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Design Resource: Before & After Magazine
One of my favorite resources for design tips is Before & After magazine. I’ve been a subscriber since it started in 1990 as a print publication, and still go back to some of those older issues. The information is still relevant because the principles are timeless. Now, Before & After is digitized with PDF issues, a blog called Design Talk and a YouTube channel.
In a video short, Creative Director John McWade demonstrates the art of extreme photo cropping. It seemed an appropriate technique for scrapbook page layouts, so I’m sharing the video here…and three stages of a layout that uses the technique.
The Layout
Stage 1: Full-sized photo
Stage 2: Extreme photo cropping
Stage 3: Finished Layout
What do you think about extreme photo cropping? Do you use it in your layouts?
John McWade is the founder and creative director of Before & After magazine. Be sure to check out the B&A site and YouTube channel. You won’t be disappointed.
I absolutely loved that video — and never gave that a thought except when making a banner for my own blog (a long time ago). I’ve never tried it before but thank you for the creative spark!!
I just discovered Before & After Magazine’s web site and was absolutely WOWED by John’s clear, succinct explanations especially his video clips. Their YouTube channel is definitely worth subscribing to. If I was in the business, I would definitely buy his books and/or magazine archive on DVD.
The concept of showing before and after is very effective in driving home the point. Robin Williams does this well in her “Non-Designers” books also.
It doesn’t hurt that I agree very much with his design sensibilities, especially the fonts he likes to use.
I agree with you about Robin Williams — excellent explanations in easy and concise wording. Her books are wonderful and I own all of them. How about you?
I found out about them because I bought their book and loved it! They have some really great ides!