Michael Pearce Design: GRD 4100

Rough tests for infographic imagery via collage

Basic concepts for an infographic depicting the amount of UFO sightings from month to month in each hemisphere of Earth. The black and white comp has inhibited traditional separative color techniques, which presents the challenge of finding ways to distinguish between months. The rays serve as a graph, pathways of vision from onlookers, and could also be abstractly perceived as an eye with long lashes to play off the "sight of flight"

The typography of the 80s and 90s has always been a huge interest of mine, and until today I have never personally attempted to execute a typographically experimental magazine spread. I'm grateful to have been further exposed with the contribution of resources from my professors. Fortean Times is a magazine that puts an alternate spin on the ordinary to make it extraordinary. The terms: weird, strange, non-traditional, mysterious, unexplained; are all buzz-words throughout the entire publication, which are dually aplicable to a description of the experimental type of the past decades. I believe the use of this typographic style will strengthen the messages through the use of type as a pictorial element in addition to reading material, and its interaction with the images themselves.

Typographic Experiment "UFO Files" 1

Fortean Times' advertisements tend to be very large, very busy, and very poorly designed; which will detract and distract from the central goal of stronger use of imagery throughout the redesigned magazine. A monochromatic or black and white composition will make significant cuts in production cost, allowing Fortean Times to rely far less heavily on sponsorship from advertisements. Although the subtraction of color from images inhibits their power to a degree, inexpensive printing will allot funds for larger and more frequent imagery, higher quality mediums and methods of production, less crowded compositions, a greater overall sense of unity, and an intensified sense of balance. Also, in American markets the pallet could be identifiable to Weekly World News (which has recently ceased publication), and serve as a redirect for their lost audience.

Cover Redesign

TOC Redesign

Feature Spread Redesign

Shorts Concept

Experimented with image transfer using gesso, various paper types, water, and laser prints to create the eerie aged and weathered photo effect to better illustrate "The Devil Rides Out"

Cover Concept

Feature Spread Concept

TOC Concept

Fortean Times and any other publications exploring the ridiculous or supernatural traditionally rely heavily on gathering interest through the front cover illustration. I have been researching their archives for a cover story to redesign, and the following stories have drawn my interest.

-"How to Make a Zombie"

-"Stonehenge Surprise"

-"60 Years of UFOs"

-"Remote Viewing"

-"Bones with Bling"

/////"The Devil Rides Out"

-"Haunted History"

-"When the Lights Went Out"