parallel

parallel is a quarterly travel magazine that highlights the coexisting historical and contemporary cultures of a different country in each issue.

parallel refers to the notion of an existing alternate universe. The essence of the brand captures one of the beauties of travelling, serendipity, making an unintentional yet favourable uncovering, leading to innovative discoveries while developing new visionary perspectives. parallel strives for simplicity and spontaneity through explorations of mother nature and traditional raptures.

The first step of designing parallel required extensive research and strategy to adequately organize the magazine into a 50/50 editorial to advertisement ratio. This flatplan process generates an overview of the publication to guarantee that the featured content will capture the attention of potential readers. I also ensured that ad content did not hinder or disrupt the flow of editorial content, keeping them mainly on the right-hand side, as people tend to scan the left pages of magazines if merely flipping through it.

parallel insiders are soul-searchers and explorers who strive for influence, creativity, reflection, and innovation while seeking refined escapism. They value the relationships constructed across communities culturally and socially, interconnecting one another. They devote a passion to exploring historical fascinations and relish the harmony and tranquility of nature, boosting their overall psychological well-being.

parallel communicates with innovative soul-searchers far and wide through an informative yet relaxed approach. Curated to foreign and local audiences, parallel enables readers to explore new international possibilities or rediscover hidden quintessence of global traditions and amazing locales.

The publication features the photography of astonishing landscapes and breathtaking cityscapes encapsulating global coexisting historical and contemporary cultures accompanied by concise inscriptions regarding stellar unknown discoveries.

Additional service and profile narratives such as trends, advice, and Q&A travel tops explore the recommendations of exquisite culinary delights, sleek architectural landmarks, flexible living accommodations, and extensive transportation systems.

To fully understand my potential audience group, I began my research on the demographic of those who seek travelling for leisure or professions based on current travel magazines. Examining an expansive range of the types of travellers provided me with insight into what specific group I wanted to target for my publication.

In the earlier stages, I developed simple ideation layouts that followed a classic two-column structure, with an image, heading, and description corresponding to each section. Although these layouts were functional, they lacked personality and appeared monotonous. The content was laid out in a way that readers found predictable.

After several feedback and critique sessions, I was challenged to experiment with more white-space and different hierarchical elements to create something that was eye-catching but still maintaining legibility. Thus, I acquired knowledge on successful layouts from various existing magazines and recognized their function and influence on readers. This search of inspiration process provided me with a broader perspective in the endless possibilities of layout designing.

Designing a complete publication from the flatplan, considerations of an audience demographic, and functional categorizations was demanding but enlightening. Prior, I was not familiar with the process behind developing a publication. Although I am satisfied with the final deliverables, there are improvements and suggestions I wish to experiment with further.

A significant takeaway from this project is always to question and push yourself to find alternative ways of implementation, whether it's a design solution or brainstorming for ideas. A professor once told me, "Don't settle for the first solution to anything." That phrase has resonated with me ever since, as I know there will always be a more efficient and novel approach to achieving success.