Word and Image

how words and images work in a design setting?

A picture is worth a thousand words is a famous quote that every one of us have heard. Magazines put famous and influential people on their covers, because their pictures tell people what’s going to be in the magazine. People are always interested in knowing about the life of celebrities, so a magazine with a picture of famous celebrity will sell more.

Words and pictures works differently in different design settings. In some cases there is very little use of words because picture does most of the work, but in some cases a picture needs words to convey the purpose of a particular picture.

If a book or magazine is targeting teenage audience, then it has to be very funky, with lots of pictures because teen agers don't read much, with vibrant colors, etc. It should take teenage models and singers for their cover pages.

If a book or a magazine is about middle age people then it should have a decent and graceful cover, with subtle colors, and should be about healthy life style, fashion, cooking and etc

Conventionally magazine or book about cooking should have food, and kitchen pictures, magazine or book about parental care should have a picture of a parent and a child. Magazines of health should have a cover page of a healthy person most of the time.

This cover of a book “Julie and Julia” there is a bowl with batter which explains pretty much that this book has something to do with cooking. The subtitles explain it further what this book is about.

Image taken from Google Images

This magazine doesn't need many words to explain that there is an interview of Michelle Obama, because people will be able to tell what this magazine contains just by looking at the cover picture.

Image taken from Google Images

This magazine needs some words to explain what Barak Obama’s picture is doing on Men’s Health Magazine.

Image taken from Google Images

This cover of Times Magazine doesn't need many words to explain what’s going on in it. A Hindu Goddess “Kali” is hurting herself and her body comprise of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh. This cover page is about the separation of India.


Image taken from Google Images