Analysing ImagineFx

Looking at Navigation and Layout

The ImagineFx website has the logo clearly in the top left corner, with a clear navigation bar just below with a search bar located on this same line. There is a login box in upper most, right corner. Directly below these features is an advertisement, taking up the majority of the line with a tiny imaginefx link squished next to it.

Under these the page is divided into three, unequal parts. The very left hand side shows an image of the current issue and a self-explanatory links directing you to the buying page. Just below is a list of quick-links providing links to the main features of the site. Below that are large, distracting links to social media sites, youtube pages and a link to signing up for their newsletters, all a similar size and shape.

The center column exhibits the hero image of the day - an important image that immediately gives you an impression of the magazine's content. Below is a featured artists tab with several small thumbnail images (giving you a taste of each artists' specialties). Below this is another advertisement and an imaginefx subscription offer. At the bottom of the column, there are four square tabs exhibiting enticing examples of the main website's services - interviews, workshops, reviews and fxpose.

The right column shows the imaginefx rss feed, with a scroll down option to read more. Below this is a forum tab, displaying the latest forum feeds.

And stuck on the side of the webpage, another ad.

The bottom clearly displays some of the site contact information.

Colour

Colour consists of white text on gold blocks, or black text on white and light grey blocks. Both allow for clear readability, and are used throughout the site.


Typography

Typography wise, there is no clear placement on the more important features of the website (besides the header). Text within/on images competes with the images, and clutters up the page. Headings on tabs are lost when placed on top of two toned backgrounds, and the links on the main navigation bar at the top are poorly kerned. The quick links on the left hand side aren't read as separately functioning links at first glance, although they are very useful by providing just a bit more information

Strengths

Throughout the website the design is consistent, with color, type and similar layouts used throughout. The content is generally well framed, and minimal scrolling is used.

Weaknesses

The layout is cluttered, with emphasis being placed on pieces like (imaginefx daily and forum), when people come on the website to look at images, workshops and tutorials primarily. The page itself being always to the left leaves an awkward amount of white when viewed at full size, and the advertisement sticking out to the right looks awkward. Also some imaginefx ads blend in when positioned awkwardly next to 3rd party ads.

Competition - An overview

I've chosen five competitors and should narrow it down for my analysis due this week, therefore I've decided to have a better look at these magazines and they're target markets - and select the four that are closer to ImagineFx in terms of which are "closer" competition wise, before I start analysing website designs. In the last post I managed to overlook examining what the ImagineFx magazine is, so will start there.

ImagineFX
ImagineFx is an internationally recognized digital painting magazine, that aims at displaying inspirational digital paintings from around the world, exhibiting both masters and up-and-coming artists. It also has a heavy emphasis on tutorials, and looking into the company's and top people and their working life, day-to-day routine, inspirations and work processes.

Digital Artist
Digital Artist is also an internationally recognized digital art magazine, that also looks at illustrations of varying aesthetic appearance. It is a younger magazine, with less "big name interviews", and has less of a focus on painting and more on the broad scope of illustrations available when using digital mediums. It also allows you to make your own gallery (same as ImagineFx)

Computer Arts
Computer arts magazine is another popular international digital art magazine that is older than both ImagineFx and Digital Artist. It covers everything from manipulating photographs with Photoshop to creating amazing vector illustrations with Illustrator - very similar to Digital Artist in regards of content. However it also looks into typography, design and layout, branding, some animation and gives industry advice across the board. It doesn't have the ability to post your own work however.

2D Artist
2D artist is a digital copy only magazine that shows industry works and tutorials. The major difference here is that it doesn't exhibit up-and-coming works, and like computer arts, doesn't have allow you to post your own works. It also doesn't have any of the interactivity that these other websites have - it is purely about the magazine - buying back issues and subscribing.

3x3
3x3 is a contemporary illustration magazine, published in the US and sold around the world. It exhibits the top industry workers, but is only published three times in a year. It shows a very wide variety of illustration aesthetics - although it is similar to 2D artist in that the website is very limited - to only back issues and subscribing. It does however have a blog and an expensive application process to get your work judged to enter the magazine's esteemed content - on the whole, the most different magazine by far.

Illustration
Illustration magazine is devoted to the history of American illustration art. It also shows works about popular culture, commercial art and design, publishing history, comic books, paperbacks or pulp magazines. However, it is more of a collection of older art and has no tutorials or any real opportunity for reader contribution (like 3 x 3).


After looking at the last two magazines, I realised they were poor comparisons to Imaginefx, and weren't real competitors, so I re-looked at the short-list of runners up and decided to look at Its Art Mag.

Its Art Mag
This is an online free newsletter exhibing tutorials, interviews and galleries of 2D, 3D and Animations. It allows users to post there stuff to the website as well (like Imaginefx). However, it has a very different look that I would like to examine in contrast to these other magazines.

Magazine Assignment

For this assignment, I'll be looking at the magazine ImagineFx, and their website. I have had a subscription to the magazine for over a year, however I haven't used the resources available on the website, and questioned myself as to why.

The ImagineFx Website is used generally to:

• host portfolios, and thus get your work seen by like-minded people in the community,
• receive comments about your work,
• discuss topics, tricks and ideas,
  
• see selected/sample workshops, interviews and reviews from the magazine and
  
• participate in competitions.

Imaginefx Website

ImagineFx Magazine and CD

Other competitor magazines that I shall be assessing include:
Digital Artist Daily
Computer Arts
2D Artist Mag
3x3 Mag
Illustration