Keys to a killer cover

Tech magazine cover with Jay Leno 

by Jason France -- Jason@HighVelocityCommunications.com

What makes a great cover? There are a bunch of elements that I seem to find consistent in outstanding cover designs in magazines. Here are a few I always look for:

Visual. What is the content of the magazine? Would a reader be able to identify the editorial content of the magazine if the masthead (or title of the magazine) weren’t present? Is the visual on the cover THAT GOOD that the magazine could stand on its own without a title printed on it? Use of people on the cover or not? People evoke a personal feel, though not always necessary to produce a powerful cover. Lastly, is the subject shown flattering and interesting? Choosing the RIGHT visual is the most important part of designing a killer cover.

Look. What will your cover look like? Sometimes dramatic lighting in your visual can help set the tone of the magazine. Bright and colorful elements on the cover could elude to fun, light editorial content. A good example of this is Rachel Ray’s Every Day magazine. On the opposite end of the spectrum, a cover with a lot of black area in the photo, dark type or poorly worded headlines will evoke a negative or depressing mood to a potential reader of your publication. This will give a totally different feel to your publication.

Design. How is the cover organized? Placement of headlines and subheads? Are the words catchy and interesting? Do they say something a reader would want to know more about inside your magazine? What typefaces are being used? These shouldn’t fight with the masthead in both size and style but rather complement the look and feel of your publication. For example, don’t use a Gothic typeface to illustrate a story geared towards children or party supplies. Choice of color is also very important. Color evokes emotion. There are many articles online at your fingertips about the effects of color.

Don’t be shy to browse magazines outside of your industry segment for ideas. Consumer magazines provide a lot of potential design inspiration. Start a folder in your office to archive the ones you really like so you can come back to them later. Cutting the covers off an old magazine will help you manage space in that tight filing cabinet.

Fall is here; get out and shoot

by Jason France--Jason@HighVelocityCommunications.com

Fall is here. And with that comes beautiful landscapes. Keep your camera in the car so that if you happen upon that scenic barn or tree out in a field, you can pull over and snap a few shots. Consider a nature hike while the weather is still warm also. You can surround yourself with great opportunities then. Shooting at dusk can provide outstanding results. Don’t forget the tripod.

Make sure you set your digital camera to capture your shots at the highest setting possible. Memory is very reasonable so if you have to, grab another memory card as a backup. This way, when you want to get that 8x10 print, your photography will really shine.

My grandfather once told me, “The best photographers are the ones without dust on their camera bag.” I have to think he is right. Shooting often will produce more consistent “keepers.”

 

Heavy-duty truck manufacturing improving?

by Mark McNeely—Mark@HighVelocityCommunications.com

Dovetailing a previous posting from late last week about truck traffic on Interstate 39, there’s some encouraging news about improving production figures for heavy-duty commercial trucks in North America.

Following three consecutive years of double-digit production declines, including over 40 percent declines in 2009, the medium- and heavy-duty vehicle markets are at the beginning of a three-year period of steady growth, according to ACT Research Co.

In the latest release of the North American Commercial Vehicle Outlook, ACT indicates that heavy-duty (Class 8) truck production reached a low point of 25,000 in the second quarter, down 57 percent from the prior year. ACT predicts quarterly production rates will begin a slow climb in the third quarter. Medium-duty truck (Classes 5-7) production, down 53 percent to 22,000 in the second quarter, also will begin a rebound in the third quarter, but at a slower rate, largely due to continued softness in the construction industry.

The researchers warn, however, that the growth is likely to be much slower than in previous economic recoveries, due to a number of private and public sector factors.

Visit museum on the web—and only the web

by Pete Kennedy—Pete@HighVelocityCommunications.com

A museum with a website is nothing new. But a museum that IS a website?

That’s the case with the Museum of Afghan Civilization. Organizers have skipped the bricks and mortar approach and gone directly to the web. The result is afghanculturemuseum.org.

Newsweek has an interesting article on the museum and concludes its “purely virtual form could affect the traditional museum world.” One key advantage: virtual museums do allow those of us without special clearance to see objects that otherwise would be off limits.

