Signals are all of the elements that let readers/viewers know what they are looking at and where they are in a publication. These can take the form of logos, section identifiers, labels, page numbers, jump lines, etc.
When designing your signals, always keep in mind their two core tasks as:
- Locators – They act as street signs that help the reader orient themselves in the publication, either printed or electronic.
- Navigation aids – They are signposts to guide the reader to whatever they may be looking for as fast as possible. Readers are always in a hurry…
This is about creating a system of navigation that goes deeper than just having a nice-looking table of contents that is decorated with pictures.
Creating signals for a publication must involve empathizing with the reader to understand their motivations and determine what will be the most helpful to them. This is about creating a seamless experience for them to consume information in. For example, you want the page numbers to be large enough to be easily read when the magazine is held a couple of feet away from a person’s eyes when they are flipping through it. Another example would be using the same words in your cover lines that you use for your inside story headlines so readers know exactly what to look for while they are flipping through to find the article whose cover line caught their attention.
Tips for Creating Your Magazine’s Signals
Put repeated elements in the same place – People like finding things they like where they are expected or supposed to be. Consistent placement of these elements fosters habits and familiarity.
Place signals where they will be seen – Their purpose is to be noticed, so put them in the top-left corner on your “lefts” and top-right corner on your “rights.” Never bury a signal in the gutter.
The design for “lefts” is NOT interchangeable with “rights” – It is a good idea to keep your editorial content exclusively on either your “lefts” or “rights” in a consistent manner. But if you need them to switch, make sure you redesign the page to move your signals to where readers will notice them.
If you have section dividers, use the same typeface for that text as you use for your magazine’s logo – This will help build and maintain a sense of identity and consistency. Each label will be seen as a sub-unit of the main brand (the magazine).
Make labels big and conspicuous – Make things as obvious to outsiders (readers) as they are to an expert (you, the designer). Assume the reader knows absolutely nothing about how to find something in your magazine.
Use white space to make signals stand out – With extra white space around them, they don’t have to be so large to grab a reader’s attention. This will allow for a smaller, tighter, and more elegant design. You want to open up opportunities to create subtle hints of style with your signals. This is one of them.
Pull section labels out of alignment to make them stand out – It may not look “clean” but it isolates and highlights the signals and helps build a simple system of navigation for the reader.
Sideways text in signals can help readers scan – It emphasizes the “separateness” of the information. It also encourages the reader to hold the magazine sideways and flip through. A label that also reads around a corner can have two levels of information and type within them (see the image above).
“Thumb tabs” or other such indexing signals help the reader find what they want – Breaking the magazine’s content into clear-cut sections is not only helpful, but it shows off your publication’s ease of use and tells the reader that you care about them.
Use identical words in cover lines and corresponding headlines – This is the clearest and fastest way to get readers to find the most important stories in your magazine—the ones you listed on the cover.
Use single, keywords for recognition in jump lines – Don’t make the reader think about whether or not they are reading the right story jump. Be direct and obvious in your jump lines and “continued from page xx” lines.
Always use folios on your pages to help readers – Folios include the page number, name of the magazine, and the date of the issue. They are vital for helping readers find the content they want to read. Place page numbers in the lower-left corner of “lefts” and lower-right corner of “rights.” You can try to place them elsewhere, but take great care to make sure they are obvious to the reader.