An Executive Summary of The Project

For an assignment, I was tasked to create a magazine cover for a magazine publisher which would have an emphasis on an object / idea composite created via C4D (Cinema4D). The goal of my cover design is to draw the emotions out of individuals and grab their attention to a serious issue / inconvenience taking place in RI & surrounding areas affected by the Washington Bridge closure. The challenge required me to get a fully in-depth view of how many people are affected by the ongoing traffic issue and come up with a real-life solution to put into play. This case study showcases how I went through these steps, ensuring that my cover rightfully serves it’s purpose.

I chose to design my cover for Popular Mechanics, an American print & online magazine that publishes articles based on home improvement, technology advancements, science, and automobile maintenance.

Challenge No. 1

Not Designing a “Thing”

The challenge was to come up with an idea of something we would like to 3D model with the research of trending news stories to use as inspiration. We were tasked with not just making a “thing,” in the software but to create something that would ultimately become a solution to an existing problem. I chose to do my cover magazine design on an issue that personally affects me, which is the robust amounts of traffic that I sit in daily with thousands of others while trying to cross the Washington Bridge to get to my destination.

Challenge No. 2

Creating a Concept With a Value Proposition

Initially, I wanted my design concept to accurately portray bumper to bumper traffic, but upon being additionally tasked with creating a value proposition, I set out to start sketching flying cars and deeming them as a solution to this problem. Then, with that idea approved I was tasked with wire-framing varieties of cover examples to go over and look at, as well as to iterate and add more detail into my concept.

Popular Mechanics Inspiration