Magnetic Magazine is an online publication specialising in music and culture. For this project, I designed the front cover and layout for four selected articles from their website. While the written content was sourced directly from Magnetic, I was responsible for all visual choices. This included selecting and editing images, establishing the layout style, and setting the overall tone of the design.
Magnetic wanted their online content in a print format with strong visual impact and long shelf-life. The magazine needed to appeal to an international audience and remain relevant across diverse music events globally. It had to feel fresh, bold and well structured, while still being easy to read.
With a clear focus on layout and typography, I explored various editorial structures, testing different grid systems and experimenting with image placement and type hierarchy. The visual language is contemporary and dynamic, with the use of white space to balance the more intense imagery.
Since the text was provided by Magnetic, I focused my research on visual direction—looking into global music and lifestyle publications, especially those known for strong layout design. I studied the social media profiles of Magnetic’s audience and the Iceland Airwaves festival to get a sense of the community’s vibe, and chose photos that resonated with their energy.
I explored many visual compositions through sketching and testing in InDesign, adjusting grid layouts and experimenting with typographic contrasts. I wanted each spread to feel like part of the same world, while still giving each article a unique rhythm.