This issue’s critique is of the January 2009 issue of Birmingham Parent, sent in by Art Director Hilary Moreno.
The image of the child is cute, and the cover has a nice composition, but my first impression is that the image feels forced. A child with glasses for an article about reading looks contrived—do only children with glasses read? When it comes to the structure of the cover information, there are some issues. The box for the insert feels like it’s floating and would have been more successful if it was tucked into a corner. The remaining cover lines are organized to give the impression that they are related articles instead of unique stories. Finally, all of the information surrounding the logo needs to be better resolved. The tagline, date, and website treatments are busy, while the four small sunbursts are overkill. One, at a legible size, would have been enough.
If you’re interested in having your cover critiqued for the next issue, please email us a PDF. First come, first served.