Read the whole story here. 

It’s all about the content

by Tim O’Brien—Tim@HighVelocityCommunications.com

The impact and value of high quality custom content is rapidly multiplied (and your investment is amortized) when it’s delivered across multiple platforms.

Beginning with a print article or website story, it builds communities, stimulates discussion, creates widespread interest and leads to customer action. Lacking personnel and/or certain capabilities, dealers must partner with qualified, knowledgeable, proven content provider as the enabler for this communications brushfire.

The pulse of I-39 shows promise for economy

By Mark McNeely – Mark@HighVelocityCommunications.com

Not being a trained economist, I rely on the prognostications of others, as well as my own observations, to gauge the economic health of our nation. There’s no doubt that the U.S. is moving out of a recession that started somewhere in late 2007 or early 2008. It’s the timing and strength of the recovery that seem to be in question.

I like to use a much simpler sampling method to measure economic vitality. I call it the “I-39 Barometer.” Interstate 39 is a short, lesser-known cousin to those colossal I-roads such as I-95 to the east and I-5 to the west, but it does serve as a corridor that intersects many of the other major Interstate arterials running through the upper Midwest.

While the finely tuned minds of finance try to figure out how weak or strong this economic recovery might be in 2010, I saw rolling proof of a stronger economy yesterday while driving on I-39 in northern Illinois.

There were Class-8 trucks – everywhere – all day and night. From the flatbed carrying a big 16-cylinder Waukesha 7044 gas engine southbound in the morning to the 600 hp Cummins-powered Sterling tractor hauling along at 80 mph in the evening, freight was moving on a scale unseen earlier this year.

For example, it’s no big exaggeration to say that a turtle could have safely crossed all four lanes of I-39 “traffic” earlier this year, but on Oct. 7 the 18-wheelers seemed to outnumber the cars. There’s just no denying that “commerce” was happening right before our eyes.

So, if you’re driving in some congested freeway area in the coming weeks, just observe the truck/car traffic ratio. It might make any delays you encounter a little more palpable, knowing that we’re on the rebound.

Surviving the Winter Blues: Things to do indoors to keep you busy

by Jason France – Jason@HighVelocityCommunications.com

As we ready for winter, it’s a good time to consider ways to help make the cold season fly by. Here are some things to do to keep you busy.

Clean the basement: Chances are your basement looks like mine. Boxes and bins full of stuff. Buy shelving and plastic bins to organize the space. Categorize things like Christmas decorations and camping gear. Label your bins so you know what’s in them. Get things up off the floor to give you more room. Go through items you don’t want and either donate to Goodwill or set aside for a spring rummage sale. A great way to make a few dollars to buy that new set of golf clubs you have been eyeing or to fund your spring plantings.

Get that room done: Revitalize a room in your house. Your wife has been asking you for months to paint that bedroom. Now is a great time, and it’s a good project to do together. Help pick out new bedding and decorations for the walls to finish the room off nicely. Don’t forget to tell her you need that new cordless drill to hang the window treatments she picked out. At least you get a new power tool out of the deal.

Get a Nintendo Wii: Great for having family and friends over. They just lowered the price $50 to $199. It’s a great buy. And it gets you off the couch. Try the Wii Sports. The tennis is great fun and competitive. Just watch out for the ceiling fan.

Experiment in the kitchen: Look up recipes online for new dishes to make. Chili is a favorite in our house on a cold winter day. Make it extra spicy. There are a lot of great homemade soups you can make. Pair it with a grilled turkey and cheese panini and a glass of warm cider. Simmer the cider on the stove with a cinnamon stick in the pot.

Tune up the DVD player: Rent a couple movies, grab some local Chinese and a blanket and enjoy. Our DVD player gets a workout during the winter. Bluray players have really come down in price so consider purchasing one.

Do some digital dabbling: Considering building your own website. Showcase pictures of your kids, your hobbies or just write about whatever you feel like. If you don’t want to build a site, sign up for Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn. This will allow you to network with old friends or take part in online discussions of interest. Most will allow you to manage your profile so you can upload photos or search for old classmates.