How to get inspired by a magazine layout for scrapbooking

How many of you out there have a stack of home decorating, travel, cooking, etc. magazines on your bedside table or coffee table?  Raising my hand here.  I have a confession, I hoard them. Literally.  Hey, I might need to find that apple crisp recipe from 2016, right? I know, just rip out the page or write it down, but it’s not the same as keeping the complete magazine.

I used to subscribe to several of my favorite magazines and enjoyed the thrill of a crisp and new issue coming in the mail…bliss. Then, there was TOO many and I purged a bunch but kept a “few”.  Ok, the bells are ringing that there has to be a correlation between my experience and memory keeping. Ding ding ding.

Before we dive into the details, let me introduce myself.  I’m Wendy Morris-Saponaro.  I’m a “seasoned” hybrid memory keeper and on my second round designing for Sahin Designs as a Hybrid Artist.  I’ve been a scrapbooker for about 20 years.  I had a little break from scrapbooking after moving.  I’ve rejuvenated my way back to creating again this year.

Also, my break from scrapbooking lured me into reading more and a newfound obsession with design and typography.  Have you ever stopped on a magazine page to really study the layout design?  What grabs your attention to stop and look at and/or read an article?  For me, what reels me in would be the photo placement, typography (i.e. the boldness of a title that flows with the themed or feel of the subject), and ease of reading the page.

Now let’s dive into a few pivots of how you can be inspired by a magazine layout for your next scrapbook page.

I was inspired by this tidbit on a page from Sunset magazine for my traveler’s notebook project.

Use of typography to pivot your page title or subject

Bold, big, small, all caps, script, handwriting, spacing between letters or letter kerning…all of these are secrets behind the lure into a polished and legible page.  Typography is the art and technique of arranging type.  It is central to the skills of a great designer and mastering this discipline can truly take your scrapbook page to the next level.  Typography can be powerful.  Typography can capture the tone or mood through the title before one even reads or peruses the content of the page.

For my traveler’s notebook project, I chose not to use a title.  Wrong? Right? Your choice.  You can be just as powerful in your message with the typography used by simply using a powerful type or font.

I chose to use a simple and bold numbers stamp set to convey the message of my project. The .01, .02, etc. all lead into the “subtitles” (i.e. golden days, pumpkin spice, cozy on up, each moment has its own beauty, these are the days) that convey the Autumn theme of the layout. I could have chosen to use a bold title but in this case, I felt it would distract a bit from my numbered pivots when the theme is indirectly stated.  Also, I would recommend not to mix more than 2-3 font styles on a layout. Less is more, in this case, to keep your layout clean and smooth.

Photo Placement is Powerful

Photography is powerful.  In memory keeping, we never want to lose focus on our photos taking precedence.  One large photo can be just as strong to a theme as 8 smaller photos.

There are some clever and unique ways to create a photo-centric design using multiple images.  Photo placement can be very attractive and eye-catching to a page.  You can cut your photos into shapes (i.e. hand punches are great for this), angle your photos (i.e. from a straight line to a slanted/rotated line), or try a photo grid/collage (i.e. if you have many photos to convey your story).  I challenge you to step outside of your comfort zone and try something new with your photos.

In my project, I chose a design that would challenge me from the typical grouping of photos all together and a few embellishments around them.  I love the flow of the magazine layout with the flow chart effect.  So, this design contributed to my use of two strong autumn photos to capture the mood of my layout.

The flow chart connectors of lines and numbers push the theme seamlessly across two pages even though there is only one photo per page.  The photo of me on the right page was a challenge with the colors and Sahin Designs pattern papers.  So, I chose to change the photo to black and white.  Always make sure your colors flow smoothly across your photos for cohesiveness.

Story pivots to tell your own story

In memory keeping, it is your art to tell your story clearly.  You want to communicate the visual message beyond your photos.  Your story can be implied or clearly stated.  In a magazine, you can feel the message of a story from just looking at the elements on the page.  Do you feel happiness, warmth, simplicity, sadness, energy, slowness, a tug on your heartstrings?

In my layout, my story is implied with bits here and there of embellishments to enhance the photos and memory.  I could have taken it a step further and  documented a sentence or two about each photo.  On a bit of paper, I brainstormed with jots of words and things that I associate with Autumn.  For me, I think of pumpkin, pumpkin spice things all around, settling in for afternoon naps, trees changing colors, pears, apples.  Try brainstorming your thoughts.  Then, when you notice a common theme emerging, this is your story.

Effective use of color theory

Color can make the right connection in emotion and reaction. Again, less is more, with color.  Your color scheme will intensify your story and reveal the mood.  What reaction do you have when you see the colors of red, pink, white, black, orange, yellow, blue?

For my layout, I chose the central colors of orange, brown and green.  Orange expresses warmth, vibrance, energy, and happiness.  Green is associated with nature, calmness, growth, and peace.  Brown represents the earthiness, nature, warmth and rusticity.

Guess what? I love you guys so much that I’ve put together below a 27-page PDF of some magazine pages that you can use to be inspired by on your next project.

Feel free to print it out or save on your computer for quick reference.

⇒ Disclaimer: By downloading this PDF you understand that this file is not property of Sahin Designs and cannot be used or sold for commercial purposes. The PDF is for inspiration purposes only. Re-sale/re-distribution is not allowed.

Did you find this article helpful?

I challenge YOU to look through the attached PDF and find those pivots to inspire you.  Share with me your thoughts in the comments section below after trying out my tips for inspiration from a magazine layout.