" thing is bullshit. I'd get through this issue with as little effort as possible. If they want you on future issues, get a contract signed and you hire the creative team if necessary.

Otherwise, tell them to kick rocks.

The nameplate is unsettling to me. For something named TrueBalance it definitely gives the feeling of something unbalanced the way it's tilted.

Thanks guys :)

@ gwells (and yes, I almost wrote hgwells) the funny thing is, when i first saw the photo, I also liked it a lot. The color palate is very cool though, which I thought worked against the mag... and I really felt it needed another half inch all the way around for it to work well.

@ thorny - already told them it's "me or him"! We'll see if they pick me... if not, I know they're too clueless to bother with.

@ young - right!?! That's exactly what I said the first time I saw it... apparently, they think it shows balance by being askew. I don't know...

Glad to know I haven't totally lost my noodles in the process of this hectic project. Now, if only they would listen to me! lol

I'm late to the game, so I'll just say lose the scripty font on 2. You might try knocking out 'The Work' so the headline is more interesting too.

Like ZM - the tilted masthead is unsettling for me too. Perfect example of trying to be too cute... "Hey the name is 'TrueBalance' so let's tilt the masthead off balance!" Lots of scared "yeahs!" all around the room and the mistake is carved into stone forever. :-)

Too much use of the same fonts.

I have to say the flag at a tilt just screams "we're inconsistent, unstable, and we're really unclear of what our vision is" when the name of the publication is "True Balance".

If it were some edgy publication where they're trying to make a statement of marching to their own drum, sure, that would work. But not for the demographic this publication is aiming for. Good luck to them.

Also, this is just a personal preference of mine (been around too many editors) but when handling numbers in print, if the number is a single digit, it should be spelled out. "Four" instead of "4".

Liorah, please allow me to step up a second time and echo what others are saying about the tilted mag title. It's really unpleasant and there's no rationale for it. It's just an arbitrary thing.

I really hope you get this job squared away, on your own terms. If it doesn't work out, they lose way bigger than you do.

So, I may not have been clear earlier, but I agree 100% about the title, and said as much to them the first time I saw it a month ago, and my input in this case fell on deaf ears. On the downside, they went with his cover, but truthfully I ended up having so much creative discretion and fun with the actual publication that I didn't even let it phase me.

On the upside, it's done!! And billed!! And hopefully paid for, soon. I'm posting it in the critique section, so feel free to check it out and have at it!

hmm, the second one is better.

i find that clients (especially "committees") will almost invariably choose the worst thing presented to them.

if i develop 3 different ideas to show a client. in my head, i pick the one i like least. the one thats the least sophisticated, clean or effective. thats generally the one that gets selected

so dont ever present anything you'd be ashamed of putting your name on ; )